Workshop Magazine Issue 13

OUR KEV: THE CLASSIC CAR WITH SILLS MADE OF OLD NEWSPAPERS!

ISSUE 13 | OCTOBER 2016

£2.50 | WORKSHOPMAGAZINE.CO.UK

ELECTRIC AVENUE Why knowledge is power for the experts working on the next generation of BMWs

RATED & RANKED Getting warmer: Gas torches on test in our product lab PLUS: Overalls and polishing pads put through their paces

INVESTIGATION

FIRE ALARM

How to stop your business from going up in flames

BEST OF THE BEST The top products and suppliers in the business – as voted for by our readers

CLEPA

Premium Glow Plugs

OEM CUSTOMERS TRUST US. AND YOU?

We are at Mechanex on 11th and 12th of October at stand F21.

02 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

www.hidria.com New e-Catalogue Part Finder http://glowplugs.hidria.com/

EDITORIAL

BLACKBALL MEDIA HASLAR MARINE TECHNOLOGY PARK, HASLAR ROAD, GOSPORT, PO12 2AG T: (023) 9252 2434 NEWS & FEATURES EDITOR REBECCA CHAPLIN rebecca@blackballmedia.co.uk Twitter: @BelieveBecca

PRODUCTION EDITOR DAVE BROWN

dave@blackballmedia.co.uk Twitter: @CarDealerDave

CONTENTS. 06

Automechanika Frankfurt: The firms flying the flag for Britain and hoping for success

NEWS EDITOR JACK EVANS

Charging ahead The BMW mechanics embracing a technological revolution

jack@blackballmedia.co.uk Twitter: @jackrober

SENIOR STAFF WRITER ANDREW EVANS

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andrew@blackballmedia.co.uk Twitter: @snavEwerdnA

STAFF WRITER LAURA THOMSON

Our Kev: The day we encountered an MGB that should NOT have passed so many MOTs

laura@blackballmedia.co.uk Twitter: @lauramayrafiki

HEAD OF DESIGN GRAEME WINDELL

SUITS

ADVERTISING

graeme@blackballmedia.co.uk Twitter: @graemewindell

SALES MANAGER JON HICKEY

jon@blackballmedia.co.uk Twitter: @CarDealerjon

FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION finance@blackballmedia.co.uk

13

Dear RAC: Make sure your customers are prepared for the hazards of winter driving

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER JAMES BAGGOTT

MANAGING DIRECTOR ANDY ENTWISTLE

CONTRIBUTORS Kim Adams, Alex Wells, Jon Reay, John Bowman, Mal Hay 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 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.

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The Judge’s verdict: Can we take action against an employee who put a customer at risk?

james@thebaize.com Twitter: @CarDealerEd

andy@blackballmedia.co.uk Twitter: @CarDealerAndy

22

Welcome

36 Put through their paces: Our expert tester Andrew looks at gas torches and overalls – and our panel of mechanics assesses polishing pads

IT’S certainly a venue with a difference – and on September 1, the leading suppliers of products and services to our industry gathered at the Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth to find out how well they were thought of by their customers in the inaugural Workshop Power Awards.

Many of those present were pleasantly surprised to take home one or more trophies – and they had YOU to thank for that, the wonderful readers of Workshop Magazine! The reason for that, of course, is that it was you who decided who the winners would be, after hundreds of you completed the Workshop Power survey to give marks out of 10 to the companies you do business with on a daily basis.

Some of you will know the results by now after we published reports from the big night on the Workshop Magazine website – but for more in-depth coverage and dozens of great pictures, please turn to pages 14-21.

any business – a fire that damages your premises, potentially injures you and your staff and leads to the loss of thousands of pounds of much-needed revenue.

I’m talking about a fire breaking out – and there has been a worrying spate of such incidents across the UK this year. Of course, in the workshop sector, our tasks quite often involve the presence of naked flames and flammable liquids so we have to be extra-careful at all times. What can we do to prevent a fire? And what can we do if the worst should happen?

Rebecca Chaplin looks into the issue on pages 4-5.

IT’S one of the worst things that can happen to

Dave Brown, Production Editor

THERE’S plenty of other interesting reading in issue 13 to stop you getting bored in your lunch break! And I hope you enjoy our biggest edition yet. All the best.

WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

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NEWS.

UP IN FLAMES: SO WHAT CAN YOU DO TO AVOID A DISASTER AT YOUR WORKSHOP? INVESTIGATION With flammable liquids and naked flames, it’s easy to see how a fire can break out in a garage. REBECCA CHAPLIN reports on a worrying spate of recent blazes.

A

ccidents can happen. We all know that. But in the service and repair sector, it’s extremely important to take care if a fire is to be avoided.

Most fires that start in workshops are accidental, and it’s not hard to work out why. With flammable liquids, naked flames and perhaps not the cleanest and tidiest of environments at all times, it’s understandable that there will be mishaps.

And it’s not gone unnoticed by many that workshop fires have been increasingly making it into the news up and down the country.

We’re now 10 months into the year and the number of workshop fires reported in the press across the UK has reached 13.

It might not sound like an earth-shattering figure, but when you compare that to the number Snows BMW Garage in Portsmouth, above left, was affected by a fire earlier this year of fires that have occurred in other types of business premises, it’s a worryingly high number. a similar fate to that of Snows as a car caught fire tasks, and that risk level increases substantially.

There is a logical link between dangerous on a ramp.

Workshops should all be aware of the flammable substances and an increased risk of And not long before that, a garage and storage implications not only for their businesses, which a fire occurring on site, but what can you do to unit in Denham, Buckinghamshire, became might potentially go up in flames, but those protect your business? engulfed in flames and was completely destroyed. in the surrounding area which could not only It’s definitely a case of, ‘it could happen Rewinding to the end of last year, there was an be damaged as a result of a nearby fire but face to anyone’ – from franchised workshops to explosion at Commercial Vehicle Repairs on the insurance implications afterwards. independent garages.

Rotherwas Industrial Estate in Hereford which For many businesses, starting from scratch after Here at Workshop Magazine, we reported on sent debris high into the air. a blaze can be more trouble than it’s worth. our first fire of the year on the first day of the We’re not trying to scare you – and we According to research by KVF Consultants, 80 year. The fire and rescue service was called to understand that in all these cases nobody was per cent of businesses will not survive more than Snows BMW garage in Portsmouth at seriously injured – but precautions are two years after a fire has affected their operation. around 10pm. The cause? A vehicle undoubtedly necessary.

Jem Emirali, motor trade insurance and risk on fire in the workshop.

Like any buildings, workshops management specialist at Aston Scott, said that, Snows was lucky to avoid and garages are vulnerable not surprisingly, every precaution possible should the complete destruction of You need business to human error, as we’ve be taken to try to avoid a fire. its site as the fire service was mentioned.

He said: ‘The one thing I would add is that interruption which would able to deal with the situation However, throw into even once you have done everything, if you still continue to pay your quickly. Sadly, other sites haven’t the equation some highly had a fire, the one priceless cover you need is gross profit been so fortunate. flammable liquids, not to business interruption which would continue to JEM EMIRALI Last month, for example, a mention the fact that naked pay your gross profit even whilst not trading.’ workshop on the Isle of Wight saw flames are used to carry out some Of the cases where a cause has been

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HOW TO PROTECT YOUR BUSINESS FROM FIRE ACCORDING to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), the main causes of fires and explosions in commercial motor vehicle environments are the mishandling of petrol when draining fuel tanks or incidents involving ‘hot work’, where a process generates flames, sparks or heat. This includes repairs on diesel tanks or even the inappropriate use of paints and thinners.

Often these accidental fires are caused by not taking the correct precautions or lacking awareness of the potential hazards.

Official guidance advises that all workshops should aim to meet the following points:

n Use a proprietary fuel retriever/adaptor when draining petrol from tanks and lines. n Store containers of flammable liquids in safe places. n Before carrying out any ‘hot work’ on drums or other containers that may contain vapours such as petrol, diesel, paints or solvents, carefully consider the risks. Safer options include using cold cutting or repair techniques and replacing rather than repairing. n Where ‘hot work’ on a tank or drum is necessary, reduce the risks by emptying, cleaning, gas-freeing or inerting. determined for workshop fires so far in 2016, 45 per cent were accidental. There were only three cases with suspicious causes linked to arson.

The causes of the accidental fires range from battery fires in vehicles to not following correct procedures when draining fuel.

In the case of DATSC Garage, a BMW and Mercedes specialists based in Barry Dock, Barry, it was a welding issue that led to a fire.

At the time, owner Damien Jorgensen explained that mechanic Anthony McDonald had finished a welding job before leaving the premises to go to the company’s other nearby unit and complete some paperwork.

McDonald told the Barry I came back and the and District News: ‘I had been car was on fire. I tried welding a nut and I went to douse it. The fire to the other unit for five, 10 extinguishers didn’t help minutes and I came back and ANTHONY the car was on fire.

MCDONALD ‘I tried to douse it. The fire extinguishers didn’t help.’

Jorgensen added: ‘My first thought was to get the gas bottles out. There was a 20ft fireball coming out of the roof. There were explosions and the heat was phenomenal.

‘It’s lucky we have two units and we were lucky because we used to store the cars there, but most of the cars were outside. The biggest issue was the lack of fire hydrants. They didn’t have enough pressure. They had to break the padlock on the fence and bring three pipes from the dock.’

It’s a cautionary tale and one we hope not to hear again during the rest of 2016 and beyond.

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WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

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NEWS. | RECORD ATTENDANCE |

| VIS |

Golden anniversary marked with tribute

The underside of a car is revealed at Automechanika Frankfurt

Picture: Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH/Pietro Sutera

Automechanika record as £195m opportunity identified MORE than 150 UK exhibitors took part in Automechanika Frankfurt – the most in the show’s 45-year history.

The record attendance came as the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) published a report identifying a £195 million opportunity for UK aftermarket firms to expand in three major emerging markets, as demand grows across the world.

SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes said: ‘The UK’s aftermarket

sector is one of the world’s most dynamic, and the record attendance at Automechanika Frankfurt demonstrates the sector’s success and global ambition. To help companies exploit these opportunities, the government must secure the competitive conditions that have allowed this export-led industry to thrive.

‘This means tariff-free trade with our partners across Europe and further trade deals with emerging markets.’

Mechanic is sent to prison for £300,000-plus VAT fraud Search of lock-up uncovered business’s true records, showing customer tax charges were pocketed

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mechanic who stole hundreds of thousands of pounds in VAT payments has been jailed for more than two years.

Between 2003 and 2014, Ian John Coleman, 53, of Knowler Way, Liversedge, West Yorkshire, pocketed VAT charged to customers of his vehicle repair business, Top Gear Transmissions Ltd, instead of passing the money to HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC), Leeds Crown Court was told.

The fraud was uncovered when HMRC found anomalies in Coleman’s paperwork. During a search of his lock-up in Brick Street, Cleckheaton, in March 2015, investigators discovered the business’s true records – detailing

06 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

by JOHN BOWMAN john@blackballmedia.co.uk takings dating back to 2003.

He failed to pass on VAT of £231,444 to HMRC. In addition, he accepted VAT Central Assessments that he knew were £72,617 lower than his true VAT liability. With interest, his total outstanding liability to HMRC came to £377,141.05.

After reviewing the accounts, HMRC established that Coleman had also avoided paying more than £15,000 in VAT by under-declaring scrap metal sales.

In mitigation, Coleman denied any wrongdoing but was unable to say why he had repeatedly failed to

submit accurate VAT returns, stating that he was ‘no accountant’.

The businessman admitted 12 counts of the fraudulent evasion of VAT and was handed a 32-month jail sentence by Recorder Richard Woolfall. Confiscation action to recover the money is under way.

After the case, HMRC spokesman Martin McDonnell said: ‘Coleman thought he’d found a way to exploit the tax system. He was wrong, and he’s now paying the price with a jail sentence. This is money that should have been funding vital public services, and Coleman created an uneven playing field for his honest competitors. Most people pay the tax they owe when they owe it, but a small minority think they are above the law. Tax fraud is a serious crime.’

THE Freight Transport Association showcased the work of its dedicated Vehicle Inspection Service team to mark the latter’s golden anniversary.

An industry event at Volvo, Warwick, and Warwick Castle saw FTA’s team of engineers and administration staff reflecting on how VIS had become recognised as an essential service to freight transport.

When it launched in 1966 VIS had just five engineers but it now boasts a team of 90. FTA director of operations June Powell said: ‘I am delighted to be celebrating this fantastic achievement and to have the opportunity to recognise the contribution our multiskilled and highly professional team provides to the industry.’

| BOSCH |

Special system will have wider offering THE BMW M4 GTS water injection system will get wider use from 2019, as its maker Bosch begins offering the technology to others in the market.

Water injection sees a fine vapour of distilled water sprayed into the engine intake before fuel combustion, reducing the engine temperature and decreasing knocking. Bosch global project manager Fabiana Piazza said: ‘We’re launching it into the market now as tighter legislation and new real driving emissions tests are increasing the importance of this technology in all cars.’

| BOROUGH PLATING |

Still shining after all these years A SOUTHEND-based firm is celebrating 50 years of chrome-plating plastic components, having led the way since developing the innovative process.

Borough Plating managing director David Coombes said he’d witnessed a lot of change. ‘The biggest advantage of the process we developed was to offer automotive designers more freedom with plastic components than they typically experienced with die-casting. Chrome was still required for embellishment, but now they could combine this greater design freedom with the ability to save weight.’

NEWS ROUND-UP

| AUTINO |

Acquisition creates new joint company

What’s been making the headlines at workshops around the United Kingdom?

GATESHEAD:

An early morning robbery at a garage in Gateshead has seen thieves take a number of tools and vehicles from the premises. Police are still trying to find a Renault Clio, Skoda Fabia, Ford Fiesta and Volkswagen Polo taken from Sunniside Garage between 5.306.30am on Wednesday, September 28. Anyone with useful information is asked to contact the police on 101 quoting reference number 170 28/09/16.

LINCS:

Land Rover specialist The Old Forge Garage in Leadenham has relocated due to a big increase in business.

