AutoForum Sept 2011

WWW.AUTOFORUM.CO.ZA

RSA: R20.00 (incl. VAT) Other Countries: US $12.00

SEPTEMBER 2011

I N F O R M E D

PAGE 33

NEWS AFRICA

NEWS AFRICA

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH AUSTRALIAN BODYSHOP NEWS

I N N O V A T I V E

Debate Flares Over Apprentice Guidelines

NEW ELANTRA - FLUID STYLING B O DYSH OP

A N D

MORE Arguments Over Recycled Parts

Inside Tata SA’s heavy Duty Investment MISA Women’s Breakfast Truck APDP Plan Delayed PAGE 1

September 2011

CONTENTS

WWW.AUTOFORUM.CO.ZA

RSA: R20.00 (incl. VAT) Other Countries: US $12.00

SEPTEMBER 2011

I N F O R M E D

10

Cover Stories

PAGE 33

NEWS AFRICA

Debate flares over apprentice guidelines

14

Tata SA’s heavy duty investment

20

New Elantra - fluid styling

32

More arguments over recycled parts

34

MISA Women’s breakfast

42

Truck APDP plan delayed

50

NEWS AFRICA

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH AUSTRALIAN BODYSHOP NEWS

A N D

Debate Flares Over Apprentice Guidelines

NEW ELANTRA - FLUID STYLING MORE ARGUMENTS OVER RECYCLED PARTS

B ODYSHOP

14

Trade Talk 04

Highlights of global and local industry news

I N N O V A T I V E

Inside TATA SA’S HEAVY DUTY INVESTMENT MISA WOMEN’S BREAKFAST TRUCK APDP PLAN DELAYED PAGE 1

Cover photo - Thank you to Hyundai Automotive South Africa.

News Forum

42

MISA reacts to AMH comments

14

Editorial

Auto industry speaks out on fuel economy regulations

18

We are only 2 issues away from the end of

Tata SA invests in commercial vehicles

20

Apollo announces potential closure of product line

22

in the auto industry. Its as if, with the end of

RMI reiterates opposition to the GFIP

24

the year so close, everybody has sprung into

Most appealing vehicles ever

26

MISA hosts Girl-Child at Work

28

Lifeline for Gauteng auto sector

28

Elantra promises fluid styling - and less fuel

32

2011, and I am amazed as - yet again - my inbox is flooded with news on local happenings

action and is determined to spend their budgets, prove their worth, and get their products off the shelves before the 2012 deadline. In this issue we have jammed as much of that news into our pages as we could, and we are delighted to welcome back Colin Windell who will again be contributing in our Business Forum section. You have 3 months to get to

BodyShop News

where you want your business to be in 2012...

Arguments over recycled parts flare in US

34

Jeep, Dodge repairer approval for Cornright

38

Noise in the air-conditioning system?

38

46

Business Forum MISA Women's Forum deepens its industry footprint

42

Carmageddon

44

Are you really selling yourself?

46

How to comply with the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act

48

EDITOR CLARE RUTKIEWICZ

CONTRIBUTORS: AUSTRALIAN BODYSHOP NEWS DAVE SCOTT ROBERT KAISER GRAHAM BUSH ROY COKAYNE Colin Windell

ADVERTISING: GRANT WEST

WARWICK ROBINSON C: 076 727 8161 C: 082 855 7750 T: 011 466 3733 F: 086 627 1135 PRODUCTION: KAZ NEL EMAIL: INFO@AUTOFORUM.CO.ZA

50

PUBLISHER: SWIFT PUBLICATIONS & OLYMPIC PARK TRADING SUITE 446, POSTNET X033, RIVONIA 2128

AutoForum has an ABC circulation of 13485 ABC (Jan - June 2011)

www.Autoforum.co.za I N F O R M E D

Reduced driveline operating temperature

50

Commercial vehicle APDP plan delayed

50

When did you last conduct a pre-trip check?

52

Legislated fuel economy for trucks – US style

54

Aer-O-Cure Alert Engine Parts Alfa International AMR Autocosmos/Electrolog Autozone Bosch Coetz Federal-Mogul First National Battery Highveld Garage Equipment Hofmann Megaplan Ital Machinery Leaderquip Mahle Midas Group MISA Monroe/Tenneco Motor Merchandise PIA/Midas Group POS Service Holland Probe Silver Falcon/Hurricane Silverton Radiators Snap-on/John Bean Technica Trysome Turbo Exchange Victor Reinz Wheelquip World Spares

New Releases 56

After-Marketplace Directory Directory listings

I N N O V A T I V E

Advertisers Guide

Commercial Vehicles

Latest offerings of local products

A N D

58

26

36-37, OBC 5 15 16 56 30-31, 44 7, IBC 51 23, 53 39 43 20 45, 51 9 17 57 32 29 33 47 21 24 40-41 25 35 11 27 54-55 49 13 3, 56

While reasonable precautions have been taken to ensure the accuracy of the advice and information given to readers, neither the editor, nor the publishers, can accept any responsibility for any damages, injury or loss which arise there from. The opinions expressed by contributors to this magazine are not necessarily shared by the editor or the publishers.

Trade Talk

AutoForum - September 2011

The top FCV OEMs The light-duty fuel cell vehicle (FCV) market is in a ramp-up to commercialisation and automakers have diverged in their commitment to this market in recent years. Several of the major global OEMs have aggressive programmes to develop a commercial FCV as part of their suite of sustainable vehicles, while others have pulled back. This is according to the new Pike Pulse Report: ‘Light-Duty Fuel Cell Vehicles’, released last month.

The report evaluates ten auto OEMs working on fuel cell vehicles and rates them on 12 criteria for strategy and execution, including go-to-market strategy, product portfolio, partnerships, innovation, reach, market share, pricing, and staying power. The OEMs are then profiled, rated, and ranked with the goal of providing an objective assessment of these companies’ relative strengths and weaknesses in the market. The study found that a few new players have entered the arena, with the potential to disrupt the market.

The report writers believe that the two light-duty FCV manufacturers who are best positioned in this formative stage of the market are Daimler and Honda. “Automakers will continue to refine their products between now and the 2014/2015 deadline for commercial launch,” says Senior Analyst Lisa Jerram. “In order to meet this target, the OEMs must continue to test and refine their fuel cell systems as well as the vehicle integration and optimisation. They will also be focused on driving down vehicle costs.”

Jerram adds that Daimler attained the highest overall score in the report, as it has laid out a clear path to producing a commercially viable FCV, in addition to its strong relationships with infrastructure and government partners and its recent announcement to partner with Linde on infrastructure development.

Daimler has, however, made similar ambitious announcements in the past, which did not come to fruition, and should it fail to meet its newly set target date of 2014, its position could quickly change.

Honda’s second place is based on the high-quality execution of its FCV, the Clarity, its efforts to lay the groundwork for a commercial launch, and its continued public commitment to FCV commercialisation.

PAGE 4

www.AutoForum.co.za

Ford and Toyota in Surprise JV Late last month, automakers Ford and Toyota made a surprise announcement that they would join forces to create a new hybrid system for light trucks and SUVs. The companies have already signed a memorandum of understanding to work together, and will now undertake further research into the project.

The new system is expected to be rear-drive based, and uses different technology to that of both automakers’ current hybrid systems.

A Ford spokesperson explained that the initiative would not mean a shared platform, but shared costs for the development of the hybrid and telematics systems. These would then be implemented into brand-specific vehicles.

PAGE 5

Trade Talk

AutoForum AutoForum--September September2011 2011

www.AutoForum.co.za

Oz safety authority scolds Chery Last month the Chery J1 hatch ran into some problems with Australian safety authorities.

It started as a nationwide recall in that country for a potential seat safety issue on the cars that had been imported this year, as well as dealer stock and product already in customer hands. It is not the first Chinesemade vehicle recall in Australia in the recent past.

The recall description was placed on the website www.recalls.gov.au: “Under certain operating conditions, the integrity of the seat frame structure may be compromised. There is an internal non-conformity of both front seat backrests. Owners are advised to contact their dealership for removal of both front seats from the vehicle and replacement of the backrest assembly on each seat. Both front seats will be re-fitted to the vehicle using the new mounting bolts as per recommendations.”

The brand then made a statement to the media that the changes made during the recall would probably improve

PAGE 6

its ANCAP safety rating. The car was given a “marginal” three-star rating, following tests by ANCAP (Australasian New Car Assessment Programme) in May this year, with just a 5.233 scoring out of a possible 16 in the offset crash test.

ANCAP Chairman Lauchlan McIntosh commented: “We were surprised to hear [the distributors of Chery] … comment in the media that the modifications would now see the Chery J1 almost certainly get a four-star rating if crash tested again. These comments are clearly incorrect, as the modifications would not impact the overall crash test result, and [Chery] staff should be aware of this.”

He continued: “The Chery J1 performed poorly in the crash tests - the passenger compartment lost structural integrity in the frontal impact test, providing limited protection from serious chest injury for the driver.”

Despite this, the distributors of the brand in Australia are adamant that the recall has allowed it to improve the overall safety of the vehicle.

Trade Talk

AutoForum AutoForum--September September2011 2011

www.AutoForum.co.za

Straight from the horse's mouth Goodyear announced recently that it has launched a new initiative that removes the traditional barrier between employees on the factory production line and end users of the products they create.

The programme, entitled ‘Voice of the Customer’, was launched locally last year and is an international effort to better improve communication for all in the tyre value chain.

As Chris Tye, Goodyear National Customer Services Manager, South Africa, explains: “The issue is the same the world over: those hard at work in the heart of a manufacturing plant do not usually get the chance to see the fruits of their labour on the shop floor – and those buying or selling the products do not usually get to meet the people who made them. If these dealers and customers have a complaint or a comment to make about the product, it is usually first communicated somewhere other than the guys on the shop floor.

‘Voice of the Customer’ is a way of bringing the two ends together, ultimately contributing to the continuous improvement of Goodyear’s products and service.”

The programme allows dealers and customers to share concerns or questions directly with manufacturing plant employees – cutting out the proverbial ‘middleman’, such as a sales or business development representative.

Tye comments that it also presents an opportunity for employees to present to these customers the plant improvements implemented to correct their concerns, and is a clear demonstration that Goodyear values and acts on customer communications.

As part of the roll-out, Tye and Mahir Mehmetoglu, Goodyear’s Q-Tech Manager, as well as specifically selected manufacturing employees, have travelled to various dealerships in KwaZulu-Natal, the Eastern Cape and Western Cape, and will continue to do so in order to ‘cover the country’.

Cleaner vehicles = More jobs A newly released report, entitled: “Supplying Ingenuity: US Suppliers of Clean, Fuel-Efficient Vehicle Technologies”, has highlighted what the writers see as a strong link between fuel-efficient vehicles and economic vitality. The report launched amid the controversial new 54.5 mpg fuel standard for cars and light trucks in that country, which US President Barack Obama says will lead to innovative technologies that will in turn enable automakers to achieve even greater mileage for their products and save consumers money.

Coauthored by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), The International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW) and the National Wildlife Federation, the report is, not surprisingly, very positive about the benefits of cleaner vehicles. “The reality is that cleaner vehicles have already led to more jobs,” said Peter Lehner, Director of the NRDC. “Our report shows how strong fuel efficiency standards have employed people nationwide, so stronger standards will certainly mean even more job growth in the future.”

