Workshop magazine: Issue 32 by Blackball Media

OUR KEV: WHY I SAVED A WORTHLESS MOTOR FROM THE SCRAPYARD IN THE SKY

ISSUE 32 | MAY 2018

LITTLE SPEEDY WONDER

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A look at the tech that powers the awesome M2 Competition

New products Round-up of the latest gear for your garage

PLUS: Countdown continues to Automechanika – will you be at biggest and best event yet? MIA’S ON A MISSION

I’ll prove them wrong! Girl who was told she’d never be a mechanic

STEPS TO SUCCESS

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CONTENTS.

EDITORIAL HEAD OF EDITORIAL REBECCA CHAPLIN

rebecca@blackballmedia.co.uk Twitter: @believebecca

PRODUCTION EDITOR DAVE BROWN

dave@blackballmedia.co.uk Twitter: @CarDealerDave

FEATURES EDITOR JACK EVANS

jack@blackballmedia.co.uk Twitter: @jackrober

STAFF WRITER RYAN HIRONS

ryan@blackballmedia.co.uk Twitter: @RyHirons

JUNIOR EDITORIAL ASSISTANT TRISTAN SHALE-HESTER tristan@blackballmedia.co.uk Twitter: @tristan_shale

HEAD OF DESIGN GRAEME WINDELL

graeme@blackballmedia.co.uk Twitter: @graemewindell

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Go for it, Mia! The youngster who was delighted to find out that girls CAN become mechanics

New for you: We check out the latest workshop products

The Judge: Problems with a car that hadn’t moved in two years

Our Kev: Why I saved a scruffy old Freelander from the great scrapyard in the sky

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Inside Track: Adam Weller on motorsport

SALES MANAGER JON HICKEY

j.hickey@blackballmedia.co.uk Twitter: @cardealerjon

ACCOUNT MANAGER MICHELLE SEARLE

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FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION finance@blackballmedia.co.uk

SUITS CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER JAMES BAGGOTT james@thebaize.com Twitter: @CarDealerEd

MANAGING DIRECTOR ANDY ENTWISTLE andy@blackballmedia.co.uk Twitter: @CarDealerAndy

CONTRIBUTORS Felicity Bestwick, John Bowman, Jess Ernerth SUBSCRIPTIONS If you know someone who would like a FREE copy of Workshop Magazine, email the details to subs@workshopmagazine.co.uk and we’ll do the rest. DISTRIBUTION Workshop Magazine is distributed to a database of up to 10,000 service and repair sites, franchised car dealers, independents, car manufacturers and suppliers.

Company No. 6473855 VAT No. 933 8428 05 ISSN No. 1759-5444 Workshop Magazine is published by Blackball Media Ltd (Company No 6473855) and printed by Warners. All rights reserved. Conditions of sale and supply include the fact that Workshop shall not, without our consent, be lent, resold, hired out or otherwise disposed of in a mutilated way or in any unauthorised cover by way of trade or affixed to or as any part of a publication or advertising, literary or pictorial matter whatsoever. Workshop Magazine is fully protected by copyright. Nothing may be reproduced wholly or in part without permission.

Bike adventure: Latest instalment from intrepid duo

Welcome

WE love getting out and about here at Workshop Magazine – we enjoy travelling to garages of all shapes and sizes, talking to our readers and finding out what makes the service and repair sector tick. Occasionally, we visit somewhere that really makes an impression on us – and I would definitely put the First Step Trust workshop in Woolwich, East London, in that category. It was truly inspirational to see what goes on there – and how working on cars can give people who are having difficulties in their lives a real sense of purpose and hope for the future. Just to prove that journalists aren’t merely keyboard warriors who spend their time staring at computer screens, I got properly stuck in and did my best to help out during my day with the team. If I ever leave the world of magazine publishing, I’ll definitely be sending my CV off to get a job there! Thanks to everyone for making me feel so welcome – and you can read my report from page 18. If you have been receiving the last few issues of

Our Fleet: Rebecca’s Thunderbird returns to Workshop Towers Workshop Magazine, you’re probably aware that the third Automechanika Birmingham is just around the corner. We’re delighted to be media partners for the event and have been busy helping promote it recently. There’s more news from the organising team on pages 10 and 11 this month. We have a chat with marketing manager Chloe Hyland and find out more about what will be going on at the NEC on June 5-7. It really does look as though it will be the best Automechanika yet – and we would definitely advise you to take a day or two out of your busy schedules and head to Birmingham. What else do we have in Issue 32? Well, there’s the latest from the Workshop magazine fleet, a four-page focus on eDynamix, legal advice from ‘The Judge’ at Lawgistics and much, much more! Enjoy the issue.

Rebecca Chaplin, Head of Editorial WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

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BIG PICTURE.

| BMW M2 COMPETITION |

Under the skin Jack Evans looks at the technology beneath the shell of the performance-enhanced version of BMW’s M2. BMW loves a game of one-upmanship, even with itself. Almost as soon as it’s brought out a focused performance sports car, it’s replaced it with another harder, more track-ready version and – you guessed it – it’s done it again with this – the M2 Competition. Now here at Workshop Magazine Towers, we loved the ‘regular’ M2. The littlest M car in the range reminded us just how good a compact sports car with addictive performance can be. This new one, however? Well, it’s been given a variety of tweaks to make it just a little sharper and just a little snarlier. In short, things have got serious...

Cooling

The M2 Competition, as a result of the greater engine output and increased performance, requires more air to keep cool. As such, you’ll now notice a redesigned front skirt and enlarged kidney grilles designed to send as much air as possible over the engine.

Visuals

One of the key positives when it came to the original M2 was its understated styling – it could have been any M-Sport 2-Series. However, the Competition features a few visual enhancements to distinguish it, such as new gloss-black kidney grilles and newly-designed 19-inch alloys.

Engine

The M2 Competition now utilises the 3.0-litre turbocharged straight-six engine from its M3 and M4 big brothers. That means power is now up 39bhp over the standard M2, with peak output an impressive 404bhp.

04 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

Interior

The regular M2’s cabin was a lesson to other manufacturers on just how a driving position should be. You’re able to get low enough in the car, and the steering wheel has plenty of adjustment to get it just as you’d want it. This hasn’t been messed with in the Competition, with just a new steering wheel, carbon fibre trim and an updated instrument cluster design added to the interior.

Performance

Cars like the M2 Competition aren’t about the numbers alone, but they’re hard to ignore in this case. The sprint to 60mph takes just 4.0 seconds, and you’ll push onwards to an electronicallylimited top speed of 155mph – though you can have this raised to 170mph for a fee.

Drive mode selection

The M2 Competition gets a full suite of switches on the centre console dedicated to controlling different driving modes and settings for the engine, steering and traction control systems. These configurations can be stored, then accessed via two ‘M’ buttons on the steering wheel.

Gearbox Handling

Straight-line speed is good to have, but the M2 wouldn’t have half of the reputation that it does without its excellent corner poise and handling. Thankfully, this is another area that has been enhanced, with BMW including revised suspension and tweaked steering to make it even sharper than before.

Now, fear not purists – the M2 Competition retains the older car’s six-speed manual gearbox. It means you can enjoy using three pedals to properly wring the performance out, though it’s also available with a seven-speed, dual-clutch auto in case paddles are more your thing.

Exhaust

The raspy, drawn-out howl of a straight-six engine is something to behold, and BMW has worked to ensure that everyone is aware of an approaching M2 Competition. It’s been fettled to produce an even more impressive note, and likely contributes to the improved power output too. WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

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NEWS.

Glyn Hopkin halves servicing lead times with new aftersales facility GLYN Hopkin has officially opened a new 27-bay multi-brand vehicle workshop in Chelmsford. It represents an investment of more than £420,000 in its aftersales business, and means customers can get their cars serviced even more quickly – in most instances halving the time between a booking being made and the service taking place. The 27-bay workshop – comprising 25 service bays and two dedicated MOT bays – is based on the Bilton Road industrial and retail park, and will handle aftersales care for Nissan, Renault, Dacia, Fiat, Abarth, Jeep and Alfa Romeo vehicles. The Glyn Hopkin Chelmsford dealerships for each of the brands are within a 100-metre radius of the new workshop, which means vehicle movements are kept to a minimum and more space is freed up for new and used display cars and customer parking. Glyn Hopkin is employing nine new members of staff to support the

larger aftersales operation, as well as four apprentices, alongside 18 existing staff members consolidated from other sites. The more spacious building also provides a comfortable working environment for existing and new staff, with a well-equipped kitchen and relaxing areas for staff breaks. Fraser Cohen, managing director of Glyn Hopkin, said: ‘Our focus on customer service means we retain an impressive proportion of car and van buyers for aftersales care – but with that success comes the need for increased capacity. When we identified the opportunity to expand the aftersales operation next door to our retail sites we jumped at the chance. ‘This significant investment means that our Chelmsford dealership customers will now be able to have their car or van serviced even more quickly, but with the same standard of care and precision. ‘In all other respects, the customer Customers will now be able to have their car or van serviced more quickly experience will remain unchanged.’

Boss is fined £2,000 after ‘tragic, unnecessary death’ Pensioner, 76, suffered fatal injury in accident at south Wales tyre and exhaust centre

he boss of a south Wales garage where a customer died after being hit by a car has been fined £2,000 and told to pay over £15,500 in costs. Alistair Reeves admitted breaching health and safety regulations at Tredegar Tyre and Exhaust Centre, where John Roach, 76, was hit from behind by the vehicle, reported the South Wales Argus. The pensioner hit his head on the ground as he fell, suffering a fractured skull and brain haemorrhage, and died soon after. The accident happened in April 2015 and Reeves subsequently admitted a charge under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, with sentencing taking place at Newport Crown Court in April this year. As well as the fine, he was also ordered to pay costs of £15,552 plus a £200 victim surcharge. The court was told the garage was ‘busy and congested’ when Mr Roach

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by TRISTAN SHALE-HESTER @tristan_shale was there and he had parked near work bays. Both he and Reeves had been talking and moved out of the way of a people carrier. Reeves subsequently went off, and prosecutor Lee Reynolds said the pensioner then seemed ‘to have prevented another incident between vehicles reversing out of adjacent bays’. He added that Mr Roach was facing in the opposite direction as one of the vehicles – a Mazda – carried on reversing, hitting him at low speed. Reynolds said that when environmental health and police officers went there they found ‘an extremely chaotic scene’. Reeves had enforcement notices served on him, demanding measures including a risk assessment, hatched zones to stop customers parking in some areas, and parking areas for customers. In mitigation, Nicholas

Gareth Jones said the incident left Reeves, of Park Road, Ebbw Vale, ‘clearly shocked’. Sentencing Reeves, Judge Stephen Hopkins said a ‘somewhat chaotic’ scene had ‘led to the tragic and unnecessary death’, reported the Argus. The driver of the Mazda, Jeffrey Watkins, of Gainsborough Road, Tredegar, admitted causing death by careless driving, said the Argus. Newport magistrates gave the 54-year-old MOT inspector a oneyear driving ban plus a 28-day curfew and told him to pay a court charge of £180 plus £85 prosecution costs as well as a £60 surcharge. The court was told he had suffered a lapse of concentration and had failed to check his rear-view mirror. His barrister, James Bromige, said Watkins had suffered emotional trauma and there was no animosity between his family and that of Mr Roach.

| THATCHAM |

The factors that make Volvo’s XC90 such a safe car NOBODY has ever died in a Volvo XC90 in the UK since the firstgeneration model launched in 2002, according to Thatcham Research. The vehicle safety technology research company says that the five-star Euro NCAP-rated SUV has a number of factors that have helped it to achieve this. Both the first and second generations of the car have a comparatively large mass, which means it’s physically tougher in a collision. However, it also has a lot of passive safety, such as solid structure, good restraints and airbags. This helps keep occupants safe when the car is involved in a collision with a larger vehicle. The second-generation model, manufactured since 2014, is fitted with autonomous technology, too.

NEWS ROUND-UP. What’s been making the headlines at workshops around the United Kingdom?

BLAYDON:

A faulty acetylene cylinder has been blamed for a fire at a garage in Blaydon-on-Tyne that broke out on April 16. Emergency services put a 200m safety cordon round the North East Truck and Van garage and firefighters described the blaze as a ‘significant incident’ because there were potentially explosive gas cylinders inside. Plumes of smoke disrupted traffic on the nearby A1 and trains were unable to run between Newcastle and Hexham. A crew returned to the scene of the blaze the following day to make sure that there was no risk of further fires.

| MOTOR OMBUDSMAN |

ESSEX:

Essex Auto Group has revamped its customer communications, doubling its video output in four months following a switch to CitNOW as its workshop video provider. CitNOW’s Workshop app provides the aftermarket with high-quality video communications, proven to increase turnover by enabling garages to quickly communicate necessary work to customers for instant approval. Brett Robins, group general manager at Essex Auto Group, said: ‘With CitNOW, customer transparency is easy to achieve. This puts our customers at ease and helps us offer more value for money.’

LEICESTER:

An unauthorised car repair workshop in a residential area of Leicester has been ordered to close. Leicester City Council slapped an enforcement notice on owner Amarjit Singh Kullar in February 2017, giving him a month to comply, as permission hadn’t been given for the premises in Westcotes Drive to be used for vehicle repairs. Kullar lodged an appeal and an inquiry was held by the Planning Inspectorate, with a site visit in February this year. However, the inspector – solicitor Tim Belcher – turned down the appeal and upheld the closure notice.

