THE CAN’T PUT A PRICE ON RELIABILITY LIKE THIS ! OUR KEV: YOU
ISSUE 9 | JUNE 2016
£2.50 | WORKSHOPMAGAZINE.CO.UK
HOW I MADE IT
Life in the fast lane: The engineer who’s living her motor-racing dream
W E N S A D AS GOO
termined de is y em ad ac ng ni ai tr g rin ee on pi a Why n ai ag sh fre yor ct fa rs ca ed ag am -d nt de to make acci INVESTIGATION
Up in flames: But what’s really causing the Zafira B fires crisis?
Ten per cent off any Dickies product – and lots of other great benefits for members
RATED & RANKED Picking a clear winner: Safety glasses and protective gloves are put to the test PLUS: Our experts’ verdicts on wing protectors
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EDITORIAL
BLACKBALL MEDIA HASLAR MARINE TECHNOLOGY PARK, HASLAR ROAD, GOSPORT, PO12 2AG T: (023) 9252 2434 PRODUCTION EDITOR DAVE BROWN
dave@blackballmedia.co.uk Twitter: @CarDealerDave
FEATURES EDITOR SOPHIE WILLIAMSON-STOTHERT
CONTENTS. 26
Tooling up: How to organise your workshop with efficiency in mind
sophie@blackballmedia.co.uk Twitter: @1Sophie_W
04
Fire alarm: The issue of Vauxhall Zafiras bursting into flames won’t go away...
13
As seen on TV: Mike and Edd are back on our screens, in a new series of Wheeler Dealers
SENIOR STAFF WRITER ANDREW EVANS
andrew@blackballmedia.co.uk Twitter: @snavEwerdnA
STAFF WRITER JACK EVANS
46
jack@blackballmedia.co.uk Twitter: @jackrober
JUNIOR STAFF WRITER LAURA THOMSON
laura@blackballmedia.co.uk Twitter: @lauramayrafiki
Our Kev: Let’s hear it for a little Yaris that kept on motoring without any TLC
HEAD OF DESIGN GRAEME WINDELL
graeme@blackballmedia.co.uk Twitter: @graemewindell
PHOTOGRAPHER JONATHAN FLEETWOOD
SUITS
ADVERTISING
jd@blackballmedia.co.uk Twitter: @jfleetwoodphoto
ADVERTISING EXECUTIVE CLIFF CULVER
cliff@blackballmedia.co.uk Twitter: @CarDealerCliff
FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION finance@blackballmedia.co.uk
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER JAMES BAGGOTT james@thebaize.com Twitter: @CarDealerEd
MANAGING DIRECTOR ANDY ENTWISTLE andy@blackballmedia.co.uk Twitter: @CarDealerAndy
CONTRIBUTORS Kim Adams, Alex Wells, Jon Reay, John Bowman 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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16
Our expert tester delivers his verdict on safety glasses and protective gloves
Welcome
IT must be truly terrifying to have a car journey interrupted by your vehicle bursting into flames. Yet, as we all know, that’s what has happened to the owners of Vauxhall Zafiras in a scandal that has been rumbling on since last year. It was recently announced that nearly 235,000 Zafiras are to be recalled again for further checks after measures taken to prevent fires seem to have proven ineffective in some cases. How are Vauxhall service departments coping with the issue? What does the manufacturer itself have to say about it? Our features editor, Sophie Williamson-Stothert, investigates on pages 4-5. You may or may not be aware that Workshop Magazine is the sister title of Car Dealer, the respected monthly magazine for the motor trade. Car Dealer staged its annual CDX expo event at Silverstone during May, and although it was primarily aimed at dealers, there was plenty to attract service and repair professionals, too. Reporter Andrew Evans was present at the event and his story looking at the workshop
We visit a training centre dedicated to rigorous standards in accident repairs side of things is on page 15. Andrew’s other duties on Workshop include carrying out the product tests each month. For our June issue, he has put safety glasses and protective gloves through their paces and you can find out what he thought of the ones he tested on pages 3437. He also provides his usual round-up of what’s new to the market on page 33. There’s plenty more great reading material in another busy edition. One of our most popular features is the regular ‘Our Kev’ column on page 46 – while on page 30, I report on a conversation I had with Rob Haines, the new sales director at workwear suppliers Dickies. His company is one of our Workshop Club partners, offering a 10 per cent discount to members. Enjoy the issue.
Dave Brown, Production Editor WorkShopMagazine.co.uk
| 03
NEWS.
INVESTIGATION
VAUXHALL FEELS THE HEAT AS FIRES SCANDAL RUMBLES ON It’s taken a massive effort by members of the public, but Vauxhall has finally been forced to issue a second recall over the fire-prone Zafira B. Observers aren’t impressed. SOPHIE WILLIAMSON-STOTHERT reports
T
here’s no doubt you’ll have seen Vauxhall appearing in the news recently – and the accompanying images don’t exactly ooze qualities that one would usually associate with consumer confidence. May saw the announcement that nearly 235,000 Vauxhall Zafira B models made between 2005 and 2014 will be recalled – for the second time – because of a problem with the heating system, which has caused the popular people carriers to burst into flames. Vauxhall originally argued that the incidents were caused by ‘improper’ repairs to the people carriers’ blower motor resistors following the first outbreak of incidents, but customers shared evidence to prove otherwise. Following an independent investigation funded by a group of Zafira owners who teamed up to raise the necessary money, Vauxhall has made the decision to recall the vehicles – despite the first recall in December 2015 – in an attempt to fully correct the issue. In an official statement, the manufacturer said: ‘Our investigations had found evidence of improper repair of the blower motor resistor and its thermal fuse, which is designed to protect the blower motor system. These improper repairs, which may have been conducted without the
04 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk
owners’ knowledge, can lead to overheating of the system’s electrical components and the potential for a fire. ‘Resistors should never be repaired, they should only be replaced. Since then, we have been conducting a recall programme designed to return vehicles to their original condition. This has involved replacing the resistor in every vehicle we have inspected and the blower motor and the pollen filter in many thousands of vehicles.’ Described by the carmaker as ‘preventative action’, the latest recall involves ‘improving the overall robustness of the system’ as opposed to simply replacing the resistor and its fuse, which the firm started doing last year. Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation, welcomed Vauxhall’s latest attempt to try to solve the problem, but added: ‘Why has it taken so long? Scores of cars have gone up in flames and some were igniting even after the initial recall and refit.’ Jacqueline Young, head of group litigation at Slater and Gordon which has been representing Zafira owners who have suffered fires, said:
‘At best, Vauxhall has been woefully incompetent. At worst, they have sought to conceal a potentially life-endangering technical fault.’ In November 2015, when the fault was first brought to the public’s attention, the London Fire Brigade said it attended 71 Zafira fires – excluding arson attacks – since 2013, compared with just 38 in the previous four years. In December 2015, when Vauxhall wrote to all 234,938 Zafira owners regarding the problem, it said that the ‘improper repairs’ were those carried out on the blower motor resistor and its thermal fuse, which is designed to protect the blower motor system. Following the announcement of the new recall, a spokesman from Vauxhall said: ‘While the current action achieves the objective of returning vehicles to their original condition, after extensive investigations we have decided to go further and improve the overall robustness of the system. ‘We will therefore be initiating a second recall to
The Zafira B – another recall over fire risk
The dramatic scenes and aftermath of Vauxhall Zafira B models suddenly bursting into flames
replace the current soldered fuse resistor with a of a campaign to expose the design fault, which wax fuse resistor, so reducing the opportunity caused the vehicles to burst into flame. for manipulation. Jo and Dan Hunt got involved shortly ‘When the recalls are complete, after the news appeared on BBC’s all vehicles will have a new wax Watchdog programme. fuse resistor, a new blower motor Mrs Hunt told the Somerset and a new moulding at the base County Gazette: ‘The campaign of the windscreen to address was initially started by a lady water ingress. At the time of the called Sue Freemantle from recall, we said we would consider Ivybridge after her Zafira caught additional actions we might fire. Her family had got back in take and we have been in constant from a day out, parked the car on contact with the Driver and Vehicle the drive and taken the keys out of Standards Agency (DVSA).’ the ignition when they noticed Like the first recall, the second smoke coming from the air The fire brigade arrived one will be free for Zafira owners, vents of the car. within eight minutes, by and Vauxhall said that letters ‘They rang the fire brigade, which time the car had inviting owners into dealerships who arrived within eight gone completely were expected to be distributed minutes, by which time the car in August 2016. had gone up in flames.’ up in flames The firm has also said that Once the news began to spread, JO HUNT drivers who have not yet had the work Freemantle and a woman named from the first recall completed should still Claire Wheatley, whose Zafira had suffered take their cars to dealerships when requested. a similar fate, contacted Vauxhall, which told Of course, Vauxhall is keen to play down the them that it was an ‘isolated thermal incident’ seriousness of the recall, but it has caused a great and advised them to claim through their deal of distress among owners. insurance companies. A couple from Taunton have been at the heart That’s when Freemantle and Wheatley set up a
”
Facebook group called Vauxhall Zafira Car Fires to help spread the word. It’s reported that the group attracted 1,000 members in a fortnight and news of 180 fires was brought to their attention. It just so happens that Mr Hunt is an electrical engineer by trade, and he decided to run some tests on their own Zafira, concluding that the fault couldn’t be down to vehicles receiving improper repairs, although that’s what Vauxhall said had been the case when it issued the first recall in December 2015. He therefore teamed up with Dr Gareth Thomas – a fellow member of the Facebook group, which now has more than 14,000 members – who had come to the same conclusion that the fires were, in fact, caused by a design fault. With such a vast following on Facebook, they pulled together with the aim of funding an independent investigation, raising £10,000. The Sun newspaper matched that sum to enable the probe to go ahead and the report concluded that there was a design fault with the heater, which led to the second recall. Workshop Magazine contacted several Vauxhall repair centres but they were unwilling to comment on the situation. No-one from the manufacturer’s press office was available to talk to us, despite repeated calls. WorkShopMagazine.co.uk
| 05
06 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk
NEWS ROUND-UP What’s been making the headlines at workshops around the United Kingdom?
| ASTON MARTIN |
SCOTLAND:
The Scottish Motor Trade Association (SMTA) is working with the IMI to allow its members access to a practical solution for the delivery of the annual continuing professional development (CPD) and assessment requirements set out by the DVSA. All SMTA member businesses and their employees are able to access the annual DVSA CPD model online, and from June 1 the assessment will be available, too.
PORTADOWN:
One of Northern Ireland’s longest-standing BMW retailers has retained Accident Exchange as its accident management provider for the seventh consecutive year. The new 12-month contract continues a relationship between David Prentice BMW in Portadown and Accident Exchange, and follows a continued growth in bodyshop revenue – up 27 per cent year-to-date – and customer satisfaction.
DURHAM:
When it comes to diagnosing, repairing and replacing parts, a member of staff at Jennings Kia is top of the class after achieving master technician status. Ross Cave, 29, from Durham, has attained the highest level for a motor vehicle technician after completing practical and theory exams through the Kia Academy Training Centre in Nottingham.
WORCESTER:
‘Engineers of the future’ got a hands-on experience with MG Motor’s upcoming SUV, the MG GS, at a careers fair. Last year, colleagues from MG’s technical centre volunteered to work as ambassadors to close the skills gap affecting the UK engineering industry. As part of this role, they took along MG’s GS augmented reality kit to a career fair at Woodrush High School, which generated great interest.
DORSET:
Former Formula One racer Perry McCarthy is the new owner of Dorset-based ECU remapping specialists Topgear Tuning. Available in more than 270 dealer centres nationwide, Topgear Tuning uses state-of-the-art equipment to adjust the software that controls a vehicle’s engine, increasing power and fuel economy. McCarthy was the man inside the black racing suit of the first Stig on Top Gear.