According to the report, 43 US states are home to the 300-plus manufacturers that develop and supply key components for advanced internal combustion engines and vehicles, hybrid powertrains and plug-in electric vehicles. “This report shows that most states have facilities that produce clean-vehicle technologies,” said UAW Vice President Cindy Estrada, who directs the union’s Competitive Shop/Independents, Parts and Suppliers Department. “The employment benefits flowing from increases to vehicle fuel efficiency will be widespread.”

Divan de Vries, Mthetheleu Makisi, Brent Browne, Tommy Maku, Sithembele Mrwetyana, Simphiwe Mkhosana, Pieter Bienedell (Hi-Q Walmer Park dealer) Kholisile Tuis, Elroy Louw and Richard Vrolick.

PAGE 8

“This report demonstrates how strong fuel efficiency standards for cars and trucks sustain local jobs,” said Jim Lyon, the NWF Senior VP for conservation programmes.

Trade Talk

AutoForum AutoForum--September September2011 2011

Joburg Motor Show in October

www.AutoForum.co.za

Next month the ‘Joburg’ Motor Show will roll into Gauteng, with its promise to again be the single largest international automotive event in Southern Africa. The biennial event will run in conjunction with the ‘Auto Shop’ and ‘Johannesburg Truck Show’ events.

Call for post-license training in UK

Following an additional year’s break thanks to the 2010 FIFA Football World Cup, the industry is expected to go all out to use the event to not only showcase the newest products and technology, but also achievements and plans for the years ahead. Of particular interest to local businesses will be the forecasting, industry assessment and analysis taking place as the automotive industry’s top names gather to lend their opinions and ideas.

The British road safety charity, the IAM, released the report entitled: ‘Licensed to skill, contributory factors in accidents’.

It found that for the under 20s in that country, ‘driver and rider error or reaction factors’ account for 50% of crashes.

As experience grows, this falls to 42% of drivers and riders in their 20s and 33% of those aged between 40 and 60.

The show’s organisers expect around 275 000 visitors to attend the show, many of whom are predicted to be travelling from Europe, the Far East and the rest of Africa. The event runs from October 8 to 16, 2011, at the MTN Johannesburg Expo Centre, Nasrec.

A new study conducted in the UK has found that young drivers are 15% more likely to crash than older drivers, due to mistakes at the wheel or reacting badly to risks on the road.

Considering the number of young new drivers on SA roads and the declining age of commercial drivers due to HIV and AIDs, the report may well be of interest to local road safety organisations and fleet managers.

Factors associated with a more aggressive driving style are also more prevalent in the crashes of younger drivers.

These include ‘loss of control’ (a factor in 14.5% of crashes), ‘travelling too fast for the conditions’ (10.5%), ‘exceeding the speed limit’ (6%) and ‘sudden braking’ (5%).

Alcohol was a factor for 4.6% of crashes for the 17-24 age group compared to 3% for the 25-69 age groups.

Driver and rider error were found to be the top cause of fatal and serious crashes for this group, making the message clear – young drivers need more experience and training.

So strong is the IAM’s view on this, that it is calling for posttest training for young drivers in the first 12 to 18 months after passing their driving test, based on a scheme in Austria that has cut the death rate for young male drivers by 30%.

IAM Chief Executive Simon Best said: “Post-test training that gives extra hours behind the wheel, including coaching on the critical risks such as rural roads, night time driving, weather and the effect of passengers, will save lives.”

PAGE 10

R1xc5l V0A0 T E

29 Lab Experiments using a Virtual Multimeter (DVOM) 188 Workshop Activity Sheets

187 Practical Video Sequences showing you Step-by Step demonstrations on how to fix cars

1041 Handout Activity Sheets

649 Knowledge Checks to confirm your knowledge

650 Theory Video Sequences and Animations showing how a car works

To purchase your subscription or for more information contact Michael Turnbull on 011 879 6065 or email michael.turnbull@technica.co.za PAGE 11

Trade Talk

AutoForum AutoForum--September September2011 2011

www.AutoForum.co.za

Monroe crowns its top salesman Monroe recently announced its Salesman of the Year for 2010, at the company’s international AIM (Aftermarket Information Meeting), at a venue outside Paris.

Michael Hayward ticked all the boxes in the key areas for the award: over budget sales achievement, completed training sessions and number of testing events carried out over the year. He was presented with his award by recently appointed Country Manager, Andrew Antonis.

Trysome charity golf day Trysome has announced that it will once again be hosting a charity golf day in aid of the Ithembelihle LSEN School next month. The latter is a school for physically disabled children and was also the recipient of last year’s golf day fundraising, which was heartily appreciated and used to purchase much needed jungle gym equipment for the children.

This year’s event takes place at the ERPM Golf Club in Boksburg and tee off is 11:15. The company promises to again delight and entertain participants with interactive entertainment at each hole. It is a great opportunity to meet and interact with key drivers of the local business and costs only R2 500 for a four ball. This price includes snacks, golf cart (limited numbers so book early), dinner and a prize giving. There are also numerous marketing opportunities from sponsoring a hole, to golf cart branding and many more.

The event takes place on the 12th October 2011. For more information and bookings, please contact Joanne Turnbull on 011 823-5650 or email joanne@trysome.cc

RMB Corvest buys stake in Autovest Autovest Limited confirmed in mid-August that RMB Corvest had bought around a 28% shareholding in it.

The latter is a four-year-old holding company of a group of automotive focused businesses, including Maxe, Bucco Canopies, SA Canopy, Rhino Linings, Kilber and Star Trek. It has 130 fitment centres across SA. Private equity company RMB Corvest is a member of the FirstRand Group, and the acquisition will see two of its representatives, Martin Coetzee and Genevieve Alberts, join the Autovest board. The move is expected to have a positive growth effect on the group.

PAGE 12

From left to right: Andrew Antonis, with award winner, Michael Hayward.

High performance gaskets Victor Reinz recently highlighted that its cylinder head gasket is the unit of choice in the Audi Q7 V12 TDI quattro with 500 HP and 1000 Nm torque. The high-tech power unit belongs to Audi’s modern range of V-engines, and has two-part aluminium cylinder heads.

As Jochen Frey, Victor Reinz holding company Dana’s Project Manager for Audi explains: “In order to seal this huge cylinder head/engine block joint, an extremely high-performance gasket is required.”

The solution is a four-layer head gasket with three active layers in the region of the combustion compartment, and a full-surface elastomer coating. It also features a patented Wave Stopper® with topographic elements, which allows it to achieve a uniform pressure distribution in spite of different force ratios around the combustion chamber.

The company also equips the first V12 diesel engine in a series production vehicle with Victor Reinz gaskets for the exhaust manifolds and turbo chargers, as well as for the exhaust gas recirculation system.

PAGE 13

AutoForum - September 2011

The latest global news

MISA reacts to AMH comments - Roy Cokayne

T

he Motor Industry Staff Association (MISA) has lashed out at suggestions by Associated Motor Holdings (AMH) CE, Manny de Canha, that exempting apprentices from the labour laws would encourage job creation.

Dana de Villiers, CE of MISA, said that in a scenario where apprentices were exempted from the provisions of the labour laws, as proposed by de Canha, there was unfortunately no guarantee that employers would register even a single apprentice more than they currently did.

He said there were also a number of consequences of exempting learners/ apprentices from labour laws, which obviously included the Motor Industry Bargaining Council (Mibco) collective agreements.

PAGE 14

These were that they would not be allowed to join a trade union, no minimum wage or proper disciplinary process would be applicable, and no retirement fund provisions would be made.

The level one starting salary in the retail motor sector is currently R786.60 a week or R3 408.60 a month.

De Villiers cited two examples of disciplinary action taken by different employers against motor mechanic learners where MISA had to intervene to assist their members. In the first, a level one learner was dismissed for not tightening a cambelt properly and in the other, for not fitting a gearbox correctly.

According to de Villiers, everyone understood the potential damage and costs due to the

Roy Cokayne is a senior financial reporter for Business Report.

actions of these youngsters but it seemed some employers did not understand that effective training was a structured, progressive developmental process, which ultimately led to a well qualified and productive individual who could add wealth to the organisation. He questioned how much “real training” was given to youngsters in such an environment and what would have happened if these youngsters were exempted from the labour laws as proposed by de Canha.

AutoForum reported in its June edition that de Canha believed apprentices should be exempt from the country’s labour laws up until the age of about 23 to assist with job creation. “The labour laws protect apprentices and discourage business from employing more apprentices.

If government eased up on the labour laws, business will take a chance on three people instead of one,” he said.

De Canha said AMH planned to engage government through the Retail Motor Industry Organisation (RMI) and National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (Naamsa) on this issue. He said there was a shortage of apprentices and a need to promote the creation of jobs and provide unemployed people with skills, which could only be achieved by easing the labour laws to get inexperienced people into the work force.

Reacting to de Villiers criticism, de Canha said he would try to set up an appointment to speak to him, but stressed his proposal was about creating jobs, not protecting jobs, and intended to reverse current trends in the industry.

De Canha added that there would always be 5% of firms that would try to exploit the system, which was something you could not change. However, de Villiers said there must be other reasons for the low intake of learners/apprentices that should be identified, discussed and addressed. These included: The low level of mathematics and science in school-leaving children; the focus in experiential work-based-training in a workshop environment on selling hours because remuneration was incentivised and there was little time for proper mentoring of learners; and finally using apprentices to do the work of qualified artisans, at a lower cost.

De Villiers questioned whether there was such a dire need as claimed for motor mechanics, if it was necessary during the recession to retrench some of them. He also questioned whether there should not be progressively higher tax rebates to employers for every additional learner/apprentice registered above a certain threshold for small, medium and large employers. “The youth is the future of this country and the future is being written today by what we teach the youth, how we train them and what work ethic and culture we inculcate in them. The reality is that we are not measuring up to these three aspects and, because of that, the future is looking bleak,” he said.

AutoForum - September 2011

PAGE 16

To be The leader,

The greaTesT

challenge is To excel yourself

suitable replacement parts for hino, isuzu, Mitsubishi and nissan are now available. isuzu 4JJ1 4JA1/T 4JK1 4JB1/T 4HF1 4/6HK1-TC

for aftermarket enquiries in south africa Please contact: inTrade Phone: (011) 432-2667 / fax: (011) 432-3005 e-mail: intrade@iafrica.com Website: http://www.intrade.co.za

Mitsubushi 4D56 4M40/T 4D31

nissan GE13/UD400 FD46T/UD40 FE6T/UD90

abr 6/11

hino

K13C J05/07/08 DM100

AutoForum - September 2011

NEWS FORUM

Auto industry speaks out on fuel economy regulations

A

ccording to a new survey, the auto industry’s current materials portfolio will need to be augmented to meet new US 2025 fuel economy standards, and materials used in powertrain vehicle systems will change the most. The survey was conducted by automotive industry magazine, WardsAuto, together with DuPont Automotive and was released in late July, during the Centre for Automotive Research’s Management Briefing Seminar.

More than 1 000 WardsAuto subscribers responded to the survey (a small portion of the 25 591 email invites were sent out) that was designed to identify challenges and tradeoffs associated with meeting 2025 CAFE (corporate average fuel economy) standards, and was commissioned by DuPont.

