Workshopissue 11

OUR KEV: THE ART OF BRINGING DEAD CARS BACK TO LIFE

ISSUE 11 | AUGUST 2016

£2.50 | WORKSHOPMAGAZINE.CO.UK

DELIGHT AT THE MUSEUM We meet the man behind the magic of Beaulieu

RATED & RANKED Floor cleaners and knee protectors are the latest products we test PLUS: Our experts’ verdicts on induction heaters

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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 sophie@blackballmedia.co.uk Twitter: @1Sophie_W

CONTENTS. 30

Introducing the Judge: Get in touch with Lawgistics to find answers to your problems

SENIOR STAFF WRITER ANDREW EVANS

andrew@blackballmedia.co.uk Twitter: @snavEwerdnA

Good luck! Tyre firm has bags of support for apprentices

STAFF WRITER JACK EVANS

46

jack@blackballmedia.co.uk Twitter: @jackrober

JUNIOR STAFF WRITER LAURA THOMSON

laura@blackballmedia.co.uk Twitter: @lauramayrafiki

Our Kev: The youngsters who are prepared to devote their time and effort to dead cars

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

11

12

Brexit: How will the vote affect the UK’s service and repair sector? We talk to a range of workshops and industry bodies to find out

22

My Project Car: The Porsche 924 that’s destined to take part in a European charity rally

finance@blackballmedia.co.uk

34

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

Put to the test: Our expert verdict on floor cleaner and knee pads

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

CONTRIBUTORS Kim Adams, Alex Wells, Jon Reay, John Bowman, Mal Hay SUBSCRIPTIONS If you know someone who would like a FREE copy of Workshop Magazine, email the details to subs@workshopmagazine.co.uk and we’ll do the rest.

DISTRIBUTION Workshop Magazine is distributed to a database of up to 10,000 service and repair sites, franchised car dealers, independents, car manufacturers and suppliers.

Company No. 6473855 VAT No. 933 8428 05 ISSN No: 1759-5444 Workshop Magazine is published by Blackball Media Ltd (Company No 6473855) and printed by Warners. All rights reserved. Conditions of sale and supply include the fact Workshop shall not, without our consent, be lent, resold, hired out or otherwise disposed of in a mutilated way or in any unauthorised cover by way of trade or affixed to or as any part of a publication or advertising, literary or pictorial matter whatsoever.

Workshop Magazine is fully protected by copyright. Nothing may be reproduced wholly or in part without permission.

Welcome

AS you’ll probably be aware by now, the team at Workshop Magazine likes to get out of the office and visit as many workshops as possible across the country – from the largest industry chains to garages in people’s back gardens.

Inspired by the question of how some of the world’s oldest and most prestigious vehicles – kept under lock and key – are maintained, features editor Sophie headed to the Beaulieu National Motor Museum to find out what happens behind the scenes.

You can read all about her day with chief engineer Doug Hill by turning to p16.

Come to think of it, our Sophie has been getting around quite a bit this month, also making an appearance at Autologic’s headquarters in Oxfordshire.

Meeting with Chris Routledge, who writes our monthly Fault Finder column (p9), Sophie was able to experience the first-class customer support the firm offers by sitting in on a live call or two with the team leader. She even learned how to fix a Mini Cooper S suffering from

misfire, which you can read about on p42. Back in the product testing suite, Andrew has had his white coat back on testing the very latest examples of knee pads and floor cleaner. You can find out which products are the best for you to use by turning to p34-37.

Andrew has also been busy on other projects, too, investigating exactly what goes on in MOT test centres.

More precisely, he’s been finding out how effective the test is at spotting illegally-removed diesel particulate filters and whether this could cause any issues for the vehicle testing stations that unwittingly give these cars a clean bill of health.

With another contribution from Our Kev, the latest from our fleet and news of a great new Workshop Club development, there’s a lot going on in this issue.

As always, we hope you enjoy it.

Dave Brown, Production Editor WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

| 03

NEWS.

INVESTIGATION

EMISSION IMPOSSIBLE! WHAT CAN BE DONE TO CLEAR THE AIR ON DPFs? ANDREW EVANS highlights the worrying trend of garages removing diesel particulate filters and the legal anomaly that means MOT testers could be passing unroadworthy vehicles.

T

ens of thousands of cars could be driving around illegally and uninsured as some garages offer to remove diesel particulate filters to deceive MOT testers.