BRIDGEND:

A mechanic turned part of his garage into a cannabis factory because his business was struggling, Cardiff Crown Court was told. Self-employed Tim Lewis, 41, was rumbled when police found cannabis resin and paraphernalia at his premises – TJ Autos in Australian Terrace, Bridgend – reported Wales Online. Lewis admitted possessing cannabis, possessing cannabis with intent, and supplying the drug. He was given an eight-month prison term suspended for 18 months, told to complete 120 hours of unpaid work and pay £250 prosecution costs.

Online consumer review tool gets new design and layout THE Motor Ombudsman has upgraded the online consumer reviews tool on its Garage Finder website. The refreshed design and layout makes it easier and quicker for customers to express their opinions and evaluate an ombudsman-accredited independent garage. Using the ‘Rate’ button on a garage’s profile, a customer can select the relevant Code of Practice survey – namely Service and Repair – after having any work carried out on their vehicle. They can then score different aspects of their experience of the business based on a one to 10 star rating. Customers can also leave comments, which are subsequently displayed on the business’s Garage Finder profile in addition to their overall star rating and the proportion of people who have recommended the business. Any customer who rates a garage is eligible to enter the automotive dispute resolution provider’s quarterly prize draw to win £500 in lifestyle vouchers (this doesn’t include garages in Northern Ireland). Bill Fennell, chief ombudsman and managing director of The Motor Ombudsman, said: ‘We wanted to create a one-stop, easy-to-use survey tool where motorists can share their thoughts about a business. ‘This, in turn, creates an impartial and transparent picture for fellow consumers so that they can make a fully informed choice as to which garage to go to.’

| FORD |

Full range of parts for independents HAMPSHIRE:

A workshop has been given a new lease of life after a fire destroyed the original premises in 2015. Williams Garage, in Otterbourne, will now be working out of a new 7,300 sq ft workshop, which it has funded with the help of HSBC finance. The family-run business has been run by the father-and-son team of Ted and Peter Whieldon since 1990, and the new site replaces two temporary workshops that housed the business after the blaze. Peter Whieldon said: ‘We’re excited to be servicing the local community from our new premises.’

FORD is launching a direct sales channel for trade parts called Parts Plus. The operation will be a first for UK manufacturers, offering a full range of parts directly to independent repairers. Parts Plus will supply Ford and Motorcraft parts, as well as providing access to the new Omnicraft range, which features a variety of products for different major UK brands. Ford will operate 84 Parts Plus Centres, each with its own defined customer-focused territory. The first store will open this summer. WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

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NEWS.

Audatex and Artis demonstrate the future of bodyshop management System streamlines the entire crash repair process, driving forward digitalisation and helping businesses go paperless by TRISTAN SHALE-HESTER @tristan_shale

ith digitalisation sweeping through the motor industry, customers want choice and workshops are looking for ways to provide it. With this in mind, Audatex has joined forces with Artis Accident Care to create PlanManager – a digital bodyshop management system that streamlines the repair process for workshops, customers and insurers, driving forward the digitalisation of the industry and helping businesses go paperless. The cloud-based solution is designed to meet the changing needs of consumers, delivering an instantaneous service tailored to whatever a customer wants. Bodyshops are able to proactively manage the crash repair process and take a more strategic approach to jobs, which sees efficiency increase and customer satisfaction levels rise. To see exactly how this product worked, we went to Artis’ new bodyshop in Thurrock, Essex, a business that has employed a new strategy of getting the best out of its staff to make the most of the new system. Traditional bodyshop roles, such as workshop manager, have been cast aside and replaced with an emphasis on teamwork, with incentives for the whole group of employees instead of individuals. Whereas a workshop would usually hire employees for a particular task, such as a panel beater or an MET fitter, Artis found that the prospective staff it interviewed were actually qualified in several areas. As a result, although each employee is assigned to a particular area of expertise as usual, they are not limited to this and can perform other jobs in the bodyshop if need be. This helps counteract inconveniences such as staff absence and speeds up the repair of customers’ cars. With regards to PlanManager, Artis’ early adoption of the Audatex product has been a

Artis Accident Care bodyshop, main picture, and David Shepherd, below success. Every bodyshop employee who has anything to do with a car’s repair has a tablet with the software on it. There, they make a note of everything that’s happened with the vehicle, starting with collection, following through every stage of the repair process and finishing with the customer picking up their car. All of this information is accompanied by photographs so the consumer can see for themselves what is going on. David Shepherd, regional managing director of Audatex UK and Africa, explained to us how he feels the product, which he described as having a ‘revolutionary’ design, has done so far and where he sees it going from here. ‘We were very fortunate with Artis because they wanted to do something different,’ he said. ‘It’s a slight departure from what we did before – we were typically just working with estimators, but now we’re looking at the whole value channel. ‘We’re doing monthly (update) releases. We’ll create something for early adopters and others so

we can take that feedback and see if it’s a local configuration or really something that’s going to drive the business forward. ‘There are changes in technology in the way that vehicles are built, but the systems that manage them are changing and people want to be treated differently to one another and that’s something that insurers have really struggled with in the past. This gives you the option very early on of identifying what people want. ‘It gives that ability to tailor it for the individual and for the shop and how they operate. ‘I think we’re wellplaced to take a significant portion of the market, but people are going to have to embrace, not just the system, but process the changes in their own business, and changes are always very difficult.’

| NEW ROLES |

Windscreen wiper firm Trico appoints new project introduction engineer and credit controller TRICO has appointed Ben Callard as its new project introduction engineer and Leah Eversley-Boyd as credit controller responsible for finance analytics. Callard previously worked for Northern Automotive Systems, where he held roles such as account manager

08 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

and technical sales engineer. His job with Trico makes him responsible for project work relating to business quotations and implementation in Europe, focusing on European projects while communicating with the firm’s US branch. Meanwhile, Eversley-Boyd used to work as a DCA analyst

for Extra Energy and has now taken up the financial role at Trico. Commenting on his appointment, Callard said: ‘I am looking forward to the challenges ahead.’ Eversley-Boyd added: ‘I am enjoying being part of the team at Trico.’

O m pen We lat d6 e Ju n

The UKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading exhibition for the automotive aftermarket

5-7 June 2018, NEC

How efficient is your garage? Move your business forward with skills training, product demos, the best deals on equipment and tools and stacks of business advice. Register free today. FREE HOT DRINK & PASTRY

In association with

WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

| 09

*Free parking is limited availability and will be available first come first serve for independent garages

Sponsored by

NEWS.

Not long now... Autome A special offer on superb technical data from HGS TECHNICAL service and repair data is an invaluable resource for modern workshops as they bid to retain their share of business in an increasingly competitive market. To further assist them in this task, renowned diagnostics specialist Hella Gutmann Solutions (HGS) is backing up its market-leading range of mega macs tools with an exceptional offer on its comprehensive technical service data package. ‘As a special promotion in the lead-up to and throughout this year’s Automechanika Birmingham, we shall be offering our superb technical data for half its normal cost and providing an annual subscription for just £249 plus VAT,’ explained HGS head of business development, Neil Hilton. ‘With the complex nature of the modern vehicle, accurate technical service data is a must-have resource which allows the workshop to access the critical information they need to carry out thousands of maintenance and repair operations. ‘Our data caters for more than 40,000 vehicles and, in addition to service instructions and repair times, includes other added-value elements, such as maintenance plans and circuit diagrams.’ For more information about Hella Gutmann Solutions, go online to hella-gutmann.co.uk or call the sales team on 01295 662402.

Who will be named Garage of the Year? MULTI-award-winning engine decontamination specialist, EDT Automotive, will be one of the headline sponsors of Automechanika Birmingham’s 2018 ‘Garage of the Year’ ceremony, held in association with Garage Wire. Held on Tuesday June 5 at Aston Villa FC, the event will honour the unsung heroes of the automotive aftermarket in categories such as best small and large garage, best community initiative, technology and business innovation, and ‘Auto-mechanik’ of the year. Entries have now closed but the ceremony is bound to be a memorable one. EDT managing director David Holmes said the awards would help to ‘shine a light on some of the fantastic businesses within the EDT network’.

Come to Brum! And make sure you don’t miss out on huge trade exhibition

here are now just a few weeks to go until Birmingham again becomes the central hub for the UK’s automotive industry. On June 5-7, the city will be renewing its partnership with Automechanika Birmingham to attract thousands of visitors to the region. For the third year running, the UK’s leading trade exhibition for the automotive industry will be staged at the NEC, where an increase in visitors is anticipated thanks to a raft of new initiatives, networking opportunities and extended opening hours for automotive repair garages. We caught up with Automechanika marketing manager Chloe Hyland who gave us the low-down on preparations for the event.

How do you seek to differentiate Automechanika from other similar shows held at the NEC?

awards, this year with a pre-show awards dinner, and free parking for all garage visitors on a first come, first served basis.

A criticism levelled at the show in previous years has been that it hasn’t attracted many independent garage attendees. How have you tried to entice more representation from this sector for 2018? Our main brief for this year’s show was simple: to give every independent garage across the UK a reason to leave their workshop for a day to travel to the show. We’ve managed to come up with not just one, but many reasons! We’re urging garages to come along and see for themselves what they will get out of it. They will see how much we’ve enhanced the visitor experience this year, particularly with them in mind.

In a nutshell, we cater for the entire automotive sector, both CV and passenger car – in the three key areas of vehicle production, aftermarket and the end user, with a predominant focus on garages. As such, Automechanika Birmingham is the UK’s leading exhibition for the automotive aftermarket and vehicle production industry. This year we’ll also be delivering a huge educational programme with a Skills Day on the Thursday, aimed at upskilling and helping to arm graduates with the right skills.

How have you sought to evolve the show in its third year in the UK?

And following on, what are your aspirations in terms of overall visitor numbers? Over the last two years, we have drawn a strong, quality audience from across all automotiverelated industries which is what we’re focused on bringing to the show again this year.

We’ve listened to the industry and carried out extensive research. As a result, we have three established halls housed in a brand new layout, with a new Garage Quarter, a late night opening and a facilitated meetings programme to allow visitors to pre-arrange meetings with exhibitors.

What is the one aspect of this year’s show that you are most excited about?

What are the main areas of focus this year?

As with every trade exhibition, there are many different parties involved helping to make it happen – operations, visitors, exhibitors, industry experts, sponsors to name a few – all having their own expectations, targets and criteria to be met in order for it to be deemed a success. It has to be a success for everyone, which is what we strive for.

We’ve significantly increased the focus on independent garages, as these are our customers and the unsung heroes of the industry. As such, besides the Garage Quarter, we will have a Workshop Training Hub and a Specialist Training Hub. There will also be the Garage of the Year

“

It has to be the new Garage Quarter. It’s a huge pull for independent garages.

Come the end of the show, what criteria need to have been met for you to deem it as a success?

We’ve increased the focus on independent garages – the unsung heroes of the industry. CHLOE HYLAND

Automechanika Birmingham is the UK’s leading exhibition for the automotive aftermarket 10 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

chanika is nearly here! Elta has a great opportunity for independents

The Automechanika Birmingham team celebrating their double triumph recently

ELTA Automotive has launched its new Pro brand with a range of vision and enginemanagement products. The midlands-based component company, which owns the Lucas Electrical brand, is offering its new products under the VisionPro and VXPro nameplates. Managing director Ian Hallam, below, said: ‘In this, our 25th year, we are taking a strategic step to address what we believe is a great opportunity for independents. ‘As the market has evolved and the influence of the big buying groups has increased, independent factors and their workshop customers need to have access to a premiumquality brand they can call their own. With VisionPro and VXPro, they have the answer.’ The Pro brand will incorporate bulbs,

Two more awards for our trophy cabinet! AUTOMECHANIKA Birmingham has won two industry awards for the hugely successful second edition of the UK’s leading exhibition for the automotive aftermarket and vehicle production industry. The Automechanika Birmingham team proudly took to the stage to collect two awards on March 23 for Best Trade Show and the Best Independent Exhibition Organiser 2017 at the prestigious Exhibition News Awards. The 2017 event had sold a staggering 5,000 square metres before the 2016 exhibition had even taken place and achieved a 45 per cent increase in the number of exhibitors overall. The exhibition welcomed more than 12,000 visitors through the doors to see more than 800 exhibitors from the aftermarket and vehicle production sectors. Simon Albert, event director, said: ‘Now in our third year of

Automechanika Birmingham, the team and I are grateful for the support of our exhibitors, visitors and partners in helping to make the industry’s event a huge success. ‘We are now only a few weeks away from the 2018 event and have introduced a raft of new initiatives to suit the entire automotive industry. New elements include a dedicated hall for garage businesses as well as areas for retailers and free business advice, a meetings programme to encourage business conversations on exhibitor stands, new live demonstrations and free training from the experts! We look forward to welcoming everyone from June 5-7, 2018 at the NEC.’ The two awards follow a further four prestigious accolades that the team at Automechanika Birmingham have won over the previous two years.