It was conducted just before the Obama administration’s originally proposed 2025 fleet average of 56.2 mpg (4.1 L/100 km) was negotiated to 54.5 mpg (4.3 L/100 km), and therefore reflects attitudes towards the former benchmark.

“Clearly CAFE regulations have confronted the industry, but they’ve also driven focus around technology needs, material demands and cost issues,” said David Glasscock, DuPont Global Automotive Technology Director. “While the CAFE standard is a little lower than proposed, it’s significantly higher than where we are today.

Advanced materials, alternative propulsion systems and new technologies must be developed quickly and cost-effectively.”

According to the responses, 5% of the vehicle design and engineers are “very confident” that currently available materials will help them meet proposed standards.

Just below 50% say the greatest change in materials will be in power train systems, noting that advanced propulsion systems – from downsized engines to hybrid and electric vehicle systems and batteries – will drive new material requirements.

Respondents identified the need for higher strength, lighter metals; more costeffective advanced composites for structural components that can significantly reduce

PAGE 18

weight and are high-heat resistant; and lightweight materials to withstand higher combustion pressures and temperatures as key to meeting the standards. With a top two rating of 73%, aluminium was the material rated as most helpful with meeting the new CAFE fuel economy regulations.

Slightly less (68% each) indicated plastics or carbon-fibre composites. Magnesium was rated as the least helpful material (43%).

In addition to materials challenges, the survey explored how new CAFE standards will impact vehicle manufacturing and offers a ranking of the top challenges consuming industry resources. Seventyseven percent of respondents feel that the new standards will fundamentally change how vehicles are manufactured in the US. Cost is the most important factor for these respondents when they are deciding whether to adopt a new technology that will impact production and manufacturing. Eight out of ten respondents (80%) indicated that cost

was one of their top two criteria, while 42% indicated that consumer acceptance of the new technology is their key factor. Only 24% indicated longevity of the new technology was key in their deciding process.

Interestingly, respondents indicated that consumers should have the greatest amount of influence on powertrain policy. Currently, the research found that the group with the greatest degree of influence on powertrain policy, according to those surveyed, is the government (indicated by 44%).

However, they indicated that consumers (44%) should be the group or organisation with the greatest amount of influence on powertrain policy. The next most frequently mentioned group was technology (R&D) indicated by more than 22% of the participants The survey also found that it is widely felt that the automotive industry should focus more attention on building the engineering talent pool inside for advanced technology and less on

restructuring, mergers and acquisitions.

Currently, respondents believe that the automotive industry focuses the most attention on supply availability and pricing relative to increasing vehicle demand (41%).

Slightly less (38%) indicated building engineering talent pool inside for advanced technology.

However, they believe that the automotive industry should focus even more attention on building the engineering talent pool (60%) as well as improving trust and working relationships between OEMs and suppliers (39%).

PAGE 19

NEWS FORUM

AutoForum - September 2011

Tata SA invests in commercial vehicles - Roy Cokayne

T

he automotive component manufacturing sector is set to get a boost from the R110m investment by Tata, the diversified India-based group, in a medium and heavy commercial vehicle assembly plant in Rosslyn near Pretoria.

Tata’s bolstering of its operations and presence in SA has created between 150 and 200 new direct and indirect jobs. Carl-Peter Forster, Group CE and MD of Tata Motors, said it believed there were significant opportunities for it to grow in Southern Africa and where possible it would be localising components such as wheels, exhaust systems and some large chassis members, saving on logistics costs.

Trade and Industry Minister, Rob Davies, said the plant was a milestone in terms of Tata’s relationship with SA, because instead of importing these vehicles there would now be some level of value addition locally. He hoped it could also be a stepping stone to deeper cooperation and involvement with the country. He continued that the DTI was able to provide support and incentives to Tata Motors to the value of R5.9m over the next two years, through the enterprise investment programme.

The plant has an annual capacity of almost 4 000 vehicles, and Tata Motors aims to increase its domestic medium and heavy commercial vehicles sales to between

PAGE 20

1 800 and 2 000 vehicles this year, up from about 1 200 units in 2010.

According to Forster, the investment in the plant was its first major international assembly operation outside India, and therefore an indication of SA’s importance. “We have an international footprint, mostly in the countries surrounding India, and a presence in 11 countries in sub Saharan Africa. We have always believed in the opportunities in Africa and continue to believe this is one of the growth regions of the world. South Africa is one of our focus areas.”

Tata medium and heavy commercial vehicles were until now imported fully built up, but will now be assembled locally from imported semi knocked down kits. However, Forster said the assembly operation would ultimately grow into a manufacturing operation for these vehicles. He confirmed the company had also looked at opportunities to assemble passenger

Tata Motors plant ss a embly lyn, at Ross a South Afric

cars in SA, and was currently in discussions with the DTI regarding how it could fit into the Automotive Production and Development Programme (APDP), which requires a 50 000 annual production threshold to qualify for incentives.

Although Forster said Tata did not have the volumes to qualify for these incentives or foresee it would be able to quickly grow its volumes to access APDP benefits, “a couple of ideas were being tossed around” about how smaller volume manufacturers could assemble locally.

He explained that these discussions had not yet been concluded and he did not want to pre-empt the outcome.

and heavy commercial manufacturers in the world in terms of volume and also entered the car market. “We believe it’s now time for us to go international,” Forster said. “We would like to take our business in Africa forward and have the ambition to become a major global commercial vehicle player.”

This latest move adds Tata Motors to the list of international manufacturers now carrying out local assembly, including Mercedes-Benz, Hino, UD Trucks, MAN, Volvo, Scania, Isuzu, Navistar, FAW and Powerstar.

Tata Motors was founded about 60 years ago as a commercial vehicle operation in India and has subsequently grown into one of the top five medium

Pos Service Holland (SA) Pty Ltd.

Alternators - Starters Testbenches - Equipment

Expansion & Relocation

M

SQ 0 0 0 1.

Phone: 011 704 5196

New Address: Unit 7, Mica Drive Newport Business Park, Kya Sand, Ext.101

Fax: 086 516 9890

www.psh-sa.co.za PAGE 21

AutoForum - September 2011

NEWS FORUM

Apollo announces potential closure of product line - Roy Cokayne

A

pollo Tyres South Africa (ATSA), part of the $2bn India-based Apollo Tyres Group, has announced the “potential closure” of the company’s bias ply type product lines in the light truck and truck and bus category at its Durban plant.

About 200 employees, comprising both permanent and short-term contract employees, will be affected if the envisaged operational changes are implemented by ATSA. Luis Ceneviz, ATSA’s CE, said it intended to limit possible job losses to an absolute minimum and its human resources department was engaging with all relevant parties about redeployment options.

He anticipated this process would be completed by the end of September.

The potential closure of the plant has been attributed to a lack of demand for the product lines produced there and competition from imports. Ceneviz said the affected product lines were being replaced by radial tyres, because market demand for the former had dropped markedly in the last few years as consumers opted for modern radial products.

He continued that ATSA was also faced with extremely high costs of manufacturing in

PAGE 22

SA, primarily because of increases in energy and labour costs, which were substantially higher than inflation. Competition from cheaper imports combined with the strength of the Rand had also played a large role.

“Due to the inflow of cheaper imported products in the last few years, mainly from China, the market share of imported tyres has grown from 16% to 42%. This means for us to be competitive, we have to make the necessary changes and invest in new technology.”

Ceneviz said ATSA was one of the only local manufacturers still producing these products and was exploring options to possibly rescue these product lines and a decision would be made “in due course”. ATSA’s Ladysmith factory is not affected by the proposed changes.

The company acquired Dunlop Tyres International in 2006 and has invested more than R300m in the past five years to upgrade existing machinery and introduce newer technology. It is currently spending a further R350m on new equipment for additional capacity for growth at its Ladysmith and Durban factories.

NEWS FORUM

AutoForum - September 2011

RMI reiterates opposition to the GFIP

T

he debate regarding the tolling of Gauteng roads continues to make headlines, with the latest comment from the Retail Motor Industry Organisation. In mid-August RMI CEO Jeff Osborne released a statement to the media, once again highlighting the potential negative effect the project is expected to have on road users, and follows the announcement that the proposed fee would be reduced.

“The lowering of the proposed toll fees is a welcome step in the right direction for commuters but it still falls far short of what is realistic for businesses to economically operate in Gauteng.”

The RMI chief believes that the revised toll fees will still impose significant costs on businesses – and that these costs will be felt throughout the economy, effecting business across the board from tourism to manufacturers. He expects that the cost impact on fastmoving consumer goods, particularly basic foodstuffs, will still be felt most significantly the unemployed.

The statement continues that: “road freight operators will also be seriously hard hit and the proposed fee per kilometre in the current business model will force freight companies to operate well beyond what is economically viable. Large freight enterprises will more likely be able to absorb these additional expenses but SMMEs will struggle and additional costs will have to be passed onto clients. In all likelihood however, they will have to either close completely or downscale in order to operate competitively.

Many of these SMMEs and large courier companies, outsource their business to owner drivers, a major avenue for BEE empowerment.”

Osborne says: “The GFIP (Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project) Steering Committees is naive to assume that the cost of the toll fees can be offset by lower truck maintenance costs due to improved roads. There might be some reduction on maintenance costs but trucks will still have to travel bad roads outside of toll routes. Increased congestion on alternative roads as motorists try to avoid paying toll fees

will likely mean freight and transport companies operate less efficiently, adding to further cost burdens.”

“The massive cost of the GFIP has been ineptly incurred by government.

The lengths that it has gone to and the extent to which it has undertaken very expensive toll-collection gantries and road upgrades cannot be justified when the roads could have been more cost effectively improved by a holistic road maintenance strategy and restructured national fuel levy as part of the funding mix to maintain our roads.”

Osborne also accuses the process of being “prescriptive and without proper consultation with the stakeholders,” and condemns the exemption of taxi’s.

“If the intention is to roll out tolling elsewhere in the country, we need to stick to our principles demanding transparent and fair processes with proper consultation with the stakeholders. Without this, the fiasco in Gauteng will simply be repeated from province to province.”

High quality Maintenance Free Calcium Calcium Technology designed to meet extra power requirements and delivers “serious” cold cranking amps National network sales outlets ensure the best customer service AGM Technology also available Stockists and dealers required Contact Probe on: Tel: +27 (11) 453 0924 or 086 111 3507 Or Email us on: probe@probegroup.co.za www.probegroup.co.za

PAGE 24

SOUTHERN AFRICA'S LEADING ENGINE COOLING SPECIALISTS Silverton Radiators offers a complete range of radiators and related parts to customers from the automotive aftermarket, including body repair facilities, mechanical workshops, fleet operators, the mining industry, agricultural community as well as private motorists. A complete range of cooling system products (including: complete radiators, radiator components, air-conditioning components, fans and Visco clutches, intercoolers, pressure caps, hoses, and also water pumps and thermostats).

Silverton Radiators Offers:

• More than 120 automotive cooling specialist repair and supply outlets throughout Southern Africa • A complete range of cooling system services, radiators and related parts that comply fully with original equipment standards set by vehicle manufacturers • A countrywide warranty valid at all Silverton outlets • Speedy parts distribution via six warehouses located in major centres • Testing of cooling systems such as leaks, combustion gases, stray current (Electrolysis), Anti-freeze levels, flushing, radiator cleaning, radiator repairing/replacing/re-coring, removal/refitting and more Silverton Radiators is a franchise of Behr Hella Service South Africa (Pty)Ltd.

