September 2019

SEPTEMBER 2019 AFTERMARKET 27 www.aftermarketonline.net mechanic with the best premises and the smartest reception area. I’m looking for evidence of first-class customer care and aftercare; of a demonstrable expertise, a willingness to learn and a desire to do everything possible to solve the problem. Our technicians are forensic in their approach. They leave no stone unturned. Any stand out moments you would like to share? There are many but my top ones presently are as follows. We had one of our technicians, Adam Critchley from AC Autotech in the final of Top Technician this year. We also had three garages in the finals of Top Garage; Fitch Autos, Donnellan Auto Services and Cheltenham & Gloucester Autocentre. Cheltenham & Gloucester Autocentre won their category. What services do you offer? We offer an in-situ DPF cleaning and diagnostics’ service to the trade and the public. Although 90% of our work is directly with motorists, we do work alongside other mechanics outside our network. Do you work on or off-site? Although some of our technicians offer a mobile service, 90% of our work is undertaken at our own workshops. What are the most frequently occurring problems you see in a motor vehicle with a DPF? This is a tricky one as we see so many different faults that lead to DPF problems. Some common faults are EGR valve faults, boost leaks, sensors misreading, fuel vaporizers and poor servicing. Why did you become a brand ambassador for JLM Lubricants? JLM Lubricants design and manufacture a range of high quality DPF products. They enable us to offer a premium service to our customers. I work very closely with JLM, evaluating products and suggesting new ones. For example, during a meeting with JLM founder and Managing Director Gilbert Groot, I discussed the need for a high quality diesel intake cleaning tool for mechanics. The team researched this idea and a few months later a box arrived with a message from Gilbert telling me to “Put it to the test and tell us what you think.” Within a few days we had lined up some real problem vehicles; one with sticking turbo vanes, one with very high emissions and three with turbo issues. We had a 100% success rate using this product as a problem solver. The JLM Diesel Intake Extreme Clean Toolkit Pro is now a staple tool in our workshops and it started with a request from me! I am a proud ambassador for JLM Lubricants because their products are the best available. They’re made for the trade and deliver in the most demanding workshop environments and on the most challenging problems. This is important to us as industry leaders. JLM does what it says on the tin every time which is why it’s the only brand used in my own workshop. Tell us about your new training centre. I’ve recently opened a new training centre to deliver world class DPF training to members of The DPF Doctor Network and to mechanics from the JLM network around the world. However, it won’t be available to UK or Ireland mechanics that are not part of my network. We have our first delegates booked in from Australia. They booked up as soon as we released the dates! At the centre we’ll also bring in other high-level technical trainers. For example: Simply Diagnostics (Steve Scott), Autoinform (Frank and David Massey), The Garage Inspector (Andy Savva). There will be behind the scenes help from Tech Topics (James Dillon) so that technical training can be delivered in a number of formats. This is the realisation of a long-held ambition of mine. Months of hard work and planning and the doors are now open. I would also like to add that nothing beats the excitement and the satisfaction I feel when signing up a new DPF Doctor and welcoming him into our network. For further information: The DPF Doctor: https://www.the- dpf- doctor.com/ JLM UK: http://www.kalimex.co.uk/our- products/jlm-dpf-cleaning A big Aftermarket welcome to Darren and the rest of the DPF Doctor Network. Come back next month to read the first in his ongoing series of technical articles. Darren Darling demonstrates the DPF Doctor way at the JLM Lubricants International Distributor Conference 2019