The father-and-son team, Chris and Phill Bayliss, has been operating in the same premises for seven years but decided to move to the Sleaford Road Industrial Estate in Bracebridge Heath. The pair have spent around £15,000 on the new unit and have renamed their business OFG. They said they had been after somewhere bigger for 18 months.

WORKSHOP software company CustomerVue has been acquired by its sister brand CarVue to create a new joint company under the Autino brand.

The two companies have been providing digital solutions for the motor industry since 2003, with CarVue’s online garage management system for the independent sector flanked by CustomerVue’s workshop software. Both products will now be sold under the joint Autino banner.

Carl Lightfoot, director and cofounder of both businesses, said the move marked a ‘major phase in our development and our commitment to the motor industry’.

| SKILLS SHOW |

Harry representing VW commercials TECHNICIAN Harry Garraway has been chosen to represent Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles at this year’s Skills Show at the NEC in Birmingham from November 17-19.

This is a huge achievement for 20-year-old Garraway, who is one of only six technicians in the UK to reach the final. Currently working at Heritage Volkswagen Van Centre Bristol, Garraway has made a huge impression since joining the Volkswagen Group three-anda-half years ago.

He completed his apprentice programme at the end of 2015.

CORBY:

TruckEast Ltd has been made Isuzu Truck UK’s service and parts dealer for the Northamptonshire area.

The Corby site operates a five-bay workshop for LCVs, trucks and buses, including an Authorised Testing Facility lane, tacho bay and MOT facilities.

Pete Murphy, managing director at Isuzu Truck UK, said: ‘Adding TruckEast Ltd to our extensive UK dealer network will offer our customers even better service and support in the area.’

BIRMINGHAM:

MG is to move manufacturing from its Longbridge plant to China.

According to MG, production in the midlands is no longer required because cars will arrive ‘fully built and ready for distribution’. MG has said 25 redundancies will be made, but sales, marketing and aftersales operations will remain. Other staff at the plant, which has a head count of 400 employees, including design engineers and technical staff, are not affected.

BRIDGEND:

The Unite trade union is demanding talks with Ford bosses in the United States over the future of the company’s Bridgend engine plant. Ford made the decision recently to halve the output of the Dragon engine from the plant. Unite general secretary Len McClusky said: ‘The scaling back of the Dragon engine investment at Bridgend is extremely concerning. It raises serious questions over Ford’s long-term intentions.’

| EDT AUTOMOTIVE |

Next generation of machines launched

LONDON:

AA Garage Guide has helped a London garage increase its profitability. R B Motors said it listed its business on the online search and booking site because it recognised the value of promoting high-quality, professional garages to AA customers seeking the best levels of service. The garage in Streatham High Road has received 24 booking requests worth an average of £263 since active promotion started at the end of February.

EDT Automotive has launched the next generation of its ground-breaking engine-cleaning machines.

The second generation of the engine-cleaning and auto-transmission machines are fully electric and significantly quieter in operation, as neither needs an air supply, says the decontamination company, which adds that the machines also offer users improved filtration and ease of use.

The updated machines from the firm – which was highly commended in the Product Innovation of the Year category at the Workshop Power Awards – also benefit from improved and expanded engine fittings, as well as extended reach hoses for easier manoeuvrability.

WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

| 07

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FAULT FINDER.

CHRIS ROUTLEDGE OF AUTOLOGIC DISCUSSES DIAGNOSTICS

Pressure sensor issue could make life noisy for Mercedes drivers

Make:

Mercedes-Benz

Model:

C-Class (2008-2013), E-Class (2008-2015), GLK-Class (2008-2015)

Fault:

Engine cooling fan running at a constant high speed; air-conditioning may not be as cold as it ought to be.

Cause:

Damaged pressure sensor

It’s a very common fault that owners are always talking about on internet forums

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ercedes owners have certain expectations of their vehicles. A Mercedes should be a smooth, serene cruiser, with nothing from the outside world allowed to break into the driver’s relaxed cabin space. An overactive cooling fan and deficient air conditioning will be a major cause for concern – and it’s such a common fault that owners’ club forums are awash with talk about the constant high speed fan noise.

If a customer has brought in one of the Mercedes models mentioned in the panel above right, complaining that the engine cooling fan is running constantly – and perhaps also saying that the air conditioning is not as cold as it should be – you may find that when you plug the Autologic AssistPlus into the vehicle there are no relevant fault codes stored in the ECU. Workshops with access to Autologic’s AssistPlus and expert Fault 2 Fix team have the ability to run a full Quick Test and speedily diagnose this fault as a damaged pressure sensor.

This sensor is located on the air conditioning condenser. Here is how you can quickly diagnose and fix the problem.

The first step is to diagnose the fault, to confirm that it is a pressure sensor issue. To do this, use the AssistPlus to check the actual values in control unit AAC – Air Conditioning. Look specifically at the refrigerant pressure. The figure on your AssistPlus should be shown in green, indicating that it is within its recommended operating area.

However, realistically, from cold (as noted by the coolant temperature) the refrigerant pressure should be no more than 12 bar. If the pressure figure is higher than 12 bar, the air conditioning control unit presumes that the temperature is high and assigns the fan control unit to run at 90 per cent pulse width modulation (PWM) actuation.

This indicates that the pressure sensor

is reading wrong or that there is too much gas in the system. Another test you could carry out would be to check the AAC pressure with the engine off. This should be approximately 5-6 bar.

Again, a higher figure indicates a faulty sensor or too much gas in the system.

The next step is to carry out electrical checks on the sensor, to rule out any electrical issues.

First, confirm that there are no wiring breaks to the sensor. Next, check the supply feed, signal and ground of the three-pin connector at the pressure sensor. Pin 1 is the ground, Pin 3 the 5 volt supply feed and Pin 2 is the signal. This should read 400mV at 0 bar, 1.3V at 10 bar and 4V at 30 bar. Finally, confirm the electrical line resistances to the driver’s SAM module, using the appropriate wiring diagram.

If all of these wiring checks are within spec, then you will have to replace the pressure sensor.

Before replacing, you will need to first fully evacuate the air conditioning system.

Once this has been carried out, replace the

sensor and confirm good location of the wiring connector and that there are no possible issues of wiring chafe points.

Now use the AssistPlus to check the reading in the AAC climate control. As the system is still currently empty, this should be showing a reading of 0 bar. When you get a 0 bar reading, you can fill the system with the specified amount of refrigerant and oil. This information is found on the AAC refrigerant fill sticker, which is located under the bonnet.

The penultimate step is to carry out a series of post-repair checks. Make sure that there are no leaks at the sensor, check and confirm that the air conditioning system is operating correctly and, finally, confirm that the fan is no longer running at a constant high speed.

Once you have confirmed the above, use the AssistPlus to carry out a final Quick Test and ensure that no new fault codes have been created. Your fault should now be rectified.

WHO IS CHRIS ROUTLEDGE? Chris is master technician at Autologic Diagnostics Ltd. He discusses the most common vehicle faults – plus how to diagnose and fix them fast – in Workshop Magazine every month.

WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

| 09

NEWS. | CLICKMECHANIC |

A million quotes – now, let’s expand!

ONLINE car repair marketplace ClickMechanic is expanding after giving its millionth quote for a job.

The company, which partners with various automotive data providers to give people an instant upfront quote, has been working exclusively with mobile mechanics since it was founded in 2012 by Andrew Jervis and Felix Kenton. Having now reached the milestone figure of a million quotes, it has announced that it is opening the platform to garages that offer a collection-and-delivery service.

The past 12 months have seen the largest spike in quotes, with the most-requested jobs being inspections at 90,000 requests.

| TYRES |

New rubber on way for Jaguar XJ220 WHILE Jaguar XJ220 owners could be considered pretty fortunate, they’ve been unlucky lately when it comes to tyres. Like some other supercars, the XJ220 required very specialist rubber and the sizes required for what was once the fastest production car in the world – that’s 255/45R17 on the front and a colossal 345/35R18 on the rear – went out of production some years ago.

Soon they’ll be spoiled for choice though, as both Pirelli and Bridgestone have announced new tyres specifically for the supercar. Both brands’ tyres will become available in early 2017, just in time to celebrate the world-beating British car’s 25th anniversary.

Restored S800 is set to join Honda heritage press fleet The engine still works perfectly, but the interior needs looking at, as do parts of the bodywork

H

onda UK has started restoration work on an S800 sports car it recently acquired. With the aim of having it ready in time for the Goodwood Festival of Speed next June, the car currently being restored is a red 1967 model.

Working in partnership with Le Riche Automobile Restorers in Jersey, Honda purchased the S800 with a view to adding the car to its growing heritage press fleet and using it to showcase the manufacturer’s rich automotive history at events around the UK. Currently suffering from rust and unsurprising amounts of wear and tear after almost 50 years of use, the S800 is being sympathetically refurbished to a condition that

respectfully reflects its age, with Honda keen not to ‘over-restore’ the car but keep the end-result authentic.

Philip Crossman, managing director of Honda UK, commented: ‘Next year marks the 50th anniversary of the first fourwheeled Honda to be sold in the UK – the S800. And with this golden celebration for Honda in the UK, the S800 is the perfect addition to the press fleet.

‘The engine still works perfectly, as you would expect from a Honda, so we don’t need to engage in a complete overhaul of the car.

‘The interior needs

looking at as do parts of the bodywork – in short it simply needs some loving care and attention, which we are trusting to Le Riche, to get it back to its former glory.’

Capable of reaching the heady heights of 100mph, the S800 derived its power from a high revving 800cc motor, derived from Honda’s successful motorcycle division, which could redline at 10,000rpm.

Production of the S800 finished in May 1970 with almost 12,000 produced. Honda did not manufacture another S roadster for nearly 30 years until the release of the S2000.

Honda’s project car

| MANAGEMENT |

Workshop Expert Online is updated WEB-BASED garage management tool Workshop Expert Online has been updated to include new features.

Autoparts UK has worked alongside MAM Software to develop key aspects of the platform, improving site navigation and user engagement. The ‘Document’ screen in particular has been developed, allowing users to see sub-totals on jobs and also arrange the order in which these jobs are presented on the final invoice. Workshop Expert Online supports all areas of a garage business including accounting, daily management and parts look-up.

10 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

| MAINTENANCE |

Hard-up drivers who are delaying repairs to their cars ONE in seven drivers has put off essential repairs and servicing work on their car because of financial struggles.

A Gocompare.com survey of 2,000 UK motorists found that replacing tyres was the job most likely to be delayed by motorists.

Drivers aged 25 to 34 were the most likely to delay a repair and service, with more than one-fifth (21 per cent) admitting to doing so.

Drivers aged 55 or older were the least

likely to delay car maintenance.

More than one-third (37 per cent) of motorists admitted driving up to 500 additional miles before getting their car serviced or repaired, while nearly one-fifth said they had driven with one or more warning lights illuminated, failing to address the issue because of financial pressure.

Matt Oliver, car insurance spokesperson for Gocompare.com, said: ‘If you’re on a

tight budget, it can be tempting to delay car maintenance and repairs to save money.

‘However, poorly maintained cars can become unreliable, with drivers more likely to break down or contribute to an accident.

‘Worryingly, our research revealed that nearly a fifth of drivers have put off replacing their tyres. The depth of tread on your tyres makes a big difference to your car’s stopping distance, particularly in wet weather.’

| FUNDS BOOST |

They braved the shave to raise cash for cancer charity

Nick rises through ranks to become general manager ‘This promotion is a good example to people in the business that if you work hard you can get the job you want.’

IT’S always heartening to see people putting themselves through embarrassing ordeals for charity.

This photo of technician staff at Harwoods Jaguar and Aston Martin in Chichester, West Sussex, was among several shared on professional networking site LinkedIn and demonstrated the lengths (or rather the lack of them) that people will go to, to help a good cause.

The Brave the Shave event for Macmillan Cancer Support requires people to undergo sponsored head-shaves, mirroring one of the sideeffects of chemotherapy that many cancer patients have to go through.

Jaguar technician Ryan Atkins (left in the image above) and his Aston Martin technician colleague Luke Franklin (right) are two of the four Harwoods staff – along with parts adviser Dave Leppard and apprentice technician Oliver Train – who took part in Brave the Shave this year.

The quartet are four of more than 20,000 people who have joined in with the fund-raising effort nationally.

| DRAMA |

Mechanic pinned to the wall in accident A MECHANIC in Russia was run over by a customer who was attempting to drive her car onto a ramp.

A video clip has emerged which opens with the car owner driving onto the structure as the mechanic guides her slowly forward.

To begin with, everything goes well, but for an unknown reason, the driver loses control and ploughs into the garage employee, who is then thrown backwards and pinned to a wall.

The driver appears frozen in shock as a second mechanic tries to coax her out of the vehicle so he can move it.

Watch the drama unfold online at bit.ly/accident13.

by JOHN BOWMAN john@blackballmedia.co.uk

A

n apprentice who started as a 16-year-old mechanic has risen through the ranks to become general manager of a multi-million-pound business. Nick Wells, 41, started his new role at Alan Day Volkswagen in London recently after working as a parts adviser, parts supervisor, parts manager and group aftersales manager.

He is now responsible for overseeing the smooth running of the flagship Hampstead showroom and site just off the Finchley Road, including the sales department, servicing, and developing short-term and long-term goals.

It’s a giant leap from when he began his career in the motor industry as a trainee from a small rural town in Norfolk.

Wells, who now lives in Walthamstow and started with Alan Day in 2001 on a wage of £17,000 a year, said: ‘This promotion is a good example to people in the business that if you work hard and work well with your colleagues you can progress and get the job you want.’

His new role will also include

Managing director Alan Day congratulates Nick Wells, right responsibility for hiring all new management positions, training, and keeping a constant, watchful eye on the day-to-day running of the business.

Wells said: ‘I worked really hard in my first role as a parts adviser. When I took the job, one of the conditions was that I wanted to be taught everything, not just a very small bit of it. I wanted to know everything about the parts department.

‘I remember I had to work really hard and I did a lot of long hours to start off with, but it made me a lot more confident and I began to really enjoy providing great customer service.