INSTEAD OF JUST “MOVING BOXES” WE PROVIDE TOTAL SOLUTIONS TO YOUR COOLING PROBLEMS, SAVING YOU MONEY IN THE LONG RUN Dial

0 8 6 1 R A D I AT O R to contact an outlet

•

w w w . s i l v e r t o n r a dPAGE s . c 25 o.za

NEWS FORUM

AutoForum - September 2011

Most appealing vehicles ever

T

he results of the JD Power 2011 US Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study were recently unveiled and found that carmakers are offering the most appealing vehicles in history, all in an effort to win over buyers.

The APEAL Study examines how gratifying a new vehicle is to own and drive, based on owner evaluations of more than 80 vehicle attributes.

The 2011 study was formulated from responses gathered in the US between February and May 2011 from more than 73 000 purchasers and lessees of new 2011 model-year cars and trucks, who were surveyed after the first 90 days of ownership. The APEAL Study complements the Initial Quality Study (IQS), which focuses on problems experienced by owners during the first 90 days of ownership.

The report found that overall vehicle appeal has reached an all-time high since the study’s inception in 1996. The

PAGE 26

latest industry average has increased to 781 on a 1 000-point scale, which is up from 778 in 2010. What’s more, it found that all-new and redesigned models in the US are substantially more appealing than their carryover counterparts - widening the gap in score for the second time running. The latest report

had a 29 point gap, up 11 points since last year. This is attributed to a combination of higher ratings for vehicle styling and fuel economy, provided by owners of recently launched vehicles.

Interestingly, this is in contrast to the findings of the JD Power 2011

Initial Quality StudySM (IQS) released a few months back. The IQS found that all-new and redesigned models have more problems, on average, than do carryover models. Despite this, it seems these same models are more likely to offer the styling, performance and features that customers are looking for.

As David Sargent, VP of Global Vehicle Research, explains: “There are two sides of the quality coin: things gone right and things gone wrong. Both are of critical importance, and models that perform well on both measures generate higher levels of recommendation and, ultimately, higher loyalty to the brand. In general, customers are also willing to pay more for vehicles that combine high appeal with high initial quality.”

He continues: “The auto industry has taken a battering during the past few years. However, it is clear that throughout this period, automakers have never lost sight of the fact that survival — and ultimately success — only comes from winning over customers in the showroom. Offering highly appealing vehicles is one of the primary means to succeed.”

Porsche is the highest-ranking nameplate in the 2011 APEAL Study for a seventh consecutive year. Hyundai improves from 2010 more than any other nameplate this year, while Jeep and Chrysler also improved considerably.

PAGE 27

NEWS FORUM

AutoForum - September 2011

MISA hosts Girl-Child at Work

T

here has been much written and discussed about the current challenge of sufficiently exposing young people to the retail motor industry and enticing them to enter the sector as they start training for their future careers. This is especially important for a country with an extremely high rate of youth unemployment.

some background as to the size and functioning of the retail motor sector. They were then collected by a representative of a dealership where they spent time in the various departments experiencing the ins and outs of a modern dealership and then back to the MISA office for a ‘de-briefing’ session.

At the recent MISA Women’s Forum (see also page 42), the organisation initiated a countrywide ‘Girl-Child at Work Day’ to raise awareness among young females (Grades 11 and 12) about career opportunities in the retail motor sector, with the first day taking place on 25 August, to coincide with National Women’s Month.

Five girls were hosted in Bloemfontein and Durban each, and then spent the day at Oranje Toyota, Magnis Trucks, Hyundai Umhlanga and McCarthy Toyota Durban North respectively.

The girls are learners at Bloemfontein High School, Louis Botha Technical High School and George Campbell School of Technology.

MISA approached various schools to consider partnering with its Women’s Forum on the campaign, and the ten girls were welcomed at the organisation’s offices and given

MISA was delighted at the interest shown by dealers and learners alike, and the next MISA Girl-Child at Work Day is already being planned for early in 2012.

Lifeline for Gauteng auto sector

L

ast month the Automotive Industry Development Centre (AIDC) launched a series of webbased support services targeted at the auto industry, which are aimed at sustaining and creating jobs, with a focus on small business development.

The first of these, the ‘Retrenched Workers Database and Web Portal’, is a data repository for retrenched workers, many of whom were retrenched during the global credit crunch, that captures and profiles candidates to potential employers, shortening the recruitment process.

This service is totally government funded following MEC Dorothy Mahlangu’s commitment to fasttracking re-employment and, as such, carries no cost to individuals seeking employment or to the potential employer.

As AIDC Chairman, Dr Sydney Mufamadi explains: “The database aims to create a candidate pool that

PAGE 28

can be used by the corporate sector for sourcing and placement of staff. Human resource practitioners across Gauteng can use this portal to search and ultimately recruit employees with the necessary skills to be reintegrated into the productive workforce addressing the needs of all sectors of industry.”

The second service, a ‘Database and Web Portal for SMMEs and Cooperatives’, provides a platform for quick market access to the goods and services of SMMEs and co-operatives, whilst stimulating business networking and a strong marketing platform.

The third, a ‘Distressed Companies Helpdesk’ allows companies to

confidentially log a distress call either by phone or internet. The call centre then provides advice and information about assistance and funding schemes (amongst others) from support organisations and routes the distressed company to the most appropriate support intervention. Strict confidentiality is observed by the helpdesk agents. Voice recorded phone calls and contact management software will also be protected by industrystandard electronic security systems.

For more information visit the website www.workhelp.co.za or use the toll-free call centre: 0800-Workhelp (0800-9675-4357).

In the News Monroe’s range ensures

T

enneco, the manufacturer of Monroe and Rancho shock absorbers in South Africa, has a wide portfolio of suspensio n products and continuously offers new product lines - all part of Monroe’s plan to cover mo st of the car parc in South Afr ica.

Philip Lutz, Marketing Man ager Aftermarket Ride Control Southern Africa says, “Our range includes shock absorb ers for passenger and commercia l vehicles and off-road as wel l as Protection kits, Mounting kits, Steering dampers, Max Lift supports and new on the ma rket, Monroe springs.” Monroe’s steering and suspension ran ge will be the next range to be launched in 2012, following which there will be even mo re innovations from the suspen sion specialist solution providers .”

The Monroe range includes: • Monroe Reflex (Premium) – for cars - advanced gas and pist on technology (5 year 100 000 km warranty). Monroe Sensa-Trac also falls into this “premium” categor y.

• Monroe Original: Suitable for older models - value for money oil technology • Monroe Original Gas: For cars and bakkies - an advanced international gas technology • Monroe Original GasAdjust: Unique four-way adjustable gas technology

27% revenue growth

• Monroe Gas-Magnum: For bakkies and 4x4s– an afforda ble advanced heavy - duty technolo gy • Monroe Adventure Premiu m: For SUVs and 4x4’s – High pressu re, mainly mono-tube heavy-duty gas technology for 4x4s.

• Rancho (Premium Elite): 4x4 connoisseurs – a tri-tube, hea vyduty gas designs with 9-way adjustability on the move.

• Monroe Magnum: For hea vy commercial vehicles (Trucks, buses & trailers) - ultraheavy-duty technology Rancho’s RS9000XL range of sho absorbers is seen to be the ultim ck ate formula for off-road, providing a more consistent performance over a longer period. It boasts superior, time -

tested, nine-position adjustab ility, combined with long-lasting polyeurethane bushings. Ran cho offers a more consistent perform ance over a longer period and was developed with serious off-roa ders in mind. Included in the deal is an 18mm diameter piston rod, liqu id metallic finish, 9-position man ual/ remote tuning, a nitrogen, gas charged, and protective boot.

Backed by Tenneco SA for pea ce of mind, these systems have a THREE YEAR unlimited kilomet re warranty against manufacturi ng defect - excluding competition use. For more information about Rancho suspensions, shocks and other components , visit www.gorancho.com.

New on the market Monroe Springs: Monroe now makes an extensive range of high quality well-p riced springs. These are standard height OE spec rep lacement springs. With over 3,000 items covering 97% of all cars currently circulating on European roa ds, Monroe Springs includ es high-tech coil spring types such as the banana, taperwire and mini-block spring s. Monroe Springs will now become a nationally stocke d product range with the stocks arriving in November - just in time for the holida y safety rush. In the mean tim e stock is available through selected distributors in the Western Cape – email khansjie@tenneco.com for catalogues or price lists.

For more information abo ut Monroe shock, springs and other components, visit www.monroe.co.za or contact Tenneco South Africa on 011 574 5603.

PAGE 29

0018882

AutoForum - September 2011

NEWS FORUM

Elantra promises fluid styling - and less fuel

H

yundai recently celebrated the launch of its new ‘fluidic sculpture’ Elantra into the SA market. The fifth generation of the model is expected to be a hit with buyers – its predecessors have topped sales of six million units across the globe, since its initial launch 21 years ago. The Korean manufacturer has already seen the new model gain approval in the US market, moving up in the JD Power APEAL (Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout) study from the 28th position in 2010, to the 15th spot in the 2011 results.

The car went into development three years ago, taking 33 months and an estimated $277 million to get it to its launch day. It’s this expense and time that have led to what its makers proudly call ‘Wind Craft’ design, which they hope makes drivers think of a piece ofTHE wind crafted sculpture.

It boasts a INTELLIGENT ALTERNATIVE lowered rooflline and low rear deck

lid, meaning that the new car really should move through air that much faster – what’s more, this has resulted in a drag coefficient (Cd) of just 0.28, which means it’s also lighter on fuel.

It’s not just the aerodynamics that make it fast while sipping fuel slower - the all-new Nu 1.8 litre MPI D-CVVT and the upgraded Gamma 1.6 litre MPI D-CVVT boast six-speed transmissions (and in the 1.8 Nu engine’s case, an automatic six-speed too). These deliver more power while consuming less fuel and producing lower emissions than the powertrains they replace.

reduce friction and noisy valve clatter.

The intake/exhaust manifold system improves engine performance with the application of a novel structural design, reducing chronic problems and enhancing durability.”

Hyundai expects to sell 400 000 units annually in overseas markets from next year.

And that’s not all. According to the automaker: “The Gamma features a Mechanical Lash Adjuster (MLA) that improves fuel efficiency and overall rigidity, while its lower inertial mass helps

Membership is open to all Office -, Stores -, Sales – and Clerical employees, Artisans and Apprentices in the Motor Industry.

YOU NEED A PROFESSIONAL TRADE UNION TO ASSIST YOU !

WE HAVE DONE OUR HOMEWORK, HAVE YOU ?

Join MISA - for only R13.00 per week THE INTELLIGENT ALTERNATIVE

PAGE 32

(011) 678 6328, (041) 364 0102, (031) 201 2710, (051) 447 5339, (021) 551 2822

NEWS AFRICA

Body repair insight NEWS AFRICA

In association with BodyShop News Asia and Australian BodyShop News

Contents

Workshop Essentials and Supplies ADAM'S WATERLESS WASH - R295 ex VAT - 5L

ADAMS POLISHERS

Arguments Over 34 Recycled Parts Flare in US

Jeep, Dodge 38 repairer approval for Cornright

0860 10 13 17

Adam’s Premium Car Wash R245 ex VAT - 5L

MICRO FIBRE CLOTHS

R17.50 ex VAT each

R9.65 ex VAT each

R52 ex VAT each

Adam’s Detail Spray R355 ex VAT - 5L

Noise in the 38 Air-conditioning system?

