Q: Was wondering if I Isuzu 5.2 4hke TS diesel could be ran without a muffler

asked by on May 07, 2017

When playing with with the gas pedal the check engine light comes on and the muffler is stopped up so I was wondering if it's ok to run without a Muffler

Hi There, It sounds like you are having an issue with the DPF check engine light. The DPF light relates to the diesel particulate system in your vehicle which includes a filter in the exhaust system that is designed to capture excessive soot and carbon that is a bi-product of the diesel combustion process. Over time, this filter will build up with excess soot and carbon deposits. Diesel engines are designed to combat this by raising the exhaust temperatures to burn off the excess buildup as you drive at higher speeds. This is called passive regeneration. When the light comes on, this means that the soot levels have reached a critical point (usually around 45-50%) indicating that the system needs to burn off this excess buildup by taking the vehicle on the highway and driving at speeds above ~40 mph or more which will help to raise the exhaust gas temperatures to burn off the excess build up. If this light is ignored and the driver continues to drive at lower speeds, this may cause the computer to put the vehicle into a "limp mode" in an effort to prevent further damage to the exhaust filtering system. I would suggest having a professional from YourMechanic come to your location to take a look at your vehicle.

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