Total named official lubricant partner TOTAL has teamed up with luxury carmaker Aston Martin and its motorsport arm Aston Martin Racing. The partnership will see the global energy company support Aston Martin Racing throughout the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), becoming the ‘official lubricant and technical partner’ of Aston Martin Racing. All three V8 Vantage GTE cars entered by Aston Martin Racing in this year’s WEC will race with Total lubricants and, for the first time outside of Formula 1, Total will provide a mobile laboratory and technical support with a dedicated engineer present at each WEC race event.
| HONOUR |
AA president King receives his OBE AA PRESIDENT Edmund King has been presented with his OBE for services to road safety. Over the past 25 years, he has worked to improve road safety in a variety of roles. As well as being president of the AA, King – who was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the 2016 New Year Honours List – is also chairman and trustee of the AA Charitable Trust for Road Safety and the Environment, and a visiting professor of transport at Newcastle University. He said: ‘I am passionate about making our roads safer and saving lives.’
| REVAMP |
Servicesure website is motorist-friendly
SILVERSTONE:
This year’s Silverstone Classic will see a most unusual event as a team attempts a restoration of a Range Rover Classic, in association with eBay. As the official parts and accessories partner to the Silverstone Classic, eBay is seeking to show that it’s an indispensable resource for restoration projects, and in an unusual twist, the build team will only be able to use parts they have bought via the site.
SERVICESURE Autocentres has revamped its website and extended its social media reach to improve the way it communicates with garages and motorists. As membership sign-ups to Servicesure have been at record levels, the network, established in 2004 by The Parts Alliance to create a group of high-quality independent garages, has needed to update its online presence. Paul Dineen, head of garage programmes for Servicesure, said: ‘This is Servicesure going up a gear. We’ve put the consumer experience first; the website is much more motoristfriendly, easy to move around and packed with helpful features and interesting information.’ WorkShopMagazine.co.uk
| 07
TO
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WHO DO YOU CONTACT WHEN YOU’RE STUCK?
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01865 870050
FAULT FINDER.
CHRIS ROUTLEDGE OF AUTOLOGIC DISCUSSES DIAGNOSTICS
Getting the blues from the exhaust? Tell-tale signs should be of help
Induction Faults (Land Rover) Models: Disco 4 and Range Rover Sport from 2010
The AssistPlus system quicky diagnoses a fault and tells you how to fix it
E
xcessive blue smoke leaking from the exhaust, especially under load, can be caused by a number of reasons. Thankfully, tell-tale signs such as lack of power and the vehicle entering limp-home mode can provide technicians with a very good idea of what’s causing the issue. Induction faults are usually triggered by oil migrating into the induction system from the right-hand bank turbo. Using the Autologic AssistPlus system, though, both the diagnosis and repair can be completed in a matter of hours. Here, we look at what to do if a 2010 Land Rover Discovery or Range Rover Sport shows signs of lack of power, rough running and excessive blue smoke, all of which can be caused by a number of faults. These symptoms are usually caused by a modified oil drain released by Land Rover that drains into the block not the sump. Before carrying out the oil drain, technicians need to check the air filter and oil drain pipe for blockages and ensure that the engine oil is at the correct level. Following those checks, they should look to see if the breather pipe to the primary turbo charger isn’t blocked or kinked. A smoke test is required on the charge air system to make sure no small boost air leaks are evident on the various joints in the system – this
could adversely affect the pressure across the turbo centre bearing. Check the scavenge pipes aren’t blocked or restricted and make sure the engine oil filter element isn’t damaged. The drain back valve in the bottom of the engine oil filter housing should be securely clipped in place, ensuring that the valve closes correctly. Always check the oil filter centre support is fitted to the oil filter cap. If the steps above do not indicate any sort of fault, that suggests you need to carry out the oil drain modification using the following tools:
n LR044556 Drain pipe Quantity: 1 n LR044555 Blanking plug and gasket kit Quantity: 1 n LR013235 Gasket Quantity: 1 Fault: Vacuum actuator Carrying out the following steps on your AssistPlus device: Drive >> 3.0L >> Dynamic data >> Turbo control. The secondary turbocharger is controlled by a vacuum-controlled turbine shutoff valve, which is located at the back of the turbo. Using the turbo dynamic control, you can check what position the turbine shut-off valve is in. The two pieces of dynamic you need to monitor are ‘turbine shut valve position measured’ and ‘turbine shut-off valve commanded’. The dynamics should mirror each other, zero per cent indicating closed and 99 per cent fully open. If the measurement does not match the command, this would cause the turbo to come online, drawing air over the airflow meter and giving you a high reading. Repair: To repair the vacuum actuator, remove the vacuum pipe from the actuator. Does the reading change on the AssistPlus? If YES, this indicates
Symptoms:
1. Excessive blue smoke 2. Lack of power 3. Rough running 4. Vehicle going into limp-home mode
Fault Codes:
n P006A-00. MAP – Mass or Volume Air Flow Correlation – Signal Amplitude > Maximum n P0235-94. Turbocharger/Supercharger Boost Sensor A Circuit – Unexpected operation n P1247-00. Turbocharger Boost Pressure Low – No sub type information n P2263-22. Turbocharger/Supercharger Boost System Performance – Signal amplitude > maximum
Main components:
n Primary turbo (variable vane) n Secondary turbo (fixed vane) n Compressor shut-off valve n Turbine shut-off valve
that there is vacuum bleeding through to the actuator. To fix this, put a vac gauge on to the actuator and apply vacuum. Does the reading change on the AssistPlus? If YES, remove the turbine shut-off valve, reconnect the position sensor and induce a vacuum again. Does the reading change on the AssistPlus? If YES, this can indicate either the turbo position being stuck or the TSOV actuator being stuck. Before fitting another TSOV, connect the vacuum and position sensor and check that the readings change on the AssistPlus. Install working TSOV and retest.
WHO IS CHRIS ROUTLEDGE?
‚ Chris is Master Technician at Autologic Diagnostics Ltd. He ll be discussing the most common vehicle faults – plus how to diagnose and fix them, fast – in Workshop Magazine every month. WorkShopMagazine.co.uk
| 09
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NEWS.
Plenty of nominations in every award category It’s only the first year of our Workshop Power event – but interest is building rapidly
I
t might seem a long way away, but Thursday, September 1 will soon come around – and for suppliers to the workshops of the UK, it’s a very important date. The reason? It’s when our inaugural Workshop Power Awards will be held, and suppliers of products and services to your sector will be hoping to pick up a gong. Now is the ideal time to complete our Workshop Power survey. The anonymous poll is designed to give power to the people – or, more accurately, to service and repair professionals. There’s been plenty of interest so far – and we are delighted to confirm we now have lots of nominations in all categories. The Workshop Power survey enables
by SOPHIE WILLIAMSON-STOTHERT @1Sophie_W professionals working at the heart of the industry to voice their opinions and have their say on the products and suppliers with whom they work. The awards follow in the footsteps of the annual Car Dealer Power awards, run by our sister publication Car Dealer Magazine. Simply type the link below into your web browser, hit enter and you’ll land on the survey webpage, where you’ll find questions about suppliers. We want to know which ones are the best and how good they are at helping you out, which parts you use and whom you go to for advice. Don’t be afraid of telling us the truth – if
someone has let you down or provided poor service, we want to hear about it. This is your chance to be critical and honest. And don’t forget, it’s completely anonymous! Categories include hand tools supplier of the year, diagnostic systems supplier of the year and trade insurance provider of the year. Once we’ve received all your answers, we’ll use them to identify our winners. By the end of the process, we should have a good idea of which suppliers are at the top of their game and which ones aren’t. We’ll be sharing our findings, so it’s highly likely that the suppliers will take notice of what you say. And we’ll hold a glitzy award night – on September 1, as we’ve said – to celebrate the achievements of our winning suppliers.
Fill in the survey at bit.ly/workshop-power – it won’t take more than 15 minutes! As your employees gear up for their annual holiday, get your garage ready to deal with the extra workloads caused by their absence. SPECIALIST PROVIDER OF CONTRACTOR MOT TESTERS, VEHICLE TECHNICIANS AND BODYSHOP PERSONNEL
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We are here to help your business. Call us on 01234 432982 autotechrecruit.co.uk WorkShopMagazine.co.uk
| 11
NEWS. | CONTRACTS |
Bridgestone chosen for BMW models BRIDGESTONE has revealed details of further contracts to supply tyres as original equipment to BMW. The company will be supplying factory-fit tyres for the BMW 7 Series and X1. The top-of-the-range luxury BMW 7 Series saloon will come equipped with Bridgestone Potenza S001 UHP sport tyres, Bridgestone’s flagship tyre engineered for high-speed performance and wet control for powerful cars. Available in six sizes in this application, all tyres come with the added safety of Run Flat Technology (RFT). Also supplied will be the Bridgestone Blizzak LM001 RFT in two sizes, for winter fitment. For the BMW X1, Bridgestone will supply its premium touring tyre, the Turanza T001.
| PRO-ALIGN |
Heavy-duty tyre changer launched WHEEL alignment and wheel service equipment supplier Pro-Align has expanded its product range with the launch of the Hunter heavy-duty tyre-changer. It includes features designed to not only speed up and make the tyrechanging process more efficient but also safer and easier for technicians. The new changer can accommodate standard truck tyres as well as supersingles, and Pro-Align managing director Paul Beaurain said: ‘Changing truck and bus tyres can be a tricky and fraught process. However, our new system reduces the risks and stresses making the process safer and quicker.’
| INTERNET |
Spark plug firm’s new YouTube channel NGK Spark Plugs (UK), one of the leading suppliers of OE spark plugs and ignition equipment, has launched a new YouTube channel. The new channel covers all aspects of NGK’s activities, including technical films regarding the correct installation for spark plugs and glow plugs, tips and tricks and the removal and installation of ignition coils. Visitors will also find videos covering NGK’s renowned European Research & Development headquarters and the company’s racing activities.
12 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk
Heritage hub is the venue for historic vehicle training ‘Our aim is to offer apprentices and students a direct line of sight to employment’ by ANDREW EVANS @snavEwerdnA
B
icester Heritage, one of the UK’s major hubs for classic and vintage vehicles, is now the fulltime home for an apprenticeship scheme and training course in historic vehicle restoration. The course, run by Banbury and Bicester College and Activate Learning, was set up in September 2014 and is designed to train students to develop their knowledge in every element of working on historic vehicles. Based at the former RAF Engine Test House at the UK’s best-preserved World War 2 Bomber Command Station, the course will immerse students into an environment where they’re surrounded by their subject and experts in the field, giving them the skills they need for a career in the historic motoring industry. Many of the buildings on the Bicester Heritage site are now being used for their original purposes, including vintage Bentley specialist Kingsbury Racing fitting engines to
p Scheme has been launched to help reduce a widening skills gap Bentleys in the old engine fitting shop and Classic Oils storing and selling heritage oils from the RAF’s lubricant store. The Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs (FBHVC), who created the course, found that half of the 28,000 employees who work in the vintage vehicle renovation industry are aged 45 or older, with businesses expected to need up to 150 apprentices a year for the next five years in order to protect the future of an industry that is worth an estimated £4.3bn a year. The scheme was thus launched to respond to a widening skills gap in the industry, training up the next generation of classic and vintage vehicle experts and enthusiasts. Daniel Geoghegan, managing director of Bicester Heritage, commented: ‘Bicester Heritage is focused on the future of our past
and, as such, skills transfer is a major pillar of our strategy. We are also delighted to see the Engine Test House, built in 1926, return to life so appropriately.’ Pablo Lloyd, chief executive of Activate Enterprise, added: ‘The historic vehicle apprenticeship was launched to develop the talent required to safeguard the future of this important and high value sector. The opportunity to locate our training programmes within the UK’s specialist centre for the classic vehicle industry is extremely exciting. ‘Our aim is to offer apprentices and students a direct line of sight to employment. ‘This move will offer them an unrivalled learning experience, surrounded by industry enthusiasts and expertise, and the chance to build vital links with employers.’
| ENVIRONMENT |
Birmingham garage joins council’s drive for cleaner air SPECIALIST independent vehicle service centre Harborne Garage has secured a contract with Birmingham City Council to support The Birmingham NOx Reduction Champions project. The team at Harborne Garage will be responsible for the conversion of 63 black cabs from diesel engines to LPG to help reduce NOx emissions in the city. Being part of the Bosch Car Service network played a huge role in Harborne
Garage being a suitable partner for the project, based on its levels of expertise, access to high-quality training and equipment, as well as its central location in Britain’s second-largest city. After 18 months of working out the technicalities of such significant conversions, the garage was a key part of the team that developed the mechanical and software solutions to make the project feasible. The team includes individuals and
companies with engineering, ECU, software and LPG expertise, with each playing a large part in the project’s success due to the very high level of skills required at every stage. Steve Law, of Harborne Garage, said: ‘We are all aware that the NOx pollution produced by many vehicles on our roads is not acceptable in the world we live in today. Eighteen months ago we set out to provide a solution for this and help clean up the air our children and grandchildren will be breathing.’
| HARD WORK RECOGNISED |
| STATISTICS |
Car manufacturing makes big gains UK car manufacturing continued to make significant gains in April, according to figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. Almost 150,000 cars were built in the month, a 16.4 per cent increase on April 2015, and marking the ninth consecutive month of growth. Increasing overseas demand for British-built cars was again the driving force behind the growth: production for export jumped 23.7 per cent in April, counterbalancing a 7.8 per cent decline in cars made for the domestic market. April’s figures bolster an already positive 2016 for UK car output, with 588,024 cars built in the first four months of the year.
| OVER-55S | Tim Bagnall, fourth from left, with the aftersales team from Chertsey Mitsubishi
UK’s largest Mitsubishi dealer group hands out awards TOP-PERFORMING aftersales staff at the UK’s largest Mitsubishi dealer group have been honoured for their hard work. The CCR Mitsubishi event at Alexandra House, near Swindon, saw Chertsey Mitsubishi take home the aftersales department of the year trophy. Meanwhile, Melksham Mitsubishi’s Lee Collison was crowned technician of the year, while Claire Turner and Sarah Williams shared the aftersales adviser of the year award. The presentations formed part of the dealer group’s ceremony
that also paid tribute to its top dealerships. Tim Bagnall, managing director of CCR Mitsubishi, which has eight dealerships across the south, said: ‘I am very proud of all our award winners. We have had some absolutely fantastic performances.’ Andy Jackman, regional general manager of Melksham Mitsubishi, said: ‘I’m really pleased to see Lee, Claire and Sarah recognised for all their hard work. The three of them are always prepared to go the extra mile and they thoroughly deserve their awards.’