Leather & Interior Cleaner R365 ex VAT - 5L

R17.50 ex VAT each

R29 ex VAT each SEAT COVERS R1.75 ex VAT each

PAPER AND PLASTIC FLOOR MATS From 79c ex VAT each

KEY CABINETS AND SAFES Model SKC35 R795 ex VAT

R39 ex VAT each STEERING WHEEL COVERS 90c ex VAT each

BOOSTER PAC

START-UP KIT MOBILE FLOOR SYSTEM R2595 ex VAT

CAR TOP HAT R58 ex VAT each

Model SSKS49 R2850.00

Yellow, Red, Blue, Orange

ES3500 (12 volts) Petrol and Diesel R2995 ex VAT

WORKSHOP ESSENTIALS

Super V.R.T Vinyl, Rubber &Tire Dressing R795 ex VAT - 5L

ES6000 (12 volts) Petrol and Diesel R4850 ex VAT

TEL 0860 10 13 17 JHB Head Office EMAIL: mike@motormerchandise.co.za Unit 7, 368 Oak Ave, The Oaks, Ferndale, Randburg. Open 8 - 5.

Cape Town: 083 298 1616, Durban: 083 720 3271

www.motormerchandise.co.za PAGE 33

AutoForum - September 2011

BODYSHOP

BODYSHOP NEWS

PAGE 34

Arguments Over Recycled Parts Flare in US

I

n late July, Volvo of North America provoked the ire of of the US group ABPA (Automotive Body Parts Association), when it released a bulletin to service managers in that country.

The bulletin related to the automaker’s disapproval of the use of recycled automotive parts in bodyshop repairs.

“Volvos are designed to absorb the impact of a collision. This energy absorption system including, but not limited to, structural components such as bumper reinforcement bars, bumper energy absorbers, frames, rails, fender aprons, A-Pillars, B Pillars and body panels must work together to maintain cabin integrity and protect the vehicle occupants.

The supplemental restraint system including but not limited to air bags, side curtain air bags, and deployment sensors work together with the above components to provide proper timing for air bag deployment.”

“Due to the above, Volvo Cars of North America does not support the use of aftermarket, alternative or anything other than original Volvo parts for collision repair.”

“In addition, Volvo does not support the use or re-use of structural components from an existing vehicle that has been previously damaged. Although these parts may appear equivalent, it is difficult to tell

AF 201109.FH9 Wed Aug 24 12:11:24 2011

if the parts have been previously replaced with non-OE parts or if the part has been damaged as a result of a prior collision. The quality of these used parts may also have been affected due to environmental exposure.�

It is not the first time that ABPA has felt the need to defend recycled parts this year. In March, the organisation presented the results of various data obtained through low- and high-speed crash tests, lump mass modelling simulations and quasi-static crush tests to a meeting of the Collision Industry Conference (CIC).�

Co-chair of the ABPA Legislation and Regulation Committee, Eileen Sottile, presented the data that she felt debunked information about aftermarket parts presented at two CIC meetings last year by original equipment manufacturer (OEM) proponents. In addition to showcasing the videos of crash tests and other studies that supported the integrity of aftermarket parts, the ABPA also revealed misleading and inaccurate claims made concerning energy absorption, accident occurrence, injury frequency and airbag sensor response.

Page 1

• ‘ �

Â? Â?

„� … � – †­

Snapon

Check HP VSAS Steering Angle Sensor Ad

Â? Â?

Â?

In Land Rover † ‡ ƒ ‡ ­ ˆ Â?‰ Â

 �

“The Automotive Body Parts Association (ABPA) continues to advocate for the use of quality, safe alternative parts for consumer vehicle repairs, despite attempts by Volvo and other car companies to limit competition and promote their branded components as the best and only option.�

“Crash testing by the ABPA at low and high speeds has conclusively demonstrated that aftermarket parts provide occupant protection well within the federal motor vehicle safety standards, that energy absorption in a crash is equivalent for aftermarket and car company parts and that aftermarket part performance is comparable and does not impact the timing or deployment of airbags.�

Wheel Balancers

“These findings were presented by ABPA engineers in great detail at the March meeting of the Collision Industry Conference, and the ABPA invites Volvo to examine the test results at the following website to learn more about why aftermarket parts are a safe alternative for consumers: www.ciclink.com/partcom.html.�

Despite this, Ford in the US has again emphasised its stance on OEM versus recycled parts. In August it posted a YouTube video that it hopes shows the quality differences between the two types of replacement parts. The narrator states in the video that OEM parts are the only parts proven during the vehicle development process to deliver the intended level of protection as a whole system. It continues that changing how those parts work together as a system, can have a negative impact in a subsequent collision.

The debate continues.

Tyre Changers

Air Conditioning Service Unit

 Diagnostic Scan Tool �

On Car Brake lathe

„

“Ž‡ „‡ ”‡Ž ‘ •‡ƒ

‘ ‘ ƒ

���� ��� �  ­  €€‚ ƒ € € �  ­ €­�€­­ ‚�  ­ €­�€­€ ƒ „ � �  � …… …†  ‡ˆ � ‰� Š ‹ ‹Œ

ƒ Ž‘ ’ Ž

Â

PAGE 35

In response to the American Volvo bulletin the organisation issued the following statement:

AutoForum - September 2011

PAGE 36

BODYSHOP NEWS

AutoForum - September 2011

Noise in the Airconditioning system?

I

n most cases, noise emitted from the air-conditioning system is linked to the A/C compressor. It may be caused by the compressor itself or the compressor bracket, the freewheel pulley or indeed other drive components.

Jeep, Dodge repairer approval for Cornright Midrand-based Cornright Motors, recently announced that it had been approved as Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge recommended repairers.

The established family-run operation has a history of success in the industry, having pioneered the use of dry sanding in the repair process within South Africa in the late 80s and being one of the first members to join the Volkswagen and Audi Approval Programme. The business prides itself on training its staff with manufacturer, SETA and BASF waterborne paint programmes, to ensure its work skills stay abreast of those in first world facilities.

The latest approval as repairer of choice for the Chrysler brand, adds to its list of existing manufacturer approvals. These include Volkswagen and Audi, Hyundai, Honda, GWM, General Motors and Subaru.

Another component that is rarely checked - but should not be overlooked in case of noise problems - is the alternator pulley. One can’t compare today’s alternator pulleys to those of a few years ago. The latter version is typically a single piece, driven by a single or multi belt, which keeps the alternator in constant operation.

Typical disadvantages of this pulley type are noise and belt wear problems when decelerating, or shutting the engine abruptly.

With the introduction of multi belts that can drive three or four components, and their progressive use in car models, it has become possible to use less engine power to drive the various components. Employing new, modern pulley technologies, such as the overrunning alternator pulley and the isolator decoupler pulley, can now further increase this advantage.

The overrunning pulley has existed for about ten years, and its main task is to take away the noise which the belt produces during deceleration of the vehicle. It is equipped with a one-way clutch that is engaged when driving, but during sudden deceleration it disengages, allowing the alternator to spin free.

It is a good idea to check the alternator pulley if a car airconditioning system is brought in with noise complaints.

A problem with the pulley may not be recognised immediately, as it can migrate to the aircon system. In addition, a belt tensioner that moves excessively and a belt which acts similarly in idling mode, can be the indication of a failed alternator pulley. These new pulley types can also be replaced without replacing the alternator.

Based on an article which first appeared in the Automotive Air-conditioning Reporter May-June 2011, and which was supplied courtesy of MACS Automotive.

PAGE 38

PAGE 39

AutoForum - September 2011

PAGE 40

Business Forum

AutoForum - September 2011

Business insight

MISA Women's Forum deepens its industry footprint - Robert Kaiser

A

ugust was Women’s Month and it was great to witness how the MISA Women’s Forum - established by trade union MISA a few years ago to highlight the role that women fulfil in so many spheres in the motor industry and to mobilise women to perform acts of charity - continues to grow in stature and profile. This was aptly demonstrated at the MISA Women’s Forum Breakfast Event for its members in the Highveld and Northern Regions, which took place at Oakfield Farm in Muldersdrift, west of Johannesburg, on 16 August.

The event, attended by 150 members and senior industry representatives, wasn’t lacking in splendour and class and was the culmination of the search in the Highveld and Northern Regions for a nominee for the MISA Woman of the Year Award.

Quality addresses were delivered by three excellent speakers. The first was Taryn Gill, Project Manager of Elle Magazine South Africa’s ‘The Female Factor’, a special survey being conducted by the magazine aimed at leveraging the power of sisterhood to bring about change in the lives of South African women (Ladies are invited to participate in the survey at www.elle.co.za).

and own time. She also stressed the importance of self-esteem and coming to terms with one’s weaknesses, reminding the audience that weaknesses and strengths are two sides of the same coin and that Lara Theron (The Hothouse Communications), Ansie van Rhyn (MISA Woman of the Year 2010), Martlé Keyer (MISA Women’s Forum National Co-ordinator), Iris Francis (MISA Woman of the Year 2011: Natal Regional Finalist)

Ansie van Rhyn, MISA Woman of the Year 2010, touched the hearts of guests with her moving address covering a number of root values and principles for a successful and fulfilling life. Highlighting the uniquely complex roles and responsibilities faced by women in professional and career environments, she stressed the necessity of maintaining a healthy balance of career, family, home

Ansie van Rhyn (MISA Woman of the Year 2010), Taryn Gill (Project Manager: The Female Factor), Martlé Keyer (MISA Women’s Forum National Co-ordinator) Louise Bennett (MISA Women’s, Forum National Chairperson, Philip Botha (MISA Deputy CEO) Ansie van Rhyn (MISA Woman of the Year 2010), Dana de Villiers (MISA CEO), Martlé Keyer (MISA Women’s Forum National Co-ordinator) Nataniël

PAGE 42

Robert Kaiser has been intimately involved in the motor industry for the past 25 years.

He established Retail Motor Consultants in 2002, a consultancy providing relationship management, marketing and staff recruitment services as well as apprenticeship management programmes and through an associated company, unique Black Economic Empowerment transformation programmes for both large and SME businesses.

of the Year finalist for the Highveld/ Northern Region, Stella Bottari.

The venue: Oakfield Farm, Muldersdrift

it was necessary to recognise both in the path of growth and development.

Popular celebrity Nataniël dispensed some very original humour laced with sound advice on leaving a legacy on this earth by striving in one’s daily life to make a difference in your interaction with fellow human beings, the importance of healthy nutrition, the value of joy, inspiration, and the

acquisition of true knowledge in an age where, in spite of the abundance of knowledge, opportunities to grow were not being grasped by many. He shared thoughts on how to be inspired and to be an inspiration to others and was indeed an inspiration to listen to.

The culmination of the event was the announcement of the MISA Woman

Industrial Pressure Washers Features • Heavy duty slow running 4 pole motor • Heavy duty brass cylinder head • Heavy duty ceramic pistons • Stainless steel metal cover • Inflatable rubber tyres for easy maneuvering • 4 Nozzles for various cleaning applications

Specifications • LUT 100-14 / LUT 175-14 • 100 Bar / 175 Bar • 14 L/min / 14 L/min • Single phase / Three phase • 220V / 380V • 1450 RPM / 1450 RPM

d Limite

The Highveld/Northern Women’s Breakfast event followed by similar highly successful events in the Western and Eastern Cape and KwaZuluNatal where Helen van Heerden, Elizabeth Potgieter, and Iris Francis were respectively announced as finalists for the coveted award. The Free State/Northern Cape region also hosted a very successful breakfast.