Although the practice of removing the filter isn’t itself illegal, the DVSA says that driving a car on the road in this condition is an offence.

Drivers opt to have the filter removed to avoid the possibility of a costly replacement and engine damage further down the line, but the MOT testing process only calls for a visual, external check, so testers have no way of knowing if it’s still inside the system or not, meaning that testing facilities may be unwittingly granting pass certificates to unroadworthy vehicles.

A Workshop Magazine survey of testing stations revealed that none had ever failed a vehicle for an absent diesel particulate filter (DPF), despite what seems to be a growing trade in the filter’s removal.

As a required testable component for diesel engines since 2014, a missing DPF should merit an automatic fail. And after speaking to a selection of garages across the UK that advertise a DPF removal service, it could be that as many as five per cent of diesel cars on the road may be missing this important piece of equipment.

With DVSA figures suggesting that just 1,311 vehicles have failed their MOTs because of missing DPFs since the regulations came into effect in February 2014, it appears that tens of thousands of cars are slipping through the net

04 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

and being given a clean bill of health despite prolonged periods, but if it is rarely run like that, being technically unroadworthy. an active regeneration cycle can be initiated.

Crucially, though, testing stations that pass However, if the active cycle can’t be completed, these vehicles are unlikely to face any sanctions unburned fuel can drain into the sump, causing from the DVSA, as testers following the a deterioration in oil quality. If allowed to persist, procedure to check for the DPF are not allowed to this can cause serious engine damage. investigate beyond a visual check.

Stephen Coles, head of MOT technical The issue hinges on the fact that the modern operations at the Retail Motor Industry diesel engine is a profoundly complicated piece of Federation, said: ‘The DPF filters need to be equipment and increasingly stringent emissions “regenerated” regularly through burning the soot regulations push them further and further down to gas at a very high temperature, leaving behind this path of complexity. a residue. If not carried out properly, regeneration Since 2009, all mainstream production can lead to a build-up of soot, which can diesel cars have been fitted with a affect performance and ultimately DPF. This device sits in the car’s lead to expensive repair costs.’ exhaust system and contains a The DPF itself is likely to have mesh designed to trap large soot clogged itself by then and need particles – or diesel particulate replacing. The typical age of matter – to prevent them from a DPF before replacement is entering the atmosphere, where in the order of 100,000 miles, they can cause respiratory issues with those attached to cars that if inhaled. see overwhelmingly inappropriate Over time, the soot-loading of daily use failing much sooner – and it the filter increases and it must comes at a price. regenerate, by heating up to Filter replacements are break the large particles into commonly around £1,000, It would be a great help gas, which can escape with less depending on type, and are if there was an accurate environmental impact and a likely to be needed on cars database of which small amount of residue. that, because of their age, vehicles were fitted with are not worth significantly Generally, this regeneration the filters as standard more than that. Consumers are, occurs passively, when the car is STEPHEN COLES running at higher engine speeds for fairly understandably, reticent to

”

THE MOT TEST MANUAL STATES:

make such an outlay, and in the wake of the Volkswagen emissions scandal, suspicious of whether their vehicles meet Euro 5 and Euro 6 emissions standards even in standard form. The expense of replacing the DPF may, therefore, lead to many opting for a cheaper route of simply getting rid of the filter altogether.

Coles adds: ‘It is an offence under the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations (Regulation 61a(3))1 to use a vehicle which has been modified in such a way that it no longer complies with the air pollutant emissions standards it was designed to meet. Removal of a DPF will almost invariably contravene these requirements, making the vehicle illegal for road use. The potential penalties for failing to comply with Regulation 61a are fines of up to £1,000 for a car or £2,500 for a light goods vehicle.’

Although no action has been taken against garages that offer this service – other than those that also operate as an MOT testing station, too – very few were willing to speak to us about the quantity of vehicles they may get through.

Some offered figures of around three per week at the most. Extrapolated across the whole of the UK, though, even that number far outstrips the detection rate of DPF removal through the MOT. While none of the testing stations we spoke to had cause to fail a car for DPF removal, the fact is that their hands are largely tied when it comes to digging a little deeper.

The MOT procedure prevents Nominated

Method of Inspection On spark ignition engine vehicles that qualify for a full catalyst emissions test and all compression ignition vehicles, check the presence of catalytic converter(s) and particulate filter(s).