Tim Bagnall with Claire Turner, left, and Sarah Williams, who shared the aftersales adviser of the year award
THE over-55 age group has a surprising knowledge gap when it comes to car maintenance, new research has revealed. In the study, Swinton Insurance found that, when asked about what basic motoring tasks they felt confident to do themselves, over-55s were twice as likely to encounter difficulty overall than the under-25 age group. Almost two-fifths of over-55s (37 per cent) would not be confident to change a wheel themselves, compared to 15 per cent of the under-25 group. A similar proportion would require help to change oil.
| BORG & BECK |
Brake discs added to firm’s CV programme
| TELEVISION |
Mike and Edd are still having fun! FAMED vehicle restoration TV show Wheeler Dealers returned to UK television screens early in May for its new series. With experienced car dealer Mike Brewer and all-round automotive handyman Edd China still at the helm, the show has shifted location from the south-east of the UK to the west coast of the USA, as the Wheeler Dealers have set up shop in Los Angeles! The format of the show remains the same, though, with Brewer heading to the surrounding states to find cars with optimistic
Knowledge gap on maintenance
money-making potential and bringing them back to his co-presenter for restoration to a profitable state. The eight classic cars in this series include a 1977 Honda Civic CVCC, the military-grade Humvee and a Fox-body Mustang from 1988. In the first episode, the duo got to work on a Mercedes-Benz 560SL. Brewer said: ‘After restoring over 100 cars, me and Edd are still finding fantastic classics to restore, and if there was a theme for this series, it would be “having fun’’. ’
BORG & Beck has introduced brake discs into its comprehensive commercial vehicle programme, which, in keeping with the company’s brand values, provides technicians and operators with replacement components that are designed to deliver when it comes to safety and performance. To ensure these standards, the company works closely with its ISO TS16949-accredited manufacturing partners throughout the product specification, manufacturing and testing processes to guarantee the quality of each and every component. WorkShopMagazine.co.uk
| 13
MOT Training As the largest automotive trade body in the UK, the RMI offers top quality, cost-effective New MOT Tester Training and Annual Training to support garages and testers in complying with the new MOT training regime.
ACADEMY
of Automotive Skills
RMI Member Introductory Price
Non RMI Member Introductory Price
Course Duration
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MOT Manager
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Annual Training
please see website for delivery options
3 hours
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* plus assessment
Call now to find out more or book a course:
0845 305 4230
www.RMItrainingAcademy.co.uk 14 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk RMI Academy of Automotive Skills, Clearwater Business park, 2-3 Building, Welsh Road East, Warwickshire, CV47 1NA
NEWS.
Record crowds flock to Silverstone for CDX16 Organised by our sister magazine, it’s become the biggest event of its type in the UK’s automotive industry – and exhibiting firms say why they HAD to be there
I
t’s one of the highlights of the automotive calendar and the biggest event of its type – and this year’s CDX organised by Workshop Magazine’s sister publication Car Dealer saw record numbers of exhibitors and visitors. With more than 2,100 delegates and 100 suppliers of products and services to the motor industry in attendance, CDX16 – held on May 24 at the spectacular Silverstone Wing complex – was again a must-visit event. It featured
by ANDREW EVANS @snavEwerdnA workshops, speeches and seminars by some of the trade’s biggest names, plus an animated debate about Brexit. Many of the exhibitors covered workshop equipment, products and services. Industry bodies, video and recruitment companies were there too – in fact, everything
Pro-Align
IGA
Autotech Recruit Ltd.
CitNOW
Wheel servicing specialist Pro-Align – from nearby Towcester – was back from last year’s CDX for its second show. When we caught up with the team – on an impressive stand surrounded by its Hunter alignment rigs – it’d had a rather positive experience. Noting that there had been 12 strong leads garnered from the event – all from independent garages – with more interest and a much busier time than the previous year, the team had been so busy they’d barely had a chance to look around the rest of the show!
This was Autotech’s first visit to CDX and the recruitment company ran a stall up on the Hall 3 mezzanine along with a larger stand in the main body of the hall. Managing director Gavin White said: ‘It’s the first time we’ve been here and we’ve picked up a couple of strong leads – actually from other exhibitors. We’ve been listening to everyone on the other stands talking about recruitment and we’ve learnt more about ourselves today than any other business, where our place is in the market and how other people perceive us, and you can’t put a price on that.’
The Independent Garage Association – part of the Retail Motor Industry Federation – is a vital representative body for the independent garage sector and had a stand right next to the entrance, along with a workshop advising attendees of the top 20 threats that businesses face from scams and legislation noncompliance. Speaking to Kelvin Chatterton, the IGA’s membership manager, later in the day revealed how productive the event had been. He commented: ‘It’s been interesting, with lots of things going on. We’ve had a good few inquiries.’
that any garage would need to improve its business. In a previous edition of Workshop Magazine we profiled five companies that offer products and services to garage professionals who would be attending CDX16, and during the event we caught up with them to see how they thought the show was going for them. n Next year’s CDX takes place on May 23, 2017,
so make sure you save the date – and call 023 9252 2434 if you’d like to be involved.
Absolute Alignment
Farnborough-based Absolute Alignment was at CDX for the first time this year, showing its range of unique Bluetooth wheel-aligners that cover passenger cars and commercial vehicles. We caught up with technical sales director Chris Dear in a rare quiet moment in the afternoon and he said: ‘We’ve never done this show before so it’s a foot in the water, really. The inquiries that we’ve had have been good inquiries – we’ve seen about 30 people – so it would pay for itself really.’
CitNOW provides personalised video services to the motor industry and has come back to CDX after attending the previous event in 2015. We spoke to product expert Emily Grant, who said: ‘It’s been really good. We’ve got a good position in terms of our set-up next to the main stage, so we’ve been able to catch people as they were coming past and we’ve had a lot of conversations. It’s been more productive this year, with a few sign-ups and inquiries. We’ve been amazed by some of the stands, especially the GForces stand!’
WorkShopMagazine.co.uk
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FEATURES. INTERVIEW
RAISING THE BAR IN THE BODYSHOP BUSINESS
A family tragedy led to the formation of a training centre dedicated to rigorous standards in accident repairs, reports SOPHIE WILLIAMSON-STOTHERT
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e wouldn’t trust anyone but a surgeon to operate on us, just like we wouldn’t hire a gardener to build an extension to our house. It is, therefore, a shocking fact that some motorists will trust just about anyone to repair their cars. That’s why, in the interests of driver safety and company reputation, the importance of investing in staff training to ensure your bodyshop is a manufacturer-approved business for building and parts. But there’s a reason why specific parts are supplying genuine parts is more crucial manufactured in a particular way, and if these now than ever before. As advances in qualities and characteristics aren’t technology continue to be made and upheld, a second incident could vehicles become increasingly complex, not only result in further costs so do their parts and the skills but fatalities. required to repair them. International Technical Components, even those as We bring learning to Automotive Systems (ITAS), basic as a front bumper, are life. These guys are stars which we visited with Mazda, packed with so many sensors and at using their hands, so is an IMI-accredited training are designed in such a specific way their training needs to centre providing Quality that if replaced by a non-genuine be hands-on Assured Assessment (QAA) aftermarket part, it could decrease courses developed with vehicle the vehicle’s overall Euro NCAP manufacturers to IMI frameworks. safety rating. Mazda’s aim is to ensure every one of its vehicles Most major UK motor insurers will aim to stays 100 per cent true to the brand. This means repair a vehicle as cheaply as possible using OEM
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that in the event of an accident, the vehicle will be restored to exactly the same standard in which it left the factory. Milton Keynes-based ITAS, which not only operates in the UK but also has contracts in Italy, the Netherlands and South Africa, was established in 2002 and is the brainchild of a former aviation safety engineer. It was the tragic death of a family member following an accident in a car with an OEM part that wasn’t manufacturer-approved that prompted the formation of ITAS. The vision of the family-run firm was to create an aftermarket environment where accidentdamaged vehicles could be reinstated to the standards established by the manufacturing process, properly preparing them in case of
ITAS managing director Tony Young
another accident. Managing director Tony Young said: ‘It was apparent that the standards set and followed in the automotive accident repair sector were highly variable and that the bar needed to be raised. Our objectives at the beginning were more personal than commercial, with the fatality of a family member impacting our primary focus to keep drivers safe. The ITAS business has grown considerably since those early days but we have always maintained our passion and determination to make a positive contribution to the automotive industry.’ ITAS works with 12 leading manufacturers, including Mazda, Porsche, Bentley, Jaguar Land Rover and Mercedes-Benz, to rigorously audit, assess and train technicians to the
highest standard. Using its Bodyshop Approved Programme, manufacturers can work with the specialist firm to create tailored solutions that focus on repair quality, technical competence and the ideal customer experience. Its bodyshop training brings compelling value to bodyshop networks, ensuring that the safety of the customer is always the key priority. ‘Cars shouldn’t be returning to customers with secondhand parts,’ said Young. ‘The way an aftermarket part integrates and communicates with a vehicle on impact will be vastly different to the behaviour of a genuine one, and this could result in serious consequences, reflecting badly both on the manufacturer and the business that carried out the previous WorkShopMagazine.co.uk
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FEATURES.