Autoelectro raising profile of remanufacturing AUTOELECTRO is delighted to announce that it will be exhibiting at Automechanika Birmingham 2018. The Bradford-based company will be brightening up the halls of the National Exhibition Centre with its well-known red and white livery, using examples of its remanufactured starter motor and alternator range to emphasise its credentials. Between June 5 and 7, Autoelectro will be part of the Remanufacturing Product Showcase, which will be situated in hall 19 (stand L150). While the plinth will be unmanned, there will be no

shortage of information to guide visitors on what goes on behind the scenes at Autoelectro, the topic of remanufacturing and the latest news from the company. Managing director Tony Bhogal said being part of the remanufacturing fraternity at the NEC made ‘perfect sense’ for Autoelectro. He added: ‘Autoelectro is a brand that is passionate about the practice of remanufacturing, so with the organisers willing to throw their support behind it, we are delighted to be helping raise the profile of remanufacturing.’

mirrors, wipers, warning and safety lighting, and will also encompass vehicle electrics, engine management components plus parts related to ignition, fuel and vehicle management systems. ‘With the growing influence of electrics and electronics in current and future vehicle design, related products will become an increasingly important area for replacement components,’ said Hallam. ‘Elta has considerable experience in the field and has extremely refined testing and quality control procedures to ensure its products perform at the highest level. ‘We have chosen the “See Sense” strapline, not only because it reflects the driving vision and vehicle sense and control electronics attributes of the products within the Pro brand range, but also because it represents a great option for factors looking for the opportunity to distinguish themselves.’ The new brand and products within it will be showcased at Automechanika Birmingham – yet another great reason to visit the event.

and vehicle production industry. Find out more online at automechanika-birmingham.com WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

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FEATURES.

PART 7

We fell in love with Pakistan (despite a dramatic accident)

Our motorcycling mechanics Andy Gove and Sean Tubby are having the time of their lives on their Asia tour – but there was a moment of high drama recently. Islamabad and Lahore Andy Gove

s we wound our way out of the mountains with Islamabad as our next destination, the roads kept up their unpredictable and by now familiar characteristic of switching in direction, camber and elevation at a moment’s notice. They had also developed a condition that I had never witnessed before, which at a guess could be caused by the constant scorching heat and relentless compression of overloaded trucks barrelling across them. The result is surfaces whose friction coefficient is more or less like marble. For those of you who have ridden on marble, you are no doubt well aware it is somewhat capricious. But on a road that is made up seemingly of corners and switchbacks, you soon get the hang of it and, on occasion, can even use it to your advantage by blipping the throttle to swing the back end through. When exercising this practice it’s advisable not to be over-confident, however. The mountains and hills ended as suddenly as they had begun and I felt a deep pang of sadness as I watched them fade into the clouds. The cool and fresh air of the north was swiftly replaced by the blasting heat that we had come to know so well earlier in our trip. Stopping in Islamabad for lunch, I ate the best chicken jalfrezi in creation and am fairly certain I shall never taste one like it again. This was something I wasn’t prepared for, and the fact that I didn’t take more time to appreciate it wakes me in the middle of the night, awash with cold sweats and regret.

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Travelling from Islamabad to Lahore is easy enough in the sense that there is only one road – the N5, or the GT road as it’s known. The simplicity stops there, however. In reality, it’s a place of mechanical madness used by the absolutely and undeniably insane. I have often mentioned the quality of driving as we have travelled through various countries but an incident occurred on this road that will haunt me for the rest of my life. We hit the GT road in the middle of the day, which meant that huge sections between the cities it bisects were mostly empty. I was cruising at a leisurely 70 when two men on a 125 pulled out of a gap in the central reservation that had been made by some mad idiot who had knocked out the kerb stones with a hammer. My bike was in line with the rider’s body. There was simply no way I was going to stop. It has been mentioned to me several times that people’s lack of road awareness is down to their unshakeable belief in the divine. Personally, I don’t care what you believe in – there is nothing that will stop my 250kg bike going at 70mph from killing you if you pull out in front of me. I managed to swerve enough that my headlights were no longer aiming at the rider’s temple, but not enough to avoid tearing the front end of his bike off. My panniers caught his handlebars, and as I desperately tried to stop my bike from chucking me off, I risked a glance over my shoulder to see the remnants of his headlights and clocks still cascading down the road. Amazingly, they were both still on their bike. From the moment I saw him, my thumb was on the horn, but he only noticed me as our eyes locked for a millisecond when my bike hit his. I didn’t stop. This is a decision I have thought about often. I was so enraged that if I had, the

An incident occurred on this road, a place of mechanical madness, that will haunt me for the rest of my life... 12 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

Post-accident damage is inspected

A rare CD200 owned by a Lahore biker situation would have become violent. I also partly hoped that maybe he had learnt something from the whole experience. But, if I had hurt him, which I truly hoped I hadn’t, then perhaps he needed my help. I will never know for sure, but what I am certain of is that if I had hit him, I would have killed him. After we stopped for a cigarette and Sean calmed me down enough for my palms to stop freely leaking sweat, we noticed that the bike’s handlebar end had opened my pannier box up like a can of beans. Our destination in Lahore was the home of our friend Atif, whom we had met in the mountains and who, by an unimaginably large stroke of luck, also rode an Africa Twin. He had kindly invited us to stay with him for some downtime before we headed off to India. We had originally only planned to stay one or two nights, but we were

In Pakistan, it seemed Andy and Sean made friends wherever they went! They have so many memories of an amazing country so welcomed that we spent the rest of our time in Pakistan there. It was incredible. We were introduced to members of the local biker club, who treated us like we were two of their own. We were given tours of Lahore and taken to different spots around the city where club meetings were held. As all of us were diehard bikers, it was immensely satisfying to do nothing but sit and drink tea and talk bikes. Many of them owned beautiful and rare classics, the likes of which are scarce in England, let alone Pakistan. These included a beautiful Honda CB300, an even rarer CD200 Roadmaster and a chopped Lambretta, the likes of which I’m sure I shall never see again. What was truly mind-blowing, though, was how they simply threw us the keys and said ‘Take it for a spin’ as if it were the most natural thing in the world. It is an extremely odd feeling finding

yourself behind the bars of a new R1200GS, screaming around Lahore at midnight for no reason other than a friend absolutely insists you must try it, and it was wonderful. Not only were they the most incredible hosts, but they patched up my panniers, showed us where to get oil and parts, and donated us some of their own. We swapped hints and tips on the Twins and helped each other with issues on all four of the bikes that had gathered on Atif’s driveway. But a memory I will always treasure was when four of us went for a ride around Lahore one night, screaming around like madmen, a fellow rider’s horn-connected spotlights clearing a path through traffic like a snow plough, or snaking and weaving through cars and trucks as if we were speeding away from a well-executed bank job. All too soon it was time for us to saddle up

and hit the road, heading east across the Wagah border and into India. I was sad to leave. For us, Pakistan was different from the other countries we had visited so far. As beautiful as it is varied, it contains epic and immense landscapes that simply leave you speechless. Its people are the most welcoming I have ever come across, and the friends we made will always be welcome in our homes. Travelling through Pakistan comes with the promise of adventure into the unknown and unexplored and it truly does not disappoint. If you ever get the chance to visit this magnificent country I would highly recommend it. As we rode across the border, Sean and I both realised that Pakistan had started to fill a void in our hearts that had pushed us to make this trip in the first place. We realised we had fallen in love with Pakistan. WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

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NEWS.

Go for it, Mia! Career dreams given a boost Seven-year-old girl enjoys workshop visit and gets lots of encouragement

girl from Plymouth was told she can achieve her dream of becoming a mechanic on a visit to a workshop. Seven-year-old Mia Hosking had been told by another pupil that she couldn’t work as a mechanic when she grew up because she was a girl, so dad David took to Facebook to ask female mechanics for encouragement. Vehicle aftercare website MyCarNeedsA.com answered the call and teamed up with its Protyre garage in Plymouth to show Mia that there was nothing to stop her achieving her goal. She was welcomed to the garage by Protyre mechanics Hannah Shaw, of Elmbridge Tyres in Swadlincote, and Nikki Ham, centre manager for Protyre Faringdon in Oxfordshire, as well as Julie Jones from Protyre’s apprenticeship provider ProVQ. The youngster was given her own set of

overalls and taken on a tour of the workshop. The heart-warming story comes as part of a push by Protyre to encourage more women to take up roles in the garage industry. Speaking about her visit to the workshop, Mia said: ‘It was so cool coming to the garage to see all the mechanics and their tools. I loved getting my own uniform too – it was the best!’ Mia’s garage-owning former banger racing father said: ‘Mia was given so much encouragement and support when we called for other female mechanics to share their stories. ‘She has really enjoyed seeing how the garage works and how other women are excelling in these roles. I couldn’t believe it when the team from MyCarNeedsA.com got in touch to offer her the chance to come to Protyre. ‘She’s had the best time in the garage. I’d

Mia with Hannah Shaw, left, and Nikki Ham like to say a big thank you to Protyre and MyCarNeedsA.com.’ Scott Hamilton, managing director of MyCarNeedsA.com, said: ‘When we saw Mia’s story, we wanted to show her that young women have every opportunity of achieving their dreams. ‘It’s wonderful that she is so enthusiastic and passionate about the career she wants, so inviting her for a tour with one of our service providers was just a small token of our support. We hope that Mia’s story inspires lots of girls to pursue a career in the automotive industry.’

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INSIDE TRACK.

ADAM WELLER LOOKS AT MOTORSPORT ENGINEERING, DEVELOPMENTS AND NEWS

Harking back to the past will not improve the sport we love I t’s a typical Sunday afternoon in the Weller residence. Motorsport is on the television, naturally. Whether the race is an all-time classic or somewhat dull, I usually enjoy the viewing experience to some degree. However, if at any point during said race I decide to look at social media, chances are someone has found a reason to spout an opinion that can be boiled down to a simple ideology: ‘things were better in the past’. And you know what? To a degree, I get it. I’m 20 years old. In 2004, I was six. As such, I have a strong passion for the early to mid-2000s, as that era holds my earliest memories. If you were to ask me if I wanted tickets to Le Mans this June, or the chance to travel back in time to watch the 2005 race, I would pick the latter, even though I know the result. The human mind likes the comfort of what it’s familiar with. However, the world does not stay the same. That’s why phrases like ‘adapt or perish’ exist. Let’s start with the idea that motorsport always needs an element of danger, a thought put across by people I really want to respect the opinion of, such as Nigel Mansell. Comments suggesting that motorsport ‘needs’ to be dangerous are pointless, because there will always be danger regardless. We will never reach a stage where you can hit a barrier at 200mph and emerge unscathed. While the industry will never get to a point of true security, it shouldn’t be a surprise that we need to get as close to that as technology allows. It shouldn’t need to be said, but in this day and age, it would be nothing short of disastrous for any championship to go against safety advancements, only for a fatal accident to be shown live on TV or the internet. There would be uproar and potential consequences from commissions and governing bodies – and that’s before you consider what would become of that championship’s public image. The industry needs to be seen to be doing all it can to protect drivers, or the mainstream will turn

Motorsport’s future should not echo the recent past... or its‘golden era’ away; and, like it or not, the big leagues of motorsport need that audience. The second bone of contention for many fans and experts is a lack of quality racing action, more so in Formula One than elsewhere. I can take sides on this one a little more easily. I would call Formula One’s change to its current regulations a mistake, as the racing in the early to mid-2010s was really rather good. With that said, a lot of people instead hanker for a return to the regulations of the early 2000s, particularly when it comes to the high-revving V10 engines of that era, and the cars’ looks. However, even I, a lover of such cars, will gladly admit that many of the races at that time were below par with limited overtaking. The thing is, plenty of people are duped by short clips on social media, reminding us of the best few minutes of any given year. Some go further back, to the 70s and 80s; when ‘you could see the drivers doing REAL

DRIVING’, as countless internet complainants have stated. I’d also enjoy seeing what would come of harking back to such an era, but slowing F1 with worse tyres and almost no aero would be poor form indeed, for the same reason that new technologies should have a home in the sport. I’ve said this in one of these columns before, but the top levels of motorsport should be pushing the technology, performance, innovation and the overall agenda of motoring’s future, not harking back to its own past. So, to focus on Formula One, do things need to change? In a word, yes. But the changes should not be made while wearing rose-tinted spectacles. I find nothing more insipid than those ‘inspirational’ social media posts about being the ‘first you’ rather than a new version of someone else, but when it comes to motorsport, they ring true. Harking back to the glories of the sport’s past, which took place in a different era, a different world, will not lead us to the place the sport needs to be in the near future.

WHO IS ADAM WELLER? A self-confessed motorsport addict, Adam is a member of Blackball Media’s talented writing team, providing content for Workshop Magazine, sister title Car Dealer and various other publications and outlets. WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

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FEATURES.

