DPFs and mufflers come in different shapes and sizes.
Cleaning, replacement, deletion. What each one actually costs and what tips the decision.
Cleaning costs a fraction of replacement.
A standard ultrasonic DPF clean is $650 + GST, with a 2–3 day turnaround. Pressure cleaning (the older method) typically runs around $1,250. Replacement starts at $4–5k+ for the part on most working trucks – whole muffler boxes can run a lot more.
Approximate. Confirmed pricing on quote – varies by filter type and vehicle.
Typical cost, per filter
- Ultrasonic cleaning$650 + GST
- Pressure cleaning~$1,250
- Replacement (part only)$4–5k+
What filters cost, by type.
Real jobs from our workshop, with what each one cost to clean. Yours may differ – confirmed pricing on quote.
Light commercial and SUV DPFs
$450 + GST
Utes, vans and SUVs, like these two.
Holden Captiva DPF 
Light commercial DPF Truck DPFs, standard and large
$650 + GST
Most working trucks. These were $650 + GST each – including the Scania pair, before and after.
Standard truck DPF 
Large Hino DPF 
Scania DPF – before 
Scania DPFs – after Muffler boxes
$1,200 + GST
Whole muffler-box units go in the tank and through the same flow test, like this Volvo unit.
Volvo muffler box in the tank 
Volvo muffler box on the flow test
Side-by-side: cleaning, pressure cleaning, replacement, deletion.
Costs and times are typical ranges. Specifics vary by vehicle, filter type, and current parts availability.
What tips the decision in practice.
Cost is the obvious lever. But for most operators we talk to, the decision factors split three ways.
Time off road.
For an owner driver, the truck is their living room. Every day off the road is direct revenue lost. Ultrasonic cleaning at 2 days is comparable to (often faster than) sourcing a replacement part – especially for less common vehicles where parts have to be imported.
Replacement availability.
Common Japanese and European trucks usually have parts available, but not always in stock. Less common units, older vehicles, or specialist plant equipment can take weeks. Cleaning sidesteps the supply chain entirely.
Whether the same problem will return.
If the underlying cause hasn’t been fixed (faulty oxygen sensor, unsuitable duty cycle, fuel quality issues), a replaced filter will block again. A cleaned filter will too – but cleaning costs a fraction of replacement, so multiple cleans over the life of a vehicle still come out ahead.
What it costs to ignore the warning light.
The first warning light is the engine telling you a regen burn has tried and failed. The system will retry. If the filter is too blocked, the second warning light follows – you’re losing power, the truck drops into reduced-power mode, and you can only get the vehicle back to a workshop.
By that point, fuel economy has been measurably worse for weeks. Drivers usually notice it before the warning lights, but few flag it until something forces the issue.
The hidden cost is the time the truck has been earning less revenue per litre of diesel than it should – which adds up, especially across a fleet.
Test the oxygen sensor.
Always test the oxygen sensor before assuming the DPF is the problem. A faulty sensor gives the engine computer false readings – the engine over-fuels, and that excess fuel ends up as soot in the DPF. Symptoms look identical to a blocked filter.
Get confirmed pricing for your filter.
Tell us the vehicle and what you’re sending. We’ll come back within a working day.
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