repair.’ Driving the need for change in the automotive sector, ITAS staff are experts in their fields and provide candidates with the best chance of success in a professional and supportive learning environment. Inside the ITAS training centre at Milton Keynes The ITAS Training Academy delivers tailored training on paint, panel, MET (mechanical, electrical, trim), SHE (safety, health and the environment) and software. ‘This company was founded in the back of my father’s house. Today, we’re driving change and setting the standard for manufacturer-approved repairs,’ said Young. ‘Tolerance is tight under the skin of a car. That’s why bodyshops must invest in the knowledge and value of genuine manufacturerapproved repairs and parts. Manufacturing and repairing these parts requires an incredible amount of skill and that’s why we don’t stick our technicians in a classroom and expect them to understand a PowerPoint presentation. ‘We bring learning to life. These guys are stars From left, Mazda UK aftersales director David Wilson-Green, ITAS managing director Tony at using their hands, so their training needs to Young and Mazda press officer Owen Mildenhall with Sophie Williamson-Stothert be hands-on. We minimise theory and enhance remember that we’re not training people to carry an accident are repaired using genuine Mazda practical.’ Young added: ‘There’s never been an out the skills they already possess, we’re training parts and to the same standard as they left the audit platform in the UK until now, and we’re them to repair,’ said Young. factory. proud to be a part of that. We’re actively trying to ‘The automotive industry moves quickly and ‘Carmakers invest a lot of time into raise the profile of the industry, and that means our training keeps pace, with top-up courses and manufacturing parts for a particular reason in a building the image of bodyshops by improving modules designed to disseminate best particular way. It’s common sense to understand efficiency and providing high-class practice from the manufacturer all the that the people who build the car know it better training to our candidates. It’s all way to the bodyshop floor.’ Mazda than the people who take it apart. about standards.’ is keen to change the ways of the ‘Drivers put their lives at risk every day when To ensure this It’s important to industry. That’s why, working they get behind the wheel of their car. happens, ITAS alongside ITAS, every Mazda ‘All vehicle parts perform very differently remember that we’re employs four inbodyshop across the country has during impact because of the varied materials house instructors not training people to undergone an audit to ensure its used to build them – a vehicle shell here at ITAS, who are dedicated to carry out the skills they work is of a satisfactory standard. for example, consists of more than seven steel running courses already possess David Wilson-Green, aftersales materials. In most cases, especially as technology for each director at Mazda UK, said: ‘We’ve been continues to develop, aftermarket parts supplied particular working with ITAS for nine years and by an OEM won’t fit the bill. brand. ‘It’s it’s been a great passion of mine to ‘Nevertheless, following an accident, an important ensure that all vehicles involved in insurer will more than likely baffle a customer to
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THE BACKGROUND TO ITAS
ITAS is building the image of bodyshops with its high-class training on the phone with the term “British Franchise Association (BFA) standards”, and because these OEM parts are cheaper for them to purchase, the driver will agree to the fix and be none the wiser. ‘They’ll see a shiny new panel and believe it’s been restored to its original state – they can’t see what’s under the bodywork, and that’s quite frightening. What’s more, this process is a false economy for the insurers too, because when the said vehicle is in another accident, the damage will intensify and be more costly to repair. ‘We’re changing this and, thankfully, already seeing a handful of insurers understand the
implications.’ Wilson-Green added: ‘We want our drivers to keep their Mazdas as genuine as possible and training is crucial in helping insurers see the light. ‘To drive this change, bodyshops need the necessary training to repair vehicles using genuine manufacturer parts, ensuring the vehicle is prepared for its next incident. ‘There’s not a single Mazda bodyshop in the UK that isn’t an approved Mazda repair specialist. ITAS makes sure they have the audit so they comply with our regulations. This is the only acceptable way forward.’
ITAS was founded in 2002 after a former aviation safety engineer decided to drive change in the vehicle repairs industry following a family tragedy. What started off as a small company in MD Tony Young’s father’s house has since become an international IMI-accredited training centre, valued by the world’s leading carmakers and setting the standard for bodyshop repairs. ITAS provides Quality Assured Assessment (QAA) courses – developed in partnership with vehicle manufacturers such as Mazda, Jaguar Land Rover, Renault and Bentley – to IMI frameworks. It audits rigorously and trains to the highest standard, supporting specialist technical training programmes from its world-class training academy in Milton Keynes and operating bodyshop approval programmes in the UK and internationally. Once a programme is in place, ITAS introduces it to bodyshops, undertaking an initial audit and delivering all necessary training to ensure that the methods are understood and applied. In his experience of aviation safety training and attention to detail, Young’s father made it apparent that the standards set and followed in the automotive accident repair sector were highly variable and that it needed to up its game. Focusing on repair quality, technical competence and customer experience, ITAS works closely with vehicle manufacturers to interpret and compile standards into practical guidelines, which enable bodyshops to follow the approved repair methodology. The firm’s key aim is to ensure all candidates perform and pass to the highest level, and it never has any more than eight trainees in a training group at a time. From welding and mechanical practice through to classroom work, every manufacturer is provided with a dedicated suite and, during practical assessment, a dedicated workstation. WorkShopMagazine.co.uk
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We’re looking for the best garages for our RAC Approved Garages Network. We don’t mind if you’re large or small – it’s quality that counts. Gaining approval gives you access to a whole range of RAC products and services including our new RAC MOT Check & Repair Plan and RAC Service Plan. If you’d like to apply, contact us today and you could soon be harnessing the power of RAC Approved Garages Status.
Email: racapprovedgarages@rac.co.uk Visit: rac.co.uk/approvedgarages Quote: WSM02 20 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk
DEAR RAC.
GARY WRIGHTSON-HEYWORTH FROM THE RAC ANSWERS YOUR QUESTIONS
Q: Are there any risks in taking a vehicle on a road test for diagnostic purposes? A:
If a customer has brought a vehicle into your garage that’s suffering from an intermittent fault and it’s not possible to diagnose it on the ramp, sometimes you’ll need to take the car on a road test to try to replicate the fault. A short road test might not highlight the problem and you’ll need to drive it for an extended period of time – for example, taking the vehicle overnight. This generally shouldn’t be a problem and most customers will understand why, but you do have to agree this with the customer and make sure they are aware of what you’re doing. Taking the car without the customer’s permission is actually illegal and it’s not a great experience for the customer. We dealt with a case recently where a technician took a customer’s vehicle home for a weekend without their consent. The vehicle was returned to the customer complete with dog hairs and scratches in the interior plus an additional 200 miles on the clock. Naturally, the customer wasn’t best pleased with the garage in this case.
So if you need to drive a customer’s vehicle, ensure that:
n You only take the vehicle if you really have to n You’ve agreed this with the customer and have proof of their permission n You have appropriate insurance to cover you and the customer’s vehicle n The car is returned to the customer in exactly the same condition as they left it with you This will ensure that you keep your customer happy and that you stay on the right side of the law.
RAC Consumer Research: RAC Motorists’ Opinion Panel
Q: Can an airbag warning light be the result of a simple fault?
A:
We’ve had a few cases recently of customers with airbag warning lights appearing on their dashboard, so naturally this is a cause for concern. An airbag system is quite simple, considering how important it is. It generally consists of a few sensors located around the car, a module that interprets the signal and an airbag with a rapid inflation device. The airbag warning light can potentially indicate a few problems with the system, and it can sometimes take a while to troubleshoot the root cause. Before beginning the diagnostic process, it’s well
worth just checking if the customer has recently moved the seats (backwards, forwards, reclined, etc) and checking for umbrellas, shoes or old drinks containers underneath the front seats. Unusual seat movements or having loose items rattling around have been known to cause the wires to the airbag sensors to disconnect, which means the airbag warning light will come on. Reconnecting the wires should result in the light turning off, but do make sure that the sensor hasn’t been damaged at all.
August 2015
62%
of motorists have had a vehicle fail its MOT (more than six in 10)
83%
of motorists have paid more than £100 to get a vehicle to pass its MOT
75%
of motorists make no provision to pay for servicing requirements
25%+
More than a quarter of motorists pay in excess of £200 for their annual service
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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FEATURES. HOW I MADE IT
„Charlie Broughton
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PICTURES: JONNY FLEETWOOD
‘WHEN YOU GET TO A RACE IT’S ALL ABOUT THE ATMOSPHERE. THE SMELL AND THE NOISE KIND OF GRAB YOU’ Charlie Broughton is a BTCC engineer for Warwickshire-based Power Maxed Racing as well as a technical buyer and account manager at Tuthill Porsche in Banbury. With an interest in motorsport from an early age, she has been around garages all her life. She has years of experience in pit lanes and workshops, so knows more than most about the trials and tribulations that come with motorsport. JACK EVANS went to Tuthill to find out about her inspiration as well as her day-to-day roles – and what’s in store for the future...
I
was introduced to motorsport by my mother – she was a fan of it. My dad and my two brothers weren’t really interested in it but she was. When I got my first job, I bought two tickets to a Grand Prix to take her to and it kicked off from there. When you get to a race it’s all about the atmosphere. The smell and the noise kind of grab you. From then, I knew that I loved being there and I loved the feel of the sport. I knew that was what I wanted to do. Over the next couple of years I spent much of my time going to as many races as I could get to. I followed the touring car circuit and got to know many of the people who worked on a lot of the different teams. I was lucky enough to be introduced to a guy who owned one team and needed people to come and help. The deal with him was that I would help him run his business and he would teach me the mechanical side of things. That’s how it sort of started. It’s all about who you know. Once I got to know people – motorsport is a very small world – I got introduced to a few
team bosses and managed to get my first job with a big team which was Triple Eight Racing. When I was a kid, my mother would always have the F1 on at the weekends. I can remember from even when I was very small being told not to interrupt her while she was watching the races. Because I knew she was interested, I used to sit down and watch them with her. As I got older and entered my teens, I started following my own drivers. Just
going to the races got me into the industry. I was quite determined that I wanted to work in the motorsport industry. At the time, there weren’t many outlets for women to get involved in motorsport. I pushed my way into it, though. I went to a round of the RAC rally, a stage at Donington Park, and I went to spectate with some friends. It was the first time that I’d seen a rally and it was very different to any race I’d been to before. You could get so much closer to the action. The Subaru at the time was an iconic vehicle that everybody knew, and I remember saying to a couple of my friends at the time: ‘I’m going to work for that team.’ They laughed at me, and I think it was at that point, when even your friends say: ‘Carry on dreaming, but it’s never going to happen’. I told myself that I was actually going to go and work for that team. That was the one point that made me more determined than ever. Things are different now. There are a lot more women involved in motorsport, too. When I wanted to do it, WorkShopMagazine.co.uk
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FEATURES. HOW I MADE IT
A maintenance area at Tuthill Porsche
”
Don’t dream it, just go do it. If you think you can do it, then go and achieve it.
I couldn’t go back to college because there weren’t any women doing it at the time. However, now it’s more usual for women to follow mechanical courses and engineering programmes. Even down at the pit lane on weekends, you see a lot more women involved. If you’re determined that’s what you want to do, then you shouldn’t let anything get in your way. I wasn’t going to let anything get in my way, and I probably did it the hard way by going off and learning my trade while on the job. I didn’t have the opportunity to go to college and get any qualifications when I first started out, but I did go back there at a later date. In this day and age, it’s much
24 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk
easier for someone to enter the industry if that’s what they know they want to do. The courses are there and there are more motorsport colleges popping up all the time. Experience is the one thing you need, though. Seeing a circuit and knowing exactly what it involves is a big thing. I don’t think I’d necessarily change anything from my past, because it would mean I wouldn’t be where I am today. I think the one thing that I would have liked to have done that I didn’t get the opportunity to do is to have become a fully qualified engineer. I would have wanted to go back to university and gain an engineering degree. At the time, there just wasn’t the opportunity. I’d done a college course in something
completely different, and I couldn’t afford to go to university. I didn’t have the time, either. I had to fit in my studies where I could. I gained some practical qualifications, but then you get involved in a motorsport job and soon the long hours and late nights come along. It doesn’t give a lot of time to go back to university. If there was one thing I would change, it’s to be able to go back and get a degree. There’s always something going on in this job. We’re lucky here at Tuthill Porsche because we have a really varied range of clients who bring in everything from rally cars to classics that we build up from scratch. It’s always interesting to get involved with that. Finding certain components for bespoke cars can be tricky, but it’s good fun trying to hunt down the parts that you need to make a vehicle into a genuine replica – or as close to a genuine one as you can. That’s always really good. Tuthill has grown as a company, certainly in the years I’ve been here, so it’s interesting to see what’s new each day.
Tuthill Porsche has grown over the years that Charlie Broughton has been there and there’s always something new each day On the racing side of things, we’re coming up to the fourth round of the British Touring Car Championship, and anybody who watches the races on television will say that it always brings something interesting. It’s bumper-to-bumper racing with a lot of incidents – these always keep you busy! It’s an interesting place to be. It’s so varied, but that’s the thing with motorsport. It’s not just about the cars on the track, it’s all the areas that surround them, too. That’s what I enjoy about it. That’s the best part of doing the two jobs – you’ve got the racing side of things
at the weekend and then you’ve got the building of classic cars during the week. My ultimate car is a short-wheelbase Audi Quattro, as rallied by Michèle Mouton. That would be my ultimate car. Slightly unavailable though I think, somehow! I think it may be a while before I get my hands on one of those! You wouldn’t believe it, but I don’t actually get the chance to watch much F1 any more, even though it’s those races that got me interested in the industry to begin with. The one thing I noticed when I went to the British Grand Prix
recently was that it just didn’t seem to have the same atmosphere. The noise is so much quieter. I think that having F1 at the pinnacle of motorsport means that you need the loudest and fastest cars as possible – pushing the teams to engineer the best vehicles they can. I understand that sometimes you need to put restrictions on certain things because of costs, but I think it needs to go back to the time when we had the roaring engines. Why not tell us your story in How I Made It? Call the Workshop team on 023 9252 2434 WorkShopMagazine.co.uk
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FEATURES.
