The GM Field Service Engineer (FSE) Technician Recognition Awards (U.S.) celebrate the skill and dedication of dealership technicians who have recently worked with FSEs on challenging repairs.
Technicians at GM dealerships are selected for recognition based on a variety of factors, including their focus on safety, customer satisfaction, personal accountability, training achievements, diagnostic abilities and the level of repair documentation.
Each recognized technician receives a personalized Service Excellence magnetic plaque and an Excellence in Service Award certificate. (Fig. 20)
Fig. 20
4th Quarter 2025 Technician Recognition Award Winners
Technician: Dan McLaughlin
Dealership: Gateway Chevrolet Cadillac, Fargo, North Dakota
FSE: Brady Huebsch
Service Excellence:
Dan McLaughlin brings unmatched skill, commitment and professionalism to every job. Specializing in light-duty diesel and medium-duty trucks, Dan combines deep technical knowledge with a true passion for his trade. He always puts the customer first by taking time to communicate clearly, listening to concerns, and ensuring every repair meets the highest standard. Dan’s dedication shows in his work. He doesn’t cut corners, he doesn’t guess, and he refuses to settle for “good enough.” He consistently goes above and beyond to diagnose issues accurately the first time, saving customers time and money while earning their trust in General Motors and our service team. Smart, friendly, and relentlessly focused on doing the job right, Dan embodies everything a General Motors technician should be.
Dan McLaughlin has assisted with multiple cases in the past, but one that stands out most involved a repeat DTC P22FB concern on a 2022 Silverado. Dan thoroughly completed all diagnostic steps, including performing intake and exhaust leak tests and repairing all leaks found. When retesting indicated NOx Sensor 1 replacement again, Dan paused and reached out for further discussion instead of simply replacing parts. Utilizing OBD-II Diagnostic Parameters and Mode 6 data in Service Information, Dan identified that DTC P22FB sets when NOx Sensor 1 reads < −51% or > 70% of the NOx model. At that time, the estimated NOx (NOx model) value was not available in GDS, creating uncertainty in the next diagnostic step. Working with FSE support and developing a VSPY script to display the NOx model, it revealed that NOx Sensor 1 was reading 300–400 ppm higher than the calculated model. This confirmed a skewed sensor input to the ECM. Dan then graphed additional input sensors and identified that the MAF sensor remained almost stationary at approximately 5,200 Hz (72 g/s) for 20 seconds prior to setting DTC P22FB. Further inspection revealed debris on the MAF filament causing erratic MAF readings. The MAF sensor was replaced, corrected operation was confirmed, and the vehicle was successfully returned to the customer.
This case not only highlighted Dan’s deep diagnostic ability but also reinforced the need to add the NOx model parameter to GDS — which has since been incorporated. Dan has continued to apply this method to properly diagnose multiple vehicles on the first attempt, ensuring customer satisfaction. He also shares his knowledge with other technicians in the shop, strengthening overall capability in diagnosing exhaust aftertreatment concerns.
Technician: Jeremy Stern
Dealership: Cuesta GMC, San Luis Obispo, California
FSE: Shane Collins
Service Excellence:
Jeremy recently worked on a very difficult-to-diagnose LM2 emissions concern that had been going in circles around an issue with the Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) Differential Pressure Sensor (DPS). The DPS was replaced, but we could not get the DPS to read appropriately. Test driving the vehicle caused a myriad of other symptoms. After the better part of the day testing various things and driving the vehicle with no apparent change to the sensor function, we were ready to throw in the towel after making no progress. Through sheer persistence, Jeremy found the root cause of this nagging issue the next day. He finally located an obstruction in one of the EGR DPS tubes, causing a flow sensing issue. Immediately after clearing the obstruction, the DPS started reading closer to what was expected of a new EGR cooler.
The fact that Jeremy cared enough about this customer to take some additional information provided to him about system operation — and jump right back into a truck he already had spent many hours working on — showed what “It’s on Me” is all about. Since Jeremy identified the root cause of this issue, we have fixed many more trucks exhibiting similar DTC P2383 and P11CC issues. Jeremy’s attitude and willingness to keep trying one more thing are worthy of recognition.
Technician: Robert Mayes
Dealership: Capital Chevrolet, San Jose, California
FSE: Paul French
Service Excellence:
Robert exemplifies the best of the best. He goes above and beyond to support the technicians who he works with and is always willing to share his knowledge to assist them in improving their own skills. Robert’s breathe of knowledge means every case he brings to my attention pushes me to my best. Robert faces every new case with enthusiasm and attention to detail.
One difficult vehicle concern Robert worked on was a 2023 Silverado LZO Duramax that would not complete the tamper test. The ECM would not unlatch the service emissions message on the DIC and no DTCs were set. After repeated testing and phone/video messages, Robert discovered the forward-facing heat shield on the exhaust was interfering with the back-pressure actuator rod. He moved the heat shield away for the rod and finally fixed the truck.
– Thanks to Hank Poelman