Reason for Rejection A catalytic converter or particulate filter missing where one was fitted as standard.

Testers (NTs) from removing items for inspection, which has led to garages that offer the DPF removal service to disguise the fact that the filter is no longer fitted.

This may be by way of additional equipment such as DPF bypass pipes – some of which are offered by major manufacturers of exhaust systems – or by simply removing the core of the filter and replacing the casing back on the car.

One of our testing stations noted that the NT can offer an advisory that a vehicle may have had its DPF removed if the casing sounded hollow, but ultimately they were powerless to investigate further. Even this garage had never had a car fail its MOT because of an absent DPF – in comparison with a couple of petrol-powered vehicles a week failing through missing catalytic convertors. Coles adds: ‘In reality, a tester will face the situation where they are not sure if one was fitted as standard and there is no data available that can confirm one way or another what was fitted as standard. Alternatively, the tester will see the DPF case present and connected but with possibly welds showing that at some stage the case has been cut in two. The tester may presume that this means the internals of the filter have

been removed, but would not be able to prove it.’

He said: As always in this situation, the correct course of action would be to pass and advise.’

Removal of a DPF where originally fitted would not only cause a vehicle to fail its MOT if detected, but also render it unroadworthy and invalidate the vehicle insurance.

The DVSA has taken action against vehicle test stations offering DPF removal, classifying the conflict of interest between removing the item and passing the vehicle as though it were present as bringing the MOT scheme into disrepute and removing test station authorisation.

This is a particular issue for garages that buy any second-hand diesels as, without a costly and time-consuming closer inspection, there is no way of knowing if the DPF has been removed even with a clean MOT history – and potentially opens a conflict between the sales and service sides of a dealership, where unroadworthy cars may be sold with clean MOTs. So with the MOT not being up to the task of detecting removal, what does the future hold?

Coles said: ‘It would be a great help if there was an accurate database of which vehicles were fitted with the filters as standard, and there has been talk of tighter smoke-test values for DPF-equipped vehicles to help ensure the DPF is functioning.

‘However, we have spoken to the DVSA on this matter and this is something that would be looked at when time allows by the Department for Transport.’

WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

| 05

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NEWS.

NEWS ROUND-UP

| VIDEO |

Nissan rolls CitNOW out into network

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

GLASGOW:

An impressive new Arnold Clark Hyundai showroom near the centre of the city is now open for business – and has a service centre boasting seven workshop bays including a dedicated MOT bay plus a specialist wheel alignment bay. David Munton, Arnold Clark Hyundai franchise manager, said: ‘We can now offer variety, value and an exceptional level of service, all from a convenient central location.’

TEESSIDE:

A member of the aftersales staff at Jennings Ford, part of the Jennings Motor Group, has been rewarded for his loyalty to the firm. Dean Carne, 53, from Redcar, has notched up 15 years at the group’s Cargo Fleet Lane branch in Middlesbrough. Over the years, Carne has worked his way up to master technician status. Service manager Bob Lloyd presented him with vouchers to help celebrate his achievement.

AFTER the success of CitNOW’s video technology in Nissan GB workshops, the manufacturer has adopted the system across the entire dealer network.

In the first quarter of 2016, Nissan workshops distributed more than 60,000 videos to customers, meaning they are set to deliver a quarter of a million by the end of the year.

The system has been white-labelled

by Nissan as eVision and has seen its top workshops deliver more than 600 customer videos a month. The success of eVision has resulted in the launch of the technology into all Nissan’s new and used sales departments – spanning a total of 202 dealerships.

| ACQUISITION |

Fleetband bought

by Autoguard AUTOGUARD Warranties has bought Fleetband Warranty Services, which specialises in vehicles weighing more than 3.5 tonnes.

The deal secures it a significant foothold in the heavy trucks market.

Since Autoguard Warranties’ launch in 2009, turnover has risen by 25 per cent year on year.

Company chief executive Robert Dockerill said: ‘Our acquisition of Fleetband was the result of numerous requests we received from commercial vehicle dealers wanting warranty programmes for trucks over 3.5 tonnes.’

BEAMISH:

County Durham-based Aston Workshop has opened a classic and exotic car showroom, adding six jobs in sales and servicing. Car Barn is a 1,000 square metre, purpose-built showroom that sits alongside the Aston Martin service-recognised Aston Workshop, which caters for a growing demand for more affordable non-Aston Martin classic cars. It stocks models from manufacturers such as Bentley, Mercedes-Benz and Ferrari.