THE RIGHT TOOLS FOR THE JOB
Getting your business running properly means setting up your workshop with efficiency in mind. ALEX WELLS finds out more
W
hile the old saying goes that only a poor craftsman blames his tools, there is certainly something to be said for making sure that the equipment you use is not a hindrance. Imagine your workshop is a tool. Is it correctly balanced and as sharp as it could be? Or, to put it another way, is your garage set up to be as efficient as possible? If your garage is configured the right way, it can not only save you money – it can make you money. Unfortunately, though, the reverse is also true.
So, let’s set up a workshop There are a lot of factors to consider. These include health and safety legislation, DVSA requirements if an MOT bay is being installed, 3D wheelalignment bay specifications, customer viewing experiences and, of course, the confines of the available workshop space. If you are a franchised dealer or approved workshop, there are also vehicle manufacturer minimum standards, too. Morpeth-based garage equipment supplier Gott Conventional wheel alignment checks require Technical Services specialises in the design of new many more operations by technicians, greatly – and the redesign of existing – vehicle workshops. increasing the time taken It knows how important the right design can be in helping its clients achieve their objectives. When Gott’s clients get in touch about redeveloping an existing workshop, they are usually hoping to achieve one thing – increased productivity. Key to this is having all the essential When we install oil, tools and services to hand, and compressed air and as managing director Ian Gott water-dispensing systems explains, there are a few ways we usually recommend that this can be achieved. ‘When installing hose reels we install oil, compressed air and IAN GOTT water-dispensing systems, we usually recommend installing hose reels, as this provides a quick and easy method of dispensing and you don’t have trailing hoses left lying on the floor. These can be mounted on a wall, on specially-designed steel posts, on the posts of Hoses vehicle lifts or in fitted cabinet workstations. The attached to advantage of the fitted cabinet system is they can lift posts incorporate the technicians’ tools, lockers and data points so everything is to hand.’ objective of getting the vehicle mobile again in the increases the labour cost, the turnaround time is shortest possible time. In a vehicle workshop, this significantly reduced.’ Trends and challenges usually consists of a scissor lift, which is compact The increasing interest in 3D alignment has Then there are new ideas to consider. ‘There’s a and quick and easy to load, hose reels for the brought its own challenges, as workshop managers growing trend of vehicle manufacturers wishing services, and tool and parts trolleys available in want to have the systems installed but do not wish to install quick-service bays,’ says Gott. ‘These are the bay. Two technicians would usually work on to give up a whole lift bay to accommodate them. inspired by Formula One pit lanes, where vehicles the vehicle at the same time, and although this Gott observes: ‘If the workshop also carries out are tended to by a team of mechanics with the
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decision. Not only will this help your business generate the maximum return on its investment, but it will also ensure that your workshop functions in an efficient manner. Making the decision can be difficult, though. According to Paul Beaurain, who is the managing director of Pro-Align, certain considerations can aid the process. ‘Workshop equipment typically has a life of at least five years,’ he says. ‘So it’s incredibly important to invest in a system that can stand the test of time and future-proof your business. ‘Focusing on the up-front cost to the business alone, rather than its capability, low cost of its maintenance or additional opportunities offered by a system, can be a costly mistake and one that should be avoided. Also, don’t forget that buying a system that does not have good aftersales support can also result in loss of revenue and opportunities if the equipment is out of action, so do your homework and don’t be afraid to ask your potential supplier plenty of questions. ‘Hunter’s product line-up of advanced wheelalignment systems, ramps, tyre-changers and wheel-balancers have all been developed to make a technician’s role easier, improving work flow efficiencies so that wasted time is minimised and productivity boosted. ‘Pro-Align’s most popular wheel-alignment system, the Hunter HawkEye Elite TD, is a prime example of this approach. Utilising Hunter’s patented QuickGrip adaptors, an innovative rolling compensation and other time-saving features, a full 14-point four-wheel alignment check can be completed from 90 seconds.’
Reduced steps and greater efficiency of the Hunter HawkEye Elite TD aligner allows checks to be completed in just 90 seconds
Fully integrated
MOTs, we can solve this problem by installing a combined MOT and wheel-alignment lift. The lift will be supplied with turning plates, shaker plates and rear slip plates, and will meet all of the dimensional requirements of both the MOT and alignment system specification. ‘Another MOT- related space-saving feature is to install a CCTV camera system for viewing. This could free up more space, as viewing areas or viewing windows could be removed.’
Too much of a good thing One thing that Gott cautions against is trying to cram in too much equipment. ‘We get asked to install as many lifts as possible into a workshop. We understand this because they are revenuegenerating, but we believe you must also consider the working environment for the technicians. Just because a certain number of lifts will fit into a space and meet the minimum health and safety dimensions doesn’t mean this will produce a comfortable and efficient working area, and this can have a negative effect on productivity.’
Future-proofing
When investing in new workshop equipment, it’s important to make the right, informed purchase
The DGA5000 has a 27-inch monitor as standard
The Hunter Fully Integrated Alignment (FIA) system takes this approach even further. ‘The ramp and alignment console communicate with each other, automatically unlocking and locking turnplates and turnplate bridges, inflating and deflating tyres to correct pressures, which utilises the technician’s time around the vehicle in the most efficient manner,’ says Beaurain. ‘Not only does this minimise the time spent by technicians on each job, but it also ensures that the work bay can achieve the maximum throughput, helping profitability further. ‘Meanwhile, Hunter’s Revolution is a fully automated system, which changes tyres in the same amount of time, every time. Not only does this approach mean that it’s much easier to manage time within the workshop, it also means that any technician can tackle any wheel and tyre combination, avoiding the common scenario where inexperienced technicians are not trusted to work on expensive alloys for fear of costly damage.’
Quick Check Beaurain adds: ‘Possibly the best example of Hunter’s approach to utilise this simplicity, efficiency and productivity to the business’s benefit is the Hunter Quick Check Lane. WorkShopMagazine.co.uk
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FEATURES. ‘Based on the company’s Quick Check wheel-alignment system, a number of optional modules can be selected to allow workshops to diagnose potential issues or work opportunities on aspects such as the vehicle brake performance, battery condition or engine fault code errors. ‘The system is designed to deliver maximum efficiency to the workshop for greatest return. Vehicles simply need to drive into the Quick Check Automatic test lanes bay and the Hunter system guides are fast becoming the technicians through the checks, standard option for the which are completed in a matter modern vehicle of minutes. Modules also can be workshop added at a later stage, either when a WILL AMBLER-SHAW workshop’s service strategy develops or additional funds for investment become available.’
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Streamline According to Will Ambler-Shaw, marketing manager at V-Tech Garage Equipment, the automatic test lane is the heart of the modern workshop. ‘Automatic test lanes are fast becoming the standard option for the modern vehicle workshop. Whether Class 4 or Class 7, the ATL helps streamline the turnover of any vehicle test station. VOSA is very keen to see the ATL become the standard in every VTS throughout the UK and is issuing new regulations to that extent. If you’re yet to take the plunge and upgrade your MOT or oneperson test lane, here’s why and how you should. ‘The ATL is adaptable to most garage sizes and set-ups and can be fitted with a four-post lift, scissor lift or as a pit-based installation. VOSA regulations do stipulate various Saving just ten measurements for clearance minutes a day can around the test lane and actually cover the lift equipment and also the purchase payments requirement of housing the entire with APC set-up ‘‘in a weatherproof building RAY CALCUTT capable of being totally enclosed and providing a satisfactory working area’’. Given this, a reliable and knowledgeable project manager would be highly recommended to figure out the best solution for the workshop space APC lift you have and provide the necessary designs before system, and you get started with the installation.’
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Cost-effective There are a number of benefits of running an ATL. ‘An ATL can be run by a single technician, rather than the two-person regular MOT lane, making them more efficient and cost-effective,’ explains Ambler-Shaw. ‘The computer at the heart of the ATL is really where the big benefits come from. ‘The emission test equipment and brake tester both link to a single PC station, so the tests can effortlessly follow each other with minimum chopping and changing between equipment. ‘Having the brake tester directly linked to the monitor display allows the tester to complete the whole brake test by simply hitting the brakes for the front and rear wheels when prompted by the
28 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk
far right, the APC controller
development of the new DGA5000, so we have taken on board comments about what technicians liked about our existing range to understand what new features would enhance our product. ‘Our product management team listened to that feedback to come up with a concept that offers many benefits. Its central workstation can be used for accessing the DVSA’s web MOT portal directly, and it can also be used to run the Sun brake tester, meaning MOT testing is based entirely around one central system. It can also be upgraded to carry out computerised wheel alignment with Snap-on’s Prism alignment option.’
No smoking The wireless smoke head on the DGA5000 can be used with the wireless EOBD device for triggering the diesel acceleration tests, making the testing of newer cars much easier. Colin Nutt, director of product development at Snap-on, says: ‘Customers told us they found modern diesel vehicles emitted almost no smoke, so getting readings using the traditional smokelevel triggering was very difficult. This led us to develop our new wireless EOBD RPM and oil temperature device, which allows you to measure vehicle RPM and oil temperature by plugging the adaptor into the vehicle’s EOBD port. Readings are wirelessly transmitted back to the workstation.’ Nutt adds: ‘This new method, which has been officially approved, allows you to trigger the smoke head using EOBD RPM, which will then give you official smoke readings.’
Four to the floor
test software. This will then produce the results and print them out as the tester rolls forward on to the shaker plates, all without even having to leave the vehicle. The time-saving elements of the whole system have obvious revenue-boosting implications for the busy VTS and cut waiting time for the customer. Everyone’s happy.’
Feedback Equipment that does not perform in the way you need it to will not help your bottom line, though. With this in mind, when introducing the new Sun DGA5000 emissions analyser, Snap-on paid close attention to how garages were faring with existing equipment. Mark Ost, UK general manager for garage equipment at Snap-on, says: ‘Customer feedback has been very important to us during the
Having greater control over particular pieces of equipment can also mean much greater efficiency. Any Post Control (APC) has recently been launched by Boston Garage Equipment. All fourpost lifts in the Boston range are now low-voltage prewired, enabling control of the lift from any post. This ‘plug in and go’ feature activates any chosen post and automatically isolates all other posts. Ray Calcutt, MD at Boston, comments: ‘It’s difficult to see why all major manufacturers are not considering the time-saving and user convenience, when APC also adds income over time to fully pay for the vehicle lift. It may be the most significant advance in four-post vehicle-lift technology for many years. It really is an incredible win-win benefit, supported by customer feedback, which is all very positive. APC can be added at any time to the current range of Boston lifts, and this is proving popular with commercial workshops that want upto-date equipment, which is a growing sector of the equipment market.’ Calcutt continues: ‘In busy workshops and MOT premises, the accrued savings are considerable. Saving just ten minutes a day can actually cover the lift purchase payments with APC. In Europe, APC is unique to Boston, and the option is currently included free with all our ATL lifts. ‘This includes our 6T Van Lift, which has platform length options up to seven metres, and comfortably handles drop-sides, long sprinters, tippers and Lutons.’ WorkShopMagazine.co.uk
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CLUB.
WANT QUALITY WORKWEAR THAT’S SAFE AND STYLISH? CHOOSE DICKIES Using the best of both modern and traditional clothing production techniques, Dickies has an impeccable reputation when it comes to workwear. DAVE BROWN chats to new sales director Rob Haines.