“We are grateful that the MISA Women’s Forum continues to raise its profile in our industry and for the way in which our members, through acts of selfless charity, are serving their local communities,” said MISA’s Martlé Keyter, who drives this unique movement. “We are also deeply appreciative for the solid support and encouragement that we receive from our President, David Pereira, our CEO, Dana de Villiers and the Governing Body of MISA, who believe in what we do and are right behind us.”

Stock!

786 Michael Brink Street, Villieria, Pretoria // Fax: 012 330 0860 // Mobile: 082 444 5005 // Email: info@hge.co.za // Website: www.hge.co.za

Contact us today (012) 330 0540 PAGE 43

AutoForum - September 2011

Carmageddon

I

- Colin Windell

t has been a while since my last comment on the vehicle sales but, while I may have been quiet, both the industry and the world in general have been rushing around at full speed – not all of it good!

Locally, Government continues to steamroll its ‘tax them to death’ policies into place with the Gauteng tolls now officially a go and news of massive monies needed to float the National Health system.

With the smoke settling on that iconic bastion of freedom, London, the riots there are a not-so-gentle reminder of just fragile our interlaced ‘harmony’ really is. Libya, Syria, Egypt – it seems the whole world is looking for change.

Although vehicle sales this year have shown a pleasing – and steady – growth, all the additional personal and corporate costs when added to the fuel price volatility are going to have an impact on this with people

00_AutoZone_Top_Quality_Strip_Advert.indd 1

PAGE 44

(again, corporate and personal) likely to stave off new vehicle buys in an attempt to offset some of the additional costs foisted upon them.

That said, new vehicle sales to vehicle rental companies and fleets were key growth drivers for sales this year and in July, a month in which the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (Naamsa) recorded sales of 45 703 new passenger and commercial vehicles.

2011/07/11 8:59 AM Colin Windell is the Editor of Fleet Magazine.

Total vehicle sales grew by 10.5% or 4 358 units. In comparison the commercial vehicle market, including light, medium and heavy commercial vehicles and busses, grew by 23.62% in the same period. A total of 41 345 vehicles was sold in July 2010.

“The comparative slowdown in growth between July and the same month last year was expected, as the second half of 2010 recorded unexpected strong growth figures. Any comparative figure between the two years in the last half of 2011 will therefore be somewhat lower than in the first half,” says Dr Johan van Zyl, President and CEO of Toyota South Africa Motors.

Passenger vehicle sales slowed to single digit growth in the year-onyear comparison to 9.7%. Despite this it remains the strongest month of July since 2007, which bodes well for overall market growth in 2011.

Vehicle rental companies remained a key buyer and sales to this segment represented 12.8% of the total sales.

“The growth in vehicle rental sales signals a return to normal seasonal buying patterns in this market after the abnormal buying patterns during the 2010 Soccer World Cup. We expect this market segment will remain a key buyer in preparation for the normal tourist inflows during our summer season,” says Dr Van Zyl. “Private buyers have come under increasing pressure from rising living costs, including the cost of electricity and fuel. This has hampered private vehicle sales somewhat and is also a key driver for the growth in entry level vehicles, which represents 43,8% of total passenger sales.”

“While the motor industry recorded its 19th consecutive month of increased sales on a year-on-year basis there is evidence of a softening of demand as we move into the second half of the year,” says Malcolm Gauld, GMSA Vice President, Sales and Marketing.

“We are entering a phase of cautious optimism where growth is expected to continue through the year but at a more restrained pace than we saw through the early part of the year. The high end forecasts put forward at the beginning of the year are unlikely to be met now but there remains every possibility that the industry can still deliver double digit growth for the year. A solid performance given the current state of the global economy.”

“While probably slightly below general expectations, the performance of the new passenger car market in July was consistent with the emergence of slower underlying momentum in demand for new cars. While some after effects of the Japanese tsunami in March are probably still affecting supply of product and components, indications are that growth in the new car sales cycle has slowed.”

“Demand for new passenger cars in coming months will be supported by not only seasonal strength in demand

from rental car companies, but also by an acceleration in the rate of decline in real new vehicle prices and a likely intensification in competitive activity in the market,” says Mike Glendinning, Director Sales and Marketing, VWSA. Commercial vehicle sales, in sharp contrast to passenger vehicle sales, grew significantly in July. Light commercial vehicle sales grew by 10.2%, almost double the year to date growth figure of 5.8%, while medium, heavy and extra heavy commercial vehicles grew by 23.6%, 5.7% and a massive 43.8% respectively. Bus sales remained depressed in comparison to abnormally high sales in 2010.

Exports of South African produced motor vehicles during July 2011 at 25 147 units reflected an increase of 1 893 vehicles or 8.1% compared to the 23 254 vehicles exported during July last year.

Whilst the momentum of new vehicle exports remained positive, the July export numbers were adversely affected by the fact that various automotive plants had lost a few days of production during the month as a result of widespread strike action in the steel and engineering and associated industries.

“There is no doubt the commercial vehicle market is rife with competition and that this is set to grow year on year,” says Wade Griffin, Director Commercial Vehicles at Hyundai South Africa.

PAGE 45

AutoForum - September 2011

Are you really selling yourself?

Selling and Service go together – they are one!

S

ervice is the main focus of your business and it is the responsibility of every person who works for the organisation. ‘Personal Service’ - in other words, one to one interactions - adds value to your business, and ‘Customer Service’ is the key to long-term survival of any company, and should be etched into all employees’ ‘way of doing things’!

For years I have been ‘accused’ of being a ‘born salesman’, but in reality nobody is a ‘natural born’ salesperson. Selling is simply an applied behavioural science that has to be learned. The more you learn about people and how to deal with them - and apply that knowledge to your day to day work with customers - the more successful you will be.

I believe that ‘Selling’ is the art of convincing someone that your idea is the best idea. The true art of selling is guiding, influencing, persuading others to believe that your idea, and/ or product, is their idea! If this is the case, then a sale is the creation of a climate in which an exchange of mutually accepted values takes place.

While selling is a skill that one develops, for some it does appear to come more naturally, and for others it takes a lot more preparation. There are, however, fundamental rules and principles that are acquired through experience and dedication.

Communication is identified as the number one reason for failure in marriages, negotiations and politics.

We, as the human race, do not - in general - communicate properly, effectively, nor timeously, and indeed not functionally. This is true most evidently in the retail environment.

Generally speaking, consumers love buying, but hate being sold to. They

PAGE 46

- Graham Bush

buy products or services to solve their problems or to enhance their position.

They buy benefits developed through features and advantages that are linked to their required results. Consumers do not want to be convinced by you.

Professional salespeople must guide and influence them into making the purchase decision themselves.

On studying consumer surveys, the majority of customer complaints are that salespeople do not get back to them, after being told “I’ll call you back”! When you promise to call back before 12 then you call back before 12. No argument, no waiting for information - keep the promise. Even if you do not have an answer to a problem, call the customer back and advise the status.

In a retail environment the first ten seconds customers are in your store can often be more important than the next 10 minutes. Customers like to be noticed and receive friendly comments, before the business begins. There are companies in America and Europe that employ full time ‘Greeters’ at the front door of their business - rather like a ‘Doorman’ at a posh hotel!

From your experience you already know that it’s sometimes difficult to get customers to tell you exactly what they need. Most customers fall into one of three categories: • Knowledgeable customers – know exactly what they need • Browsers – just shopping, seeing what is available, or just passing time • Decided customers By asking a few simple questions, you can get a lot of information from your consumer, and graduate from Salesperson to Super Salesperson.

‘Super Salespeople’ need to develop the follow attributes: • Positive Attitude • Learn and Practice New Skills • Listening and Questioning Skills

• • •

Product and Industry Knowledge Good Time Management and Goals Problem Solvers

Salespeople also need to have a positive image and believe in their abilities and in those around them. They have to dress professionally and present themselves with confidence. They must be absolutely committed to their customers and willing to go the extra mile. All of these, verbal and non verbal, are forms of communication. Each and every employee in the organisation has to be loyal to the business and believe in both their company’s and their own personal vision – because those key points are subtly communicated in every interaction with a customer.

On that note, I trust that each employee in your business knows and understands your Vision and Mission!

Are your Customer Service Employees (Salespeople) passionate about their products and services and do they know about their competitors? Do they know how to really listen and hear what the customer wants? These are great honesty questions that management has to keep asking on a daily basis.

Selling and Service is all about Attitude. I have written many articles about this, and I truly believe that businesses should employ based on this – teach ‘skills’ later.

Graham Bush is one of Southern Africa’s leading retail gurus, and over the past 30 years has inspired thousands of businesspeople. He has a relaxed style, and along with his humour delivers powerful and motivational talks and presentations. www.thebushkitchen.co.za

PAGE 47

AutoForum - September 2011

How to comply with the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act - John Hempel

Part 3 - SECTION 37 CONTRACTORS AGREEMENTS

A

Section 37 Contractors Agreement is a contract that is signed between an employer and a contractor (Close Corporation, Pty (Ltd) or sole proprietor) when specific work is conducted on the employers’ premises for a specific fee.

A typical example would be when you require an electrician, plumber, crane technician, forklift service, security company or cleaning service etc, and it is a specific outside company that invoices your business for a specific service. It is not a casual, temp or fixed term contractor (person), which you pay weekly or monthly, which would be classified as an employee.

This can be read in Section 37 of the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

own compensation number. If the letter of good standing cannot be produced, then the bank deposit slip that proves that the money was deposited into the Workman’s Compensation Fund’s bank account must be submitted as a temporary measure, whilst the letter of good standing is being compiled by the Workman’s Compensation Fund. Even if you pay rent for your premises, and your landlord sends a painter to the premises, the Section 37 Contractors Agreement should be signed prior to any physical work being carried out. The Section 37 agreement and the submission of a letter of good standing is not a “nice to have” document, it is a legal requirement

stop you from being bogged down by paperwork, and then put their name on your approved contractors list so that your safety representatives know that they may work on your site.

Please take note that the end date of the contract must correlate with the expiry date of the letter of good standing. In other words, if the letter of good standing expires on 31 August, then the Section 37 contract expires on 31 August, unless the contractor can provide you with a new letter of good standing that expires later.

They must provide you with their new updated letter of good standing before the previous one expires, in order to continue their 12-month contract.

The contract covers your company from liability for any injuries or disease that could occur to the contractor’s employees whilst they are working on your premises. The most important issue is that the contractor must be registered and in good standing with the Workman’s Compensation Commissioner, or a licensed compensation insurer, which would ensure that the contractor’s employees would then be covered by their own Workman’s Compensation Fund if they should be injured, diseased, etc, and not hold you liable.

It is essential not to fall into the trap of allowing anyone to do any work on your premises without first signing the contract, or without them submitting their proof of good standing with the Workman’s Compensation Fund, as you will become criminally liable for the injury and or death and civilly liable for any medical bills, civil claims, and so forth for the contractor, his subcontractors and their employees, if an incident should occur. This is very important if the contractor may be exposed to noise, chemicals, fumes, working with portable electrical tools, on ladders and any other high risk issue on your premises.