Tackling problems one step at a time Rebecca Chaplin gets stuck in at a workshop owned and run by the First Step Trust, a charity that offers work experience to disadvantaged people and those suffering with psychological issues.

hen it comes to the workshop industry, it would be fair to say we’re familiar with the stereotypes. People often think mechanics chose their profession because they were unable to turn their hand to anything else, but as we all know, wielding a spanner professionally is a skilled role that takes serious training and a lot of hard work. As with many walks of life, the service and repair industry boasts thousands of people who are physically capable of doing the job and have the necessary skills in their armoury – but some of those people might struggle with psychological issues, be they learning difficulties, mental health problems, or traumas in their life that are on their mind a lot. Many people in such circumstances might find it hard to access the training they require, let alone hold down a demanding job in a busy workshop, but in many cases it’s not the ability that’s lacking – it’s the support. That’s where the First Step Trust charity comes in. The organisation was set up in 1992 to offer work experience to disadvantaged people and those struggling with psychological challenges or problems in their home life. Since then, it’s grown into a whole social movement, improving people’s lives on a daily basis. You might be wondering how a garage could improve the quality of someone’s life – maybe you’re in one right now and thinking it’s not made your day much better by coming into work! Now imagine that you can’t work, for one reason or another, and haven’t been able to do so for years. In some cases, those people who come to First Step Trust have never been able to work, but for all of them this is absolutely the first step on a journey to full-time employment. You might remember Bob Barringer who won

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our Outstanding Achievement Award at the inaugural Workshop Magazine Awards back in December. He’s worked in the First Step Trust SMaRT – which stands for Socially Minded and Responsible Trading – Garage in Woolwich for seven years, but he overcame some huge challenges in his personal life to get to this point. Barringer hit rock bottom after years of substance and alcohol abuse, losing everything in his life, but today he will be giving me the opportunity to work in the trust’s garage and showing me the ropes. Having chatted with the company’s chief executive, Ronnie Wilson, at the awards, my boss Andy had told me to be in Woolwich for a feature, and that was about all I knew. I’d soon learn that once you’d spoken to Wilson, you were in his mental database and would be enlisted to help the charity in any way possible – a phenomenon known as ‘being Ronnied’. It’s a worthy cause, but there was no doubt I was apprehensive about being thrown in at the deep end. In the fullness of time, however, I came to appreciate that those who work here throughout the week had to overcome more than the congestion on the M25 to be able to step through the door. I arrived and was told to put overalls and boots on then head for the shop floor, as I’d be helping to service cars today. My first thought? God help the owners! These are, after all, not practice cars and belong to real customers. After the usual health and safety briefing, where I learn not to fall down holes and watch out for things on the floor and at head height, I’m thrown right into the mix. Today we’ll be starting with an interim service on a BMW X5. I’m not the first to take on this challenge, which the company calls Trading Places, and previous participants have included The Apprentice’s Nick

I’d be helping to service cars today. My first thought? God help the owners! 18 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

Hewer and NHS England’s national director for mental health Claire Murdoch. Those in the workshop are divided into two groups, and I’m placed with a member of the team who takes me under her wing. She’s been in and out of work here but is building up to more days in the garage. Bob explains to me: ‘We start them off with one morning a week and build them up to more days. They have to understand that this is a job and if they turn up late I don’t let them stay.’ Part of why this works so well is the structure of the job. Suited, booted and with gloves on, I hoist the BMW into the air – yes, I was actually allowed to man the machinery having just stepped into the workshop. I’m not the observational journalist today, this is hands-on! We remove the engine undertray between us and inspect for any oil leaks, but all is good. With the waste oil drain tank in place, the sump plug is removed and so is the oil. While the car is in the air it gives us an opportunity to check the condition of the tyres, brakes and wheel bearings. Barringer talks me through the process, explaining how this is something that can be

Ronnie Wilson talks to Becca about the important work of the First Step Trust at its busy SMaRT Garage in Woolwich, East London...

. . . and it isn’t long before she’s getting stuck in, performing a variety of duties and finding out about the work of the organisation difficult for someone who can’t read or write. Everything is within the allowed limits and we record that. We then check the tyre pressures and, again, this can be challenging if you can’t read the numbers. We take a look at the brake pads to see how much wear there is, spin and wiggle the wheels to see if there’s excess movement, but with everything looking shipshape we can bring the car back down. With a team around me, and things going at a very acceptable pace for a novice such as me, everything is checked off and I don’t

feel worried about missing anything any more! Now to the computer, and another way to expand your skills. Using Autodata, we look up the type of oil that goes into the Beemer. Barringer shows me the paper slips they use to complete all of the information for the cars. This means that the individuals can take down a car’s key details – registration and type – then sit at the computer and complete each section as they find it on the program. We’ve got the information we need and Barringer shows me another difficulty that those

who are illiterate can face – reading the type of oil on the barrel. He explains that it was easier previously, as fortunately the barrels were either red or green and as long as you knew which oil correlated to which colour you were sorted, but only this week a change in oil type for some cars means they now have two different greens and one red in the garage! Even after only an hour in the workshop, it’s clear to see what a difference this makes to people, but it also becomes clear what a challenge every WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

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FEATURES.

step of working here can present. Barringer picks up on the fact that I’ve done some work on cars before, but I explain that this is the newest car I’ve ever worked on – I’m not au fait with plasticcovered engines and cars with computers in them – but I’m assured that my next job will be much more up my street. Undercover in the next bay in the workshop is a vehicle much more my era: a 1969 Renault Estafette van. Called Owen, it’s been in the First Step Trust family since 2015. Its ongoing restoration is being undertaken by those at the garage and volunteers as part of the Trading Places scheme. The plan is to turn him into a top-notch working van with a coffee machine in the rear – available for hire to give the charity another source of income! I’m introduced to Errol – Owen’s new best mate. He’s taken responsibility for sourcing or repairing and restoring every part on the classic van, pictured far right. It was stripped and dipped when the company first bought it, revealing all manner of rust and missing metal that was then carefully repaired before it was given its beautiful new cream paintwork. Errol talks me through the array of parts on the shelves, each tagged. To raise more money for

20 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

Which oil is the right one? Easy if you can read the label, a bit more tricky if you can’t. . . the social enterprise, it is offering sponsorship of almost each one – with many already taken. My small role today will be helping to clean up some of the parts that can be saved, and Errol shows me the box he has of every small piece that was taken off the van, bagged and labelled for reassembly. Already he’s begun the reassembly of the inner workings of Owen, but it’s a slow process to source rare parts or find companies that can repair them. I’m guided over to the basin for washing parts and begin scrubbing off decades of grime from a couple of brackets that will soon go back on to the van – a very small part to play but I’m pleased it’s one that’s vital!

Wilson brings Owen’s shell out of where he’s tucked away to pull back the protective sheet and show me the vehicle that he’s so proud of. There’s one piece that is currently evading them and he wonders if I – or our readers – can help. The fine and delicate grille has deteriorated over the years but finding a replacement has proved difficult. Maybe someone reading this today can help the charity? It’s not just about the workshop, though, First Step Trust gives people the opportunity to progress to real jobs. Barringer is a prime example of someone who struggled but who now gives back to the charity as an employee training new members. That’s why passing on skills is

PICTURES COURTESY OF FIRST STEP TRUST

Becca certainly had a busy day with the team at the First Step Trust workshop, main picture so important to him. As a working charity and garage, there’s more to be done than just fixing cars, as you’ll all well know. Behind the workshop is a finance team, those booking cars in and managing the day-to-day running of the company. This works in the same way, and people can progress from working on the shop floor into the office. Others in the business tell me about working a couple of days in the garage and a couple in the office a week, giving them an opportunity to increase their skills in both areas. It’s clear from everybody here that they want to learn and improve themselves for the working world, which is the first hurdle before the second one of actually getting to the training

and doing it. The proof is in the people who have progressed all the way from not working to full-time employment. The charity’s star is Tegan, who came to it with many problems but gave the scheme everything she had and even gained her driving licence with them. After a few years and lots of hard work, she was in a position to take a job working on buses for a salary well over the minimum wage or the benefits she would have received, taking her out of the welfare system. She still has her problems, but while becoming a fully qualified mechanic doesn’t fix everyone’s issues, it does give people a bright future with options to do more and the freedom to live their lives. WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

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JUST THE JOB.

BY GAVIN WHITE, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF AUTOTECH RECRUIT

Training must be central to your workshop – not an optional extra Gavin looks at the rise of electric vehicles and the need to equip technicians with the skills and knowledge required to work on them.

he shortfall of skills in the automotive industry is not new, but, with the UK automotive scene poised for continued growth, coupled with the fact vehicles are becoming increasingly computerised and electric, the situation has become more pressing, and is keenly felt within garages across the UK. No longer can a new entrant to our profession make strides in their career simply by looking over the shoulder of a patient mentor. Progressing in the motor industry today demands digital skills — we need diagnosticians who can solve puzzles without physical clues, like an engine knocking or an oil leak. Last year there was widespread coverage of the injection of cash the electric vehicle market is set to receive, and, at the start of this year, ministers were warned that, by 2030, three-fifths of new cars must be electric to meet greenhouse gas targets. Presently, electric vehicles still only represent around two per cent of total light-duty vehicles on the road, yet global year-on-year sales are increasing and exceeded the two million mark in 2017 after a 60 per cent jump in 2016. With this in mind, it is essential that the industry is regulated by the government now to ensure that when these vehicles come to garages for servicing and aftermarket care, vehicle technicians are equipped with the necessary skills. We have a duty of care to provide adequate training to ensure the safety of our technicians, otherwise it will be a question of time before somebody without the right knowledge puts a spanner in a high-voltage area. A recent industry survey by an automotive governing body revealed that over 80 per cent believe training should be regulated and there are calls for a proportion of Philip Hammond’s £300 million commitment to electric vehicles to

go towards training. Without regulation, though, who is responsible for training? Ultimately, we all are, from main dealerships to small independents. While manufacturers of electric vehicles are beginning to push dealerships to send their technicians on the relevant electric vehicle training courses, they are just the minority who are starting to see the bigger picture. But, without enforcement, bodyshop and garage owners are largely unwilling to firstly invest in training, and secondly, lose their technicians for even a day to attend a course due to the lack of revenue they could incur. Significantly, though, garages are demanding vehicle technicians who are highly skilled in electric vehicles. As a temporary recruitment specialist, we have witnessed an increase in

demand over the last 12 months from garages for electric vehicles technicians, and, as they are so few and far between, within days they are usually offered permanent positions! In a nutshell, garage bosses need to be mindful of the fact that although presently vehicle technicians do not need to become proficient in electric vehicles, with the shift towards these cars, roles will change dramatically over the next two decades and the only way the current workforce can sustain their roles is to train. It’s time to make training across all areas an integral cog in the heart of a motor business rather than a mere add-on. Only then, as vehicle technician roles seamlessly evolve along with technology, will we begin to close the skills gap. For further information please contact hello@autotechrecruit.co.uk or call 01234 240503

Who is Gavin White? After spotting a gap in the market for a recruitment agency dedicated to placing temporary workers in the motor trade, Gavin established Autotech Recruit in 2010. As an agency solely focused on the automotive aftermarket, Autotech Recruit supplies MOT testers and vehicle technicians on a contract and permanent basis. Seven years on and Gavin now employs more than 20 staff at the company’s head office, with a contractor network of 300 MOT testers and vehicle technicians, supplying workshops across the UK.

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JOB DONE WITH LESS FUSS Autologic brings you industry-leading diagnostics equipment together with expert support from our OE trained master technicians – enabling you to tackle every job with greater confidence, efficiency and profitability.

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DIAGNOSTICS WITH THE EXPERTS WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

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ENGINEROOM.

ADAM WELLER LOOKS AT A VERY SIMPLE UNIT – BUT ONE THAT IS EXTREMELY POPULAR WITH WORKSHOPS

The Chevy motor powering a generation of fast cars

hen it comes to constructing a car from scratch as an individual, or as part of a small car company, building an engine of your own is out of the question. You have to fall back on the crate engine industry, which allows you to buy an engine from a manufacturer or builder. While there are a few choices out there, none is as popular or prominent as Chevrolet’s ‘LS’ smallblock V8 unit. Initially conceived in 1996, the LS – or ‘Luxury Sport’ – series of engines has found its way into every Corvette and Camaro since 1997, and has also found a home in cars from Holden, Cadillac and Pontiac. In addition, small-volume manufacturers such as Mosler, Hennessey and Ultima have used the motor extensively, and it has also become a popular choice for engine swaps in vehicles from the likes of TVR. Up and down the country, LS engines are being worked on. One such establishment where this is taking place is the one run by MacG Racing in Yorkshire, who maintain cars and produce transmissions and clutches to work alongside the Chevrolet motor. In addition, the MacG outfit has raced extensively with an Ultima GTR, and their own MacG Taranis race car, which were both powered by an LS. Jonny MacGregor of MacG Racing spoke to us about their work with the LS. He said: ‘We first used the Chevy V8 in our Ultima, with the engine in its ‘‘crate’’ format, with the exception of a few minor modifications to simplify plumbing and remove items such as the PCV system. Since then, we developed the specification, to upgrade the oiling system and some of the internals for reliability during the extended periods of extreme usage you get in endurance racing.’

Part of what makes the LS so popular is its simplicity, as MacGregor explains: ‘In reality, it is a very simple engine. It’s interesting really – in essence it’s a simple single cam, pushrod V8 with two valves per cylinder. ‘However, GM introduced some pretty fancy features such as titanium conrods, sodium-filled valves and a dry sump system as standard, which make it a little out of the ordinary. ‘In terms of rebuilding, it is relatively simple as long as the basic rules are adhered to. However, as with all these things, you need to be careful with upgrades and aftermarket parts – there is a huge number of different aftermarket parts available, all with very variable quality and consistency! ‘Some are excellent and an absolute necessity for a good, reliable and high-powered build, some aren’t at all!’ Speaking of reliability and power, the LS has plenty of both, but you do need to consider upgrades depending on what you intend to do with the engine, as MacGregor has learnt: ‘As with all engine builds, specification and build quality are key to reliability. ‘As a base engine, it is very good – but if you start cornering as hard as you can when using slicks or large amounts of downforce, you will need to upgrade the factory dry sump for something more sophisticated. ‘In the rear-mount applications, cooling can be a challenge. However, with a properly specified oiling and cooling system, this is fairly easily overcome. Achieving a naturally aspirated power level of around 650bhp is relatively

The C6 is one of many Corvettes powered by the LS engine

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LS engines such as this one are being worked on up and down the country straightforward – above that, cost and complexity start going up quite quickly.’ Is there much that beats the LS when it comes to value for money and levels of power? ‘For naturally-aspirated power it is very good as a base engine,’ said MacGregor. ‘If you start looking at forced induction, some of the other options out there can deliver large amounts of power cheaply and the engines generally weigh less. However, due to their turbos and associated parts, the complexity goes up a lot.’ Jonny has worked on cars from customers with upwards of 900bhp with forced induction, and 700bhp in naturally-aspirated form, and the LS motor can achieve numbers well into the fourfigure bhp range if worked on hard enough. The Chevrolet LS is a true mercenary engine that has found dozens of applications in cars of a performance nature. If you’re ever overtaken by something exceedingly fast and unique-looking, there’s a good chance that it houses a Chevrolet LS motor.