T
he largest privately-owned workwear company in the world is ready and waiting to equip your workshop staff with clothing that’s safe, stylish, wellmade and long-lasting. If you haven’t guessed already, the firm in question is Dickies – the global market-leading manufacturer and supplier of workwear clothing. And Dickies is offering a 10 per cent discount off all its products to members of Workshop Club. We recently caught up with Rob Haines, the new sales director at Dickies. ‘Obviously, there’s a lot of strength in the brand name,’ he told us. ‘Our customers can be sure that everything we supply is of the highest quality and has been ethically produced. We offer a full range for all price points. Everything is functional, fit for purpose and available at the prices that professionals require.’ Asked if workshops already formed a large proportion of Dickies’ client base, Haines replied: ‘Absolutely they do. We can help businesses of all shapes and sizes, whether it’s one man working in a small unit, to larger companies with multiple brands and multiple
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employees. Whether it’s an individual looking to buy something for himself, or whether it’s a company looking to kit out a number of staff, we can help. ‘Also, we offer an embroidery and logo service so clothing can match a company’s corporate identity.’ Dickies workwear is certainly noted for its quality and performance – and with younger workshop professionals coming through the ranks, the company adds a dash of style to the products it offers these days. Haines told us: ‘We pay close attention to the fit of our products. ‘The younger guys want more fitted clothing and are keen to have clothing with a fashionable appearance. ‘But, of course, while our products might be fashionable, they have still got to be fit for purpose and stand up to everyday working conditions. People tend to wear their work clothes a lot more than they do their leisure clothes. They expect more of them.’ For anyone in any doubt that Dickies is the clothing supplier for them, it’s worth bearing in mind that the company has
more than nine decades’ experience in workwear manufacturing and is approaching its centenary year. From oil fields to major construction building sites, and from the agriculture industry to the automotive sector, the company’s workwear is tested to the limit on a daily basis – hence its reputation for quality and performance. And with the 10 per cent discount available to Workshop Club members, it’s better value than ever. Haines told us: ‘We like to think our everyday prices are competitive, but with the 10 per cent discount as well, our products become even more attractive. ‘And we’re always developing new products, some of which can take over a year to bring to market. We’ve launched quite a lot of new items this year, such as new ranges of trousers, which are huge sellers for us. ‘Our work on product development never stops as we endeavour to make sure our customers are kitted out safely and stylishly in long-lasting and practical workplace clothing.’ Read about Haines’s appointment to his current position: bit.ly/dickies-role
One free month of additional support
£100 off your motor trade insurance
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.
Discount on software and free health check app 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.
Dragon2000
TO JOIN GO TO WORKSHOPCLUB.CO.UK OR CALL 023 9252 2434 AND 30 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk
3 CHANNEL 20MHZ OSCILLOSCOPE STOCK No. 64573
MULTIFUNCTIONAL HANDHELD OSCILLOSCOPE WITH BUILT-IN DIGITAL MULTIMETER RUGGED DESIGN FOR WORKSHOP USE INCLUDES USB CONNECTION FOR DATA DOWNLOAD AND DETAILED INTERROGATION SEE WEBSITE FOR FULL DETAILED SPECIFICATION
10 per cent discount off all products Dickies is one of the UK’s leading suppliers of workwear. Specialising in industrial workwear, including overalls, hi-vis safety clothing, safety footwear, work boots and protective clothing, Dickies can help your business meet HSE requirements for personal protective equipment. You can even add your company logo and website link to your workwear. Workshop Club members are eligible for a 10 per cent discount on any Dickies product.
Free legal advice plus discounted membership 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.
FITTED WITH THE FOLLOWING CAPABILITIES, 3-CHANNEL, 20MHZ DIGITAL STORAGE OSCILLOSCOPE, TRUE 6000 COUNT RMS DIGITAL MULTIMETER, 100MS/S REAL TIME SAMPLE RATE
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32 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk
PRODUCTS. One rig to do it all
Developed in response to customer feedback from technicians, Snap-on has revealed its DGA5000 emissions analyser. This state-ofthe-art system gives workshops everything required for petrol and diesel emissions testing. Featuring a 27-inch monitor as standard and a wireless laser printer, the DGA5000 is available as a standalone gas or diesel analyser and as a combined unit. The modernised central workstation can be used for accessing the DVSA’s web MOT portal directly, and it can also be used to run the Sun brake tester, meaning MOT testing is based entirely around one central system.
Minigun
Going where others can’t is this mini air impact wrench, from Laser Tools. Don’t let the compact size fool you, though. With 500lb/ft (nearly 700Nm) of torque and a free-revving RPM of 11,000, this tool packs a punch. And with a useful set of 1/2”-drive accessories, an air-line adaptor plus a supply of air-line oil included, it’s ready to go in tight access areas where a traditionally-sized impact wrench won’t fit.
New for you Go with the flow
Make an impact
Comma has developed the new fully synthetic Eco-FE 0W-30 oil for the latest technology Ford diesel engines from 2014 onwards. Particularly relevant to new Ford TDCi Dura Torq engines (1.5, 1.6 & 2.0), Eco-FE 0W-30 is suitable for 21 different Ford diesel models, including Kuga, C-Max, Fiesta, Focus and Mondeo. Supported by a unique 100 per cent guarantee of compatibility, performance and quality, this latest low-viscosity product from Comma leads the way for new oil specifications as OEMs seek to meet increased environment and emissions regulations.
As used by the Laser Tools Racing team in the British Touring Car Championship, this high-powered, cordless impact gun features hammer action and forward/ reverse control. Its compact size and low weight provide more control and manoeuvrability, with no let-up in the torque available – 750Nm, which makes for very fast wheel-changing! The gun comes with two rechargeable 18V lithium-ion batteries and a three-amp charger that features rate-of-charge indicators and a one-hour fast-charge function (also available as spares).
Hammer time
These new aluminium-headed hammers from Power-TEC are designed for professional alloy body repairs. Featuring hickory handles, the set contains one bumping hammer, one pein and finishing hammer, plus one pick and finishing hammer. Enhancing protection against cross-contamination and bi-metallic corrosion problems, these specialist aluminium tools will help with OE bodyshop certification programmes for alloy panel repairs.
PRODUCT TESTS
SAFETY GLASSES: P34
MECHANICS’GLOVES: P36 OUR EXPERTS TEST WING PROTECTORS: P38 WorkShopMagazine.co.uk
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PRODUCTS. TEST 9
Safety glasses
Look here! Avoiding harm to your eyes is highly important in the workplace. ANDREW EVANS investigates
I
t’s probably the piece of safety equipment most overlooked in a workshop – and with some irony – but eye protection is among the most important. Regardless of the kind of workshop you’re in, there’s always something eager to fly through the air and, with unerring aim, land straight in your eye. At best, this is uncomfortable and annoying; at worst, you’ll need a trip to the eye wash station or even A&E... While a pair of light safety specs won’t provide the ultimate in eye protection, they are at least a barrier between airborne particles and swarf and the delicate surface of your cornea. They may be a little step back from full goggles – and certainly shouldn’t be used for welding – but for light use for quick jobs, they’re the difference between getting the job done and getting your name in the accident book. We’ve been donning a selection of glasses to see how they stack up.
Sealey SSP612 How much: £4.95 (ex VAT) Where from: Your local Sealey stockist These specs share pretty much everything with the Sealey SSP61 glasses, so everything that applies there also applies here. The shape of the arms is excellent for protecting eyes from anything flinging in from the side and the rubber parts where the glasses rest on your face make them comfortable to use. The key difference is an anti-glare coating, which is a neat addition that makes them look a little more stylish but also gives an extra layer of eyesight protection. These are the specs we picked from the set for working on Workshop’s own projects!
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Sealey SSP61 How much: £4.95 (ex VAT) Where from: Your local Sealey stockist The rubberised arms and nose grip set these specs well above the SSP65 when it comes to long-term comfort, and the slightly more ergonomic design of the arms means that there’s improved protection from the sides by comparison, too. Best efforts to scratch them went largely unfulfilled, so a decent bit of kit all round.
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Draper Expert 11969/SSP12UV How much: circa £5.95 (ex VAT) Where from: drapertools.com While we’re largely greater fans of the wraparound style of the Sealey SSP61/612 and the protection that affords from the side, the pronounced rear edge of the Draper lenses does a pretty solid job. The reinforced bridge with soft rubber nose moulding makes these a nicely solid bit of kit – and in classic Draper blue, too! They’re comfortable to wear over very long periods as well, and, like the other Draper Expert glasses here, come with a soft case to keep the lenses free from scratches in storage – useful, as these were the easiest specs to damage on that front.
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HOW WE TESTED THEM The key to these glasses is how they resist not only straightforward debris hurled towards the face but also how they direct it away from the eyes – you don’t want stuff rolling on to your cheek and then back into your eye! Alongside the quality of fit and the glasses’ shape, we’ve been checking out scratch resistance too.
Sealey SSP65
Draper Expert 12057/SSP10
How much: £3.95 (ex VAT) Where from: Your local Sealey stockist
How much: circa £4.54 (ex VAT) Where from: drapertools.com
This is a pretty basic set of safety specs – almost disposably so, resembling the sort of thing that kids get given in science lessons. They’re solid plastic throughout, with a moulded nose bridge and no additional thought given to comfort over the ears, so they’re not going to be glasses you’d want to wear for too long in the day. We couldn’t do much damage to them, though, and the shape is broadly decent at protecting all round the eyes.
Like the entry Sealey SSP65, these are rather basic in shape, but they add on more comfortable rubber components over the ears and a rubber nose bridge piece that makes them fairly decent to wear for a time. While the lens was hard to mark, it did give in eventually, and they’re not particularly sturdy items either, meeting with a rapid end when accidentally dropped... Next time we’ll make use of the included soft case for them.
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Laser 5675 How much: £4.86 (ex VAT) Where from: lasertools.co.uk
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The items from Laser almost blur the line between safety specs and sunglasses... The black/mirrored finish certainly stands out and the benefits it brings to eyesight protection – particularly from UV – are valuable. However, while it sports a rubber nose grip, the lack of a soft surface for the temple puts it behind the equivalent Sealey SSP612, and the more spindly arms reduce side-on protection by comparison. The shape of the bottom of the lens is more curved, giving more of an opportunity for debris to sneak under.
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PRODUCTS. TEST 10
Mechanics’ gloves A few issues ago, ANDREW EVANS got his hands very dirty to test muckremoving products. This time round, he really wants to keep his paws clean...
W
hile we tested disposable gloves back in Workshop Issue 5, they’re not for everyone. Your skin doesn’t breathe well when encased in rubber, and a lot of people find them sweaty and uncomfortable for long-term use. Because of this, many mechanics prefer a comfortable pair of reusable gloves. They have the same basic function – to protect you from some of the worse things
that can fall out of or build up on a car – but provide more robustness. The typically stronger construction will save you from some of the cuts and bruises you can get when up to the wrist in a dim and distant part of an engine bay. A good pair of gloves is always a must in a busy workshop, so we’ve been trying out gloves of different constructions and materials to find out which we’d keep for ourselves.
Sealey MG798L
Sealey SSP62L
How much: £16.95 (ex VAT) Where from: Your local Sealey stockist
How much: £3.95 (ex VAT) Where from: Your local Sealey stockist
This is a sturdy glove that we found highly resistant to damage. That makes it great for getting into tight places, as you’re not going to receive skinned knuckles on the way through, but as it’s a bit chunky it’s not terrific for fiddly jobs. You’ll definitely need to take the glove off if you need to pick up a call on your phone, and it’s rather difficult to operate a computer while wearing it. It does pretty well at keeping oils and fluids away from your skin, though.
It’s a pretty substantial glove with a nice, grippy nitrile foam palm – good for when you need to really put some effort into your grip, such as removing oil filters. Surprisingly, it still allows you to operate a mobile device through the glove, as we found when working from a PDF instruction manual on a tablet, and as it’s the least cumbersome of the Sealey gloves you can use a computer fairly easily. There’s no reinforcement though and the foam isn’t particularly water- or coolant-resistant, plus it’s easy to mark.
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Arco 14T6510 How much: £13.38 (ex VAT) Where from: arco.co.uk These gloves feel quite light but they’re actually rather sturdy. There are no specifically reinforced areas, but they’re tough enough not to need them. They don’t greatly eat into your sense of touch and you can still use IT very easily – even smartphones. They feature a pair of magnets on the back, too, which is a brilliant idea to save you losing washers. Fluid resistance isn’t terrific, but they’re better than their siblings and about equal with the Sealey MG798L.
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Sealey MG799L How much: £16.95 (ex VAT) Where from: Your local Sealey stockist This glove impressed us. Okay, as with the MG798L you might find it a little too chunky to work your computer but, surprisingly, it has a light enough touch for your mobile. There’s marginally better fingertip precision, but no skimping on protection, with a well-reinforced palm. It keeps fluids out nicely and we noticed better protection against heat than other gloves here. It’s a fine all-rounder.
