Exhaust from a diesel engine is naturally dirty, soot and carbon from the exhaust will eventually clog up the EGR (exhaust gas recirculation) valve, EGR sensors, EGR cooler, and DPF (diesel particulate filter). Once these components start to clog, performance and fuel economy will drop meaning that these emissions-related parts will have to be cleaned or replaced. Some diesel owners choose to “delete” these pollution-control components instead.

A diesel delete involves taking out the DEF system, removing the catalytic converter and DPF, and installing a new exhaust without these components. The vehicle’s ECU (engine control unit) is also reprogrammed using a tuner. This tuner will replace the OEM (original equipment manufacturer) software with a new program that controls the fuel delivery and engine timing.

After a diesel delete is completed, there are many benefits the owner will notice. There are performance improvements such as an increase in torque and horsepower, as well as an improvement in fuel economy. Many choose to delete instead of replacing the DPF as the price difference is large, and there are many great benefits to a delete.