What is a DPF?

You may have noticed that Maitland Motors have become a part of The DPF Doctor network, but what does this mean for you? (If you drive a petrol vehicle then nothing. (Petrol vehicles are not fitted with a DPF, so you don’t need to worry.)  

Our diesel customers may have heard or have had issues with their DPF, so how can we help you? 

What is a DPF? 

Your DPF (diesel particulate filter)  helps limit the amount of pollution (soot) emitted from diesel vehicles entering our atmosphere, improving emissions. New Euro 5 exhaust emissions legislation made it mandatory for all diesel to be fitted with a DPF from 2009 onwards.  

The DPF works by carrying out a process called DPF Regeneration. DPF regeneration is when the excess soot, which has been trapped and collected by the DPF, is burnt off at a very high temperature. Burning is activated in 1 of 2 ways, Passive or Active

Passive DPF Regeneration is activated when the exhaust temperature is high enough so that the DPF can do its job of burning off the soot. These high temperatures only take place at speeds of at least 40 mph driven for at least 15 minutes. In other words, a nice long drive on the motorway should activate your DPFs passive regeneration without you having to do anything special. You could have issues with this if you tend to take short, slow, stop-start journeys when the vehicle doesn’t have the chance to get to a high enough temperature to activate the process. Factors that could also cause issues inc, lack of maintenance, wrong oil or driving on empty.  

Active DPF Regeneration is activated when the filter reaches 45% capacity (soot collected) and fuel is injected automatically. This increase in fuel makes the exhaust temperature rise so that it can then burn off the soot. Regeneration is activated on longer journeys, so again, if you tend to do low, slow miles, the DPF won’t have the chance to do its job. 

Looking after your DPF will save you costly repairs and help your diesel run safely and efficiently, new DPFs can cost at least £1000! So if you notice the DPF warning light is on, then taking your vehicle for a nice long drive may be all that’s needed to start the regeneration process (especially if you’ve been working from home or not travelling much). If your light is still on or it’s stating a full DPF it may be time for an expert in DPF care to inspect and diagnose the issues. 

Alongside the leading industry knowledge and products from our friends at The DPF Doctor, we can help keep your DPF running and doing its job. Firstly, we would be to carry out a DPF Assessment, which includes specific tests and measurements using our extensive training. This costs £75 + vat and you will be given a full report on the condition of your DPF and what the next steps (if needed) are to get your DPF running smoothly and efficiently again.  (All works advised are under no obligation.)

Please call or email our office with any questions or if you would like to book a DPF assessment. 

Should I service my car?

Here at Maitland Motors, we understand that sometimes you have to priorities where and when you spend your money. Often, the family vehicle is near the bottom of those priorities; a birthday, new school shoes or an unexpected bill often needs paying first. However, keeping your vehicle maintained is a proactive way to prevent unexpected garage bills and can help the funds you do spend go further.


Following your manufacturer’s service schedule is an easy and effective way to get the most from your vehicle. (You’ll find this in your vehicle’s manual or your dash might pop up with a reminder.)

Why should I service my car?
Regular servicing ensures that essential parts (brakes, suspension, etc) are running efficiently and to your needs and requirements. The more miles you drive, the more you should expect parts to deteriorate due to wear and tear. It can also give our technicians the chance to spot and nip potential problems in the bud before they develop into an expensive, lengthy repair that otherwise could have been avoided. Regular servicing also helps the vehicle maintain its value price if you decide to resale.


My car passed its MOT, does it still need a service?
Your MOT is a legal requirement set out by the DVLA that checks the roadworthiness of a vehicle. To pass, it only needs to meet the minimum road safety and environmental standards. Some MOT checks will overlap with a service, however, not everything is checked such as testing the condition of your oil and filters. The main difference is your MOT ensures your car is safe at the time of testing, services are a maintenance measure to help prolong its lifespan, improve efficiency and lower economic costs.


Meaning if you want to save money in the long run, we would always recommend servicing your vehicle. Like we say here in the workshop, prevention is always better than cure. Especially, when it comes to cars!!
To help spread the cost of your service we also offer Payment Assist where you can spread the cost of your bill over 4 monthly payments, fee and interest-free. (Please ask for more details.)


To book a service here at Maitland Motors drop us an email or call our office. We always use OE quality parts on all services such as Millers Oil and Mann Filters. Your vehicle is also given a Free Health Check as standard, breaking down our findings & costs involved.

#TIPTHURSDAY Do you know your vehicle’s preferred oil?

Did you know that each make and model of vehicle has a preferred oil as per the manufactures specifications?

Due to each make/ model being designed differently with individual stresses and strains to deal with on engine components. Manufacturers have designed the vehicle to work with oil of a certain grade and viscosity to help your engine cope.