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Arco 14T1410 How much: £6.17 (ex VAT) Where from: arco.co.uk It has to be said that these gloves look far more like thin goalkeeper gloves than mechanics’ gloves – and this does have advantages. Fingertip sensitivity is better than any glove we’ve tested, including the disposables from Workshop Issue 5, and operating the workshop computer or your phone is a breeze. The reinforced upper means these are good for reaching into dark places to nip up that one nut – but they are far too easy to snag on things sticking out, particularly that all-but-exposed palm. It offers virtually no fluid resistance either, so you’ll probably want to stay away from dirty work.
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HOW WE TESTED THEM We’ve recently been undertaking a bit of a project that you can read about in future issues of Workshop and which provided a good opportunity to test these gloves out. With one eye on long-term comfort, we’ve been wearing the gloves to assess how well they protect our hands from knocks and nicks, as well as how good they are at resisting chemical attack. WorkShopMagazine.co.uk
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PRODUCTS. TEST DRIVE
Garage test: Wing protectors Meet our trio of expert testers who give their considered opinion on a quintet of covers
Chris Cook
Supervisor at Kwik Fit, Redcar With more than 600 centres across the UK, Kwik Fit is one of the leading names in tyre, brake and exhaust repairs, alongside MOT testing. How Chris rated them: 1st Sealey VS856; 2nd Draper Expert 22592/WC-01; 3rd Laser 3008; 4th Laser 5099; 5th Sealey VS8501
Chris Harrison
Service manager at Derek Slack Skoda, Middlesbrough Derek Slack Skoda is a family-run Skoda retailer and the oldest in the north-east of England. It has sold the Czech marque for more than 20 years. How Chris rated them: 1st Sealey VS8501; 2nd Laser 5099; 3rd Draper Expert 22592/WC-01; 4th Laser 3008; 5th Sealey VS856
Sealey VS856
Laser 5099
Chris Cook
Chris Cook
Chris Harrison
Chris Harrison
Price: £49.95 (ex VAT) From: Your local Sealey stockist
This one’s miles better than some we’ve tested. It goes right across the wing and the pockets for your tools are great. I’d buy that! Once you get things like pockets in, it starts to make them heavier, and when you put things in, it starts to pull them down, so really we wouldn’t use anything with pockets. The material’s good, though.
Kev Grady
Assistant manager at North Eastern Tyre & Exhaust, Teesside Part of the Tyre Plus group of local rapid-fit garages across the UK, NETE has served the Teesside and North Yorkshire area for 80 years. How Kev rated them: 1st Draper Expert 22592/ WC-01; 2nd Sealey VS856; 3rd Sealey VS8501; 4th Laser 5099; 5th Laser3008
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Kev Grady
Price: £13.74 (ex VAT) From: lasertools.co.uk
This one’s just a bit too small. It just about covers the gap from pillar to headlight, so for the average car we get, it’d just be too small. It’s also not magnetised. It’s nice and lightweight and held on by a non-slip coating, which makes it really nice for us to use. The material’s good and it folds away nice and easily and doesn’t take up much room in the box. It only loses out by not having the wheel cutout.
It’s the biggest and heaviest one, but I can’t really see the point of the pockets. As soon as you put heavier tools in there it’d fall off the wing, and the magnets are too big so you can’t tuck it in and fold it round the wing.
Kev Grady
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For me it’s too thin and wouldn’t be much use outside. It doesn’t feel quite robust enough – it feels like it could do with some string to hold it down!
Sealey VS8501
Laser 3008
Draper Expert 22592/WC-01
Chris Cook
Chris Cook
Chris Cook
Price: £17.95 (ex VAT) From: Your local Sealey stockist
It’s all right, but without a magnet it would just be falling down all the time. It’s a bit small for the car [a Vauxhall Astra] too, and if it’s too small for that it’d be too small for a lot of things. I prefer the magnetic ones really.
Chris Harrison
I’d give this four and a half stars, because it’s only really missing out on the wheel cutout. This and the non-slip Laser both have nice material that’s lightweight, and because it doesn’t have magnets it’s something we could use safely.
Kev Grady
Like the other non-slip one, it wouldn’t be much good outside – again, it could do with some string or something just to tie it down. The material’s better though, so I’d be more likely to use this one.
Price: £18.22 (ex VAT) From: lasertools.co.uk
Yeah, this would be okay on a smaller car, but it’s a little too small for your average car.
Chris Harrison
Price: circa £21.63 (ex VAT) From: drapertools.com
It’s got a wheel cutout, but it’s a little small. Obviously, if you’ve got a smaller car with smaller alloys it’d be great, but it’s not as good on your average car with bigger wheels.
It’s a good size, and good for the front end of most cars. The material is pretty good and feels quite durable, but missing the wheel cutout means we’d rank it below the Draper. Again, the magnets rule it out for us, as they can attract filings, which scratch the bodywork.
Chris Harrison
Kev Grady
Kev Grady
For me, I don’t like the feel of it. It’s a bit plasticky and doesn’t feel like it’d last – if you were doing some welding nearby it feels like it’d go straight through. Also, the magnets are too long so you can’t get it tucked into the wing like the other one.
This one’s good for size and it’s a decent thickness. The wheel cutout is excellent, but the fact it’s magnetic means we can’t use it as a Skoda main dealer. It’d be perfect if it had straps on it instead! This one’s my favourite. It has strings to attach in case you’re working outside. The magnets are quite small and flexible, and the cutout for the wheel is great.
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MY PROJECT CAR.
LAURA THOMSON DISCOVERS HOW A QUICK SALE BECAME A PAINSTAKING LABOUR OF LOVE
Why the offer of a 1981 Mini Clubman couldn’t be refused
H
aving been a lifelong Mini fan, when David Brown was offered a 1981 Clubman for £200, he just couldn’t refuse. That was eight years ago, and the 1100cc Clubman project is now close to completion, with Brown estimating that he’s spent around £1,500 on the restoration. While the car wasn’t in too bad a condition when he bought it, how long he could spend on it at any one time was limited because he was busy with work. The 52-year-old is a director at Automech Services Ltd in Gloucester, although by his own admission he is ‘just a mechanic’. He said: ‘Since I’ve had it, I’ve renewed all the suspension, done the dry shaft, the gaiters, everything. ‘I’ve stripped the car completely down, because the next step is to get all the seats and interior refurbished. ‘It’s hardly needed any welding done. I’ve had to renew the rear panel below the bumper and that’s about it.’ The car is in an amazing condition considering its age and has barely posed any problems, he said. One thing that Brown is unsure about, however, is the Clubman’s mileage. ‘The funny thing is that on the older Minis, the odometer only went up to 99,000. So the clock reads 58,945 currently, but I don’t know if that’s true or if it’s actually covered 158,945.’ With 36 years’ experience in the motor trade, Brown was able to do most of the work himself, which has helped keep costs low. ‘The only thing that’s really cost me has been having the bodywork done,’ he said. ‘I had to buy some parts for the brakes and the suspension, although most of what I needed was included when I bought it.’ Brown bought the Mini from a friend who had emigrated to New Zealand and wanted a quick sale. Included in the incredibly low price were new bumpers, new wiper arms, switches, trims, hubs, new drums and even a new set of alloy wheels and tyres. Since he began restoration on the Clubman, Brown has been careful not to stray from its original specification. ‘People sometimes do a lot of modifications to them, but I’m trying to keep it as basic as possible,’ he said. ‘I still want to use a Mini engine, and I may convert it to a twin carb, like they used to have with the SU Carburettor set-up. I mean, a lot of people modify them quite heavily, but I want to keep it as an original Mini.’ Brown is unsure as to whether he will completely
A trip to Belgium could well be on the horizon for this 35-year-old Mini Clubman next year refurbish the vehicle’s engine. However, with it having been smoking a little recently, he would rather fix the issue now than leave it to worsen. Another part that he is unsure of is the driver’s floor panel. He hopes to be able to save it, although a replacement may need to be found. When the final few bits and pieces have been fixed and fitted, Brown will MOT and service the vehicle himself before finally getting it out on the road. He’s planning to use the Clubman as a daily commuter, but he also has high hopes for the little car. With a friend, he will drive across Europe to the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in order to watch the 2017 Belgian Grand Prix, which will take place in late August.
DO YOU HAVE A PET PROJECT? LET US KNOW! We‘re looking for the cars that mechanics are doing up in their spare time. Email editorial@blackballmedia.co.uk and we‘ll do the rest.
40 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk
”
The only thing that’s really cost me has been having the bodywork done.
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FOCUS ON
WHERE THERE’S MUCK THERE’S A TOP TREATMENT EDT AUTOMOTIVE T: 01233 712341 W: EDTAUTOMOTIVE.COM AS we all know, there has been no shortage of headlines recently about falsified vehicle emission and fuel economy figures, writes Andrew Evans. Many new cars are simply nowhere near the ratings assigned to them, but things only get worse with age and use. Over the operational life of an engine, fuel economy wanes, and you only have to own a model for a few years to notice the gradual increase in detected emissions at its annual MOT. This is simply caused by a build-up of muck over time – not just debris but also sludge from churning up and repeatedly heating and cooling oil. Scheduled, or better than scheduled, oil changes help keep a lid on the issue, while an engine flush treatment may limit the gradual build-up, but when it comes to knocking it on the head, EDT Automotive’s engine decontamination machine is the way forward. The machine drives a special fluid through the engine in a wholly automated process, removing all of the general gunk build-up. By getting rid of all the contaminants and putting in fresh oil, the engine is able to run more smoothly, improving fuel economy and reducing emissions by some impressive margins. While the device itself has been manufactured in the USA for nearly 20 years, it’s Kent-based EDT Automotive that supplies it to partners here in the UK – some of whom we’ve been speaking to about the EDT process. EDT’s own figures attribute an increase in fuel economy of around 20 per cent to the treatment, something with which
42 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk
the partners concur. Marcus Fuller, of Drive-In Auto Care in Newton Abbot, commented: ‘I’ve done my own vehicle – it was the first we ever did - and I’m still seeing around 20 per cent improvement in the fuel economy.’ In fact, all of the garages we spoke to had tried the treatment on their own cars before using it on customers’ vehicles. Mark Kettle, the managing director of EAC Telford, added: ‘We put it on our staff cars. We weren’t very optimistic, really, but our main technician said it transformed his car.’ Rob Collison, owner of Collison Motoring Services, Cowplain, Hampshire, said: ‘When we first took the machine on, we let all our technicians and sales advisers have the treatment applied to their cars so we could get a feel of the benefits, and everybody commented that you had increased torque, improved driveability and smoothness of idle.’ The partners also talk about the machine’s ease of use. Kettle remarks: ‘It’s as simple as draining oil,’ while Fuller adds: ‘It’s a very easy machine to use. Everyone down here was trained on it on day one – we’ve got a staff of six and everyone’s comfortable using it. ‘All have done the treatment on various different vehicles. I’ve not found anything it can’t connect to – it’s a very wellengineered machine and a great product.’ Once hooked up, the EDT machine runs an automated cycle, pumping in a cleaning fluid – a bespoke, environmentallyfriendly, food-grade biofuel – under pressure. ‘Normally in an oil
Spot the difference following treatment and filter change you’d have a residual amount of oil left in the bottom of the sump,’ says Fuller. ‘This system scavenges it out so you get far greater content of the sump out.’ As the process is fully automated and on a fixed cycle, the technicians involved can take the opportunity to do other things. Some of the garages we spoke to use the time to conduct vehicle health checks. Collison noted: ‘It’s 15 minutes from start to finish – and in that time you can get on and do something else, which
The EDT machine is very easy to use from a workshop efficiency point of view is always a bonus!’ On average, the garages we spoke to treat between two and four cars a day, with the process being offered as part of an interim service. And what are the results like? Chris Ritchie, owner of Chris Ritchie Garage in Barrow-in-Furness, remarked: ‘A lot of taxi drivers tell me that they’ve definitely noticed the difference when it comes to fuel economy.’