Offering a complete solution for all your MOT training requirements. Autotech Training is a specialist division of Autotech Recruit, established with the aim to create a one-stop MOT training solution for the automotive aftermarket. Since our launch in 2015, we have provided training for many franchised dealerships and independent garages. We work in partnership with national awarding bodies and training providers to enable us to offer the very best courses available, with flexible delivery and convenient payment methods.

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CLUB.

PROBLEMS WITH CAR THAT HADN’T MOVED FOR OVER TWO YEARS ASK THE JUDGE: Ian Gardner, sales manager at automotive legal experts Lawgistics, discusses a problem that crops up surprisingly frequently...

Lawgistics client recently contacted us to seek our help with a problem that, to them, was unusual, but which in our experience is far more common than you might suppose. They had been approached by a customer to visit his home, in order to recommission a car that had been out of action for more than two years. The customer had been working abroad and had placed his car inside a dry garage, where it had remained unattended for the time he was away. He had not disconnected the battery, probably a mistake, but it had, in any event, drained of charge over time. Unlike a Morris Minor, the modern car needs a trickle of electrical power to keep all the systems working. Inevitably, when the power ran out, the car could not even be unlocked with the electronic key. The mechanics who attended the customer’s home decided to start the car intending to run it to self-charge its own

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battery. To achieve this, they brought in a heavy slave-charger, connected this to the mains and linked the two terminals to the car’s own battery. Instantly, the starter motor turned and the engine rotated, but it refused to fire up. Thinking that the fuel in the system might be stale, they rigged up a means to draw in fresh fuel from an external one-gallon can. This did not make any difference and the car still refused to fire up. After running through a routine which included removing the spark plugs to check them and the state of the cylinders, it was decided to tow-start the car. Tow-starting a dormant car with no servo assistance or power steering is fraught with dangers, but the mechanics were aware of this and avoided any problems. However, towing did not work either. After conferring with the customer, it was agreed that the car should be taken to their workshop for further tests. The outcome was unfortunate as it was discovered that the ECU had burnt out. The question

for the garage was, ‘who should be responsible for the repair?’ In undertaking such a job, it is vital that a full history of the car prior to it being parked up is obtained from the customer. In this case it was argued at first (and somewhat illogically) that the ECU must have been burnt out when it was parked up. All the evidence pointed to the fact that the car had been driven into the garage, while the owner was judged to not be the kind of man who might use deception in this way. It should also be made absolutely clear to the customer that in slave-charging an electrical system, a risk of damage to the ECU might ensue. Of course, the obvious solution in this case would have been to disconnect the battery and charge it independently, or simply fit a new battery. Alternatively, he could have purchased a Morris Minor! l The next in our series of ‘essential legal advice’ articles, mentioned in the last edition of Workshop magazine, will appear in a future issue.

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The price of a Pagid Professional Academy brake training programme is normally £1,000 but Workshop Club members can book their place for £599. Take your braking knowledge or that of your team to the next level for this special Workshop Club price. Just quote ‘Brake Training 2017’ in the promo code box when registering your interest. Find out more and register your interest here: pagidprofessional. co.uk/training/braking/

Autologic produces a successful fully integrated vehicle diagnostics support system. AssistPlus is a tablet containing diagnostics software, a PDF viewer, web browser and YouTube application to allow you to investigate vehicles, along with a full vehicle history on the device recorded against VIN. An on-board camera allows you to capture video and stills. Club members signing up to Autologic Assist will receive a month of additional support on top of their first year.

£100 off your motor trade insurance With 25 years of industry experience in the world of commercial vehicle insurance, Plan Insurance Brokers is the expert for the UK’s professional road users. Motor trade insurance is vital to keep your business moving, whether it’s your own vehicles or customers’ cars that you’re moving about – even if a customer’s car is involved in a fire or theft while in your care. Club members can receive an exclusive £100 discount on their motor trade insurance through Plan Insurance Brokers.

TO JOIN GO TO WORKSHOPCLUB.CO.UK OR CALL 023 9252 2434 AND 26 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

Expert opinion is required

A customer has complained about an engine we manufactured and sold. He had it fitted by a third party and has written to say it is faulty. The customer had an independent expert inspect the engine and a piece of metal, not consistent with anything from our workshop, has been discovered to be the cause of the fault. It has caused damage to the engine and the customer thinks we are to blame. We have stringent checks and I don’t accept it would have left our factory with a foreign body in it. What is the legal position? The Judge delivers his verdict: The Consumer Rights Act 2015 requires that goods ‘conform to contract’, in that they are of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose and as described. If goods fail to conform to these

requirements, a customer has the right to either reject them or have them replaced or repaired. In this case, things are complicated by the third-party intervention of the person who fitted the engine for your customer. The engine was fitted and started before any problem was noticed. It is therefore entirely possible that the metal part found its way into the engine at any point following the unpacking and fitting. The Consumer Rights Act also says that there can be no failure to conform to contract if any problem has its origin in materials supplied by the consumer. The supply of services under the Consumer Rights Act should be provided with adequate care and skill. In this case, the metal may have entered the engine during the fitting process. It’s not straightforward, sadly, and will depend on expert opinion if you are unable to resolve the matter.

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As part of your membership, you will have a free telephone consultation with Lawgistics worth £100. You will also be signed up to Lawgistics’ basic membership package worth £95, have 25 per cent discount off Lawgistics products, get access to guidance notes and document templates and enjoy a discount off membership upgrades – £100 off the Small Business pack and £250 off the Professional membership pack – to better suit your needs.

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| 27

PRODUCTS.

New for you

Laser Tools Door Handle Removal Tool How much: £16.92 (inc VAT) Where from: lasertools.co.uk This door handle removal tool is designed for use with Volkswagen Group models. It has a soft-grip handle with a 92mm shaft and allows for easy removal of the exterior door handles. It measures 12.75mm by 3.5mm by 14.5mm.

Laser Tools AdBlue Flow Meter How much: £182.88 (inc VAT) Where from: lasertools.co.uk This handy little gadget from Laser Tools allows you to measure the flow rate of AdBlue. It has a thread size of one inch and can measure any flow rate from 10 litres to 90 litres per minute. It’s accurate to 0.5 per cent either way.

Laser Tools Alloy Wheel Nut Socket Master Kit How much: £128.02 (inc VAT) Where from: lasertools.co.uk This alloy wheel nut socket master kit from Laser Tools is made of chrome molybdenum with thin wall protective sleeving. The set comes with eight 85mm-long sockets in a variety of widths. There are also two special profile sockets for Mercedes-Benz and Hyundai models – one 88mm by 17mm and one 85mm x 21mm.

Laser Tools BA Spanner and Socket Set How much: £44.21 (inc VAT) Where from: lasertools.co.uk This BA spanner and socket set covers a range of sizes. It features six mini double open-ended spanners and 11 quarter-inch BA sockets. The set comes in EVA foam for storage and is manufactured from chrome vanadium.

28 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

Sealey Autel AL301 EOBD Code Reader

Meaco Ultra-Low Energy Dehumidifier

How much: £40.00 (inc VAT) Where from: machinemart.co.uk

How much: £299.99 (inc VAT) Where from: machinemart.co.uk

The Sealey Autel AL301 is able to retrieve both generic and manufacturer diagnostic trouble codes, and is compatible with petrol vehicles from 2001 onwards and diesel vehicles from 2004 onwards. It comes with a comprehensive instruction and code reference manual, which contains manufacturer-specific code descriptions.

This 25-litre device from Meaco is ideal for dehumidifying your workshop. With an efficient 270W output, it includes a HEPA filter that can capture 99.7 per cent of particles sized 0.3 micrometres or larger.

Clarke Jetstar 1950 Pressure Washer How much: £107.98 (inc VAT) Where from: machinemart.co.uk The Clarke Jetstar 1950 is a lightweight and compact pressure washer that can be used for cleaning just about anything in your workshop. It has a 1600W motor, five-metre hose and weighs 8.4kg. It’s easy to manoeuvre, with a telescopic handle and two 160mm spoked wheels.

Draper CD36LIASF Storm Force Cordless Screwdriver How much: £29.99 (inc VAT) Where from: machinemart.co.uk The Draper Storm Force cordless screwdriver is designed to be compact, lightweight and ergonomic, and comes with a soft-grip handle for extra comfort. It features an integrated 3.6V lithium-ion battery, supplying superior power and longevity compared with conventional rechargeable batteries. WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

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PRODUCTS.

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

ON TEST

Kärcher Vacuum High-quality, extremely powerful unit is very good at cleaning even the grubbiest of interiors, reports Craig Cheetham

here are multiple automotive uses for a decent vacuum cleaner, from car valeting to cleaning up messy workshops and reception areas. Our chosen product this month is a vacuum cleaner that’s suitable for all professional purposes. The Kärcher NT 20/1 Ap Te can be used as a dry vacuum, or you can simply remove the fleece filter bag and use it as a wet machine, ideal for cleaning up workshop floors or for dealing with heavily soiled vehicles in a valeting environment. While it has industrial capability, it’s also extremely light and portable for such a powerful vac, and it can be run off a mains generator with no loss of power, making it ideal for mobile valeting businesses. We tested it on two vehicles, as a dry vac on a family-worn Land Rover Discovery with leather upholstery, where it proved to be extremely efficient and powerful, and on an MG ZT that had just come back from a full body restoration, but had an interior quite heavily soiled by filler dust and general workshop grime. In this latter application, using a wet foam

carpet cleaner, it really came into its own, making light work of the car’s rather grubby interior. Our only gripe is that while this is a powerful machine and an extremely portable one, it could do with some more specialist attachments, as although you can adjust the length of the stainless steel nozzle, it’s still a bit too big and clumsy to really get under car seats and into awkward nooks and crannies, such as between the front seats and the central armrest. That said, all of the attachments and the hose extension can be carried on board the machine for safekeeping and easy access. Even so, the interior of our MG was soon looking and smelling showroom-fresh, as the unit’s sheer power (1380 watts, sucking up 74 litres of air per second) makes light work of even the toughest dirt. Just make sure you don’t leave any loose change lying around on the dashboard, as we did, and had to dig around in the dust to retrieve it. The NT 20/1 Ap Te also comes with a removable, washable filter, and has an automatic on/off function, which temporarily disables the machine if it becomes overfull or picks up a

blockage, helping to prevent collateral damage. There are obviously cheaper car vacuums on the market, but in a professional environment the cheap ones won’t last five minutes, whereas this high-quality, extremely powerful dualpurpose unit is extremely good at cleaning even the grubbiest of interiors – it’s ideal for used car dealers or valeting companies, as well as being a pretty handy thing to have around the workshop for day-to-day duties. If it had a more delicate crevice tool, this would be a five-star product. As it stands, it’s still a very good vacuum, but you’ll need something a little more precise if fine detailing is your aim.

Kärcher NT 20/1 Ap Te Wet and Dry Vacuum Cleaner Rating: HHHH

Euro Car Parts is the UK’s No. 1 supplier of car parts. Go online to omnipart.eurocarparts.com 30 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

GARAGEFOCUS .

