IF you drive a diesel car, you need to prepare for THIS Coronavirus complication, according to experts.
And its one of the hidden side-effects that could hit UK drivers when the country emerges from the unprecedented nationwide lockdown issued last week.
James OMalley, of leading UK firm Select Car Leasing, is warning diesel drivers to be aware of something fitted to their cars called a Diesel Particulate Filter, or DPF.
James explains: There are real benefits of owning a diesel car. Theyre known to rack-up huge mileages and the engines themselves are often blessed with lots of torque, making them great family load-luggers.
Chances are your diesel has a DPF fitted into the exhaust. These became mandatory on all new diesels in the UK in 2009, and many cars - particularly automatics and 4x4s - were fitted with DPFs long before that.
The filter does a brilliant job of stopping soot passing into the atmosphere, making your car more eco-friendly
But the trade-off of enjoying a frugal diesel is that the soot caught in this filter has to be burned off in order to regenerate the DPF.
And the best way to burn off the soot is to make sure you regularly treat your car to a good 30-50 minute blast on the motorway at sustained speeds.
Short runs are the sworn enemy of the DPF.
However, due to the Coronavirus outbreak its our worry that many diesel owners will end up using their cars for short, sharp journeys to and from the nearest supermarket or pharmacy rather than cars being used for long commutes.
Doing lots of short 10 to 15 minute drives, and only one long run a week, simply isnt enough.
And we could end up with a DPF failure epidemic on our hands.
The DPF is normally able to regenerate itself when the exhaust reaches a certain temperature - hence the need for a long motorway run to get the system nice and hot.
Often your cars ECU - the internal computer - will try to aid the process through whats known as active regeneration, where extra fuel is injected to raise temperatures further. But that doesnt always rectify the issue.
And you could end up shelling-out more than £100 at a garage for a process known as forced regeneration in order to clear the DPF.
James adds: Theres a number of ways youll know youve got a DPF problem. You might see a filter-shaped warning sign on your dash, you might notice stilted performance or strong smell from the exhaust, or your car might even go into limp mode.
In fact, it might not start at all. And remember that if theres a warning light on the dash, its an automatic MOT fail.
It pays to maintain your DPF - a new one could set you back up to £3,500, leading to write-offs for older motors.
You should also be wary not to turn your cars engine off when its in the middle of a DPF regeneration - as youll stop the process and cause further complications.
Youll know when a regeneration is taking place as youll typically hear a slight change in engine note, the cooling fans might kick in, and you might notice an increase in idle speed and a hot smell coming from the exhaust.
James reveals: The regeneration itself can take up to 10 minutes. With trips now limited to essential only, drivers face the unavoidable likelihood of their diesels running into problems in the future. Ultimately, not using your diesel at all by this point may be better than giving it a very quick run to the shops. If drivers do continue using their diesel cars for short trips - we might expect to see some very garages by the end of the year"
To find out more about which type of fuel is best for you, check out our handy fuel guide here: https://www.selectcarleasing.co.uk/guides/fuel-types/