‘It was something really new to me, but working as a technician for 10 years prior to this role helped me

a lot, as I knew what I was talking about, so it was nice interacting with customers on the phone as I had that technical background, which they had as well because it was a trade department.

‘It shows what you can achieve if you believe in yourself.’

Wells added that Alan Day had sent him on training courses and that he learnt the rest via hands-on experience as a parts adviser and accessories specialist.

‘I am really proud to work for a company that has such a positive attitude and welcomes new ideas and initiatives,’ he said.

‘You do feel part of the family and there has been lots of guidance from key colleagues, helping me along the way.’

| NISSAN |

‘A step forward in usability, simplicity and practicality’ NISSAN has launched a convenient new online service booking system on its website – nissan.co.uk – further enhancing the ownership experience for customers.

The new state-of-the-art system will make it easier than ever for Nissan owners to arrange and manage the servicing and MOT of their vehicles using their laptop, tablet or smartphone.

Connected to all 220 dealers in Nissan’s

UK network, the state-of-the-art system also uses smart data to notify customers when servicing is due, what work needs to be carried out and how much it will cost.

Supplied by leading automotive data management specialists, Clifford Thames, the new system can even suggest relevant extras such as vehicle accessory options and special offers.

Mike Thompson, aftersales director at

Nissan Motor (GB), said: ‘We have had an online booking system on our website for several years now but we are always looking to improve the experience for our customers.

‘This new system is a big step forward in usability, simplicity and practicality and will make it much easier and more convenient for Nissan owners to care for their vehicles.

‘It will also help to increase service bookings for our dealerships.’

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| 11

IF IT LOOKS LIKE OE. SMELLS LIKE OE. AND STOPS LIKE OE. YEP. IT’S PROBABLY OE. As the UK’s leading brake brand, Pagid has been the preferred OE partner for automotive brands for over 50 years. With in-house research and development, European manufacturing and proven braking performance; Pagid remains the original choice, now and for the future.

www.pagidprofessional.co.uk

PagidUK

@PagidUK

@PagidUK

PagidUK Pagid is a trademark of TMD Friction

12 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

DEAR RAC.

GARY WRIGHTSON-HEYWORTH FROM THE RAC ANSWERS YOUR QUESTIONS

With winter on its way, ensure your customers are ready for the worst I t looks as though summer is over (what summer?!) and the nights are drawing in, and that can only mean one thing: winter is around the corner. As the coldest season approaches, we see a huge rise in breakdown faults which are avoidable if vehicles are maintained correctly.

Here’s a look at some of the common faults that we see and some steps you can take to help your customers avoid the inconvenience of a breakdown.

BATTERY FAULTS

CHARGING SYSTEMS

WIPER WORRIES

WHEN you’re servicing a car at this time of year, it’s really important to assess the condition of the battery.

Batteries are still one of the main reasons for callouts, with nearly 20 per cent of breakdowns in 2015 being because of a battery problem.

Check how old the battery is and test it. Many modern battery testers now include an indicator to show the condition of the battery. It might be starting a vehicle day-to-day, but a sudden drop in temperature may render the battery unserviceable on a cold morning. Identifying a defective battery now might save your customer hassle in the future.

DURING the hotter periods of the year with longer daylight hours, there’s often less drain on the battery, so some underlying faults might not be visible.

We’d advise that you check the output to the battery during vehicle servicing and checks at this time of year.

Ensure all of the potential loads for winter driving are turned on such as the heater blower motor, heated screens, heated seats and headlights.

Doing this can show up faults with the charging systems that otherwise may not be seen, and any issues can be addressed.

A SMALL thing like wiper blades might seem insignificant compared to the complexities of the modern combustion engine, but a simple fault with them can render a motorist immobile if they go wrong on a rainy day.

During a standard service, you may check the condition of the blades but sometimes might miss checking the tightness of the blade securing bolts, or the linkages and ball joints for wear.

As the weather deteriorates we’ll see a big rise in these faults, and with some simple checks you could save your customers from breaking down.

GARY WRIGHTSON-HEYWORTH is RAC Networks Manager If you have any questions you’d like to ask the RAC, contact us at dearrac@workshopmagazine.co.uk WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

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NEWS.

A NIGHT OF CELEBRATION

T

he numbers were crunched, the survey results analysed – and in early September, the winners of the inaugural Workshop Power Awards were presented with their trophies at a glittering ceremony at the top of the Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth.

Workshop Power is the survey in which the readers of Workshop Magazine are invited to assess suppliers of products and services to the

14 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

automotive service and repair sector. In the weeks leading up to the awards ceremony, hundreds of readers filled out the survey either online or using the paper version published in previous editions of the magazine.

They gave marks out of 10 in categories such as ‘Product Innovation of the Year,’ ‘Hand Tool Supplier of the Year’ and ‘Best Customer Care’.

All marks awarded and comments made were

completely anonymous, giving our thousands of readers the chance to say what they really think of the partners they do business with on a daily basis. In the event of a tie in the number of marks received in any category, the winner was decided on the number of positive comments made.

The awards ceremony was opened by Andy Entwistle, the managing director of Blackball Media, publishers of Workshop Magazine.

PICTURES: JONNY FLEETWOOD

He told those present: ‘Congratulations if you’ve been invited along tonight, because you can call yourselves one of the best in the industry – as voted for by your customers.

‘We’ve always felt that it’s important to recognise those in the industry that really make a difference to our readers – those suppliers that make their lives easier, help their businesses run more smoothly and ultimately make them

more money. And it’s important to remember that we don’t have any say in tonight’s winners – it’s all down to our readers.’

The trophies were handed over by the hosts for the evening, Blackball Media news editor Jack Evans and our head of news and features, Rebecca Chaplin.

Now turn the page to find out who won what!

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| 15

NEWS. Battery Supplier of the Year

Diagnostic System of the Year

Winner: Yuasa

Winner: Autologic

Highly commended: Bosch Highly commended: Varta

Highly commended: Bosch Highly commended: Snap-on James Taylor, left, and James Douglas from Yuasa with Rebecca Chaplin

MOST problems on a car will come down to an issue with the electrics – and flat batteries are one of the three major causes of car breakdowns. Times have only got tougher for batteries, which now have to cope with constant use thanks to a wide range of electrical systems – including air conditioning, lighting, navigation and not forgetting the complexities of stop-start technology.

The marks awarded in this category were extremely close, but our winner in the inaugural Workshop Power Awards received outstanding reviews when it came to customer satisfaction and product quality.

The winner of our first ever Workshop Power award was Yuasa.

Congratulations are also due to our two highly commended winners – Bosch and Varta – as voted for by the readers of Workshop Magazine .

Chris Routledge, centre, and Steven White, right, from Autologic with Jack Evans

THE increasing complexity of modern cars makes a diagnostic system a must. Good systems combine ease of use for those who are accustomed to using tech as well as those who are not so well versed, plus a good performance range.

If you want to find a fault, our winner – Autologic – is the one to use, according to our readers. It offers fantastic support and aims to get you from fault to fix as quickly as possible. Its mobile app now offers an even more convenient way of getting things sorted as quickly as possible.

And, of course, it is a familiar name to the readers of Workshop Magazine, with a monthly diagnostics feature that has proved very popular.

So congratulations to Autologic and to our highly commended winners in this category, Bosch and Snap-on.

Trade Insurance Supplier of the Year

Suspension Product Supplier of the Year

Winner: Aston Scott

Winner: Euro Car Parts

Highly commended: Bollington Insurance Highly commended: Tradex

Highly commended: Bilstein Highly commended: Koni Jem Emirali, left, and John Cook from Aston Scott collect their trophy

Paul Baylis and Áine McCarthy collect Euro Car Parts’ trophy from Jack Evans, left

TRADE insurance is not a cost that garages particularly like paying, but they know it’s an absolute must – something they couldn’t function without.

If you’re running a workshop business, trade insurance will cover everything from property and personnel to customer cars in your care.

Feedback from service and repair professionals showed that our winner in this category is willing to really engage with customers to find the best solution for them, with one comment reading: ‘These guys couldn’t do more for our business.’

The guests at the inaugural Workshop Power Awards were asked to put their hands together for the winners in this category – Aston Scott!

And our two highly commended winners – Bollington Insurance and Tradex – were also warmly congratulated.

THE state of the UK’s roads and our continuing pothole blight means that suspensions are easily damaged and poor springs and dampers quickly have their shortcomings exposed.

To win this category, suppliers need to provide high-quality OE replacement products that can resist the worst the roads can throw at them.

Our winner makes getting suspension products at short notice easy and hassle-free, and it also received comments about offering the perfect mix of quality and value for money. The company in question says that with its ever-growing branch network, it strives to serve customers across the UK and Republic of Ireland in the quickest possible time while delivering quality parts and service – and our readers would seem to agree!

Euro Car Parts was the winner in this category. And our highly commended winners were Bilstein and Koni. Well done, everyone!

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Filter Supplier of the Year

Lubricant Supplier of the Year

Winner: Mann Filter

Winner: Total

Highly commended: Euro Car Parts Highly commended: Fram

Highly commended: Castrol Highly commended: Mobil A selection of Mann Filter products

Total’s Ross Murdoch, right, with Jack Evans

FILTERS play a crucial role in keeping contaminants at bay. Fuel, oil and air filters keep engines from being damaged by poor-quality fuel, old oil and small particles in the air.

The best filters on the market can extend a car’s lifespan and keep customers’ vehicles running in the very best condition.

Our winner is constantly working on the development of its products. It even boasts that more than 24 filter elements are made every second!

Unfortunately, it was working so hard that it was unable to join us at the top of the Spinnaker Tower to collect its award at our ceremony in September. But guests on the night were asked to put their hands together for Mann Filter!

Congratulations were also extended to our highly commended winners, Euro Car Parts and Fram.

WE ALL know that cars live and die on good lubricants. Everything from constant velocity joints to the engine and gearbox itself need to stay slippy!

Poor lubricants can lead to poor fuel economy and drastically shortened component lifespans – and that can mean unhappy customers!

Lubricants are such an important part of running a workshop business, which made this a hotly contested category. However, the votes for our winner far outweighed the others nominated, and Total took home the trophy. The company still manufactures in the UK – the only big major lubricant player that does so, and its services are very much tailored to its customers’ needs. Importantly in these days of tight margins, Total offers a premium product at a competitive price.

Castrol and Mobil were our two highly commended winners. Well done, all.

Recruitment Agency of the Year

Tyre Supplier of the Year

Winner: Autotech Recruit

Winner: Micheldever Tyre & Auto Services

Highly commended: CARS Highly commended: InAutomotive

Highly commended: Blackcircles.com Highly commended: Stapletons Gavin White collects the trophy from Rebecca Chaplin

RECRUITING the right people is key to the success of any business – but paradoxically, the process is not always given the time and attention it deserves. Every good business needs good staff – your reputation as a business depends on having the right people working for you and representing you. It’s not just about quality of work but attitude – particularly in customer-facing roles.

Our winner in this category – Autotech Recruit – specialises in supplying temporary technical staff for the motor industry and has proved to be a saving grace for many of our readers. With exceptional industry knowledge, the company can offer a bespoke, professional service to clients and contractors in the MOT, service and bodyshop sectors of the motor trade.

Congratulations also to our highly commended winners, CARS and InAutomotive.

Micheldever Tyre & Auto Services’ website

FOR many workshops, tyres really do make the world go round – they will be central to their operation. It’s not all about brands, however. There is a huge range of tyre sizes, speed ratings and fitments needed from day to day – covering cars from performance and SUV models all the way down to city cars.

Our winner was credited as always having the right sizes in stock and praised for its ability to get them to garages right on time. It has a distribution network of 15 sites around the UK and supplies more than 4,500 retailers nationwide.

Unfortunately, it was unable to make it to our awards night, but our winner in this category was confirmed as Micheldever Tyre & Auto Services! Well done also to Blackcircles.com and Stapletons.

A good effort all round!

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NEWS. Software Product of the Year

Product Innovation of the Year

Winner: Dragon2000

Winner: CitNOW

Highly commended: Autocom Highly commended: Autodata

Highly commended: Alientech Kess V2 Highly commended: EDT Automotive Mark Kelland and Karen McKenzie from Dragon2000 with Rebecca Chaplin, left

Jack Evans, left, with Alistair Jeff, right, and Jason Jeggo from CitNOW

PEOPLE outside our industry often forget how technically based it has become, so the category of Garage Software Product of the year is a crucial one. The smooth running of a workshop relies very heavily on good software, covering booking systems, job management, data entry and payroll.

And it’s crucial that your software is simple to use, particularly for those working in service and repair who may have been trained in more analogue days!

At the end of the day, these systems make our lives easier, and our winner in this category offers a range of management systems and websites. However, it was the firm’s workshop management software that gained it high praise from our readers.

So it was congratulations to Dragon2000! And well done, too, to our highly commended winners, Autocom and Autodata.

SUPPLIERS to the workshop sector are constantly looking to innovate, quite often using advancements in technology. That technology can be incredibly valuable but needs to be easy and straightforward to operate. After all, technicians are already working in a very busy environment.

Our winner ticks all the right boxes. Using video, it’s a company that helps businesses build trust and transparency between workshop and consumer, and it helps garages make more money, too.

Comments we received included ‘The videos are really easy to make and go down well’ and ‘I was sceptical at first but this system really works.’

Our winner in the Product Innovation of the Year category was CitNOW. And well done to our two highly commended winners: Alientech Kess V2 and EDT Automotive.

Extra Mile Award

Garage Cleaning Product of the Year

Winner: Autologic

Winner: Kärcher

Highly commended: Euro Car Parts Highly commended: Total

Highly commended: Autogem Highly commended: Euro Car Parts Chris Routledge, left, and Steven White from Autologic collect their trophy from Rebecca

Kärcher works hard to cater for its clients in the automotive sector

SERVICE and repair professionals are always going to appreciate a supplier who does that little bit extra to make sure their needs are met. Quite a few companies received nominations in this category … but one name kept cropping up and in the end had more nominations than all the other firms put together!

