December/January 2022

DECEMBER/JANUARY 2022 AFTERMARKET 41 www.aftermarketonline.net 5. Keep energy usage low. For example, making use of low energy light bulbs and ensuring that computers are shut down after work 6. Reuse waste paper (from the printer) where possible, making use of the blank side for notes, etc 7. Purchase paper-based products made from recycled materials for the washroom. Can you switch to a local supplier to cut down on packaging and miles? 8. Purchase products for the workshop with a lower environmental impact. For example, environmentally safe hand cleaners in concentrated format so they last longer with the packaging derived from recycled material 9. Ask to see your suppliers’ sustainability policies. Supply chain sustainability is important. This covers parts, products, packaging, sourcing and more. Your request could be just what is needed to get a supplier to take sustainability seriously 10. Analyse your building. Would it benefit from eco- friendly insulation to keep fuel bills down? Would installing a window let in natural light reducing electricity consumption? Could you add solar panels so that in the warmer months you’re powered by the sun? 11. Keep sustainability on your agenda putting your entire operation under the spotlight for regular review. ‘Can we do this in a more sustainable manner?’ is something you should be asking regularly. Training What would be the 12th element? Investment in training. Hopefully, you were nodding your head in agreement reading the 11 suggestions but then you read “training.” How can this contribute to your sustainability policy? For this point, we hand over to Darren Darling who shines a light on the number of workshops that are consigning damaged- beyond-repair DPFs to landfill simply because they lack good DPF training. Darren said: “Something of real concern is the number of cars coming to us with damaged DPFs due to poor attempts at repairing the car. Across our network we’re now seeing hundreds of damaged-beyond-repair DPFs every month. This is frustrating as the motorist has already spent their hard-earned cash with another garage having the DPF cleaned or regenerated. They now face the devastating news they must replace the expensive DPF. In principle, cleaning a DPF is simple. However, they’re easily damaged by high temperatures and a misuse of additives. This tends to happen when garages reset adaptations to get warning lights out when it’s not safe to do so or when they conduct forced regenerations. The problem has increased since more garages have decided to keep DPF repairs and cleaning in-house. Unfortunately, they don’t really understand what they’re doing. Most DPF cleaning equipment is advertised as an easy way to make a fast buck. But at whose expense? The motorist and the planet. “In the last month alone DPF Doctors have had three Fig 1: JLM’s DPF cleaning products can help properly DPF-trained techs bring diesel vehicles back to full health Kalimex is the UK distributor of the JLM Lubricants trade trusted product range. This includes their iconic and global bestselling DPF products. To find out more email info@kalimex.co.uk hundred broken DPFs referred to them; Broken beyond repair because of the lack of skills and DPF know-how on the part of the techs attempting to fix them. This amounts to a mind-blowing total of £300,000. Only today, a lady brought her car to my workshop with a DPF that needs replacing, with just 33,000 miles on the clock. She had been quoted £4,000 for a new DPF by the main dealer.” Significant impact Darren continued: “Damaged DPFs are the enemy of sustainability. A severely damaged DPF (see Fig.1) is destined for landfill. It has no other use. However, consider this; Before it ends up in landfill, the car has been driven with a DPF that has not been able to do its job, so toxic emissions have been pumped into the environment. Although diesel engines have many advantages, they have a significant impact upon environmental pollution problems worldwide. Diesel exhaust gas contains high amounts of particulate matter and NOx emissions, and these are responsible for severe environmental and health problems. A DPF that’s not doing its job is affecting human health adversely and causing atmospheric pollution, and reduced visibility. “If a garage is serious about servicing and fixing DPFs with a first-time fix rate and they want to operate as a sustainable business, they must invest in DPF training. With this training they will earn more. Repair wherever possible over replacement has never been more important, and not just when looked at through the lens of sustainability, but also affordability.” Darren concluded: “Motorists are being squeezed left, right and centre. They want to know that their garage has their best interests at heart and that they’ve had DPF training which ensures they can deliver on their promises.” Damaged DPFs are the enemy of sustainability ”