COURSES RUN BY EURO CAR PARTS’ EURO ACADEMY HAVE PROVED INVALUABLE

Euro Academy helped us get to grips with hybrids TEMPEST 4 CARS, SMALL DOLE, BRIGHTON

utofirst Network member, Tempest 4 Cars, made a brave decision to move away from diesel and diversify into hybrid vehicles last year; a move that is already paying off. As both a dealer and a repairer, Tempest 4 Cars carries out frequent warranty and predelivery inspection (PDI) work on a range of hybrid vehicle marques. To ensure its team is confident working with hybrid vehicles, it made a significant investment in both training and specialist equipment. Currently, five to 10 per cent of Tempest 4 Cars’ stock comprises hybrid vehicles, with that percentage expected to increase over the next few years. The company sells both new and secondhand cars less than six years old. The range is extensive and includes value and premium vehicles such as the Renault Zoe and Porsche Cayenne. Speaking about the decision to move away from diesel towards alternatively-fuelled vehicles,

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There is a huge opportunity for workshops to specialise in hybrid vehicles.

owner of Tempest 4 Cars, Martin Pooley, said: ‘We are seeing more customers trading in their diesel cars with hybrid now an increasingly popular choice. Hybrid vehicles have lower road tax, less wear and tear and fewer components to replace meaning lower servicing costs. All of this, plus the rising price of fuel, means that hybrid makes a lot of sense to customers.’ In preparation for moving into selling and servicing hybrid vehicles, Tempest 4 Cars encouraged all its employees to undertake hybrid vehicle training to ensure that every person has at least a basic technical understanding of how to work on a hybrid vehicle from a safety perspective. The courses were provided through Euro Car Parts’ Euro Academy. Repairers undertook further training with a third course on hybrid vehicles about to be undertaken. Pooley explained: ‘We’ve always been conscious that you need to be careful servicing hybrid vehicles. If you’re working on common parts such as front pads, you just need to take extra care around the vehicle as sometimes they can start themselves and you can’t work on them while they are running. ‘There are other things you do need to be aware of. For example, the drives give off magnetic fields, which can affect pacemakers if you have them installed. You also need to know how to completely shut down the electrical system in a safe way.’ Tempest 4 Cars has also invested heavily

Workshop manager Kevin Rigglesworth in specialist equipment to enable it to service hybrid vehicles. It currently operates four ramps, a four-poster and three two-posters, in addition to a four-poster primarily used to service Range Rovers. It is also in the process of setting up a dedicated bay for electric vehicle servicing and worked closely with the Autofirst Network to access new equipment. Visiting the workshop, sales advisers were able to develop a project plan and provide accurate breakdowns of the equipment’s Return on Investment (ROI). Speaking about the transition, Kevin Rigglesworth, workshop manager, said: ‘Conditions are right for the sale, servicing and repair of hybrid vehicles. We are keen to make sure we are ahead of the curve and capitalising on their growing popularity. ‘There is a huge opportunity for workshops to specialise in hybrid vehicles and industry support is available for businesses looking to make the move thanks to networks such as Autofirst and the Euro Academy.’ WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

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FEATURE

ELECTRIC VEHICLE SERVICING

COLLABORATION WILL DELIVER TRAINING IN EV SAFETY AND SKILLS Rebecca Chaplin reports on a new initiative that aims to set a higher standard for vehicle recovery workers who are called out to rescue electrified vehicles. ALLIANZ Partners and the Institute of Vehicle Recovery (IVR) are collaborating to offer training in how to repair electrified vehicles. The scheme is aimed at mechanics working in the independent vehicle recovery sector and will cover electric vehicles (EVs), hybrids and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs). Allianz Partners will fully fund the education programme, which will see six courses run throughout the year, each of which will be attended by 12 delegates. The goal is to set a higher standard for vehicle recovery workers who are often called out to rescue electrified vehicles. Each course will cover a range of topics, such as the history of electrified vehicles, how they work, how to identify and differentiate between EVs, hybrids and PHEVs, and what the potential hazards are when it comes to working on them. Attendees will also learn how to keep themselves safe at the scene of a damaged or disabled car. The courses will be offered free of charge to all independent vehicle recovery operators in the Allianz Partners network, but attendees will be required to pay a

certification fee should they want to receive the IVR VR27 module accreditation. Mark Debenham, network manager for Allianz Partners UK and Ireland, commented: ‘The latest SMMT figures show that the UK saw a 34.8 per cent increase in electric and hybrid vehicle registrations in 2017. ‘We are responding to the rapid growth of this market, working with the IVR to deliver first-class training for the independent recovery operator sector – raising standards and meeting industry demand.’ Chris Hoare, chairman of the IVR, added: ‘This course will provide attendees with a basic, but much-needed, overview of EV and hybrid vehicles, and the associated health and safety requirements, as it affects them and anyone else at the scene of a breakdown and repatriation. ‘Anyone completing the course successfully has the option of IVR VR27 module certification, providing them with the knowledge they need to comply with the latest EV and hybrid vehicle legislation, and the confidence to deal with breakdowns and recoveries.’

EV ownership is on the up THE number of electric vehicles on Britain’s roads has leapt 128 per cent since 2015, according to automotive data experts cap hpi. The study compared April 2018 to April 2015 and found there are 21,019 more electric vehicles around now. Overall, the numbers are still small, though, with only 37,483 electric vehicles on the road today. The figures do not account for vehicles that have been scrapped or exported and include all types of vehicle with an element of electrification. Chris Plumb, electric vehicles expert at cap hpi, said: ‘Drivers are showing growing confidence in the technology as the real-life ranges of vehicles increase and faster charging is available. ‘Manufacturers also provide more choice with many now providing an all-electric option. ‘Electric vehicles can also make financial sense with total cost of ownership and tax savings. ‘Increasingly, people are saying they enjoy the driving experience in electric vehicles. As clean-air zones roll out across the UK, we expect the popularity of these cars to continue to grow.’ The top four best selling new electric vehicles in 2018 are the Nissan Leaf, BMW i3, Volkswagen e-Golf and Renault Zoe.

The popularity of electric vehicles will continue to grow

32 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

FOCUS ON

THE AA’S CERTIFIED GARAGE PROGRAMME

PREPARING FOR THE RISE IN ELECTRIC CARS THE AA

T: 0808 278 6607 W: GARAGEGUIDE.THEAA.COM/WORKSHOPMAG

IS YOUR garage ready for the shift towards electric cars? Get prepared with the AA’s Certified Garage programme. The AA’s Certified Garage programme is all about showcasing excellence. It’s an opportunity for your garage to be inspected to our standards and use the AA branding, highlighting to customers your commitment to deliver excellent customer service. The programme is offered on a monthly subscription basis and includes an enhanced listing on our Garage Guide platform which connects great garages with drivers for all their service, MOT and repair needs, along with unrivalled

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More people are considering moving away from petrol and diesel and looking at electric for their next car purchase.

marketing exposure in the AA App and inclusion in the 100,000 MOT and service reminder emails we send our members each month. AA’s Certified Garage programme and electric vehicles Now through our Certified Garage programme and through our partnership with the IMI, we are helping garages prepare for the predicted rise in electric cars that we will see over the next few years. With more people considering moving away from petrol and diesel and looking at electric for their next car purchase, it’s important that garages begin to prepare for the rise in electric cars. Receive electric vehicle training The IMI is developing its own training packages to give technicians more options to train and build their working knowledge with electric vehicles. When you are part of the AA’s Certified Programme, discounted electric vehicle training will be made available. Free charging points for certified garages Our certified garages will have the opportunity to receive charging points at their garages free of charge from Chargemaster (subject to a site survey). These rapid chargers can charge most electric cars fully within 30 minutes. Along with the installation of the charging point, Chargemaster will also include bay marking and signage; these will also be

maintained free of charge. These charging points will also be part of POLAR, the UK’s largest electric vehicle public charging network, so owners requiring a charge would be able to find you. This helps to attract other electric vehicle drivers to your garage who could, in the future, become customers. Garage requirements for the free charging points • There must be sufficient parking bays available (two per charge point) • There must be 24/7 access to the parking bays with charge points • Sufficient power must be available dependant on the charge points • The charge point must be available to all POLAR members, not just customers of your garage How long does installation take? Chargemaster will visit your garage for a free site survey to investigate the proposed work. Depending on the complexity of the work, an installation will take around four working days and the Chargemaster installers will ensure that there is minimum disruption to your site. • For more information about AA Garage Guide and our Certified Programme which will give you access to these benefits, please call us on 0808 278 6607 or visit garageguide.theaa.com/workshopmag WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

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FOCUS ON

AIR CONDITIONING

HOW YOU CAN MAKE AIR CON SERVICING AS EASY AS 1, 2, 3, 4! EURO CAR PARTS

T: 020 3474 0500 W: OMNIPART.EUROCARPARTS.COM

EURO Car Parts is helping independent repairers navigate their way through changes in air conditioning legislation with its comprehensive new catalogue. The 72-page guide shows solutions for both HFO-1234yf and R134a air conditioning requirements, ensuring repairers can take advantage of lucrative servicing opportunities. Changes to legislation have seen nearly all cars manufactured since January 2017 move to HFO-1234yf refrigerant. However, with vehicle manufacturers pre-empting this change, many began preparing early, meaning that even some vehicles manufactured before 2013 run on 1234yf. The issue for repairers, according to Martin Gray, CEO of Euro Car

34 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

Parts, is knowing what refrigerant type is in each vehicle before it lands in the workshop. One in five cars being worked on potentially uses the new gas. Gray commented: ‘The new legislation may be a major change for repairers, but it also represents a major business opportunity. Although there is the cost of investing in new equipment, it can also create an additional revenue stream alongside existing R134a servicing, which can see an initial investment recouped very quickly. ‘It is widely understood that 1234yf is expensive in comparison to previous R134a prices, but there is still very good earning potential. We anticipate that a repairer (doing just two jobs a week) could pay off a new machine within the first 12 months of purchase. With an expected life of seven years that means that, once paid off, the machine provides six years of profit-making opportunity.’ Euro Car Parts’ new air conditioning brochure contains the very best in servicing equipment, with solutions from brands including ECK, Brain Bee and Mastercool. New to the range for 2018 is the Robinair AC1234-7i recharging machine. The machine is easy to use and has unique nitrogen / hydrogen leak testing, which is carried out prior to any vacuum test to help confirm any leaks on the vehicle air conditioning system. Not only does this save repairers time, but also prevents against the loss of costly gas. Gray explained: ‘A machine such as the newly-released fully automatic Robinair AC1234-7i has the capability to both service and maintain 1234yf air con systems, only requiring a hands-on time of around five minutes. ‘This gives repairers an additional pair of hands in the workshop and the availability of an extra hour of labour that can be used and charged elsewhere. ‘If you are recovering refrigerant, vacuum testing the system or fully recharging it,

the system will enable you to do it provided you have the right oil and dye. More importantly, the machine is hybrid-ready and runs off two separate bottle injectors – meaning the chances of contamination are eliminated.’ The introduction of R744 (CO2) refrigerant in air conditioning systems also has the potential to cause problems for repairers. R744 (CO2) is largely used in premium cars from German manufacturers and introduced as an alternative to 1234yf. However, as new refrigerants and servicing requirements are introduced, Gray says Euro Car Parts is always updating its extensive range to provide the right equipment and huge marque choice to repairers. ‘Euro Car Parts offers the largest range of air conditioning products in the UK, covering servicing machines, refrigerant and tooling. We have an ever-expanding range of entry-level and premium air-con equipment and tooling. Our work also extends to more specialist projects working with vehicle manufacturers to tailor bespoke air-con programmes and assisting with training requirements. ‘And because every product comes with technical support and engineer back-up when needed, we can help repairers turn a profit from air conditioning on all vehicle types.’

FEATURE

AC AND COOLING

CHALLENGES TO OVERCOME WHEN WORKING ON HYBRID VEHICLES Rebecca Chaplin finds out about the work of the Advanced Training Academy run by Behr Hella Service. AS AN intermediate step towards pure electric, there are a growing number of vehicles that utilise hybrid technology and these require technicians to adopt new solutions in order to service and repair their air conditioning and thermal management systems. For passenger cars, the term hybrid encompasses three classifications: micro hybrid – a standard car equipped with a start/stop function, mild hybrid – a car equipped with an electric motor to ‘boost’ performance, and full hybrid – a car able to rely solely on electric power, but which still has an internal combustion engine. While micro hybrids still use a 12-volt system, both mild and full hybrids require great care as they vary between 42 to 150-volt. Such work may only be carried out by personnel who have been made aware of and trained in the dangers of these high-voltage systems by a certified ‘electrical technician for high-voltage systems’. Furthermore, it is absolutely essential that tools which meet the specifications of the hybrid vehicle manufacturer, are used. During an air conditioning check and service, it should be noted that the electrical air conditioning compressors are not lubricated with the common PAG oils. These do not have the necessary insulating properties, which is why POE oils are generally used. When looking at the air conditioning system itself, technicians will be familiar with the conventional mechanically-driven compressor that is directly dependent on the operation of the engine. However, although the compressor in a micro hybrid vehicle remains driven by a belt, the start/stop function causes a problem because when the vehicle comes to a halt and the engine is switched off, after just two seconds the temperature at the evaporator outlet of the air-conditioning system begins to increase. The associated slow rise in the temperature

of the air blown in by the ventilation and the increase in humidity can be annoying for passengers. To tackle this problem, cold accumulators, or storage evaporators, have been developed comprising two blocks – an evaporator and an accumulator. The air conditioning refrigerant flows through both blocks in the start-up phase or when the engine is running. In the process, a latent medium in the evaporator is cooled until it freezes. In the stop phase, however, the compressor is not driven and the warm air passing the evaporator cools and heat is exchanged. This exchange lasts until the latent medium has completely melted. Once the engine restarts, the process begins again and after just one minute, the storage evaporator can start cooling the air again. By contrast, in very warm weather, the only way to maintain interior cooling for vehicles that do not have a storage evaporator, is for the engine to be started again after a short standstill time, somewhat defeating the emission and fuel-saving benefits. In full hybrid vehicles, the internal combustion engine is switched off during electrical driving. The residual heat in the water circuit is only sufficient to heat the interior for a short period. To provide aid, electrical positive temperature

coefficient (PTC) heating elements, which take over the heating function, are employed. As this specific example makes clear, continuous education is required for technicians to be able to maintain and repair the complex thermal management systems found in these vehicles, which is why Behr Hella Service, a leading aftermarket supplier of thermal management solutions, has introduced its Advanced Training Academy (ATA). Although the academy focuses on giving technicians essential updates on the technical developments of the HVAC system, it is also designed to refresh their memories on existing challenges and highlights industry best practice. Head of business development for Behr Hella Service Steve Hudson said: ‘This is a really exciting initiative for the workshop as it solidifies their knowledge concerning the current systems and also teaches them new things about technologies they may not have yet come across, such as the hybrid examples here.’