It’s a company that fixes more than 300,000 cars every year across more than 1,200 different models – and enjoys an impressive 97.5 per cent success rate.

That’s pretty good going when you consider that manufacturers are constantly increasing the levels of technology within their vehicles. With a proud boast that its master technicians will get workshops from fault to fix fast, our winner of the Extra Mile Award was… Autologic! Congratulations as well to our two highly commended winners in this category, Euro Car Parts and Total.

YOU don’t get a second chance to make a first impression, so good cleaning products – whether for a garage itself or for customers’ cars – are important. Our winner in this category is a name that even those outside our sector will be familiar with.

As the world’s biggest manufacturer of cleaning machines, it’s a company that understands that its professional customers have their own unique cleaning tasks. And they also understand that cleaning is a necessity that there is often little time for.

Providing a superb cleaning performance, saving time and resources, and delivering products that are easy to use, our winner in the Cleaning Product of the Year category was Kärcher. Unfortunately, it couldn’t be with us on our awards night, but rest assured we will make sure it receives their trophy. Congratulations also to our two highly commended winners in this category, Autogem and Euro Car Parts.

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Best Customer Care

Hand Tool Supplier of the Year

Winner: Total

Winner: Draper Tools

Highly commended: Technodiagnostics Highly commended: TPS (London North)

Highly commended: Franklin Highly commended: Snap-on A Total success at Workshop Power! Ross Murdoch with Rebecca Chaplin

Draper Tools was among the winners at Workshop Power

CUSTOMER care is key to repeat business, with bad interpersonal experiences putting people off brands regardless of the qualities of the product itself. Our winner, though, has no worries on that score.

Every workshop needs an efficient and effective lubricant supplier that delivers products in which customers have complete confidence. Our winner received a lot of positive comments in the inaugural Workshop Power Survey. One respondent said: ‘They are always friendly and helpful’ while another commented: ‘I never have any problems getting the information and products I need.’ It’s a company that has a long history of producing engine oils for passenger cars and is committed to creating lubricants that meet the needs of the future. Congratulations to… Total!

And well done, too, to Technodiagnostics and TPS (London North).

ALL garages need to have a firm grip on their hand tools. They really are the staple of any workshop, with many service and repair professionals preferring the feel of a hand tool to the speed – and risk – of a power tool. To be successful in this category, a company needs to provide the best range of tools to good tolerances – at the right price.

Our winner delivers on every level, thriving on a mixture of inward investment, active support for workshops, operational efficiency and guaranteed quality.

Its current premises in Chandler’s Ford have been added to considerably since their purchase in the 1960s and are now probably the largest stock of tools in one place in the UK. Congratulations to our winner in the Hand Tool Supplier of the Year category – Draper Tools, which unfortunately couldn’t be with us on the night of our awards ceremony. Well done, too, to our highly commended winners, Franklin and Snap-on.

Power Tool Supplier of the Year

Tech Product of the Year

Winner: Sealey

Winner: Autodata

Highly commended: Draper Tools Highly commended: Machine Mart

Highly commended: Alientech Kess V2 Highly commended: Autel Maxisys Pro Sealey provides an extensive range of more than 8,000 products

PRODUCTIVITY, precision and convenience are the name of the game when it comes to power tools. The best ones, of course, help staff get through time-consuming and strenuous tasks with ease. Our winner in this category has grown to become one of the largest tool and equipment suppliers in the UK and is recognised as a leading brand by professionals and enthusiasts alike. It’s a company that provides an extensive range of more than 8,000 products.

Those taking part in our survey praised our winner for quality products and sensible pricing. It’s a company that continually strives to introduce new and innovative tools and equipment for the professional, which comply with or exceed international standards.

So congratulations to Sealey! And well done, too, to our two highly commended winners, as voted for by our readers – Draper Tools and Machine Mart.

Neil Brooks, centre, and Max Lienard, right, from Autodata collect their award from Jack Evans THE modern workshop relies on technology as much as the cars it has to deal with. Tech solutions can range from workplace connectivity and online help manuals to more handson devices such as diagnostics readers and remap tools. All of our winner’s products are designed and developed to help drive workshops across the UK, delivering comprehensive, accurate and reliable technical information to the automotive aftermarket.

Our winner’s innovative online web application provides quick and easy access to technical information for more than 29,000 models across 80 different vehicle manufacturers. This allows workshops to efficiently carry out complex diagnostics and repair procedures, as well as day-to-day servicing and maintenance.

The best tech product of the year, as voted for by the readers of Workshop, was Autodata. Alientech Kess V2 and Autel Maxisys Pro were highly commended.

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NEWS. Small Motor Factor of the Year

Large Motor Factor of the Year

Winner: The Trade Parts Specialists

Winner: Euro Car Parts

Highly commended: Bedale Motor Factors Highly commended: Kimber Car Parts

Highly commended: Andrew Page Highly commended: GSF Car Parts The Trade Parts Specialists is owned and run by the VW Group

SMALL motor factors and small workshops go hand in hand. The best small motor factors can meet the most common needs of their clients and pull through for unusual items.

Our winner in this category was a pioneer when it was launched in 2007. It was the first trade operation to be totally owned and run by an automotive manufacturer – Volkswagen Group. It was designed to provide the ultimate trade experience with guaranteed operational standards and service levels. Each centre’s extensive parts stock is maintained by the group and is dedicated to the needs of local trade customers.

No-one from the company was available to celebrate with us on the night but we’ll make sure the The Trade Parts Specialists gets its trophy. Well done, too, to our runners-up in this category, Bedale Motor Factors and Kimber Car Parts. Good work!

Áine McCarthy and Paul Baylis collect their trophy from Jack Evans, left

LARGE motor factors are invaluable one-stop shops for everything a workshop could need, from parts to tools to consumables.

With more than 200 branches nationwide and 130,000 parts available, our winner in this category certainly matches that description. In fact, it’s the UK’s number-one supplier of car parts and a company that offers service parts at very competitive prices with free delivery across the whole of the UK. There was plenty of positive feedback for our winner in the inaugural Workshop Power survey. Our readers said it delivered excellent value for money and efficient service, and they praised the levels of help and advice they received.

The Large Motor Factor of the Year was Euro Car Parts. Andrew Page and GSF Car Parts were well-deserved runners-up, so many congratulations to them.

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THE NIGHT IN PICTURES

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FEATURES.

C

ar service and repair is going through what is potentially the most revolutionary and dangerous transition of all time.

As we insist on more advanced technology for our cars, wiring looms and electrical systems have become more complex. However, those developments can’t really be compared to the systems found in hybrid and electric vehicles, which are highly dangerous with their electric currents but can also be incredibly simple. For a mechanic who’s been trained on traditional petrol or diesel powertrains, how does the transfer to alternative systems work? Workshop Magazine

22 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

went to see one of the biggest workshops for BMWi products in the UK to find out.

The BMWi range has been a revolution for the brand and a dramatic step away from the traditional values of Beemer buyers looking for gas guzzlers to power down motorways. To this day, the cars look closer to design studies than real cars, so it never fails to amaze when you get behind the wheel of one.

We arrive at Dick Lovett’s BMW Bristol branch to find out more and i brand manager Scott Martin guides us to the workshop with the warning that everything will be just fine as long as we don’t touch the orange wires.

The i3’s battery capacity is 60Ah and its nominal voltage is a shock-inducing 260V. That means coming into contact with any currents isn’t wise, but BMW has helpfully highlighted all the high-voltage parts in orange insulation.

Dick Lovett Bristol is more like a small village – in fact it was in a previous life – than a collection of car dealerships and workshops, so it’s not really any surprise that it hosts one of the busiest BMWi workshops in the UK. Martin hands us over to senior technician Martyn Waters who’ll be our guide for the day, taking us behind the scenes of the workshop.

Waters tells us: ‘The most dangerous thing

PICTURES: JON REAY

OUR FRIENDS ELECTRIC REBECCA CHAPLIN visits Dick Lovett Bristol to find out how BMW mechanics are embracing the technological revolution that is seeing traditional power systems swept aside

would be taking the battery apart. I’ve actually done that myself as part of a repair on an i8, but your training then kicks in and you get straight into the rounds of it. You’re just like “I know what I’ve got to do, I’ve done this.”’

We’ve been told he’s the man for the job if we want to know anything about working on BMWi, as he’s been in the hybrid side of the business since around 2013 when the i3s and i8s were first introduced.

‘I think it was one of those things where they started talking about hybrids and electric vehicles and you start off with your level two qualification and then before too long, you’re doing your level

Rebecca gets the inside detail from senior technician Martyn Waters

three.’ As Waters explained to us, to work on vehicles such as this you need to complete your IMI hybrid levels two, three and four.

Two covers you for service and maintenance, three is for removing high-voltage components and four is for high-voltage factory components.

That goes along with the BMW product training he’s also received.

‘The level four also requires a 1,000word essay on a particular scenario involving an electric car that has been in a bash,’ Waters explains. ‘It goes into so much detail of health and safety law, I couldn’t believe it.’

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FEATURES.

An i3 goes up in the world for work to be carried out on it at the Dick Lovett Bristol workshop – one of the busiest of its type in the UK

KEY FACTS

Waters explains the processes involved BMW also runs its own training, specific to the vehicles. ‘There are specific training courses for alternative-drive vehicles.

‘Typically, everything else there are sections for, things like central body electrics, then you’d do things like engine management. On BMW’s brand you can work on anything I suppose because it’s only a 12V system.

‘When it comes to alternative drive, what you’ve then got is hybrid two, three and four.

They also offer additional training, which they call “i technical training”. That covers things such as i product to 330e, even all the way back to things like the Active Hybrid.’

Almost every bay is full in the Dick Lovett

24 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

BMW i8

Powered by: 1.5-litre 3-cylinder engine with hybrid assistance Power: 228bhp petrol engine, 129bhp electric motor Top speed: 155mph 0-62mph: 4.4s Range: 23 miles full-electric Price: From £104,540

BMW i3

Powered by: Full-electric motor Power: 167bhp Top speed: 93mph 0-62mph: 7.3s Range: 195 miles Price: From £30,980

It’s all about the right connections BMW workshop on the day of our visit with every type of BMW. Sat together, there’s an i8 and two i3s. Waters delves into the back of the workshop, keen to explain with a more visual guide what is going on in the inner workings of the cars around us, and he reappears with a stack of BMW manuals for working on these cars.

Each one offers highly detailed diagrams and descriptions of the processes.

As those who work on any BMW will know, the life of the car is built into its on-board computers these days. It’s not just where you can store your music or plan routes, the system on any modern BMW with iDrive has the complete manual and service history. All these details

Gently does it...

Rebecca talks to Scott Martin

WHAT’S IN THE BOX? THE INNER workings of the batteries can be far more complicated than they appear from the outside. We asked Martyn Waters to tell us exactly what’s going on inside.

‘You have your lower casing on the bottom, then your air conditioning lines, followed by three batteries along the bottom,’ he explained.

‘Next there’s what they’d call a circuit monitoring unit, self-supervisory circuits, which are supervising the batteries basically, which would then communicate to a control unit. He’s kind of the boss of it, so he’ll do all of the calculations, temperature readings and go, right, I want air conditioning here, I don’t want it here.

‘Then we have what they call a safety box, then inside there are some seriously big relay contacts which operate the high voltage and switch it on.’

Technicians are able to open up this ginormous unit and switch batteries in and out. They can even level the charges out between cells and test to see if one isn’t

working properly with specialist kit. When they need to work on the batteries, though, how difficult are they to remove?

‘Getting the battery out of an i3 is fairly straightforward. The only problem is it’s got electronic valves on the air conditioning. So you have to plug it in and activate those solenoids to recover all of the air-con gas out of it before you can do anything. That bit in itself can take anywhere up to half an hour.

‘Taking the battery out is a doddle. It’s two plug connectors, two air conditioning lines and some 30-plus bolts and you’re out. Then you’ve got the same on top, which is quite a lot of bolts.

‘The i8 is a little bit difficult because you’ve got a similar sort of scenario but the gap is smaller and it’s trying to get to all of the connectors. Awkward is probably the best way of describing them!’

The power workings are revealed are also linked to an online database, as Waters explains. ‘We need to log in with the details of the car before we start any work.

‘That’s for our own health and safety, but it also pulls up all of the diagnostic information and gives the technician access to all the instructions in case something has changed in the last week and it hasn’t had a chance to update on the computer. It’s to stop us killing ourselves really.

‘But the other thing is, we have to input our qualifications into the document we send them.

That just stops anybody else working on it. It’s all about being safe.

‘If something were to go wrong with this they tell us it’s literally half a second to get off

and you’ve got a chance, but the chances of you getting away from it in that time are pretty slim!’

The technicians don’t take any chances when it comes to working with the battery-powered cars. If they are having to interfere with anything high-voltage, the area is roped off with cautionary

chains and signs before anything can get started.

‘It’s all about procedure and process. This is all based around something we have called service disconnect,’ he says. ‘What you’ve got on the vehicle is something called an interlock loop. So all of the high-voltage WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

| 25

FEATURES. components have got a loop that basically checks that everything is connected. As soon as you take a high-voltage connector off, you break that interlock loop. So it switches off the high voltage.

‘Another part of the service disconnect is there are high-voltage relay contacts in the battery and you’re killing the power supply away from the relay, so it’s twice as safe.’

The whole experience is like high-tech surgery, as Waters explains the processes they must follow to make sure that the car is safe.

Once everything is done, he’ll also need to check that everything has gone back together correctly and that nothing has been damaged during the job.

‘You’ve got your high-voltage plug connection and low-voltage plug connection. You plug it on and then you’ve got a pressure tester.’

These two parts will then test the communication inside it and the actual high voltage inside it.

‘It pumps a very high voltage into it and then detects to see if any of the insulation breaks down inside or if anything is shorting out,’ he added. ‘If it passes that, then we get an activation code. When we put the battery back in the car we have to put that code in to unlock the battery.’

He’s not too worried about the safety aspect, as it appears that as long as you don’t stray from the instructions you’d have a tough time accessing anything high voltage.

‘We barrier off the vehicle. We have to remove all jewellery but the car is incredibly safe.

