How Often Should You Drive a BMW Diesel on the Motorway?
Photo by Nicolò Bacchini on Unsplash The advice to take your BMW diesel on a good motorway run has been repeated so often it's almost become folklore. But there's a specific mechanical reason behind it, and understanding it helps you know not just how often to do it, but exactly what kind of driving counts, and what happens to the BMW diesel particulate filter when it doesn't get what it needs. What the Diesel Particulate Filter Actually Does Every modern BMW diesel engine is fitted with a diesel particulate filter, commonly called the DPF, as part of the exhaust system. Its job is to trap the fine soot particles that a diesel engine produces during combustion, preventing them from being released into the atmosphere. The DPF does this effectively, but it has a finite capacity. As soot accumulates, the filter eventually needs to clean itself, a process known as regeneration. DPF regeneration works by raising the temperature in the exhaust system high enough to burn off the...