It is important to note that if the contractor does not have the right equipment or proper personal protective Equipment (PPE), then you must not allow him or his employees or sub contractors to continue working, and you must ask them to leave your site.

The letter of good standing proves that the contractor has paid his assessment over to the Workman’s Compensation Fund for a specific period of time, and all of his employees are covered by their

PAGE 48

If you make use of a long-term service provider, then get them to sign one contract for a full 12-month period to

Bear in mind that lending them tools, ladders, and so forth will make you “acting in connivance with and giving permission to” the contractor, therefore increasing your liability.

Make sure you have a copy of the Section 37 Contractors Agreement in place for all contractors, and make sure you comply, keeping everyone on your premises healthy and safe, and you free from prosecution and liability.

John Hempel is a Director of Compliance South Africa (Pty) Ltd, and has worked extensively within the Manufacturing and Motor industries. He has been instrumental in the start up of the SEIFSA Health and Safety division and RMI4OHS Joint Venture, which was launched with the core focus of assisting companies to comply with legislation. His company is accredited with the HWSETA.

Make something Just Seal It

Agent in South Africa Intrade T. 011-432-2667 F. 011-432-3005 E-mail: intrade@iafrica.com

THE REPAIR SHOP DREAM TEAM. Now you only need two sealants for all applications: REINZOSIL and REINZOPLAST. They can handle it all.

For more details, take a look at our brochure «Just seal it! - sealants, repair kits, and sealing materials». www.reinz.com/brochures/AM.

www.reinz.com

PAGE 49

AutoForum - September 2011

Reduced driveline operating temperature: A pointer for industry & truckers

- Dave Scott

I

t all starts with a lubrication tip from Noria Corporation in the US: “There are many performance and economic reasons to change to a higher-priced lubricant for gear drives. Heat is the critical factor from a mechanical perspective.”

Commercial vehicle APDP plan delayed - Roy Cokayne The finalisation of plans to include the medium and heavy commercial vehicles in the new Automotive Production and Development Programme (APDP) has been delayed. Rob Davies, Minister of Trade and Industry, confirmed that the target date for the finalisation of these plans was now September. He was speaking at the official opening of Tata Motors’ new assembly plant for medium and heavy commercial vehicles in Rosslyn near Pretoria.

Davies said in terms of the Industrial Policy Action Plan (IPAP2), work on the inclusion of the medium and heavy commercial vehicles into the APDP was supposed to have been completed by April this year. He said a new target date was set because of representations from the automotive industry for further consultation.

The Minister continued that they were looking to encourage manufacturers of medium and heavy commercial vehicles to begin manufacturing on a larger scale, including accessing and procuring automotive components that were manufactured in South Africa.

He said they were investigating an arrangement whereby automotive products in the medium and heavy commercial vehicle range could be included in the APDP and provided with a support package. This would be based on an incentive and other support measures that encouraged manufacturers to deepen their involvement in manufacturing in SA.

PAGE 50

“As the heat goes up in the gearbox,” says Noria Corp, “the viscosity thins. As the viscosity thins, there is an increase of boundary conditions (metal-to-metal contact), which generates more heat.

The frictional heat serves to further thin the lubricant, causing a circular decay in the effectiveness of the lubricant.” Noria Corp adds: “Synthetics generally have higher viscosity indices (VIs). This serves to resist the problems associated with hot drives. Synthetics have been used to effectively reduce the operating temperature of gear drives by 10 to 50 degrees F’ – that’s from 5.50C to around 270C.” Now what’s the relevance of this in a South African context? Are there any local benchmarks to bear out the Noria claim?

The endorsement comes from extensive tests conducted by Eskom at Matimba power station. Due to the severe shortage of water in the area where it is situated, Matimba is the largest direct dry cooling power station in the world. Now over 14 years old, the dry-cooling innovation utilises 288 installed helical-drive gearboxes and makes the Matimba air cooled-condenser an ideal candidate test site for gearbox lubrication. These gearboxes form part of the drive train powering massive 9m-diameter fans used to provide cooling air to the condenser radiator banks and operate continuously where turbine steam is condensed before returning to the boiler.

Numerous lubricant manufacturers claim energy reduction benefits for their brand of synthetic gear oils on paper and the Eskom Matimba project was initiated to confirm, or disprove, these marketing assertions. In addition, independently verified data not only promotes Eskom ’s use of this lubricant technology, but also promote general industry and other large lubricant users, especially the mining segment, to implement these findings. The ultimate purpose was to save energy in the Southern Africa electrical grid.

Lubricant marketing documents cannot be trusted. A revealing outcome is that not all synthetic oils performed well under test conditions, despite vendor claims. The project leader, Leslie Barker, Chief Engineering Advisor Eskom Generation Business Engineering points out that: “Literature surveys revealed little guidance as to the extent of savings actually achievable. Most data was produced by lubricant vendors in laboratory tests and the few in-service tests described concentrated mainly on worm gearing or single applications.

Based on the known mechanical efficiencies of helical gearboxes, a saving of about 0.5 to 0.75% per gear stage was considered possible.”

In general, synthetic oils showed a lower energy requirement than mineral oils.

• Using synthetic gear oils clearly demonstrates that the rise in temperature above ambient is significantly lower.

• On average tests revealed a 6ºC drop in operating temperature and

it appears that the percentage drop in oil temperature is roughly three times the drop in power consumption. This confirms that temperature can be a more reliable indicator of energy savings in applications where the percentage current savings are low.

So what does this all mean for a South African truck operator?

Heat, especially excessive heat, is a driveline enemy. A 56-ton combination toiling up a gradient in mid-summer on a hot road is subjecting the gearbox and differentials to temperatures that result in ‘an increase of boundary conditions (metal-tometal contact), which generates more heat’. It’s not only the gears that wear but driveline seals that also fail prematurely. Reducing operating temperatures in truck drivelines is a distinct benefit of quality synthetic lubricants – an additional advantage on top of extended drain intervals.

And then there’s the question of effective retardation. Many trucks employ hydraulic driveline retarders and a drop in retarder operating temperature just makes them that much more effective – this is where synthetic lubricants increase safety.

The problem is that we focus on the price of oil and overlook the cost of lubrication. Let’s not reinvent the wheel – Eskom Matimba has proved both energy savings and temperature reduction of synthetic lubricants in gear drives. The only challenge is to select a lubricant that actually matches its claims on paper in practical applications. It sounds like another case for the Consumer Protection Act. Reference and acknowledgement – Noria.com. Tribology 2011 International Conference in Pretoria – ‘Reducing Power Consumption in Helical Gear Drives – a Case Study: Matimba air-cooled condenser gearboxes’. A copy of this paper can be obtained from the SA Institute of Tribology - http://www.sait.org.za

BALANCING MACHINES FROM TURBO CHARGERS TO LARGE DIESEL CRANKS

RL-325 DRUM LATHE

RP-20 BRAKE SHOE RIVETTER

LC-500 FLYWHEEL GRINDER

RC-40 LIGHT DUTY SHOE RADIUS GRINDER

COETZ TECHNOLOGIES (PTY) LTD

Tel: 021 945 1419 Fax: 021 946 1789 Cell: 082 558 2652 E-mail: sales@coetzbalancing.com TECHNOLOGIES (PTY) LTD MANUFACTURER OF BALANCING MACHINES

PAGE 51

COMMERCIAL VEHICLES

AutoForum - September 2011

When did you last conduct a pre-trip check?

H

eavy Commercial Vehicle Underwriting Managers (HCV) recently took on the challenge to make truck operators more aware of some basic precautions they need to be taking to lower the chance of accidents or breakdowns, making roads safer for all users.

One of the most obvious and yet overlooked step in this process is a pretrip safety inspection. It really is not rocket science, but these points can mean the difference between life and death, and are well worth the few minutes they will take to go through: Check the Brakes • When starting the vehicle, make sure the air pressure builds up to the maximum • Switch off the engine and ensure the air pressure remains constant • Hold down the brake pedal and the pressure should drop slightly and then remain constant • Switch the truck on again and pump the brake pedal until the pressure drops to half – ensure that the low pressure indicator warns you of this pressure drop • The pressure should adjust and recharge to maximum again

PAGE 52

• Drain the air tanks daily • Over and above these self-checks, have your brake adjustment checked weekly by an authorised centre.

Tired Tyres?

• Have the tyre pressure adjusted to the specific vehicle specification, taking into account the load being carried • Ensure that tread pattern is consistent over the entire tyre and the depth and is no less than 1mm • Ensure every axle has tyres of the same size and type • Dual tyres must not make wall contact • Both tyres on a dual wheel must make contact with the ground when the vehicle is on a flat surface without a load • Check tyres frequently for lumps, cracks and bulges.

• Make sure there is nothing obstructing the dual wheels.

Steering Safety • Ensure your steering operates freely from lock to lock • Ensure the Power Steering Reservoir is full • Check all pipes for leaks or damage

• Frequently check the undercarriage of the vehicle for oil or fuel leakages • Ensure that the steering wheel is not cracked.

See Clearly • A cracked or clouded windscreen means an unroadworthy vehicle • Check for cracks in side windows that could obstruct the view in the left rear-view mirror • Ensure windscreen wiper blades work correctly

Lights!

• All lights must be working at all times • Make sure all reflective tape, reflectors and chevron boards are clean and easily visible • Ensure that you have warning diamonds on board and that they are displayed when necessary.

And Finally • Bolt-on items, such as bumpers, bars and mirrors, need to be correctly fastened and secured • Do not overload overhead storage racks • Make sure all emergency exits are clearly marked.

PAGE 53

COMMERCIAL VEHICLES

AutoForum - September 2011

Legislated fuel economy for trucks – US style

- Dave Scott

B

urning a litre of diesel produces 2.6391 kgs of carbon dioxide (CO2). As petrol is lower in carbon content, it produces 2.3035 kgs of CO2, but the precise figures depend on fuel quality. Since fuel weighs less than a kilogramme per litre – water is 1 kg/litre – it’s stunning to note how the kilogramme weight of emissions is multiplied through the addition of oxygen. Now take this a step further and multiply this by the world’s registered vehicle population that – according to WardsAuto.com 15 August 2011 - broke through one billion in 2010, and the size of the global warming problem can be quantified in kilos of CO2.

Remembering that greenhouse gases (GHG) are a separate issue to controlling exhaust emissions – an air quality matter – they are still

co-travellers, as a reduction in GHG automatically means less pollutants in the atmosphere. With all of this in mind, on July 29, the Obama administration announced the US new light-duty vehicle (LDV) fuel efficiency target of 54.5 mpg for model year (MY) 2025.

To set this in a local context, it means 23.17 km/litre or 4.32 litres/100 km!

It sounds fantastic but American families are expected to save $1.7 trillion at the pump from the historic fuel-efficiency standards announced by the Obama administration for cars and light duty trucks.

It has always been a goal to reduce fuel consumption, but this is about much more than just engine design.

And while engine design has been driven by exhaust emission targets, it is also about to be driven by fuel consumption goals as well.

But this does not end with light-duty vehicles. August saw the announcement of first ever GHG emissions reduction programme for medium- and heavyduty vehicles in the US. In two years, buses, medium- and heavy-duty trucks will be required to meet federally mandated fuel-efficiency rules designed to reduce the level of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions they produce.