PWLLHELI:

Two coaches were destroyed in a fire at a garage. Three crews attended the blaze at Glandon Garage in Caernarfon Road, and it took more than an hour to bring the flames under control. The fire spread from a double-decker coach to a singledecker. Nobody was hurt in the incident, which happened on July 16. Fire investigators and police are looking into what caused the blaze, which broke out near some gas bottles.

PENWORTHAM:

A garage director has been jailed for conspiracy to supply drugs. Mark Fishwick, 47, of Greencroft, Penwortham, who owns Penwortham MOT Centre, had denied the charge but was found guilty at Liverpool Crown Court and sentenced to six years in prison.

The court was told he was part of a 20-plus gang. Incriminating texts were found after Fishwick’s home and business were raided in June.

| TESTING |

New qualification for MOT personnel

BLACKBURN:

An arson attack at a Blackburn garage damaged several vehicles as well as a neighbouring business. Detectives investigating the fire at Worldwide Tyres suspect accelerants were used to ignite cars outside the premises. Fire crews arrived at the site on July 2 to find half a dozen cars alight, with the fire having spread to an adjacent building. They spent around two hours dealing with the incident. Police have appealed for information.

A NEW qualification for MOT testers and managers is being introduced.

Each year, around 42 million car MOT tests are carried out, and while the vast majority are conducted to the correct standard, errors do occur, so the new qualification and training regime is aimed at improving standards and consistency.

The content of MOT training for 58,000 testers across the country has been regularly monitored. However, the training has remained the same.

From September, all new testers will have to get the nationallyrecognised qualification.

To find out more, go online to bit.ly/MOT-change WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

| 07

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FAULT FINDER.

CHRIS ROUTLEDGE OF AUTOLOGIC DISCUSSES DIAGNOSTICS

Struggling to cool the cabin down? It could be a heater valve issue What should you do if an S-Type Jaguar is only blowing hot air? Find out here...

J

umping in the driver’s seat during a heatwave could draw your attention to the fact that the heater is blowing out hot air, even when you adjust the dial to ‘cool’.

This fault is not uncommon, and tends to occur in vehicles such as the S-Type Jaguar.

How do you fix it? The answer is simple, but first you need to diagnose the exact cause.

To do this, we look at the best ways of analysing the heating system with the AssistPlus device and the assistance of one of our Fault-toFix master technicians.

In the case of an S-Type, it’s likely that the heater valve open circuit has malfunctioned, there’s a fault with the HEVAC device or it’s a straightforward wiring issue.

To diagnose the issue quickly and efficiently, you will need to carry out a Quick Test and examine the fault codes stored in the vehicle.

However, occasionally, vehicles do not show fault codes, which can be misleading. Therefore, with the aid of our master technicians, we will run through the diagnosis to find the most effective way from fault to fix fast.

Basic functional checks are required to narrow down the possible causes. This is because the complexity of modern-day vehicle electrics and the number of modules that communicate with each other can cause misdiagnosis.

In the event that there are no fault codes stored (except for code B1265, which should be ignored), remove the passenger-side end dash panel and locate connector FC4 (14-way green connector).

Next, disconnect the connector and, on the male side, measure the resistance between Pin 9 (brown/green) and Pin 10 (brown/white) – on a good circuit you should achieve 30 ohms.

If you do not have 30 ohms, we advise analysing the heater valve to measure the resistance across Pin 3 (brown/white) and Pin 1 (brown/green) – this should read 30 ohms.

However, if no reading is shown, this means you have an open circuit.

In the event of an open circuit, you will need to replace the valve and recheck the test operation above. You should now have 30 ohms across Pins one and three of the heater valve.

Once this action is completed you will need to check the wiring condition from connector FC4 Pin 9 (brown/green) to Pin 1 (brown/green) of heater valve. We would advise testing from connector FC4 Pin 10 (brown/white) to the heater valve Pin 3 (brown/white). If there is an open or short circuit, repair the wiring as necessary.

Reconnect connector FC4 (14-way green) and measure the voltage on Pin 9 (brown/green) and Pin 10 (brown/white). Then set the climate control to hot and you should have a 12v battery voltage on both pins.

