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Until 2012, a soot measurement was mandatory during an APK inspection. Today, this measurement is replaced by an EOBD measurement. Do you drive a diesel car after 1979 and the result of the EOBD measurement gives poor results? Then a soot measurement can be done during the APK inspection. A soot measurement is therefore not mandatory for an APK inspection. We do recommend cleaning the particulate filter once a year with a fuel additive such as Lindemann Total Care Diesel.
There are plans to start taking particulate filter measurements again from the summer of 2022 during an APK inspection. In that case, it is wise to clean the entire exhaust system with an additive. This prevents the car from being rejected on the basis of the soot measurement. The advice here is to add the additive a week prior to the APK inspection and to take a long drive of at least 20 minutes after adding it. This brings everything up to temperature and allows the product to do its job better. Are you planning an APK inspection in the short term? Then we recommend the Lindemann Total Care Diesel. This product tackles the entire exhaust system and also cleans the intake and fuel system!