This is something Kettle has also seen, commenting that: ‘We’ve got a taxi driver and he’s getting 4mpg more on his day-to-day drive.’ Collison added: ‘There’s a general feeling that something has been done to your car, which, under
normal servicing, most people, other than the fact it’s been washed and Hoovered, don’t actually get to feel – having just spent several hundred pounds on a car service!’ Fuller notes that, as an MOT testing garage, he’s seen the treatment’s ability to reduce emissions – 66 per cent carbon monoxide reduction and 58 per cent diesel smoke, according to EDT’s figures. ‘I’ve done an MOT test before and the emissions have been close or failed and we’ve done the EDT treatment and their emissions have come down,’ he said. It’s important to note that EDT can treat symptoms of a more serious fault, and Collison notes that garages should still carry out due diligence on what’s causing the problem in addition to the benefits that EDT brings. ‘If you have an underlying problem that is emissions-related, then EDT will help as part of the process, and it’s a good additional measure,’ he said. WorkShopMagazine.co.uk
| 43
OUR FLEET.
VW Type 3 Fastback Canny construction means repairing dent doesn’t cost a small fortune
T
his month has been about bodywork on the Type 3. You may remember from its first appearance in Our Fleet that there was a rather large dent in the side. When I bought the car, it wasn’t too much of an issue. Since then, a lot of people have asked me what I did to it, followed by a suspicious look when I told them I’d bought it like that. According to the previous owner, the day before he decided to put it up for sale he’d parked it at the end of his driveway overnight. When he walked down to the car in the morning it had a large dent in the rear panel and some suspicious paint matching another car down the road… Back to the present day, and with the car now under my ownership I had a horrible feeling this dent was going to result in me forking out more than £300 for the new panel alone – not even taking into consideration the paint. Unfortunately, this job was made trickier by the fact the Type 3 has a double skin, which means you can’t just remove the interior and attempt to push the dent out.
Luckily – such as if you’ve ever dealt with a classic Beetle – Volkswagen had the foresight to attach the wings with bolts rather than welding every panel together. That meant we were able to remove enough of the panel from the car to get one arm under and push the dent from the inside. Three hours – plus a lot of tapping, whacking and heat-gunning later – we managed to remove most of the dent, which was formed of three big creases. It doesn’t look perfect but the majority of the original paint is still intact and it didn’t cost
an arm and a leg to repair. Oh, and if you were wondering about the car’s MOT, it passed with flying colours. So, that’s two ticks off the list for this month.
Model: Volkswagen Type 3 Fastback 1600E Owned by: Becca Chaplin Engine: 1.6-litre Bought for: £3,500 Mileage: 90,200 Highlight of this month: Enjoying the sunshine from the driver’s seat.
VW Transporter What the MOT giveth with one hand, the pop-up roof taketh with the other... AS THE saying goes, ‘two out of three ain’t bad’. OK, the two things I did get done for my campervan were non-negotiable. Quite clearly, there was no other option than to get both the tax and MOT sorted this month. The service can wait until payday. With the tax sorted but money tight, the other part of Operation Road Legal was worrying me. As always, I took the RAC van to the guys at Moreland Motor Services. They always look after
me, but all the same I was dreading the phone call with the result of the MOT. As it turned out, I needn’t have worried. The only things that she failed on were two badly worn tyres on the rear and that was it. The guys even sourced some decent tyres at half the price I’ve paid in the past. Cue smug grin. However, as I drove down the M3, a rubber strip on the pop-up roof designed to deflect air decided to come off with a bang and got stuck
Our cars... We love cars here at Workshop and here’s proof. We’ve written about them and everything... 44 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk
VW TYPE 3 FASTBACK
VW TRANSPORTER
BMW 520D TOURING
SUBARU IMPREZA STI
by Rebecca Chaplin Head of editorial video, @BelieveBecca
by Cliff Culver Advertising executive, @CarDealerCliff
by Jonathan Fleetwood Photographer, @Jfleetwoodphoto
by Jon Reay Multimedia manager, @JonReay
The Type 3 is far more shipshape. The basics are done, the bodywork is getting there, but the next jobs are the big ’uns in the engine bay.
With the tax and MOT sorted, Cliff can now concentrate on organising the long overdue service. Watch this space!
Excited to be joining the ranks of Germanic car owners pounding the highways and byways of our great country.
A spell of warm weather has highlighted one flaw in the Subaru this month: the air con. Methinks a re-gas is on the cards.
BMW 520d Touring
BMW 330d Touring
Talking ’bout good vibrations as purchase shows what a small world it is
Belfort needs a new battery, for sure
FEELING like Judas, the time finally came to part with the faithful 306. I broke my promise, though – not something I make a habit of and something I actually feel guilty about (and it’s a car…). The promise revolved around a principle: the day I get left at the side of the road was the day it got crushed; until then it was safe. I could justify the decision in any number of ways, but when it comes down to it I just wanted a shiny new toy and had been obsessing over BMWs. I am picky and tend to aim for ‘unicorns’, creatures from myth and legend that don’t exist in the real world. The problem item on my hit list was finding a panoramic sunroof, at which point the readily available thoroughbred stallion grew its majestic horn and transitioned into fiction. The sad reality is that BMWs in my price range are predominantly ex-fleet and few fleet managers in their right mind are likely to option a panoramic roof… Damn. After accepting defeat, I was presented with two options: one close, one not.
I went to look at the one close to me, liked it and bought it on the spot. I got a good vibe, what can I say? As good a reason as any to do something in my books. Things got a little weird as I signed the V5, though. The car had been previously registered in my town – not overly strange on its own, but looking more closely, not only was it from my town but also my road. I must have seen this car countless times over the past six years. It lived practically opposite my house. Told you I got a good vibe from it! So long as it doesn’t eat its swirl flaps or have the timing chain issue that the BBC programme Watchdog looked into for this engine then I should be fine… yay!
in the roof bars. I guess I shouldn’t complain too much – I could have been shelling out for some new rubber as well as the silicon to fit it on with. Hopefully next month I’ll only be reporting on the cost of the silicon and how hard it was to get the original adhesive off. Well, that and how much the delayed service has cost me.
MG METRO TURBO
BMW 330D TOURING
Model: BMW E61 520D Touring Owned by: Jonny Fleetwood Bought for: £10,000 Mileage: 86,000 Money spent this month: £25 Highlight this month: Finally possessing heated seats… heaven!
AS HAS been previously mentioned, we here at Blackball HQ often fall into the predicament of not using our cars enough to keep them going. Indeed, the car park has, at times, looked a little like a boneyard for the unloved and unkempt motor vehicle. Belfort (and I’m sure you’re aware of his name by now) has succumbed to this difficult position. I recently treated him to a solar charger to keep the battery topped up, but this has failed to keep the car juiced enough to turn over the heavy 2.9-litre diesel under the bonnet. Once again I've had to remove the car’s battery from the boot (it weighs a ton) and hook it up to a charger. I could be running a Nissan Leaf given the amount of times I have to plug the BMW’s battery into the mains. I am, of course, dancing around the eventual purchase of a new battery. The rest of the car is spot on – it’s had new Continental tyres all round and new fuel lines, too. It genuinely is a very decent example of an early 3-Series Touring, but it’s just one that needs a little bit more affection. I’m reluctant to part ways with the big Beemer as it’s a solid car and I do genuinely like owning and driving it – but the latter seems to be happening less and less frequently of late. A new battery and a service would have it totally spot on – so maybe I should just do that.
Model: Volkswagen T32 Transporter Owned by: Cliff Culver Engine: 2.0 TDi (remapped to 205bhp) Bought for: £22,000 (conversion: £19,200) Mileage: 66,000 Money spent this month: £498.75 Highlight this month: My daughter's first bodyboarding trip
MINI COOPER
Model: BMW 330d Touring Owned by: Jack Evans Bought for: £2,600 Mileage: 150,000 Money spent this month: £10 Highlight this month: Finding very little rust whatsoever in the car’s arches
MAZDA MX-5
PEUGEOT 205 GTI 1.9
by Christian Tilbury Staff writer, @Christilbury1
by Jack Evans Staff writer, @jackrober
by Sophie Williamson-Stothert Features editor, @1Sophie_W
by Andrew Evans Senior staff writer, @snavEwerdnA
by James Baggott Chief executive, @CarDealerEd
A lack of time means Christian’s not even wiped the dust off the Metro, but the parts are slowly coming together for the suspension rebuild.
Belfort’s battery is out of the car once more after going flat. Will charging it this time get it going? We’ll find out shortly.
HCZ has got a new friend this month – a little 1989 Mini Mayfair named Pearl. She’ll be making an appearance soon.
A puddle appeared beneath the MX-5. This turned out to be power steering fluid. Andrew didn’t realise the car had power steering!
James decided to do something about his unwell Peugeot. And that meant buying a new battery to get it moving. Which is a start. WorkShopMagazine.co.uk
| 45
OUR KEV.
OUR MAN ON THE INSIDE SPILLS THE BEANS ON THE GARAGE BUSINESS...
Sadly in need of some TLC, but little Yaris just kept on going...
S
ome cars are born survivors. And in my line of work, you get to know them fairly quickly. All I’ll say is this: the quality and reliability of a car has absolutely nothing to do with the amount of money you spend. For example, two of the most durable cars of the 1990s were the 1993-on Nissan Micra and the 1995-on Jaguar XJ6 – opposite ends of the price spectrum, but both mechanically indestructible. Go back a decade and the Volvo 240, Nissan Bluebird and Peugeot 205 were the automotive cockroaches of the era – no matter how much you tried to kill them, you just couldn’t. Diesel-engined Vauxhall Cavaliers were pretty unbreakable, too, apart from the inevitable corrosion, while the old Austin Maestro and Montego were astonishingly reliable despite the reputation they had. I mention this because I have a new favourite candidate for the most reliable and forgiving car of all time. A short while ago, a lady in her 60s came in with a 2001 Toyota Yaris, which I recognised from us doing the annual MOT. Apart from that, we never saw it, so I assumed she had her brakes, tyres and servicing done by another garage, a main dealer, or some fast-fit operation. This time, though, the car came in because the oil light had come on. The owner was baffled, as she told us she’d always checked the levels and the oil level was still showing almost ‘max’ on the dipstick. We started the car up and immediately noticed a metallic clattering, as if the engine was starved of oil, so we loaned her our courtesy Ka and booked the Yaris in for further investigation. What we found was astonishing... The Yaris was, outwardly, in remarkable condition, especially as it had a rather hefty 190,000 miles on the clock. The bodywork was still bright and free of rot or major damage, the interior had held up well and the nearly-new tyres and brakes suggested the owner believed in regular maintenance, but that didn’t tally with what we discovered when we looked inside the engine. Pretty much everything was covered in a creamy black sludge, and when we removed the sump plug to change the oil, what came out (or didn’t, as the case may be) was a jelly-like substance that left a trail of slime in its wake. Not sure as to what the cause may have been, we decided the first step would be to clean out the block using engine flush then investigate further using an endoscope. After three flushes, most of the gloop seemed to have disappeared, so we had a look at the unit’s insides. There
appeared to be nothing immediately wrong. Still uncertain, but aware that the Yaris was a low-value car and the owner wouldn’t want to spend big money on it, we treated the Toyota to some fresh oil, fired it up and, as we had some parts to pick up from a main dealer 30 miles away, decided to take the car for a proper run to see if the problem came back. The Yaris ran like clockwork all the way, no rattling, no clattering. Indeed, for a 190,000-mile car with a 1.0-litre engine, it was a surprisingly tight and responsive thing. Back at the garage, we had another look at the oil and it seemed fresh as a daisy. We called the owner to explain that the car was running beautifully but that we hadn’t really been able to trace the fault, as once we’d dropped the oil out, flushed and replaced it, whatever had been clogging up the engine and starving it of oil had obviously gone… Our advice was that she should keep an eye on the oil level, as always, and next time she took it for a service ask the servicing garage to check the consistency of the oil to see if anything looked awry. ‘But I don’t get it serviced,’ she told us. ‘It’s never needed it.’ That’s when the penny dropped. Apparently, because the oil and coolant levels had never fallen during her ownership, the Toyota driver had assumed it didn’t need a service. And she’d owned the car from new… The little Yaris, then, had been back to the dealer just once, for its one-year inspection. After that, it had covered the next 178,000 miles of its life without any kind of servicing whatsoever. No wonder the engine was gummed up, with 14-year-old oil and an oil filter of similar vintage. Luckily, we were able to remove the air filter without the help of a chimney sweep and change that as well before the owner picked it up, ready for another 178,000 miles of neglect. What a car!
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...
46 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk
”
We started the car up and immediately noticed a metallic clattering, as if the engine was starved of oil.
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| 47
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