If you don’t have battery voltage you will need to check Pin 2 (yellow) of the heater valve, as this should also be a permanent 12v feed. If it’s not, you will need to check Fuse 32 (10a) within the engine bay fuse box.

Once completed, set the climate control to cold and you should have ground on both pins.

If Pin 9 and 10 do not switch to ground, suspect an internal control module fault.

However, it is important to note that you should not fit another control module until the heater valve has been replaced, as

Fault: Climate control only blowing hot air Make: Jaguar S-Type Model Year: 2002 to 2008 Symptom: Selecting additional cooling as the cabin temperature increases only to find the heater will only blow out hot air.

Cause: Heater valve open circuit, HEVAC fault or wiring issue

Component locations Heater valve n Petrol models: On right-hand side of radiator under expansion tank n Diesel models: In right-hand front wheel arch liner in bumper corner

Climate control module n Navigation models: Remote climate control module located above glove box secured to dashboard. Glove box requires removal for access. n Non-navigation models: Module is in the control panel located above the radio in the centre console. sticking heater valves are the main cause of module failure.

Looking back over the diagnostic processes carried out, you can see we have comprehensively tested the vehicle’s hot air control system, covering all possibilities of fault causes, and repaired or replaced parts as required.

As a result, your customer will drive away in the comfort of a Jaguar with correctly functioning climate control.

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

WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

| 09

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NEWS.

Apprentices win tyre firm backing Bridgestone helps get youngsters’ careers off the ground

A

group of automotive apprentices are being backed by a leading tyre and rubber company as they make their way into the fast-fit industry.

Bridgestone is lending its support to National Tyres for a fourth consecutive year, courtesy of a number of ‘tyre toolbags’ to help the youngsters with their career adventures.

National’s apprenticeship scheme is already being heralded as one of the most impressive in the automotive industry, with the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) recently crowning Connor Bide as its Fast Fit Apprentice of the Year.

Connor is a product of his company’s apprentice scheme, which offers NVQ Level 2 training courses and a pathway into a rewarding profession.

Bridgestone was keen to support the vocational offering by way of a branded holdall for each learner for another year, containing a wide range of equipment to assist in both the classroom and in-branch.

National’s group training and development manager, Graham Atkinson, said: ‘Bridgestone’s continued support means a great deal to us. The brand is synonymous with premium quality, which adds an element of kudos to our offering.

‘Bridgestone’s support certainly sets the apprentices off on the right footing and ensures that the company is one of the first they think

about as they progress up the business.’

Eighteen apprentices will receive vocational training for two years, before qualifying and taking up a permanent position at one of National’s 233 branches across the UK. Since Bridgestone first began supporting National, a total of 54 apprentices have moved through the ranks to become fully-fledged technicians.

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| 11

NEWS.

WILL THE REFERENDUM RESULT PUT A SPANNER IN THE WORKS? BREXIT DEBATE It was the news that took many people by surprise back in late June.

But will the UK’s decision to leave the European Union be good or bad news for our businesses? JACK HEALY investigates.

O

nly now is the news sinking in. We are leaving the European Union. And if anyone was reserving judgment on whether or not that would be good news for the financial health of the UK, a worrying new report just as Workshop was going to press might have confirmed our worst fears.

It showed that the UK economy had slumped at a worryingly fast rate since the crucial vote on June 23. The sharp contraction was triggered by falling output and orders for the first time since the end of 2012, while business optimism in Britain’s powerhouse services sector hit a sevenand-a-half-year low.

The data, collected between July 12 and 21, provides a stark picture of the state of the economy following the Brexit vote, with City experts now warning that Britain could be heading for a recession.

So against that rather depressing backdrop, what do the workshops of the UK make of the situation? Well, it’s fair to say that opinions after the referendum vary just as much as they did beforehand.

Ansis Rozkalns of Bramfield Garage in Halesworth, Suffolk, was one who was most certainly disappointed with the outcome.

Rozkalns, who is of Latvian descent, believes that the vote will severely affect his business, as well as his personal connections to mainland Europe.

He told us: ‘I’m absolutely furious about the whole thing. It’s complete madness. I feel really

disappointed by it all purely because you need to be in the same room to talk to people, so what’s the point in leaving the room? It is very backward-looking.

‘My business deals mainly in foreign products, so everything has to come in from abroad, especially Europe, so I can see this vote causing problems in the future.