‘When you take a high-voltage part off the car there’s something called touch protection, so once you take it off you’ve got these little plastic covers that come over the metal contact.

‘I think you’d really need to be going for it if you wanted to get through that.’

However, things don’t always go to plan.

Even planet-saving hybrids still get into accidents, and for this reason Dick Lovett has been involved with the local fire and rescue service in an effort to educate the crews further about what they might see in an accident.

As Waters explained, the fire team would come in to look at the cars so they’re prepared.

‘It means they can explain processes they would use but might not know where something is on a car like this. It gives us an opportunity to show them,’ he says.

On a day-to-day basis, though, the main duties the team will be facing are servicing the cars and occasionally a repair.

‘We haven’t yet had an MOT, because the first one came out [quite late] in 2013, but the first MOT will be around October this year.

‘The only real difference between doing a service on a BMWi car and a regular car is you’d need to check the charge cable, which comes with the vehicle, and you need to fully charge the vehicle. Comparing that to any other car, it’s not a great deal more.’

26 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

THE KIT Simple as the systems on these electric and hybrid wonders can be, they’re still very different from combustion-powered cars. For that reason, some specialist kit is required.

1

This three-pronged tool might look like a modernised weapon from a medieval war but it’s actually for putting a starter motor on to an i3. You might not expect it, but because the little i3 is fully electric – even with the range extender petrol motor, this will only charge the battery and never power the wheels – it has a larger starter motor than most cars and even the i8. The starter motor on an i3 does look very similar to your usual starter motor, but you’ve got coolant lines going into the top and this is actually driving the car. So when fitting one to the car, this tool will help techs get it into place.

2

A special diagnostic system is needed for the batteries, as the technicians can’t physically see what’s going on inside the batteries.

For this they use a plug-in device that can tell them whether the cells are charging correctly, if anything is shorting out or any other issues that they may need to be aware of.

3

With the battery for the i3 weighing in at 233kg, technicians need some specialist equipment to take the strain when they’re being removed from the cars. The kit they use is a trolley that runs the length of the car and can be raised up to the car on a ramp before the battery is released. When it’s free and securely on the trolley, the technicians can wheel it away until they need to replace it in the car.

4

High-voltage signs and barriers aren’t something you’d usually expect to see in a workshop but they are a necessity when working on hybrid or electric-powered cars.

In the workshop at Dick Lovett they use black-andyellow chains with high-voltage signs to cordon off dangerous areas.

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FEATURES.

WHEELS & TYRES – GET THE BALANCE RIGHT Why let someone else make money from wheels and tyres? ALEX WELLS looks at the opportunities for garages

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o succeed, it often pays to think like your competition – to see things from their perspective.

If an independent garage looks up the road to its franchised dealer neighbour, or around the corner to the local fast-fit outlet, what will they see? At both ends, the profit potential of wheel and tyre servicing is being taken seriously.

Too often, independents allow this work to pass round that corner, in the same way that garages benefit when franchised dealers don’t see potential in a given area.

That’s not practical in today’s world, though.

Technology and innovation Independents need to retain as much business in-house as possible, and if a garage buys a piece of equipment, it needs to make money.

Wheel and tyre-servicing equipment is a sound investment with great profit potential, as ProAlign’s marketing director, Kathryn Beaurain, observes. ‘Technology and innovation have massively changed the wheel and tyre servicing landscape in recent years. They’ve made things a lot quicker and simpler and can help workshops improve customer service levels and efficiency massively.

‘Many franchise dealerships now recognise that this is an opportunity and are changing their equipment procurement strategies in order to make the most of business opportunities rather than just tick a box in their franchise standards audit.

‘Meanwhile, fast-fits that have traditionally invested in this area are also reaping the rewards. They’re finding it faster and easier than ever to do the work, meaning that jobs that other workshops can’t – or choose not to – handle are more lucrative and an attractive proposition.’

Independent workshops need to be thinking the same way.

Lucrative servicing opportunities ‘The simple replacement of tyres is a relatively

28 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

low-margin opportunity,’ says Beaurain. ‘Having factored in the investment and effort required, many workshops sub-contract the work to a local tyre specialist.

‘However, this blinkered approach fails to recognise the many other lucrative servicing opportunities which can arise from simple tyre replacement, if the garage has the right equipment and strategy.’

Road force balancing Take wheel vibration issues – these can be a source of conflict and dispute between garages and customers. ‘Historically, dealers would either outsource this work or attempt to solve the vibration issue by rebalancing the tyre using trial and error to cure the problem,’ comments Beaurain. ‘In many cases, this simply ended with the garage supplying new tyres to the customer at their own expense or, in extreme cases, having to take a new car back and refund the customer.

‘However, with the Hunter Road Force balancer, workshops can use intelligent diagnosis to forcematch the wheel and tyre assembly to solve the issue in a matter of minutes.

The profit potential of wheel and tyre servicing should definitely be taken seriously

NEW SUN WHEEL BALANCER

THE SWB300L, new from Sun, is designed to work on car, light truck and motorcycle wheels and carries a 2D SAPE (Semi-Automatic Parameter Entry) with Smart Sonar for input of all the key wheel offset, diameter and width measurements.

The sonar element provides a 30 per cent time saving compared with manual data entry, while at the end of the spin cycle the pinpoint laser pointer indicates the location of the weight placement.

Technicians using the SWB300L can split the position of weights and hide them behind wheel spokes, creating a better visual finish for the customer.

The SWB300L also features an intuitive dual threedigit LED display for the readings and bright weightposition indicators.

‘This is another highly specialist service that allows a business to develop an expert positioning, improve customer service and sell high-margin services.’

This definitely applies to independents, says Beaurain. ‘Why pay money out to external sub-contractors, have the additional labour costs of staff taking it there, waiting and bringing it back, when in that same time you could have undertaken the service in-house and increased your bottom line?’

Wheel alignment

Independent workshops need to grab a slice of the action

With nine out of 10 cars on the road suffering from some form of misalignment, wheel alignment should also be a fundamental service for all garages.

Beaurain observes: ‘Equipping your workshop with a rapid imaging aligner, such as the Hunter HawkEye Elite TD, will allow you to make a preliminary diagnosis on the vehicle in a matter of a few seconds. A growing number of shrewd dealerships are now including this as part of their vehicle health check, which makes it much easier to upsell the profitable full alignment check and corrective work, where margins can be as high as 88 per WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

| 29

FEATURES.

cent. Furthermore, such is the nature of wheel alignment that customers are happy to travel significant distances and will trust a dealership in the future if they are able to provide a professional, accurate and transparent service.’

Profitable approach Beaurain adds: ‘So, if your workshop is still outsourcing its wheel and tyre servicing, it’s certainly time to consider an alternative, more profitable approach.’

Growing market With retail sales of replacement tyres reaching £3.2 billion in 2014, the UK’s tyre market is growing and businesses are taking advantage. But as we have seen, it’s often the tyre centres that are moving in and capitalising on the opportunity.

Snap-on managing director Mark Ost comments: ‘Consumers are becoming more aware of the safety and fuel-consumption benefits associated with reliable tyres. As a result, services such as wheel alignment are growing rapidly. In addition, over 11 million MOT tests fail each year, and 24 per cent of those are down to tyre-related

30 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

Having the right equipment can really help you boost your bottom line issues such as suspension and steering. The question independent garages should be asking themselves is, can I afford not to offer wheel services to my customers?’

Easier than you think What can independent garages do to get a slice of the pie?

Ost continues: ‘It is easier than you think to

start providing wheel services to your customers with options available to suit all garages.

‘Time, space and investment are among some of the common reservations, but in most cases these challenges can be addressed, allowing you to increase your business’s profitability.’

Where to start ‘Snap-on offers a wide range of tyre-changers,

PRO-ALIGN CASE STUDY: FRANKS AUTOMOTIVE SERVICES

Selling and fitting tyres is not the only way to make money from wheels

wheel balancers and wheel aligners through our Sun brand that are suited to garages and workshops of all sizes,’ says Ost. ‘Equipment includes everything from entry-level products to more advanced machinery, along with units that bridge the gap and are ideal for businesses looking to take the next step in their operations.

‘Carrying out wheel services with Snap-on equipment ensures speed and ease. The design and user-friendly features enable technicians to achieve great results in a short space of time.

The equipment range offers multiple options to suit even space-restricted garages.

‘Snap-on’s lease rental agreements also allow you to spread the cost of your purchase – meaning the revenue you earn from the unit can help to cover the costs!’

Absolutely good idea Selling and fitting tyres is not the only way to make money from wheels and tyres. ‘Vehicle alignment is a fast way to big profits,’ says Absolute Alignment’s technical director, Chris Dear. ‘Absolute Alignment will help you all the way. It’s not just wheel alignment – the latest vehicles have sensors for Adaptive Cruise Control

and lane-changing systems that rely on knowing the position of the wheels for correct calibration, and this is a whole new market that will grow rapidly.

‘Something like 40 per cent of all vehicles will suffer damage from potholes and as council budgets are squeezed the situation will get worse.

‘The average bill for damage is nearly £110 so workshops not offering alignment repairs are clearly missing out on a big business opportunity.’

FRANK Di Lustro wanted to do things properly from the very start when he opened Franks Automotive Services in Peterborough in 2013.

He knew that the business needed to be equipped with an alignment system so that he could thoroughly service customers’ cars.

‘We used to have alignment equipment at the previous garage I worked at but it was just laser-type gauges – nothing like the Hunter,’ explains Di Lustro.

‘Since we’ve had the Hunter aligner we’ve just found it brilliant. The QuickGrip wheel clamps were the first thing that appealed to me as they just looked so easy to use, but in fact the whole system is incredibly easy to use. I’d say anyone can use it with a bit of training.’

Di Lustro and his team now carry out around 30 alignment checks a week.

With around three-quarters of these vehicles requiring adjustment work, it’s proving to be a highly profitable revenue stream for the business.

‘We don’t just get local people coming to us either, we get customers from far and wide seeking out the Hunter name. It’s got a great reputation with drivers in the know and this really helps our business.’

He was so pleased with the Hunter Elite TD aligner that he soon invested in an advanced Hunter Road Force Touch wheel balancer and a Hunter Auto34 tyre changer, allowing his business to offer customers a complete servicing solution.

‘The Hunter equipment really is a good investment and I’d certainly recommend it. Quite simply, it does what it says on the tin! It’s easy to use, gives fantastic results and helps us carry out a quality job properly.’

Vehicle alignment is so much more than “doing the tracking’’. ‘Four-wheel alignment takes into account the position of all the wheels relative to the body and serves as a general health check for the suspension. Why is that wheel out of alignment? Bent track rod? Rubber bush failing?

‘Because the actual readings of the vehicle are compared with the manufacturer specifications, it’s easy to check on discrepancies. This can be a very real contribution to road safety, and workshops can provide a valuable service as well as adding to their bottom line.’

Dear adds: ‘Absolute Alignment makes sure you can profit from vehicle alignment whether you have single-, two- or four-post lifts. For just a fiver a day we can soon have you benefiting from this lucrative income stream.’

WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

| 31

CLUB.

WHAT CAN WE DO AFTER BRAKE CABLES COCK-UP?

A

ASK THE JUDGE: Ian Gardner, sales manager at automotive legal experts Lawgistics, delivers his verdicts on problems that affect you

service and repair garage contacted us recently with the following problem, writes The Judge. They had done some work on the brakes of a customer’s car but about a week after returning the car to the customer, he again reported some issues.

The garage got him to bring it back and after inspecting it, they found the brake cables had not been refastened correctly. The garage duly resolved the problem free of charge.

However, the customer was unhappy and stated that he would not use the garage again.

Lawgistics was asked three questions in relation to this case: Would the actions of the employee responsible be deemed negligent?

How should they be dealt with?

And can the money this has cost the business be recovered from the employee?

The Judge delivers his verdict: It would appear that the employee may be guilty of gross misconduct, as their negligent behaviour has put your customer’s life in danger. This is a serious disciplinary matter and should be dealt with promptly while sticking

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to the ACAS Codes of Practice. Follow these steps: 1) Write to the employee as soon as possible, asking them to come to an investigatory meeting.

Give them at least 48 hours’ notice, and advise them of their right to have a representative present (this can be another member of staff or a trade union rep if applicable).

2) Hold the meeting. This should be minuted by a member of staff, who is not allowed to participate and is only present to take minutes.

Make no decisions at this point. This meeting is to establish and discuss the facts and allow the employee to answer the allegations against them.

3) Choose whether or not to place the employee on suspension. Investigate any further evidence which will identify whether any disciplinary action is necessary.

4) Once your decision is reached, again contact the employee by letter inviting them to a further meeting. Ensure that any evidence you intend to rely on is included with the letter. Again, the employee will be entitled to bring a representative and the meeting must have minutes taken.

5) At this meeting, ask the employee if they have anything further they wish to say in relation to the evidence presented to them. After allowing them to comment, suspend the meeting for further consideration, and then inform the employee of your decision.

6) Tell the employee that written notification will be sent to them within seven days.

Dependant on how severe their negligence was, the employee may be lucky to be served with a final written warning. However, with something as severe as this, dismissal may be an option. We would advise you to take into account the employee’s length of service, any previous disciplinaries and their position in the company.

You must judge each case on the facts presented before you go down the disciplinary action route.

In regards to the question recovering money from the employee, that will depend on the provision of your contract of employment.

And if the deduction to be made is a large sum, it must be taken in gradual payments as your employee must still be able to live on their wages.

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One free month of additional support

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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 or your team’s braking knowledge to the next level for this special Workshop Club price.

Just quote ‘Brake Training 2016’ 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.

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 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 32 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

Petrol Scavengers

£

Our employee broke the limit but already has nine points!

Lawgistics recently received this from a member…

We have just received a speeding fine in the company name. One of our company vehicles was caught doing 37mph in a 30mph zone. We have identified the employee driving at the time, they already have nine penalty points on their licence. However, three of the points are due to come off the licence next month. We want to know what their options are at this point.

The Judge says: Your employee may be offered the option to attend a speed awareness course due to the relatively low percentage they were over the speed limit. However this would be at the discretion of the particular constabulary where the offence took place. They are not compelled to offer this option.

