Autotechnician magazine October 24

Prevention, cure, and product performance

A special feature from autotech sponsor, JLM Lubricants UK

It’s frustrating visiting the doctor with your symptoms only for the prescribed treatment to fall short because the underlying issue is not resolved. The same principle holds true for repairs in your home. Stop the leak by patching up the ceiling but if the hole is still in the roof, you’ll pay the price when it rains. By contrast, as a top tier technician, diagnosing the root cause of any problem on a vehicle is second nature, part of your DNA. A customer brings a list of vehicle symptoms. You then deploy your expertise, experience and any required diagnostic tools to get to the root of the problem so you can deliver a first-time fix. This approach is just one of the many things that sets you apart from the DIY motorist enthusiast. Your knowhow plus that overriding objective to resolve underlying issues are the building blocks that your great reputation and brand rests on.

It is therefore crucial that the additives and lubricants you use in your workshop must also be up to the task – fixing the symptoms and resolving issues at the root, not just masking the problem. You must buy well, especially given the repeat purchase nature of these products and all this entails doing more than just looking at the marketing hype. Peer product reviews, independent testing, social comments from fellow trade professionals – they all help build a true picture of the merits (or otherwise) of a product.

JLM Lubricants is a global trade trusted brand with a roster of products that have been road tested before launch with the most challenging customer of all – you, the professional technician. And not just one tech but several, in the workshop and on a wide range of vehicles. Because if top tier techs have put a product through its paces to their own exacting standards and declared it fit for the rigours of the workshop it’s a sure sign you can use that product in your workshop too, confident you’re backing a winner.

If you’re new to JLM Lubricants, which products should you initially consider?

Let’s start with products that solve an immediate problem – in this case, a blocked DPF or general poor engine performance. These problems are tied in with the need to diagnose the underlying cause of the problem and not just clearing the symptom, to ensure there is no recurrence. DPF cleaning additives can help by introducing a catalyst into the filter that helps to burn off the particles, even if the vehicle is not being driven in optimal conditions. However, not all DPF additives are the same. There are significant differences, depending on the type of catalyst used as the base ingredient.

Ferrocene, or iron, is a commonly used catalyst which assists particle burn by artificially increasing the temperature in the DPF. Although this achieves the overall aim of reducing the particulate load in the filter, the downside is that the elevated temperatures of up to 800C risk damage, in some cases terminal damage, to the DPF core, particularly with overuse of this type of additive. Iron-based catalysts result in increased levels of ash deposits which can only be removed with an off vehicle physical clean of the DPF. So many of the DPF products promoted to technicians are iron based and simply not up to the job.

The alternative to iron is to use Cerium and Platinum. These precious metals, which are in the JLM Lubricants’ DPF Cleaner and DPF Regen Plus, help carbon deposits in the DPF to burn off at a lower temperature, around 400C. This lower temperature not only helps to protect and extend the life of the DPF core, but it also produces less ash which again extends the life of the DPF. Although JLM Lubricants DPF cleaning additives cost a little more than iron-based additives, the long-term benefits easily justify this premium, especially considering that the cost of replacing a damaged DPF can be in the thousands.

Which JLM DPF product to use?

At the first sign of the dashboard illuminating the DPF Cleaning Spray is the most likely candidate with the Diesel Particulate Filter Cleaner the next step up. If the engine or DPF are heavily contaminated, then the JLM DPF Cleaning Toolkit with the Cleaning Fluid and Flush pack is essential, see page 55 to see this in action. And a dose of the JLM Diesel Extreme Clean will restore performance and cut emissions. The critical point of note is that each one of these products and the professional DPF toolkit were evaluated by DPF specialists on dozens of vehicles before their global launch.

On the prevention side of things, the following JLM productscan be incorporated into routine servicing, and intervals between servicing, to help protect a customer’s vehicle. They also have the added benefit of a growing income stream for your workshop. The JLM Petrol and Diesel Injector Cleaners clean the entire fuel system, improving power and performance. For DPFs, soot deposits are reduced, improving power and fuel consumption, whereas for the petrol cleaner there is a reduction in harmful exhaust gases. The JLM Turbo Cleaner is economical, easy to use and very effective at removing soot and dirt.

One of the best ways of protecting the DPF is clean oil. So, regular servicing with a top tier engine flush such as JLM Engine Oil Flush is essential. And, using a professional fuel additive such as JLM Emission Reduction Treatment diesel and petrol helps to reduce the emissions’ load on the EGR and DPF. It is also a lot cheaper for your customer than using premium fuel.

Find out more

JLM Lubricants products are designed to support you, the professional technician, in your everyday work diagnosing and resolving underlying problems on increasingly older diesel and petrol vehicles. It is a powerful combination with the added benefit of long-term income streams from additive sales – at workshop visits and in between. If you are interested in trialing any of these products, or are simply curious to discover more, call 01273 891162, email info@kalimex.co.uk or visit www.jlmlubricants.co.uk.