Knowledge is power when it comes to working with air conditioning systems of all kinds

WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

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FOCUS ON

EDYNAMIX – FOUR-PAGE SPECIAL

WE CAN HELP MAKE SURE YOUR EDYNAMIX

T: 0845 413 0000 E: enquiries@edynamix.com W: edynamix.com

HAVE you heard of GDPR? Do you know what it is and, more importantly, how you’re going to ensure your business complies with it? If you answered ‘no’ to any of those questions, you need to read on and learn how to make your workshop GDPRcompliant before the crucial date of May 25, 2018. General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR for short, is a new set of laws laid down by the European Commission that governs the privacy and security of personal data. It’s designed to ensure that all EU countries adhere to the same rules on the matter with regard to how user data is collected and stored, how breaches can be safeguarded against, who’s responsible for said breaches and what the punishments are. Coming into effect on May 25, GDPR will replace the Data Protection Directive 1995 and will be an update to the Data Protection Act 1998. Not only will it apply to all EU member states but it will be incorporated into UK law after Brexit and, even if the British government decides to scrap it, it will still apply to businesses in non-EU countries when they are processing the data of EU citizens. Companies that breach GDPR could face large fines, so it’s vital that all businesses understand the new rights that consumers are being afforded under the rules, as follows: • The right to be informed emphasises the need for transparency and stipulates that the consumer must be informed how their data will be used. • The right of access allows individual consumers to have access to any personal data that a business holds on them, as well as confirmation of how and why it’s being used. • The right of rectification means that individual consumers are able to request that any inaccurate or incomplete data held on them is rectified, and that any third parties who also have access to the information, of which customers should be informed, should also rectify it. • The right to erasure allows consumers to request that

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to any automated decisions that may potentially have a damaging legal or similar effect on them if made with no human intervention.

a business deletes or removes their personal data without having to specify a reason why they want it to happen. • The right to restrict processing means a consumer can request that a business no longer processes their data but still stores it, retaining just enough information about the individual to ensure that the restriction is respected in the future. • The right to data portability allows individuals to gather and easily transfer their personal data in a safe and secure manner across various IT services without impacting on its usability. • The right to object means consumers can object to their personal data being processed unless the business can demonstrate compelling legitimate grounds for doing so, outweighing their interests, rights and freedoms, or if said processing is required as part of a legal claim. All processing must be stopped at no cost to the consumer if the data is being used for direct marketing. • The right not to be subject to automated decisionmaking, including profiling means that individuals can request their personal data is not used in relation

At this point, you may be worried that this is all sounding a bit complicated, but have no fear because eDynamix can help you get all your affairs in order for this big legal change. eDynamix was founded in 2010 by Iain Nickalls, Velizar Dimitrov and Sean Booth with the goal of creating a usercentric service plan system with embedded functions to give automotive businesses full control to manage their customers. The system was developed over time and now offers a wide range of products essential to automotive industry operations all in one place. Support is provided directly through the system, eliminating the need for a call centre. Businesses can also change customers’ plans, depending on their requirements, without having to contact eDynamix itself. That said, businesses can get in touch with the company if they feel a feature needs to be added, as eDynamix prefers to base its new features on what users say they need as opposed to what it thinks they need. Steve Ure, strategic account manager at the company, told Workshop Magazine about the company’s latest product, iConsent, and why it’s the easiest tool for keeping a handle on GDPR. He said: ‘We developed iConsent as a universal solution to be used in the workshop and online as part of their regular daily processes. iConsent gives garage owners the ability to both capture and use consent for marketing in the easiest way possible. It integrates seamlessly with any management system and will assist in data cleansing as a by-product of the consent capture process. iConsent integrates with all our other modules, so if you’re checking in a service customer for example, those modules have the ability to prompt and capture consent as part of those regular processes.’ Having outlined the basic principles of iConsent, he went on to explain what difficulties GDPR presents in the automotive sector. He said the automotive sector was particularly affected by GDPR because of its inherent franchise structure, which had led to many variations in processes and systems. The key issues to overcome revolve around consent management and compliance management, which include a number of different points, including those listed on the right of this two-page spread.

We developed iConsent as a universal solution to be used in the workshop and online. It gives garage owners the ability to capture and use consent for marketing as easily as possible. STEVE URE

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WORKSHOP IS GDPR-READY!

Embedding consent capture within daily processes Most automotive management systems do not easily allow you to capture consent as, generally, they are not customerfacing systems. Businesses may resort to capturing consent on paper forms and then manually transferring it to their management systems. This can lead to errors and loss of consent evidence if not managed properly, not to mention the additional time required to process this data.

Capturing consent in multiple systems

Updating consent for existing customers

Measuring and managing consent

Many businesses have multiple systems that capture customer data, such as customer relationship management systems plus those relating to service plans and video. If consent is being captured in each of these, it can lead to duplication and a potential mismatch of consent, which slows down the marketing process and could cause a breach of GDPR.

While it is possible to update consent already held for existing customers, to do so is incredibly difficult as it relies on having evidence of opt-out options at the point of data capture, which most automotive businesses donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have. The only real option is to start gaining consent one by one as you see your existing customers through normal business.

Businesses that have already started the consent capture process are finding it difficult to measure important KPIs, such as capture rates and agreed contact methods. These extremely important business KPIs need to be managed on a frequent basis to ensure that consent levels remain high.

MORE FROM EDYNAMIX OVER THE PAGE â&#x20AC;&#x201C; INCLUDING: WILL YOU NEED A DATA PROTECTION OFFICER? WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

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FOCUS ON

EDYNAMIX – FOUR-PAGE SPECIAL

iCONSENT IS ALL YOU NEED TO EDYNAMIX

T: 0845 413 0000 E: enquiries@edynamix.com W: edynamix.com

TO BE compliant with GDPR, most – if not all – automotive businesses will require a data protection officer (DPO). The DPO will be tasked with, among other things, mapping out the exchange of data, training staff on GDPR processes, managing data processes and much more. All of this can become overwhelming if it isn’t managed and stored centrally, as evidence of duty of care will be required if a complaint to the Information Commissioner’s Office is made. Steve Ure, strategic account manager at eDynamix, explained how iConsent can be of assistance in dealing with these automotive industry-specific challenges. He said: ‘At eDynamix, we recognise these issues as high priority, which is why we’ve built iConsent – our GDPR solution in an app. ‘With it, you have a single repository of consent with multiple capture points that embed themselves within your daily processes. iConsent can work with multiple databases at once and consolidate records to produce a master consent record for each customer. ‘For the pilot of iConsent, we asked a number of businesses to use it to capture consent. The results taken from two months of data show that 48 per cent of consumers chose marketing by mail, with the highest choice being email at 68 per cent. ‘Phone came in at 61 per cent, with SMS at 57 per cent.

‘Overall, however, 90 per cent of customers chose to be marketed via at least one channel. ‘Within iConsent is GDPR Cleanse. This feature provides a mechanism for full GDPR compliance when marketing your customers once consent has been captured using iConsent.

‘GDPR Cleanse works with any management system without the need for full integration and is equipped with a SAR console for easy handling of subject access requests. ‘Right-to-be-forgotten management and full integration to the telephone and mail preference services can also be included for efficient removal of customer data on the eDynamix platform. Included within iConsent is our compliance manager tool that allows DPOs to manage the entire process of GDPR compliance. ‘As well as a customisable “live” compliance checklist, there is a repository of useful information, as well as a secure “document locker” to keep everything GDPR-related in one location. Our Connect desktop and mobile application keeps you in touch with GDPR KPIs, not only for consent but for overall business compliance management.’ If you’re still confused and wondering how you’re going to make sense of all this, even with iConsent at your disposal, don’t panic! eDynamix will be running a series of online workshops in the future to discuss GDPR and iConsent. You can book a space for an online workshop at eDynamix’s website or, if you want a more detailed on-site demonstration at your business, you can contact eDynamix via telephone or email. Whatever you decide to do, you have to make sure your workshop is GDPR-compliant by May 25. Incorporating iConsent into the day-to-day running of your business is your best bet for keeping on top of it.

Hugely successful firm has grown from initial service plan system THE idea for eDynamix came about in 2009 when Sean Booth asked Iain Nickalls and Velizar Dimitrov to create a service plan system for his four Parkway Volkswagen dealers in the Midlands. The system proved such a success that other Volkswagen dealers started asking how it worked and if they could get hold of something similar. Seeing a promising business opportunity, the trio formed eDynamix, with the goal of creating a user-centric service plan system, featuring embedded functions to give dealers full control so they could manage their customers easily and efficiently. The commercial version of the system was launched in 2010 within the Parkway network and quickly expanded to other dealer groups, manufacturers and workshops. Over the next few months and years, useful new features were frequently added to the system, such as live online amendment. The company also came up with some USPs that help with customer retention and enable the value of its products to grow. eDynamix co-founder Iain Nickalls says there are two reasons why the company stands out from its competitors. ‘One is that we provide a system that allows a dealer or

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workshop to manage their own customers,’ he said. ‘We don’t operate a support call centre because we don’t need to – the system provides all of the functionality at the front end. ‘This allows a workshop to manage their customers and change their plan depending on their requirements or their driving style, cancel a service plan or see what’s available in the fund.

‘Our system is completely and utterly front-end dealerfacing and packed with useful information. ‘Secondly, we’re constantly developing the system. We listen to feedback and add bits – not what we think a dealer or workshop needs but actually what our customers are telling us they need and would like. ‘It’s about building in the ease and convenience for the consumer and the dealer, so we’re constantly developing.’

EASE YOUR GDPR WORRIES

â&#x20AC;&#x153;

iConsent is our GDPR solution in an app. With it, you have a single repository of consent with multiple capture points. STEVE URE WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

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OUR FLEET.

Ford Thunderbird Everything seemed to be looking so promising when the car was being worked on – but now it’s back and reality has dawned...

o put an end to the ongoing doldrums that my car has been in for the last couple of months, it has finally been returned to me! ‘Wahey!’ you may be shouting, even spitting out your coffee in shock that the work was completed as quickly as I said it would be. But, of course, it’s still not done and probably never will be. When it was at the garage, I could imagine it fully restored and was inspired by the sound it made when it was fired up. Those two factors perhaps gave me a false impression that all was well. Now it’s back and it’s still not right. In fact, it looks worse than when it left. The big white and red oxide paint patches act as a constant reminder that I need to spend MORE money on it to drive it. Still an issue is the front right disc brake that doesn’t keep pressure, but fortunately I now know that the Mustang of the same era uses the same stock part and that it’s relatively easy to get hold of. There’s still no working exhaust – in fact there’s less exhaust than before because all of the rotten rust has been cut off. I have made some progress this month though, apart from having to get it going on a rainy Monday morning when the delivery driver delivered a dead car and couldn’t make it work. A small win for Becca and Jon Reay – but it pretty much ruined my day. Who wants to be stood in the rain struggling with a car that you have just spent a fortune on having repaired? I have been doing some investigations into the paintwork. It won’t be a popular choice with everyone, but I want to keep as much of the rust as possible. The bits that haven’t turned into holes yet, at least. Mark Walker – Volkswagen specialist and paint magician – came to have a look at the state of it, and despite my reservations, he didn’t tell me it was beyond help. I might have moaned and groaned about it, but the end is sort of in sight. If I want to get it registered and on the road, those are the only

little bits left to fix, then I’ll be able to drive it over to Walker and get it looking more like the glamorous cruiser it should resemble. Then I’ll be able to get onto the jobs I really want to do, such as fixing the edging on the boot so it’s a little bit prettier and sourcing those allimportant shiny bits for the outside. Maybe I’ll be driving it in the summer!

Audi A2 Tom’s said goodbye to FD53 PJU – and is on the hunt for a replacement car

Model: 1966 Ford Thunderbird ‘Flair Bird’ Owned by: Rebecca Chaplin Engine: 6.4-litre V8 390 Bought for: £4,250 Mileage: 24,048 Money spent this month: £2,000 Lowlight of the month: Struggling in the rain with a car that refused to start – after a LOT of attention!

SO, that’s the end of that, then. My beloved Audi A2 has left Workshop Towers for the last time, under new ownership. It would be exaggerating to say I shed a tear over its departure – it’s a small diesel workhorse, after all, not a Porsche – but I’d grown attached to FD53 PJU over the last year. It was by no means perfect, but it did everything I asked, and turned a few heads as it did so. I’ve always said that the A2 is the most interesting car Audi’s ever produced and I stand by that. With its tall body, innovative spaceframe construction and hyper-efficient engines, it’s a world away from sensible and premium models

OUR WHEELS... WE LOVE CARS AT WORKSHOP AND HERE’S THE PROOF. WE’VE WRITTEN ABOUT THEM AND EVERYTHING... 40 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

AUDI A2

FORD FIESTA XR2

SUZUKI SWIFT SPORT

FORD THUNDERBIRD

by Tom Wiltshire Staff writer, @mctreckmeister

by James Baggott Chief executive, @CarDealerEd

by Ryan Hirons Staff writer, @RyHirons

by Rebecca Chaplin Head of editorial, @believebecca

It’s gone! Tom has said farewell to his little slice of Audi history and sold the car, as you can read in more detail on these pages.

Since Ted’s car cleaning efforts, the XR2 has been slotted away in the garage. But now the sun’s come out, it might be time to play.

An underwhelming drive of the all-new Swift Sport has left Ryan appreciating the turbo-free fun of Taylor, with a road trip planned.

Becca’s car is back at Workshop Towers – and although its return was fraught with difficulty (see above), the end could be in sight.