It is vitally important that the correct engine oils are used, especially in modern engines to ensure engine longevity, better emissions, and prevent internal carbon build-up. Using the incorrect oil results in poor lubrication, affecting the performance of your engine, and incurring costly repairs.


Here at Maitland Motors, we are proud to work with leading industry expert, Miller Oils. They have a very handy search tool on their website where you can check which oil your vehicle is designed to take. (Click here to check now.) You just pop in your reg and it provides you with which product is best to use.

Otherwise, we are always more than happy to check and supply the correct oil for you and your vehicle.

Please share this post with friends and family or if you have any further questions just get in touch.

#tipthursday Check your Discs & Pads

It’s essential to keep your brakes well maintained and in good working order to help ensure your vehicle is safe to dive. Discs and Pads are integral parts of your vehicle’s braking system and can last anywhere between 25,000 – 60,000 miles depending on driving style and the vehicle. (More info for your make & model can be found in your owner manual.)

New vs old brake pads, showing just how worn out they can get.

If you hear any noises while braking such as squealing, your vehicle is pulling to one side or any dash warnings come on, it may be time to get your Discs & Pads changed.

The good news is that Maitland Motors are a Pagid/IMI Professionally Accredited Brake Specialist and checking the condition of your brakes is something we do for FREE during our Vehicle Health Checks.

We are proud to work with industry experts, Pagid and only fit their brake Pads and Discs that come with a 25-month/25-thousand-mile guarantee.

If you have any questions about your breaks, call or email the office and we’d be happy to chat you through any solutions.

#tipthursday What is wheel alignment and should I get it done?

Wheel alignment (also known as tracking) ensures that your wheels are sitting at the correct angles as per the manufacturer’s specifications for your vehicle. Over time, general use and wear & tear of your vehicle mean your wheels can become misaligned and inefficient. Every make & model has a slightly different alignment set up with manufacturers recommending that alignment is carried out every 8000 miles or every other year.


A sign of poor alignment is uneven tyre wear that can impact the handling, maintenance costs and most importantly, vehicle safety. Pulling to one side while driving is also another warning sign to look out for.

We use a handly bit of kit called a Laser Wheel Alignment Gauge which uses lasers to show us how straight your wheels are sitting.

Benefits of having properly aligned wheels are,

  • reduced tyre wear (meaning they’ll be more efficient and need replacing less often)
  • a smoother and safer drive
  • reduced fuel consumption (as the vehicle doesn’t have to work as hard to power forward)

If you would like us to check your wheel alignment please don’t hesitate to get in touch by calling the office or sending an email.

Maitland Motors: DPF Doctor

We have big and exciting news to share with you all, Maitland Motors have joined forces with leading industry experts, The DPF Doctor. This means that we will soon be DPF cleaning and repair specialists (after some training over the coming weeks). This will be especially useful knowledge and product base for customers who drive diesel vehicles fitted with a DPF (Diesel Particulate Filter).

A DPF helps to lower emissions by capturing and storing exhaust soot that would otherwise be released into the atmosphere. Legislation passed in 2009 made DPFs on diesel vehicles mandatory to help lower CO2 emissions. If your DPF is causing issues it may need further investigation, which is where the expertise from The DPF Doctor can save you time on the ramp and costly DPF repairs.

The DPF Doctor has more info on their own website about what we will be able to do when it comes to DPFs and have some great reviews from customers who have had issues resolved using their tried and tested specialist knowledge. Well known in the industry, we are very much looking forward to working with them and taking the garage into a more specialists area of vehicle repair and maintenance.

DPF Cleaning Kit

If you have any questions or would like to know more, just leave a comment below, call our office or send us an email.

July Training for Maitland Motors

Maitland Motors have been back in the classroom gaining essential vehicle maintenance knowledge. We are passionate about training, development and staying up to date with the ever-changing automotive industry. What does this mean for you and your vehicle? Less time spent on the ramp diagnosing faults/ issues, expert knowledge and advice for newer makes and models and fully trained, knowledgable technicians working on your car. 

Pico Scope – Essential Training

Ross and Dale now understand the essential functions of the Picoscope. They can capture, save and analyse waveforms, as well as understand how to use these techniques during diagnosis. Picoscopes are a brilliant bit of kit which can help our technicians to identify small deviations on sensors signals, saved as fault codes. Knowing what these signals mean, helps to pinpoint where the issues are coming from quickly and efficiently.

Pico Scope – Advanced Training

Our technicians know how and when to apply advanced Pico Scope functions. They can use advanced tests and techniques for diagnostic scenarios where failures are intermittent or no fault codes are present. Additionally, the technicians will know how to capture and analyse waveforms using the Pico pressure transducer. Again, the guys now have the essential knowledge to get to the root of more complicated, in-depth issues. 

Ross and Dale with the trainer and other students.

Ross is in his element, learning about in-depth waveforms.