This may not be offered to your employee as it is not their first offence.

Instead, they may be issued with a fixed-penalty fine and three points on their licence. This creates a serious issue for your employee. As you have said, they already have nine penalty points.

Due to the ‘totting up’ rule your employee will be unable to accept the three points as this would take them to

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DSEAR and ATEX compliant the maximum number of penalty points (12) and they would face a ‘totting up ban’ of six months.

Therefore your employee will need to apply for the matter to be heard at court where they can plead their circumstances and hope the court takes into consideration the points that are shortly due to be removed. n If you have a dilemma that’s giving you nightmares, an issue that’s keeping you awake, or a dispute that won’t go away, send an email to TheJudge@lawgistics. co.uk and you may see your problem dealt with in these pages. And in the meantime, join Workshop Club!

Discount on software & free health check app

Free legal advice plus discounted membership

Dragon2000’s dealer management system is one of the most versatile and easy-to-use products on the market.

The software can help manage supplier and customer details, help you keep on top of your costs and ensure that your business is running as smoothly and as profitably as possible.

Workshop Club members are eligible for a 10 per cent discount on their first year of a Dragon2000 software subscription – and they get the free Vehicle Health Check app too.

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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Tuesday, May 23, 2017 The Wing, Silverstone CDX17 will be bigger than ever, with a larger expo, plus more workshops and breakout sessions STAND BOOKINGS BEING TAKEN NOW!

To register your interest please call 023 9252 2434 or email events@blackballmedia.co.uk WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

| 33

MY PROJECT CAT.

NO, THAT’S NOT A MISTAKE! LAURA THOMSON EXPLAINS EVERYTHING...

Once we’ve worked through the list, she’ll be ready fur anything!

T

his month, we are injecting a little humour into the Workshop Magazine Project Car page – hence the re-title you’ve no doubt noticed at the top.

The reason? Well, every year, our sister magazine, Car Dealer, organises a charity rally called Bangers4BEN. And every year, the Car Dealer team (who are pretty much the same as the Workshop mag team, to be honest) find a suitably shabby car to dress up as something wacky and wonderful before we set off.

This year’s event takes a Ferrari theme.

Myself and friendly techie Jonny Reay will be piloting our chosen motor down through France into Italy, where we will stop off at Maranello, home of the Prancing Horse, then back again – a distance of more than 1,700 miles.

Choosing a car in which to tackle the trip is always part of the fun, and this year it was the Ford SportKa you see before you that tickled our fancy. After spotting it online, off went Jonny Reay with £750 in his hand to secure the 135,000mile, 54-plate, dark blue model.

We’ve decided to turn the Ka into a cat (see what we’ve done there?) but a number of mechanical issues need to be fixed before the faux fur can be stuck on, and the whiskers applied for the trip.

And by a number of issues, we mean a lot.

While JReay had hoped he had found something relatively reliable, a trip to our local Halfords Autocentre quickly proved otherwise.

Despite holding a current MOT, approximately £1,130-worth of repairs are required to get the vehicle completely up to scratch.

What could cost so much on a £750 banger, you may ask?

Well, among the list handed back to us (see above) were a slipping aux belt, two worn tyres and a perished brake hose.

Suffice to say, it wasn’t a set of tasks we could tackle ourselves. With Bangers4BEN fast

34 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

The issues with the car: n Aux belt slipping n Brake fluid needs changing n Coolant needs changing n Power steering fluid needs changing n Offside front anti-roll bar – excessive play n Offside front brake hose perished to the point of splitting n Offside front driveshaft boot split n Two tyres worn beyond 1.6mm n Rear drums at the limit n Rear shoes at the limit

Approx cost £1,136

What we’ve had done: n Aux belt replaced n Two tyres replaced n Minor service

£401.89

approaching, the decision was taken to have just enough work done to make the car roadworthy.

So, after its Halfords day trip, EN54 WTP returned to the office looking slightly less sorry for itself. It boasted a new aux belt, two new tyres and had undergone a minor service.

That little lot alone cost more than half the car’s value – £401.89 to be precise While we searched around for alternative quotes for some of the other jobs, the less mechanical task of applying fur to the car was being organised.

Industrial-strength glue will be used to attach the ‘fur’ (in reality, a £200 length of material) and added trim effects will form the features.

As Workshop goes to print, Bangers4BEN is just a week away, so it’s going to be a struggle to get our wheels working in time.

One thing totally sorted, however, is our accompanying costumes. Mr Reay will dress as a pigeon, while I will be a mouse.

Don’t ask – it’s all in the name of charity…

”

The less mechanical task of applying the fur is under way...

PRODUCTS.

In The Air Tonight

SIP Industrial Products’ new range of Airmate Sirio screw compressors replaces the previous generation Airmate Saturn models, offering robust, powerful and non-stop 24-hour operation without a drop in performance.

Designed and manufactured in Italy, the Airmate Sirio runs from a 400v (20amp) supply and models are available with a 270 or 500 litre air receiver. ES models also come with integrated refrigeration dryers.

Daddy Cool

Denso’s compressor range now includes an additional 25 new OE parts, covering an extra 120 applications for major vehicle manufacturers including Audi, Mercedes-Benz and Peugeot. It brings Denso’s total airconditioning compressor programme to more than 2,500 applications, allowing workshops to meet a growing demand for original equipment quality compressor units.

Magical Mystery Tour

New for you

Premium tyre maker Hankook presented this state-of-the-art tyre for long-distance European coach travel at this year’s IAA for Commercial Vehicles. The Hankook SmartTouring AL22 is available in the sizes 295/80R22.5 and 315/80R22.5 from market launch and is suitable for all long-distance coach wheels in all axle positions. A solid central rib is designed to deliver an excellent straight driving performance, while individual belt layers are arranged to reduce rolling resistance for improved fuel economy and service life.

Looking For Clues

Afternoon T

A handy addition to the comprehensive Laser Tools socket range, this T-handle Socket Set is ideal for reaching difficult-to-access fasteners.

The 1/4-inch drive handle comes with 11 sockets from 4-13mm and features a locking device to ensure that the socket doesn’t become detached from the handle somewhere in the recesses of the engine bay. With a 195mm long neck, the T-handle has a soft grip for comfort and is supplied with a storage rail.

PRODUCT TESTS

The Clarke CIC2410 Inspection Camera is a versatile tool which can be used for viewing objects in inaccessible areas. Using four LEDs which have five light settings to provide the right level of brightness required in a given area, the device transmits images from its one metre long flexible probe to a 61mm, 320x240 LCD screen. The image can be flipped or rotated up to 180 degrees on screen, and magnetic pick up and hook attachments are supplied.

GAS TORCHES: P36

WORKSHOP WORKWEAR: P38

OUR EXPERTS TEST POLISHING PADS: P40 WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

| 35

PRODUCTS. TEST 17

Gas torches Our expert tester ANDREW EVANS examines some products that provide useful heat from a compact package – very handy for a range of workshop tasks.

E

very now and then – more often if you’re habitually working on something towards the classic end of the scale – you’ll find a nut so rusted it will stubbornly resist all attempts to loosen it.

It’s always worth getting a little heat on the situation, and while the induction heaters our expert panel tested a couple of issues ago are neat, they are pricey and not terribly portable – as can also be said of a full-on oxy-acetylene torch.

For on-the-spot and in-the-field versatility, then, what you need is a good portable gas torch, to get the heat where you need it and loosen off that awkward fastener. We’ve been testing five likely candidates.

Sealey Maxi AK2957 How much: £35.25 Where from: toolstop.co.uk This product bears a lot of similarity to our recommended Sievert and in fact has a better flow control dial thanks to it being mounted on top rather than within the handle. The flame is disappointingly short by comparison, though, and while that makes it a little more accurate close-up, it takes a good while to heat things up – certainly behind our two leaders.

Generally, however, it’s a good, usable bit of kit.

HHHHH

Sievert EasyJet How much: £52.79 Where from: machinemart.co.uk By comparison to the Handyjet, the Easyjet is a little disappointing. It’s easier to operate the gas flow, but we found it a little more reluctant to light and when it did, the flame it generated was short and relatively diffuse. That corresponded to the Easyjet being one of the slowest torches to actually heat things up, but the length of the nozzle means it is a little easier to get the flame directly onto things when compared to the teapot-style torches.

HHHHH

36 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

Sievert HandyJet How much: £26.39 Where from: machinemart.co.uk The Handyjet is a great little piece of kit which deserves its recommended place here – in fact it’s a very similar model to the torch you’ll already find in the Workshop garage. The flow control is a little awkward to operate, perhaps, as it’s a rotary switch housed inside the handle and you’ll need a second hand to turn it on or off, but in terms of its ability to get things glowing, it’s second only to the Rothenberger. The long and powerful flame might be a little hard to wield with precision though.

HHHHH

HOW WE TESTED THEM Sealey Micro AK2955 How much: £26.96 Where from: tool-net.co.uk

Given that the basic purpose of these torches is to get things hot, the focus of the test was how long – using the same gas canister – the torches would take to heat up some of the leftover rusted bolts from the earlier penetration fluid test – and crucially nothing else around them. We’ve also looked at how easy the torches are to operate reliably.

The major problem here isn’t with the flame the torch produces, but with the torch body itself.

It’s an exceptionally compact piece of kit in all dimensions and it’s very difficult to operate without getting your knuckles in the way. The short nozzle puts your hands in close proximity to the flame and the relatively short flame means you’re never too far away from what you’re trying to heat. It does a fair job of actually getting the temperature up, but you’re going to need a decent pair of heatproof gloves to use this one every day.

HHHHH

Rothenberger Super Fire 2 How much: £56.48 Where from: amazon.co.uk The Super Fire 2 is nothing short of excellent. The long, angled nozzle makes it easy to get the heat where you need it, away from the bulk of the gas canister, and it got our fixings up to glowing heat before any of the others. Unlike the other torches here, once done with it, you can switch it off with a single button rather than turn the gas flow down. There is a minor chink in the armour in that the union between the torch body and the gas canister is an odd size and you’ll need to either put up with buying different gas or pick up an adapter.

HHHHH

WorkShopMagazine.co.uk WorkShopMagazine.co.uk | 37

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PRODUCTS. TEST 18

Workshop workwear

ANDREW EVANS has got it covered!

Well, he’s got himself covered as he looks at some of the most popular overalls on the market and compares and contrasts their qualities...

W

hen it comes to workshop workwear, there’s nothing quite so ubiquitous as overalls. Without even mentioning the health and safety requirements, overalls are part of the mechanic’s classic ‘look’.

Designed to keep the worst parts of a working automotive environment away from the bulk of your skin and clothes, overalls are probably the most essential piece of workshop equipment – even hobbyists don a set before heading into their own garages.

Since they are so crucial to the trade, we’ve been testing five of the best-selling overalls we could find to see which we’d keep in our garage.

38 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

Würth Modyf Basic

Dickies Cotton Coverall

How much: £29.33 Where from: Würth supplier

How much: £24.95 Where from: dickiesstore.co.uk

Although this set of overalls relies on a zip as the main fastener, the fact it’s a nylon affair with wide teeth makes it a very sensible prospect in a busy workshop and gives you the extra protection of a fully-sealed front. Though fairly heavy, these denim-effect overalls are rather hard to damage and you’re not going to build up too much of a sweat from wearing them. Add in a decent array of pockets plus great stain resistance and you’ve got a winning package.

While first impressions are good here, with the high-vis strips catching the eye in even very low light levels, the copy-book is immediately blotted with a fiddly metal zip fastening at the front. With all the swarf and muck flying about a busy workshop, it’s inevitable that this zip will be damaged or at least gummed up pretty quickly. Wearing the overalls all day long might get you a bit toasty too – they’re a little heavy – and we found that the reflective strips were quite easy to catch on sharp parts.

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HOW WE TESTED THEM As you’re going to be wearing these all day long, we’ve been looking at how easy they are to get on and off, how comfortable they are and what they’re like to live with.

We’ve also had a look at how resistant they are to various fluids and how easy it is to snag or tear them when you are elbow-deep in a busy engine bay.

Dickies Redhawk

Würth Modyf Starline

Draper BS2 Click Boilersuit

How much: £19.99 Where from: dickiesstore.co.uk

How much: £39.99 Where from: Würth supplier

How much: £23.98 Where from: drapertools.com

This set owes a lot to the traditional navy overalls.

Just like the classic set, these fasten up with poppers, with simple pockets. It’s the material that really makes these overalls though, which we found to be nicely lightweight for prolonged wear, fairly resistant to catching on sharp parts of cars and good at shrugging off liquid spills. The colour has the additional bonus that you can easily spot grease and oil smears before you wipe them across your forehead. It’s a simple set of overalls with plenty to recommend it.

Most of what applies to the similarly high-visibility Dickies Cotton Coverall overalls applies to this set of Würth overalls too. We found them particularly stuffy and heavy – so probably a good set with winter fast approaching! Like the lower-rated Dickies set, they have a metal zip for the main fastener, which again doesn’t seem like the best idea even if sealing the front offers more protection, but there’s a couple of extra Velcro pockets that make them a little more useful. They’re rather sturdy too, and resist damage well.

This particular product needs very little comment. It’s the one we’re all familiar with: the classic, navy overalls with poppers all the way up the front that everyone thinks of when you say ‘overalls’. In many respects you can’t really go wrong with these and that’s probably why they’re regarded as a classic item. That said, they’re a little featureless by comparison with some of the other products here.

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WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

| 39

PRODUCTS. TEST DRIVE

Garage test: Polishing sponges Our expert professional testers – John, Dan and Stephen – give us their verdicts on three of the best-selling examples.

John Race Marske Car Body Repairs, Redcar

Dan Sandells Prestige Diesels & Sports, Portsmouth

Stephen Banbury Accident Repair Centre, Gosport

How John rated them: 1 3M; 2 Sealey; 3 Draper

How Dan rated them: 1 Sealey; 2 Draper; 3 3M

How Stephen rated them: 1 Sealey; 2 3M; 3 Draper

A one-man show, Marske Car Body Repairs does everything from full resprays to minor damage work.