MG Metro Turbo Christian is feeling content with the progress his car is making – it’s emerged from his garage and firing pretty easily!

fter shelling out £800 on nursing the Metro through an MOT and having its poorly mechanicals fettled, including skimming the cylinder head and topping it with a spanking new gasket, everything should be peachy in the world of warm-ish hatch motoring, right? Er, no. Literally three miles after picking it up from the mechanic, it was running like a bag of dog mess, refusing to boost, stuttering at speed and, perhaps most worryingly, kicking out a fair whack of white smoke. Unsure whether the head gasket had again gone west, I did the obvious thing… got it home, stuck it in the garage and threw a cover over it. And, other than being pushed in and out a couple of times, that’s how it’s stayed for six months. Until a couple of weeks back. Deciding the Metro needed to be pulled out for a much-needed garage tidy-up, I opened the driver’s door to find the battery was so flat that it wouldn’t even illuminate the interior light. An initial charge proved fruitless, but a lastditch attempt to revive it somehow worked and a day of slow-charging saw the Metro’s electrics return to life. After getting some much-needed air back in the tyres, I gave it a crank. Amazingly, after a fair few seconds of churning, it fired surprisingly easily, which to be fair was probably in part due to the valves now seating correctly. There was a distinct lack of smoke too, although a compression test really needs to be done to determine if the new gasket has held up,

especially as I’m now certain that the running issues are fuel-related and there’s a strong possibility it ran very lean on the aforementioned drive back from the garage. While I’m at it, I’ll need to again right the unintentionally lowered rear suspension, but all things considered, I’m happier with the Metro than I have been in a long time.

Model: 1986 MG Metro Turbo Owned by: Christian Tilbury Engine: 1.3-litre, 4-cylinder Bought for: £680 Mileage: 67,996 Spent this month: £0 Highlight of the month: Getting it to start after six months undercover

such as the A4. The sale process was relatively painless, I’m pleased to report. I’d listed it on eBay and Auto Trader, and asked a fairly strong price. While my car had relatively high miles, it was very clean, had a full service history, and – as reported here previously – I spent more than £1,000 tarting it up for sale. The high figure seemed to turn buyers off initially, and I went for a few weeks with only a few lowball offers on eBay. Eventually though, my Auto Trader ad bore fruit, and a couple came to view the car. I’ll admit, as the A2 is such a niche model, I

was expecting to sell to an enthusiast – someone who knew what to expect and was willing to sacrifice a smooth ride and quiet engine to own a slice of Audi history. Instead, a heavily pregnant woman arrived to view the car – hoping only that it would be an upgrade from her Fiat 500 in terms of space. A small amount of haggling later, we agreed on a price and that was it – the pair returned to collect the car later that day. It reminded me just how painless the selling process can be when both parties co-operate – a cash payment and online ownership transfer really do make things speedy.

Now, with only two (non-roadworthy) classics to my name, it’s time to look for something dirtcheap, interesting, economical to run and reliable. Suggestions on a postcard, please!

SUBARU LEGACY GT-B

BMW 330d TOURING

MG METRO TURBO

Model: Audi A2 1.4 TDI Sport Owned by: Tom Wiltshire Engine: 1.4-litre three-cylinder turbodiesel Bought for: £2,995 Mileage: 145,244 Money spent this month: £56.95 (on classified ads) Highlight of the month: Finding a buyer for my pride and joy

NISSAN 200SX

PEUGEOT 205 GTi

by Jon Reay Multimedia manager, @JonReay

by Jack Evans Features editor, @jackrober

by Christian Tilbury Staff writer, @Christilbury1

by Darren Cassey Senior staff writer, @DCassey

by James Baggott Chief executive, @CarDealerEd

Twenty-five-degree weather spelled the end for the winter tyres this month. Well, that and Jon hitting a jagged brick in the road.

An ABS warning light has appeared on Belfort’s dash, so that’ll need to be sorted quickly – brakes are quite important after all!

The Metro’s still far from happy, but Christian’s a lot more enthusiastic about the car after coaxing it back to life proved easier than imagined.

The Workshop Magazine team were sad to wave goodbye to Darren’s pride and joy this month – he’s left us all to head for pastures new.

James remembered he owned the 205 this week when someone mentioned it. He checked the garage and it was still there. Bonus. WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

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OUR KEV.

OUR MAN ON THE INSIDE HAS HIS SAY ON THE GARAGE BUSINESS...

I listened to my customer and her old Freelander lives on... O ne of the toughest parts of this job is telling customers bad news. Nobody likes to be hit with a big bill, but by the sheer nature of being machines, cars do occasionally go wrong, and there’s only one option when it comes to putting them right – spend a few quid. Where it gets really tough, though, is if the cost of repair is uneconomical and exceeds the value of the car. However, unlike many garages, I’m not in the business of phoning up the owner and telling them it’s game over. To some folk, the whole process of buying a replacement vehicle is more of a stress than mending what they’ve got, no matter what the cost, and I’m more than happy to discuss the options with the owner and even create a payment plan for them if they’re a loyal customer and we have a mutual trust. I had this very recently with an older lady who brought her old Land Rover Freelander in for its MOT. She only used the car to pootle round town and had covered just 1,000 miles since the last test, so she wasn’t expecting a huge bill. However, we discovered two fairly big problems – the offside rear sill was quite badly corroded and needed welding, but more significantly we were unable to carry out a brake test as once on the rollers, the car started to overheat. It will come as no surprise to those familiar with the 1.8-litre K-Series engine to know that we were looking at a failed head gasket, a diagnosis confirmed by back pressure in the expansion tank and a quick dip with a head testing kit. Including parts, labour and a few other bits and pieces such as a binding brake caliper and rotten exhaust middle section, we were looking at a bill in excess of £800 to fix up a somewhat scruffy old Freelander that would struggle to sell for that on a good day. To a lot of people, that would mean the car being towed off to the big scrapyard in the sky, but after a long discussion with my customer, I concluded that mending what she had was probably the better option. I hasten to add, this wasn’t me doing it for the business – I’m not in the practice of taking on work just for the sake

of it to make a few bob, as we have plenty enough coming through the doors to keep the business in good shape. However, we’d replaced the clutch and starter motor on the car the year before, the former being quite a big bill in itself. My customer’s initial reaction was that she’d have to find a new car, and with a £1,000 budget did I know of anything suitable for sale? I gave that some thought, and was very honest with her – yes, she could find a decent car for less than a grand if she knew what to look for, and of course I’d be willing to help her by checking over any car she found locally to assess its fitness for purpose. But the more I thought about her circumstances, the more I swayed towards mending the broken Land Rover, even though I absolutely despise doing head gaskets on them… Why? Well, if you have a sub£1,000 car that you know has had a new clutch, a proper head gasket replacement, starter motor, tyres, exhaust and professional welding and rust treatment, chances are you’ll get a couple more years out of it at the very least. Buy an unknown quantity for a grand and it could develop a major problem the following week. Even a skilled mechanic knows that a car can crap itself no matter how diligent you are when you’re buying it, and if you’re a 69-year old pensioner with no interest in cars other than as a convenient means of transport, you’re better off with the devil you know. And so, the battered old Freelander lives on to fight another day. It’s relatively worthless, except to the lady who owns it, as for her it means freedom, independence and mobility. Plus, she’s giving me £200 a month for the next four months, as it saves her having to raid her modest savings to keep herself on the road. Running a good business isn’t just about making money, it’s about winning trust and treating your customers in a way that they wouldn’t be treated elsewhere. I know a lot of garages locally would have told her to scrap the Freelander and go away, as they’re far too busy to faff around with it. But that, folks, is not listening to your customers’ needs. And in an ever-more-competitive business environment, I happen to think that’s a very important thing to do.

WHO IS OUR KEV? If we told you, we’d have to kill you... What we can say is he’s been around for longer than he cares to remember so certainly knows his stuff...

42 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

”

Running a good business isn’t just about making money, it’s about winning trust and treating people in a way that they wouldn’t be treated elsewhere.

SUPPLIERS GUIDE.

IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR A WORKSHOP SUPPLIER, YOU CAN FIND THE DETAILS OF SELECTED COMPANIES HERE AA Certified Programme

Aftersales Software

AA Certified Garage Network

eDynamix

WORKSHOP Magazine is proud to publish the contact details of some of the key suppliers of products and services to the automotive repair industry – from components and parts providers to companies specialising in garage equipment, web design, online solutions and even legal advice for when a transaction goes sour. Keep an eye on this space each month as we include more and more leading suppliers.

W: garageguide.theaa.com/workshopmag T: 0808 278 6607 E: sales@garageguide.theaa.com Info: Join our 500 garages already benefiting from our Certified Programme through an enhanced listing on the Garage Guide, referrals from our Patrols and BRC work. Join us in this unique opportunity to be inspected to our standards and use AA branding, highlighting to motorists your commitment to deliver excellent customer service.

Approved Schemes

Diagnostic Equipment

Garage Equipment

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Butts of Bawtry

Garage Equipment

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Pro-Align

Straightset

Garage Management Software

Legal & Compliance

Parts Suppliers

Dragon2000

Lawgistics

Blue Print

Parts Suppliers

Recruitment Services

Trade Bodies

Febi Bilstein

Progress Recruitment Solutions

IGA

An indispensable resource

RAC Approved Dealer Network

Approved Dealer

W: rac.co.uk/getapproved T: 0330 159 1111 E: dealernetwork@rac.co.uk Info: Join over 300 used car and van dealers across the UK who enjoy a higher profile, larger footprint, more leads and increased profitability by becoming an RAC Approved Dealer. We set high standards of the kind expected from the RAC brand to create an excellent experience for customers and unrivalled benefits for dealers.

W: gemco.co.uk T: 01604 828500 E: sales@gemco.co.uk Info: GEMCO is the UK market leader and your one-stop shop for the supply, delivery, installation, training, calibration and maintenance of garage equipment. With the largest comprehensive range of equipment brands available for both car and commercial vehicle workshops, GEMCO provides top-quality garage equipment products and services to car and commercial vehicle workshops.

W: dragon2000.co.uk T: 01327 222 333 E: sales@dragon2000.co.uk Info: Dragon2000 supplies garages and car dealers with a multiaward winning Dealer Management System, time and efficiency monitoring and integrated websites for online service bookings. Includes free APPraise mobile app for all users – for sending personalised VHC images & videos to customers’ phones to help increase upsold work and customer trust.

W: febi.com T: 01977 691100 E: enquiries@febiuk.co.uk Info: As part of the Bilstein Group, Febi Bilstein supplies a range of more than 25,000 different articles for all popular European vehicle models. From steering and suspension to rubber, metal and electrical, Febi Bilstein provides OE-matching quality components with first-time fitment and long service life. For quality, choose Febi Bilstein.

W: nebulasystems.com T: 01280 816333 E: sales@nebulasystems.com Info: Nebula Systems specialises in the development of advanced technologies for the automotive and future mobility industries. We make vehicle data and systems more accessible so that a vehicle’s health, status and utilisation can be monitored, analysed, diagnosed and maintained, faster and more effectively, anytime and anywhere.

W: pro-align.co.uk T: 01327 323007 E: enquiries@pro-align.co.uk Info: Dedicated wheel alignment specialists, supplying, supporting and servicing the world-leading Hunter brand nationwide: Hunter aligners – Fast, accurate, reliable, unlocking business opportunities, delivering major income stream and rapid ROI Road Force balancer – A new service very few workshops deliver Tyre changers – Easy service perfection

W: lawgistics.co.uk T: 01480 445500 E: sales@lawgistics.co.uk Info: The motor trade’s leading legal firm, giving help and advice to our members and the industry in general. Passionate about fairness under the law. Our legal team are there to protect your interests. Not anti consumer, just pro trader. Don’t miss our advice, which is published every month in Workshop Magazine. See pages 26 and 27 for The Judge’s contribution to this month’s issue.

W: progressrecruitment.co.uk T: 01603 717187 E: info@progressrecruitment.co.uk Info: Progress Recruitment Solutions provide specialist recruitment services for all automotive roles across the UK. Their experienced team will work with you to find the right candidate and offer a bespoke service tailored to meet the individual requirements of your business.

W: edynamix.com T: 0845 413 0000 E: enquiries@edynamix.com Info: eDynamix offers web-based applications providing a connected and simple-to-use platform in which dealers can manage a customer throughout the service lifecycle, including service plans, electronic vehicle health check, repair and finance plans, proactive follow-up, online bookings, MOT cleanse, VIDEO1st, aftersales surveys, and automated confirmations and reminders.

W: buttsequipment.com T: 01302 710868 E: info@buttsequipment.com Info: Butts of Bawtry is literally a ONE STOP SHOP for the garage or workshop. Offering a comprehensive range of Quality Garage Equipment from leading manufacturers, backed up by our team of trained and certified service and repair engineers. From a trolley jack to a complete workshop installation, Butts have the answer.

W: straightset.co.uk T: 01909 480055 E: info@straightset.co.uk Info: Straightset is the UK’s leading independent garage equipment company, providing best-in-class design, supply, installation and service of car and commercial workshops for 30 years. We carry a vast range of quality equipment carefully sourced from top manufacturers within the EU and US and offer one of the most comprehensive aftersales services in the market.

W: blue-print.co.uk T: 01622 833007 E: adl-blueprint.bpic@bilsteingroup.com Info: As part of the Bilstein Group, Blue Print supplies OEmatching quality vehicle components, with strong Asian and American coverage. With more than 23,000 different parts in its range, from braking and clutch components to filtration, Blue Print covers a huge portion of the vehicle parc. Want to get it right first time? Think Blue Print.

W: IndependentGarageAssociation.co.uk T: 0845 305 4230 E: enquiries@rmif.co.uk Info: The Independent Garage Association is the largest and most prominent representative body in the independent garage sector. We are the voice of the industry in matters arising in UK and EU Government, and we help independent garages to thrive in all aspects of their business by offering advice, information and services.

TO HAVE YOUR DETAILS INCLUDED HERE CALL 023 9252 2434 AND ASK FOR WORKSHOP SUPPLIERS GUIDE LISTINGS WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

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