Bosch Introduction to Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS)

This course gave Ross and Dale a better understanding of the interconnectivity of modern safety systems and driver aids. With an overview of the various ADAS sensors and their application, they also learned about the KTS to carry out a comprehensive vehicle search of ADAS systems. They can use test equipment required for ADAS service tasks alongside the setup and calibration process of a modern ADAS sensor. 

Well done guys, improvements can already be seen in the workshop and getting to the route cause of faults and repairs with your expert knowledge. If you have any questions or would like to know more how our trianing can help you, call our office, DM us or email us.

June Training for Maitland Motors

Recap of recent training for the Maitland Motors team.

The Maitland Motors team have been back in the classroom, expanding their vehicle inspection and diagnaosic knowledge. Here’s a quick look at what they’ve been learning and how it’ll benefit our customers.

We were very proud of Dale for passing the Braking Chassis Systems, ESP course with a 100% pass rate. Dale reported that it was a brilliant course, which focused on the inspection and repair of modern vehicle braking systems. Dale now has essential knowledge about the operation, maintenance and testing of electronically controlled braking systems, covering both Bosch and non-Bosch variants. The course includes the hydraulic actuation and electronic control of typical Anti-lock Braking Systems, and an introduction to Electronic Stability Control. Dale can now apply the correct procedures when carrying out service activities and diagnosis on these safety-critical systems. Meaning, a more efficient and effective inspection, then repairs of our customer’s vehicles with brake issues. Well done again, Dale!

Ross can also add Unit Injector System Diagnosis, to his vast list of qualifications. Ross now can carry out diagnostic testing skills on Bosch Unit Injection systems fitted to diesel passenger cars and light vans. The operation of the system sensors and hydraulic components was covered in-depth, along with vital information for the safe testing of components and correct fault diagnosis. Interpretation and analysis of the various system inputs and outputs are integral to a good diagnostic process. A series of tests were conducted using an oscilloscope, along with other Bosch test equipment for a variety of system diagnosis procedures. This knowledge will most defiantly help get to the root of issues for older, Volkswagon PD engines. These injections are unique to these types of engines, so more of a neich area of expertise but vauluable all the same. These engines are also used in some Landrovers and Mercedes.

Well done guys on your hard work which will only be of benifit to the workshop; helping to provide a more efficentient service with vehciles spending less diagnostic time on the ramp. If you have any questions or would like to know how the team’s training can help you and your vehicle, please leave a comment below.

Pollen Filters and why they are important

Check out the old pollen filter from a service on a Volvo. We always check pollen filters on services and replace if needs be. They often get overlooked in the industry due to the lack of accessibility, not so here at Maitland Motors where we check this as standard service protocol using good quality Mann OE filters. Pollen filters help keep the air in your car nice and clean so its important that they are checked and replaced. The owner of this Volvo has had a full service history, so this one was well and truly past its best.

If you have any questions about a service with Maitland Motors or would like to know more, then just leave a comment below, email us or call the office. Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram & Facebook for daily posts from the workshop.

Top 3 reasons to book an Air Con Service

When was the last time your air conditioning system was serviced?

Restrictions are easing and better weather is on the way (fingers crossed), so road trips are on the cards again. Sitting in a hot, stuffy car is not fun so keep cool by making sure your Air Conditioning System is up for the job by booking in for an Air Con Service. Here are our top 3 reasons why,

  • AC services help to keep your air conditioning system working at its best. Over time the system won’t blow as cold air as it should, getting it serviced will help keep it efficient and maintained. A must for any staycation or travel plans during the warm summer months.
  • Helps to ensure the air in your vehicle is clean. If left, the air conditioning system can build up contaminants, which you can end up breathing in. This can also affect those with allergies.
  • Some of the more modern cars, such as hybrids may rely on the air conditioning system to cool the battery. Making sure the air conditioning is performing to its best will help to ensure the vehicle as a whole is well maintained. As we always say prevention is better than cure when it comes to vehicles and maintenance, such as an air conditioning service, will help prolong life span, limit wear and tear and maximum saleable value in the future.
An air con service in action on this Ford Fiesta.
An aircon service in action on this Ford Fiesta.

The guys are fully qualified and have undertaken the Automotive Air Conditioning System Diagnosis course, so have the essential knowledge to service vehicle air conditioning systems. EU legislation requires all technicians who service, recharge and repair vehicle air conditioning to be certified to carry out this work. So you can be assured your car is in safe hands with us.

We are currently in the process of expanding our air con capabilities by investing in an upgraded AC machine which will allow us to carry out service and repairs on vehicles with R123YF gas. 90% of vehicles from 2016 are fitted with this gas. If you are unsure which gas your vehicle is fitted with we can check before any work is carried out to ensure the correct procedures are carried out.

If you would like to know more about an air conditioning service or would like to book your vehicle in for one, please just get in touch by calling the office, DM us or leave a comment below.