Along with input from the trucking industry, environmental groups, and state governments, this has been developed jointly by the US Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The savings forecast is approximately $50 billion in fuel costs over the life of the programme for American businesses that operate and own these commercial vehicles. And the environmental impact comes from a projected reduction of 530

S, O B R U T E ALL TH AL, N I G I R O ALL TIME E H T L L A

PASSENGER VEHICLES

SA’S MOST COMPREHENSIVE TURBOCHARGER COMPANY IS ALSO: • The Cummins Turbo Technologies Distributor of the Year (Middle East & Africa) 2005/6/7/8, • BorgWarner Turbo Systems Outstanding Performance Award winner & • Recipient of Holset Gold Distributor Status.

PAGE 54

HEAVY DUTY VEHICLES

References and websites to visit http://www.epa.gov/otaq/climate/regulations.htm, http://www.nhtsa.gov/fuel-economy, http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/fuel_economy_report.pdf, International Fuel Quality Centre 24 August 2011 - http://www.ifqc.org

million barrels of oil, equating to 270 million metric tonnes of GHG being excluded from impacting the climate.

Like the administration’s historic car standards, the truck and bus programme – which relies heavily on off-the-shelf technologies – was developed in coordination with truck and engine manufacturers, fleet owners, the State of California, environmental groups and other stakeholders.

Trucks and buses built in the US from 2014 through 2018 are the target to produce these amazing savings.

Saving fuel in road transport is a much more complex subject than light vehicles – it depends greatly on vehicle application, such as long-haul, tipper, refuse compactor and volume van express freight, to name just at few.

Here are the 2018 targets that the EPA announced in trucking application segments: • ‘Certain combination tractors – commonly known as big-rigs or semi-trucks – will be required to achieve up to approximately 20%

reduction in fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by model year 2018, saving up to 4 gallons of fuel for every 100 miles travelled.

• For heavy-duty pickup trucks and vans, separate standards are required for gasoline-powered and diesel trucks. These vehicles will be required to achieve up to approximately 15% reduction in fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by model year 2018.

Under the finalised standards a typical gasoline or diesel powered heavy-duty pickup truck or van could save one gallon of fuel for every 100 miles.

• Vocational vehicles – including delivery trucks, buses, and garbage trucks – will be required to reduce fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 10% by model year 2018. These trucks could save an average of one gallon of fuel for every 100 miles.’

Everyone knows that fuel saving is the holy grail for every truck manufacturer and it appears that between 10%

and 20% is what the US government envisions. To achieve even 5% is a serious stretch target – is 20% really possible for a long-haul rig within seven years? Is this all political posturing?

The investment and technology required to achieve a 20% fuel saving on a longhaul rig is massive. And one sure thing is that truck prices will rise markedly to cope with the technological demands.

So what does this foretell for the SA road transport industry? American trucks have a good slice of our longhaul market – Freightliner and Navistar shine here. We can expect fuel saving to come through on these brands to benefit SA transport operators but vehicle price may become prohibitive.

There’s no glamour and a free ride in these US fuel saving announcements for trucks and buses. Sweat, toil, research and material input costs will rule the day. How about titanium truck chassis? The extremely low tare mass will save fuel, but affordable, NO!

Availability Keeps Us Ahead 59 000 kg of imports in 12 months means we have the stock and range to meet your needs.

EARTHMOVING

Turbo

AGRICULTURE

Exchange Johannesburg (011) 402-7085 • Durban (031) 902-5977 • Cape Town (021) 932-7031 Port Elizabeth (041) 487-1861 • Visit our Website: www.turboexchange.co.za

New Releases

AutoForum AutoForum - September - September 2011 2011

www.AutoForum.co.za

World Spares’ new parts for September The only authorised distributor for Metelli products in South Africa has again announced the landing of its latest part numbers. They include: Complete driveshafts for BMW 316 – 320 (E46): Left and Right; Peugeot 307 2.0: Left and Right; Peugeot 307 2.0 HDi: Left and Right and V W Golf V 1.6: Left Outer CV joints for Opel Zafira and VW Touareg 2.5TDi Water pumps for BMW E46 330D; Nissan X-Trail 2.2DCi; Opel Corsa 1.7 CDTi; and VW Crafter 2.5TDi Brake discs for Peugeot Boxer: Front; Peugeot Boxer II: Rear; Peugeot 807: Front and Rear; and Range Rover II: Rear Brake pads for Citroen C4 (2008-on): Rear pads; Audi A4 4.2: Front pads Wheel cylinders for Hyundai H100 (Left and Right rear cylinders); and Hyundai Atos (Left and Right rear cylinders) For more information, please contact Paul or Martin on (011) 622-5405, fax them on 086 689 3148 or e-mail them at: sales@worldspares.co.za.

New Stenhoj lift range Stenhoj Autolift, together with TransAfrica Equipment Company, recently launched its new and expanded Stenhoj vehicle lift range.

One of the highlights of the new range is the all new Mascot 3322S & CF Base Free 2 post lift, which replaces the company’s renowned workhorse, the Mascot 1.32 Base Type lift.

Great news is that Stenhoj will continue to produce its entry level Base Type 2 post lift, the Mascot 3311S, with 3 Ton lifting capacity, which is ideal for those clients who still require a base lift. Even better is that the latter is now complemented with an entry level 3 Ton Base Free lift – The M2.30F. Other new additions include: • The MH-40-01CE, 4 Ton Electro – Hydraulic Base Free 2 post lift, which closes the gap between the Maestro 2.32 (3.2Ton capacity), Maestro 2.37 (3.7 Ton capacity) and the Maestro 2.50 (5 Ton capacity) lifts.

PAGE 56

•

The new 4030 (4 Ton Capacity), 5230 (5.2 Ton Capacity), 6230 (6.2 Ton capacity) and 7230 (7.2 Ton capacity) series of MAJOR 4 post lifts, all of which boast a host of configurations to suit all needs. These replace the Major 423, 426 and 430 Series of 4 post lifts.

•

The new Mid-Rise Scissors lift (MS30LS) and a new HighLift Scissors lift (MS30HS) with 3 Ton lifting capacity.

Of course, added to the above is an extensive range of optional extras available upon request, as well as genuine Stenhoj spare parts which are held in stock at all times, and nationwide service back-up.

For more information, visit the website www. transquip.co.za, or contact TransAfrica Equipment Company on 011 822-1122 / 1125 or e-mail admin@transquip.co.za and mark@transquip.co.za.

PAGE 57

AUTOFORUM

DIRECTORY LISTING

After-Marketplace Directory

To advertise your listing in AutoForum After-Marketplace Directory Contact us on 011 466 3733 or Email: info@AutoForum.co.za

AUTO ELECTRICAL Bosch

Parts, Accessories & Batteries

011 651 9600

First National Battery

Industrial & Automotive Batteries

011 741 3600

Parts Incorporated Africa

Automotive Components & Accessories

011 879 6000

POS Service Holland (SA) Pty Ltd

Starters & Alternators

011 704 5196

Probe Corporation

Auto Electrical Parts & Accessories

086 111 3507

Trysome

Auto Electrical Parts & Accessories

011 823 5650

Behr Hella

Air Conditioning Specialists

011 538 7500

Connoisseur Automotive

Approved A/c Equipment & UView Dye

021 419 7188

Highveld Garage Equipment

Air Conditioning Specialists

012 330 0540

Harrack Automotive Airconditioning

Air Conditioning Specialists

011 493 1400

Macs Automotive

Air Conditioning Equipment

011 498 0700

Snap-on Equipment

Diagnostics Equipment

0861 762 766

Aer-O-Cure

Spray Booths, Chassis Straighteners & Welding Equipment

011 444 6454

Hurricane/Silver Falcon

Spray Booths & Chassis Straighteners

083 628 2288

Motor Merchandise

Consumables

086 010 1317

Highveld Garage Equipment

Pressure Washers & Vacuum Cleaners

012 330 0540

Motor Merchandise

Consumables

086 010 1317

Beissbarth

Wheel Alignment Equipment

011 651 9600

Bosch

Diagnostic Equipment

011 651 9600

Highveld Garage Equipment

Engine Analyser & Diagnostic Scanners

012 330 0540

POS Service Holland (SA) Pty Ltd

Starters & Alternators Test Bench

011 704 5196

Snap-on Diagnostics

Diagnostics Equipment

0861 762 766

Industrial Interlocking Floors

011 873 1292

AutoZone

Aftermarket Parts & Accessories

0861 122 111

Beissbarth

Wheel Alignment Equipment

011 651 9600

Coetz

Balancing Machines

021 945 1419

Highveld Garage Equipment

Tyre & Lifting Equipment & Tools

012 330 0540

Hofmann Megaplan

Complete Range of Garage Equipment

011 472 7279/5954

Integrated Garage Equipment

Sales, Service & Repairs to all Equipment

012 549 5845

Ital Machinery

Brake & Clutch Machinery

011 483 3737

John Bean - Snap-on Equipment

Wheel Service Equipment

0861 762 766

Leaderquip

Wheel Service Equipment

011 334 1680

Motor Merchandise

Consumables

086 010 1317

Newclear Pressure Testers

Head Seat & Guide Machine

021 592 4747

Snap-on Tools

Tools & Garage Equipment

0861 762 766

Wheelquip

Wheel Service Equipment

021 949 0010

Alert Engine Parts

Distributors of Quality Parts

021 590 8250

Alfa Brake Drums & Discs

Brake Drums & Discs

011 608 0801/3

AutoZone

Aftermarket Parts & Accessories

0861 122 111

Bosch

Parts, Accessories & Batteries

011 651 9600

Federal-Mogul

Aftermarket Parts Manufacturer

011 630 3033

Mahle

Engine components & Piston Rings

011 432 2667

Midas

Aftermarket Parts & Accessories

011 879 6000

Monroe - Tenneco

Aftermarket Parts & Accessories

011 574 5603

NAPA/Midas Group

Aftermarket Parts & Accessories

011 879 6000

Parts Incorporated Africa

Automotive Components & Accessories

011 879 6000

Safeline

Brake Parts

011 549 7333

Silverton Radiators

Engine Cooling Specialists

011 538 7500

SKF

Bearings

011 821 3500

Turbo Exchange

Turbo chargers

011 402 7085

Victor Reinz

Gaskets & Sealing Products

011 432 2667

World Spares

Brake Pads, Discs & C.V. Joints

011 622 5405/6/7

Auto Cosmos - Electrolog

Electronic Parts (Electrical) Catalogue

012 327 6210

Bosch

Automotive Training Courses

011 651 9600

Misa

Staffing Association

011 678 6328

AIR CONDITIONING

BODY REPAIR EQUIPMENT

CLEANING EQUIPMENT

DIAGNOSTIC EQUIPMENT

FLOORING Tuff Floors GARAGE EQUIPMENT & TOOLS

PARTS MANUFACTURERS & DISTRIBUTORS

SERVICES

PAGE 58

• Providing quality service to all brands since 1921 • Then and now – your service partner in cutting-edge auto technology • 90 Years Bosch Service!

Bosch Car Service ... fair price and best advice for all vehicles www.boschservice.co.za Customer Care Line: 0861 Bosch Service (0861 267 247) Bosch Service Maintenance Policy is a product of Emperitus (PTY) Ltd. Underwritten by Guard Risk Insurance Company (PTY) Ltd.

PAGE 59