Prestige is a car dealership in Portsmouth with more than a few Used Car Awards from our sister publication Car Dealer Magazine to its name.

Accident Repair Centre, Gosport is an all-purpose bodyshop established for the past 35 years.

3M Compounding Pad

Sealey Buffing & Polishing Foam Head

Price: £18.85/box of 2 From: 3M supplier

Price: £5.95 each From: sealey.co.uk

John This is one of the heads I use regularly myself, so I know what to expect with it.

John This one is surprisingly good – it’s almost a match for the 3M head when it

It has excellent cutting properties so it’s great for doing detailed work and has a very long life – which is why I buy it myself!

Dan It cut very well but it gripped too much and it ended up with too much pressure, putting the machine under too much stress. It did a great job but it’s too much of an effort if you’re doing a whole car. You could go to town on a deep scratch and it would get rid of it quite quickly, but doing the whole car is not advisable! It’s one for small repairs rather than full panels.

Stephen It’s a good disk. It’s malleable and durable and works really well. It takes in all the compound without a fuss, works with all the angles and details and the Velcro holds really well. It’s a good disk and really does prove its worth.

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comes to cutting and it actually has a slightly longer life too, which I wouldn’t have believed beforehand. It does a good job all round, so it’d be pretty good value for money by comparison.

Dan This was really impressive, both for cutting and finishing. The only thing was that it broke up really quickly – I could get two to three cars out of one head, whereas I get about six out of the ones we use. Other than that, I really enjoyed using it – it did the job as it should and didn’t put any undue pressure on the machine, it just made a mess with loads of fluffy bits everywhere.

Stephen It’s very good value for money. Works just as well as the 3M, covers really well. Does the same job, lasts just as long, it sticks well and doesn’t come off. It’s a really good disk. For value for money I’d put this ahead of the 3M – there’s not a lot in it when it comes to polishing, really.

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40 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

Draper Polishing Bonnet Price: £19.70 each From: drapertools.com

John It’s pretty good on large areas, so good for doing entire panels at once, but not so great for

smaller, detailed stuff. It’s a little unwieldy to use due to its size and you have to be careful to keep the speed down with it, but overall it worked pretty well.

Dan This one will do a good job really quickly because it’s huge! With intricate details like under the handles and wing mirrors especially, it’d be very difficult – I wouldn’t say impossible, but you’d have more chance of damaging the vehicle. Normally, you don’t want to be running the head beyond 1,500rpm, and if you’ve got a bigger head the outside edges will move a lot faster and you might burn the paint away.

Stephen These are good for bonnets and roofs. You can get away with using them on the sides of large doors – any large areas. They compound really well and stick well – they’re quite good. They’re a bit large for detail and you really have to know how to handle your mop with one of these because the weight and speed changes.

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WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

| 41

FOCUS ON

TOTAL LUBRICANTS

THE AWARD-WINNING LUBRICANT SUPPLIER YOU CAN TOTALLY TRUST TOTAL LUBRICANTS T: 01977 636 200 W: LUBRICANTS.TOTAL.COM TOTAL Lubricants has spoken of its delight at winning the 2016 Workshop Power Award for Lubricants Supplier of the Year. The company was also thrilled to receive the winning prize for Best Customer Care, and to be highly commended in the Extra Mile Award category.

Lee Evans, Automotive Sales Manager at TOTAL Lubricants, said: ‘Whilst TOTAL is a major international energy company, our UK-based lubricants operation is dedicated to a local approach.

‘We still manufacture in the UK – the only major lubricant player who does so, and our services are very much tailored to our customers’ needs. Importantly in these days of tight margins, TOTAL offers a premium product at a competitive price.

‘We believe that these factors are valued by our customers and this is why we’ve been so successful in the customer-voted Workshop Power Awards.’

Evans added: ‘It’s always gratifying to win awards but to be recognised amongst the best suppliers of products and services at the Workshop Power Awards was particularly special as they are the only ones voted for by those who matter most – our customers. We would like to thank all those who voted for us for their continued loyalty.

‘As a proud supplier to the industry, we believe that establishing ourselves as a supplier of choice requires that we be different. For us, this means supporting our customers with premium-quality products and services that help them to maximise their profitability; whilst at the same time delivering exceptional customer care.’

TOTAL knows that whether you’re a workshop that services a single manufacturer’s models or a garage that works on all brands, you need to stay ahead of the curve.

And a good way of doing this is by offering the newest technology and highest quality products to your customers.

TOTAL works hard to anticipate your needs so that you can meet the requirements of your most passionate and demanding customers. They don’t compromise on quality and exceptional service, so why should you?

Consumers are loyal to the brands that have a proven track record of high-level performance.

By carrying TOTAL lubricants, you automatically elevate your garage to the upper echelon, telling your customers that you’re committed to maximising power and performance.

It’s no coincidence that so many manufacturers choose TOTAL lubricants to power their products from the first fill to the service fill. TOTAL offers a vast product range that meets the daily use requirements of all types of vehicles (cars, twowheelers, trucks and buses, public works vehicles, agricultural equipment, boats) and industrial equipment.

The company’s products are derived directly from research conducted for racing champions and they comply with the most stringent international standards and OEM homologations.

TOTAL lubricants cover every need you may have, whether you’re a single-brand or a multi-brand garage.

Known for their expertise, passion, and the prestige of their products, TOTAL Lubricants works closely with garages to help them achieve their full potential.

The company’s lubricants blending plant in Ferrybridge, West Yorkshire houses an on-site laboratory, which uses the latest equipment available to test 100 per cent of products manufactured for complete traceability and peace of mind.

TOTAL also invests in extensive research and development programmes to make sure that it is constantly producing innovative products that always out-perform their predecessors, whilst saving fuel and protecting the environment.

TOTAL Lubricants UK: Global resources, national coverage, local support.

“

Whilst TOTAL is a major international energy company, our UK-based lubricants operation is dedicated to a local approach.

42 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

Winners. ©DPPI

F1 GRAND PRIX OF GREAT BRITAIN, JULY 2016

FORMULA 1 205 VICTORIES SINCE 1968 27 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP TITLES 14 DRIVERS’ TITLES 13 CONSTRUCTORS’ TITLES

FIA WTCC WORLD TOURING CAR RACE OF ARGENTINA, AUGUST 2016

©DPPI

TOTAL HAS WON IT ALL.

WRC 93 VICTORIES IN 176 ENTRIES SINCE 1999

WTCC

17 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP TITLES SINCE 2003

2 CONSECUTIVE WORLD CHAMPION TITLES IN 2014/2015:

8 WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP MANUFACTURERS’ TITLES

TAKING VICTORIES IN 37 OUT OF 48 RACES

9 WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP DRIVERS’ TITLES

FIA WEC WORLD ENDURANCE CHAMPIONSHIP, MEXICO, SEPTEMBER 2016

WEC ASTON MARTIN LEADING THE FIA WORLD ENDURANCE CHAMPIONSHIP GT MANUFACTURERS TITLE

WRC WORLD RALLY CAR CHAMPIONSHIP, FINNISH RALLY, JULY 2016

©DPPI

Again.

©DPPI ©RED BULL CONTENT POOL

Double award winner Lubricants Supplier of the Year Best Customer Care

Keeping your engine younger for longer WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

| 43

FOCUS ON

PAGID

PAGID MARKS END OF SUMMER WITH BRAKE-AWAY WINNER PAGID

W: PAGIDPROFESSIONAL.CO.UK

THIS summer, Pagid gave one lucky customer the holiday of a lifetime. Ben Darcy, owner of Darcy’s of Durham, won a trip to the island of Mauritius in the Pagid Summer Brake-Away promotion. All customers ordering Pagid braking products from Euro Car Parts during July could enter the Summer Brake-Away competition, with the grand prize winner bagging a week in the heart of the Indian Ocean.

Nine other customers also got a winning ticket – four earned a weekend break each at a Radisson Blu Hotel, and five are now looking good in blue-tinted Ray-Ban sunglasses!

Grand prize winner Ben Darcy, pictured in the centre below, receiving his prize, said: ‘I’m so glad that I entered the Pagid Summer Brake-Away competition. To be honest, we did wonder whether anyone actually wins the big prizes in competitions like these, so I was delighted when Pagid told me I’d won a holiday to Mauritius! We can’t wait to jet off!’

Sadie Parker, business development manager at Pagid, said: ‘We like to give back to our customers, so we were delighted to inform our grand prize winner that he had won the holiday of a lifetime.

... AND HERE’S ANOTHER CHANCE TO WIN WITH PAGID! AFTERMARKET brake supplier Pagid is conducting a survey to discover workshops’ priorities when it comes to selecting aftermarket brands – with a prize worth more than £500 on offer for taking part.

The four-question survey is intended to help the company gather information on what challenges workshops face in general, what technicians look for when choosing aftermarket parts and their opinions on braking brands.

By sharing their views in Pagid’s survey, respondents will also be entered into a competition, with the opportunity to

44 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

win a ‘Fully Loaded Pagid Kit’ worth more than £500.

Pagid business development manager Sadie Parker said: ‘At Pagid, we are continually developing products, tools and training courses for our valued customers, so it’s vital for us to listen to them to see what their issues are, what they look for in braking, and how we can make their workdays more efficient.’

Workshops, mechanics and technicians can have their say at www.pagid.com/survey. Entries are open until the end of October and the results will be published later this year.

‘It was great to make nine other Pagid customers happy too! The Summer Brake-Away showcases the culture we have here at Pagid – building strong relationships with garages and technicians.

‘We are dedicated to supporting the community; whether that’s through training with our Pagid Professional Academy, or sending customers half-way across the world!’

Named after Dutch Prince Maurice Van Nassau, Mauritius is very popular with holidaymakers and is known for its natural beauty, flora and fauna.

“

The Summer Brake-Away showcases the culture we have at Pagid – building strong relationships with garages and technicians.

FOCUS ON

DRAPER TOOLS

QUALITY PRODUCTS PLUS A GREAT LEVEL OF CUSTOMER SERVICE

BATTERY DIAGNOSTIC TOOL WITH BUILT-IN PRINTER STOCK No. 64583

T: 023 8026 6355 W: DRAPERTOOLS.COM DRAPER enjoyed a successful evening at the inaugural Workshop Power Awards, coming away with two awards.

The company’s power tool range saw Draper picking up a Highly Commended prize, while in the Hand Tool Supplier of the Year category, the company scored an overall win.

If you follow Workshop Magazine’s product testing pages every month, Draper’s high positions in the award categories won’t come as much of a surprise to you.

Whenever we test Draper products – whether it’s hand tools, power tools or protective gear and consumables – we find they usually merit a Recommended or Best Buy rating. Our panel of professional experts often concurs, giving high rankings to Draper products whatever the type.

Nevertheless, our product tests can only go so far. While we assess the equipment as objectively as we can over a short period of time, the Power Awards represent a much more in-depth assessment. As these are opinions gathered from the trade, the Power

Awards may include aspects such as the longer-term reliability of the products and their longevity, but more importantly the company itself as a supplier. This could cover customer relations, product support and speed of service, for example, and represents a broader opinion of the brand than a lab-based product assessment.

With the Power Awards nominations coming anonymously from workshops, technicians and colleagues within the industry itself, picking up the two trophies should be considered as a validation and ringing endorsement of the motor industry’s perception of the Draper brand for quality of equipment and standard of service.

ALLOWS QUICK AND EASY DIAGNOSTICS OF 12V VEHICLE BATTERIES CHARGING SYSTEMS AND CRANKING ABILITY UNIVERSAL UNIT TESTS FLOODED LEAD ACID, AGM FLAT PLATE, AGM SPIRAL WOUND AND GEL BATTERIES CAN PRINT TEST RESULTS IMMEDIATELY OR STORE ON BOARD FOR DOWNLOAD TO PC AT A LATER DATE

QUALITY SINCE 1919 WWW.DRAPERTOOLS.COM JOIN OUR SOCIAL CHANNELS

WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

| 45

FOCUS ON

PRO-ALIGN

THERE IS AN ACHON PRODUCT FOR EVERYONE, TO MAKE LIFE EASIER AND SAFER ALL ROUND

T: 01327 323007 W: PRO-ALIGN.CO.UK PRO-ALIGN is delighted to announce that it has adopted the distributorship for Achon products, bringing quality supportive tyre equipment for those workshop and tyre service centres that have high tyre servicing throughput or want to improve safety at their sites.

From small independent garages and workshops through to high-level dealer tyre programmes, there is an Achon product for everyone.

They can not only make your life easier, they can also make the working environment safer for you and your team.

Chris Ivory, Pro-Align product manager, said: ‘When we were approached by Achon, it was obvious that their ethos was similar to Pro-Align’s own.

‘Achon supportive tyre equipment is of quality build and delivers an outstanding level of efficiency, plus it aims to Any size of tyre shop or workshop should not be without improve productivity and, more importantly, safety. an Easi Wheel trolley – it makes manoeuvring lots of tyres ‘Achon equipment very much complements and supports around the workshop simple yet organised. our own Hunter complete wheel servicing equipment, and PA200we Comp CDW FINAL_Layout 1 For 16/08/2016 10:26 1 wheel and tyre ultra-efficiency in highPage throughput together can offer greatAdvert business142x190 opportunities.’

Achon and ProAlign have a similar ethos and the two firms are sure to work well together centres, Achon’s modular Speedline system is the efficiency and safety king. For commercial vehicle tyre-fitting workshops, the Achon safety inflation cage and computer inflator is a must – it’s never worth skimping on safety.

FREE aligner for one lucky workshop Enter our 25th Anniversary competition to

WIN

a PA200 Plus or PA200 HGV “During our 25 year history, we’ve seen many workshops around the country use wheel alignment as a fundamental tool to grow their business and build a better future. So to mark our milestone anniversary it seemed only right to give something back and transform the fortunes of one more business, by equipping an automotive or commercial workshop with our latest Hunter system. Paul Beaurain, MD, Pro-Align.

Enter our online quiz at www.pro-align.co.uk/win All correct entries will go into the prize draw - Be in it to WIN it!

Competition page opens 1st September - Closing date: 30th November 2016

Terms & Conditions apply

Tel: 01327 323007 www.pro-align.co.uk 46 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

@ProAlignLtd

@Pro_Align #WINPA200

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Daily motoring news where you help choose what’s important. From the makers of award-winning @CarDealerMag straight out of @BlackballMedia

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Ferrari Celebrates 70 Years With New Liveries

Take Grape Care Not To Skid On Slippery Commune Roads!

Ferrari turns 70 next year, and although the Italian brand has celebrated with the unveiling of its jaw-dropping LaFerrari Aperta, a little more showing off seems to be in order! superunleaded.com/?p=17242

We all know wine and driving don’t mix… but for motorists in a French commune, where signs warning of a grape juice skid risk have popped up, it’s dangerous for another reason. superunleaded.com/?p=17215

Ken Block And BJ Baldwin Go Hooning In Off-Road Buggies

Five Of The Coolest Cars At This Year’s Paris Motor Show

Viral car video veterans Ken Block and BJ Baldwin gathered a group of friends and split into two teams to face-off with a fleet of Can-Am Maverick X3s. superunleaded.com/?p=17204

When you love cars, few things are as exciting as one of the biggest motor shows of the year.

We hunted around the biennial Paris Motor Show to find the hottest metal on display. superunleaded.com/?p=17195

Here’s A Parking Ticket You Really Can’t Ignore

McLaren Reveals All-Electric P1… And It’s Child’s Play!

An American company has come up with brutal way of letting you know that you’ve parked in the wrong place. The device is effectively a massive yellow rectangle. superunleaded.com/?p=17139

When McLaren unveiled its latest version of the P1 as an all-electric model, you’d think this would be a ground-breaking event. But in actual fact, it’s a car just for youngsters! superunleaded.com/?p=17075

FIM Gives Middle Finger To Rude Hand Gestures

Nissan Makes A Chair That Queues By Itself

After Valentino Rossi gave fellow MotoGP racer Aleix Espargaró a middle-finger salute, the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) has introduce new fines for riders. superunleaded.com/?p=17035

If there’s one thing the British are good at, it’s queueing. Which is why this new chair from Nissan needs to make its way to the UK as soon as possible. superunleaded.com/?p=17090 WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

| 47

OUR FLEET.

Nissan Leaf Financial benefits of going for an all-electric car were a no-brainer

W

hen there is talk of plugs and points in the Workshop office, it’s inevitably referring to the ignition of whatever old nail someone is trying to get running this week. But I’ve moved firmly into the 21st Century and embraced the future with a Nissan Leaf.

So, why did we decide to go for a 100 per cent electric car? Well, the truth is it wasn’t such a leap of faith. I’d run one before for three years as a company car in a previous job and it quickly became our main car as it was so nice to drive and almost free to fuel. I loved it.

So when my previous runabout began to look a little shabby (I seemed to have bought the world’s only rusty BMW Mini Clubman) I started to look around for a replacement.

I’d presumed a Leaf would be out of my price range, but the truth is they are seriously, seriously cheap at the moment.

How cheap? Have a look for yourself. I traded in the rotten Mini and took out HP for three years with monthly payments that are less than the cost of fuel we put in the Mini. For a wellequipped 15-plate car with fewer than 10,000 miles, that’s the sort of economics I can’t ignore.

The car is still under warranty so I’m not going to start tinkering too much with it, but there

are a few things to tackle. First, I need to rid the interior of the shiny, fragranced gloop applied to the dashboard by the valeter. I’m not sure how, though – any tips gratefully received.

Then there’s a wheel scuff that has mysteriously appeared since my wife drove the car. I’m also going to investigate the winter tyre options for the Leaf. This is our school-run car and I don’t want to give the kids any reason to bunk off when the snow comes.

Model: Nissan Leaf Acenta 24kW Owned by: Tom Barnard Engine: 80kW electric Bought for: £8,800 Mileage: 8,816 Money spent this month: £0 Highlight: Parking for nothing in the centre of town and getting a free fill-up at the same time

MG Metro Turbo Proud to be one in 26, despite a worrying loss of power on a dual carriageway AFTER having its sagging backside remedied and stinging me for even more cash, the Metro decided to repay my loyalty in its typical fashion – by losing all power on a dual carriageway.

Granted, there’s not a lot of power in the first place, but you do tend to need what’s there when it comes to trying to stay ahead of tired HGV drivers. Fortunately, the slump in power didn’t see the car come to a complete stop, and

some frantic dipping of the clutch and revving saw drive restored, but it’s a clear sign that something’s amiss with the fuelling or ignition.

For once, though, I can forgive this ‘minor’ indiscretion. Since my garage changed the rear displacers the Metro is driveable and it’s been out at least once a week, each trip creeping into double-figure mileage and getting a little longer as the chances of it catching fire or breaking down

OUR CARS... WE LOVE CARS HERE AT WORKSHOP AND HERE’S PROOF.WE’VE WRITTEN ABOUT THEM AND EVERYTHING...

FORD FIESTA XR2

VW TYPE 3 FASTBACK

NISSAN LEAF

HONDA CBR600RR

SUBARU IMPREZA STI

by James Baggott Chief executive, @CarDealerEd

by Rebecca Chaplin Head of content, @BelieveBecca

by Tom Barnard OnCue MD, @TomBarnardPR

by Laura Thomson Staff writer, @lauramayrafiki

by Jon Reay Multimedia manager, @JonReay

It’s still there, I checked. When I pushed the 205 in alongside it, I made sure it was OK. It was.

Good news.

It has been a bit of a slog this month but a worthwhile one as the T3 prepares to fight off rust in wetter months.

It was a pleasant surprise to find that I could easily afford this all-electric beauty after ditching my rusty, shabby Mini Clubman.

The CBR is revelling in its newly fitted, super-grippy tyres, especially on a recent rainy trip. I, however, didn’t enjoy getting my feet wet.

Jon has been toying with selling the Impreza and moving on to Subaru pastures new. Want to buy it? Get in touch. Please?

48 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

VW Type 3 Fastback

BMW 330D Touring

Time to patch things up ahead of the wet winter weather we’ve got coming

Fingers crossed as MOT day approaches.

Will it dent the bank account badly?

IT’S all been about hard graft with the Type 3 Fastback this month. It was nice to get a decent stint throughout the summer months, but now autumn is definitely closing in.

Already the days are feeling shorter and my headlamps are getting some use on my commute in and my return journey home.

This means one thing is for certain: rain.

That’s why this month I’ve been trying to get the worst parts of my car patched up and prepared for the wet winter weather.

On the visible panels there are a few dings and not-so-perfect parts that needed painting, particularly on the section where we removed the dent earlier in the year. Yes, we pushed it back but unfortunately I never patched up the cracked and chipped paint.

Cosmetically, it still isn’t looking like a shining example, but at least it’s a bit better protected. It’s a shame in my honest opinion, because I love the distressed patina on the roof, but these cracked sections make me think that eventually I will have to bite the bullet and repaint the whole car.

Luckily, the photos published in the magazine don’t show how bad previous paint jobs have been. For some reason, a previous

owner decided to respray the whole front end with rattle cans and patch the crumbling lip of the bonnet with filler.

I can’t give him too much grief because the paintwork could fool you as a professional job, but the filler, well, that’s just nasty.

There’s a definite clear line between two different shades of blue on the bottom half of the car compared with the top, too…

Worst of all, the lower part has been painted black to prevent stone chips.

Always a treatment I admire – if you can’t stop the paint being ruined, just paint over it with matt black.

Anyway, my most pressing job will be rubbing down the sills and patching them up. Not a huge job but one that really needs to be done.

seemingly lessen. Despite the temperature gauge steadily climbing, the car also coped with a stopstart rush-hour drive, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the grumbling water pump calls it a day soon.

For now, though, according to the website howmanyleft.co.uk, I can truly say I have one of the 26 MG Metro Turbos actually on the road.

JAGUAR X-TYPE ESTATE

Model: Volkswagen Type 3 Fastback 1600E Owned by: Rebecca Chaplin Engine: 1.6-litre Bought for: £3,500 Mileage: 92,256 Money spent this month: £15 Highlight: Getting things in order for wetter months

BELFORT has had a relatively slow-moving month. Battery fully installed he’s now a reliable starter, which takes away some of the fright from leaving him alone for a few weeks.

Of course, a lack of movement does mean that the brakes have started to cake up a little bit. A quick drive recently got rid of this, but the car’s close location to the sea means that this work is very quickly undone.

The 330 has been showing its immense storage ability, though, swallowing up skateboards, wetsuits and suitcases with ease. Unfortunately, that’s part of the problem – it’s being used more as a wardrobe than an estate car.

The car is definitely holding together well, though, and the tyres have at last begun retaining air properly. This is no fault of the rubber, as it seems that the alloys are leaking air instead.

The Continental winter tyres still have plenty of tread and look well geared for the incoming bad weather.

A good service is definitely on the agenda, as is its upcoming MOT. Last year’s test threw up all manner of problems, with welding needed – as well as a complete engine clean. Hopefully, this year’s inspection won’t result in quite such drastic attention, but you can rest assured that my fingers are firmly crossed.

Model: 1986 MG Metro Turbo Owned by: Christian Tilbury Engine: 1.3-litre, 4-cylinder Bought for: £680 Mileage: 67,977 Money spent this month: £243 Highlight: Not having to call out a recovery truck – or the fire brigade

BMW 330D TOURING

MG METRO TURBO

Model: BMW 330d Touring Owned by: Jack Evans Engine: 2.9-litre turbocharged straight six Bought for: £2,600 Mileage: 147,000 Money spent this month: £0 Highlight: Seeing just how much storage space the 330 has

MAZDA MX-5

PEUGEOT 205 GTI 1.9

by James Fossdyke Staff writer, @JFossdyke

by Jack Evans News editor, @jackrober

by Christian Tilbury Staff writer, @Christilbury1

by Andrew Evans Senior staff writer, @snavEwerdnA

by James Baggott Chief executive, @CarDealerEd

After a service, the Jag passed its MOT. An intermittent exhaust fault, however, means a replacement catalytic converter is coming.

Jack’s 330 hasn’t moved too much but it starts regularly. The car’s boot space is definitely coming into play, though – as is its new battery.

The Metro’s back on the road and mostly driving okay, but Christian’s sure it’s only a matter of time before it starts playing up again.

The MX-5 protested at the silent treatment with a leak. This time it's electricity, and the newish battery needs an expensive charger.

The GTI was looking a bit grubby so I cleaned it. Thoroughly. It looked lovely. Then it started to rain. So I put it away again.

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OUR KEV.

OUR MAN ON THE INSIDE SPILLS THE BEANS ON THE GARAGE BUSINESS...

We had bad news for an MGB owner – and he wasn’t happy I mentioned a few months back in this column about a local garage run by a chap called Del, which had closed down when the old boy finally retired. Since then, we’ve picked up quite a few of his customers, and while the vast majority of them are a delight to serve, there are a few that used to go to Del’s specifically because his MOTs were known for being something of an easy touch.

I encountered one such customer recently, who brought his MGB in for its annual roadworthiness inspection. Now, classic car owners are normally great. They often know how to look after their own car, they always present them well for test and they’re usually confident enough on the spanners to put things right pretty quickly.

As such, if they come in for a test and their car has a fault that’s trivial enough to sort out, then I won’t so much turn a blind eye as advise them to get it fixed asap, either on the ‘advisory items’ section of the test paper or verbally, depending on what’s the matter.

This one, though, I couldn’t let go. Looking back at the MOT history on the car, I could see that there were advisory notes issued in 2006 and 2007 for corrosion to the rear of the sills. From 2008 on, these mysteriously stopped being advised.

Now, on a classic car such a thing is not unusual. On an old banger, chances are a plated repair will be welded over and 12 months later the fault will be advised again, but often when a classic gets to this stage, it’s the case that the discovery of such corrosion is the catalyst for the owner to take the car off the road and repair it properly.

Indeed, it would explain why I have a 50-year old Rover P6 sitting in my very own lock-up, where it has been awaiting some welding to the cross-member for more years than I care to remember. Like a builder’s house, a mechanic’s car is never finished.

It was clear when this car came in, however, that it wasn’t a cherished classic that had ever received a proper repair. Indeed, although it was very clean and shiny, I could tell just by looking down its flanks that it was, in fact, around 40 per cent body filler, topped off with a couple of coats of rattle-can cellulose.

My suspicions were compounded when we went underneath it with the ‘toffee hammer’. The underside of the MG was black and clean, and smelled of fresh paint. But

one whack with the hammer and the nearside floorpan completely caved in.

I asked the owner when he’d last done any work on the car, to which he replied he always gave it ‘a bit of a prep’ a week or so before the MOT. That much was evident from the date on the newspaper I extracted from the cavity between the floorpan and the sill, dated just 14 days previously. Behind it were more balled-up newspapers: one from 2014; another taking delight in our Olympic achievements in London 2012.

As we tapped the hammer further along the sill, we finally got as far as August 2007, a whole nine years previously when the MGB’s papier mâché repairs had first started to take effect.

The owner was somewhat crestfallen and stormed off in a huff. Del, apparently, only ever gave classic cars a ‘visual inspection’ as he thought that hitting them with a hammer was unfair. Not only that, he said, but our ‘needless violence’ towards his cherished classic had caused significant amounts of damage and the onus would be on us to put it right when he came after us with his solicitor.

Which is all very well, but being sued for issuing a hooky MOT after someone gets wiped out in a road accident is far more of a worry to a respectable garage like ours than incurring the wrath of an angry MGB driver who can’t be bothered to get his papier mâché Airfix kit of a car repaired because he only uses it ‘a few times a year’. Anyway, there’s now a failure note logged forever on the online MOT system as ‘Sills made of newspaper, dated 2007’.

If that doesn’t force him to get it fixed properly, I don’t know what will…

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 and has a fund of stories to tell...

50 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

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Being sued for issuing a hooky MOT after someone gets wiped out in a road accident is far more of a worry to a respectable garage like ours than incurring the wrath of an angry driver.

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