‘At the moment, there’s no real difference, apart from the pound not being worth that much, which is quite good for exporters, but ask me ten years from now and we’ll see what happens. I’d be very surprised if the UK is producing as much for the motoring industry as we are now.’

Rozkalns’s parents were refugees who travelled to the UK to escape World War II and he thinks that the criticism and restriction of the EU’s open borders will affect other businesses.

‘We have had Portuguese and Eastern Europe mechanics in the past who’ve been excellent because they turn up on time, they work hard and they do the job to a high standard.

‘I feel that the mentality that ‘‘they can’t come here and steal our jobs’’ was a big factor as to why we left in the end.’

Mike Smith, owner of RMS Car Repairs of Calshot, Hampshire, took a different view, saying: ‘The only thing Europe has ever done for me and my business is the Block Exemption Regulation.

”

12 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

If we can keep hold of that, then we will be fine.’

The Block Exemption Regulation means car owners have a greater say over where they get their cars serviced, rather than having to use main dealers. Manufacturers have to share data relating to the vehicles they produce – and this has benefited smaller workshops over the years.

Smith’s views were echoed by Wheldon’s Garage in Nottingham, where a spokesman said: ‘We don’t think the vote will affect our business at all. Do you think that BMW and Mercedes-

”

The government must secure a deal with the EU which safeguards UK automotive interests.

We need to see decisive action and clear evidence of a plan to take the country forward.

MIKE HAWES

STEVE NASH

| SECURITY |

AP Racing takes on issue of counterfeit brake components

Benz will stop selling to us because of this vote? We don’t. We don’t think the supplying of parts will be a problem either.’

Another in favour of the result was Bill Smith of Church Road Garage in Baschurch, Shropshire, who also highlighted the importance of BER. Smith said: ‘The danger is that we let manufacturers control their market, which will restrict customer choice of where they have their car fixed. It will also ramp up the price of servicing.

‘I am over 60, so I am seeing the end of my

”

working life and this decision will affect my children more than me, so I had to think very hard and make an informed choice. However, I wasn’t really able to do that, as many other people also experienced, and in the end I chose to leave.

‘Not only am I a garage owner, I’m also a builder and restorer, and there is often a time where you need to make a decision on whether to renovate or rebuild.

‘I feel that the EU has reached the point where it needs to be rebuilt rather than renovated.’

Leading industry bodies had their say too.

Steve Nash, CEO of the Institute of the Motor Industry, said: ‘As the professional body for the automotive industry, the IMI respected the right of its members to reach their own conclusions as to which way they voted in the referendum, whilst using the various means at our disposal to present them with balanced views and arguments to help them make an informed decision.

‘In the light of the result we believe that it is very much in the interests of our members and the industry we represent to see decisive action and clear evidence of a plan to take the country forward.’

And the chief executive of the SMMT, Mike Hawes, also urged the government to preserve stability and ‘secure a deal with the EU which safeguards UK automotive interests’.

Whether UK automotive plc – and its all-important workshop sector – will thrive or struggle outside the EU remains to be seen. Only time will tell.

”

I’m absolutely furious about the whole thing.

Complete madness.

I feel that the EU has reached the point where it needs to be rebuilt rather than renovated.

ANSIS ROZKALNS

BILL SMITH

COVENTRY-based AP Racing is tackling the problem of counterfeit brake components with an innovative data tag, helping customers distinguish genuine parts from frauds.

Allowing customers to authenticate their purchase, the new programme from AP Racing will allow users to scan a unique code on a component using a smartphone app, or check via a web portal, in order to certify its provenance. Applied to all generallyavailable AP Racing caliper families, the programme will be launched soon.

Fixed to components during the manufacturing process, the data tags are designed to protect the authenticity of the calipers and it’s advised that they are left in place in order to protect the integrity of the scheme. If removed, customers will not be able to track the part in the future, eliminating a significant method of distinguishing it from a counterfeit product.

Once downloaded, the AP Racing app allows users to scan a data tag, before entering the relevant and required registration details. Customers will receive verification of the part’s authenticity and a confirmation email.

Charles Bolton, managing director of AP Racing, said: ‘It’s vital that we not only protect our customers, but also our intellectual property. The threat of mass-produced, inferior components undermines our UK design and manufacturing operation.’

| ACQUISITION |

Harris Motor Co has a new owner HARRIS Motor Company, a familyowned workshop for 109 years, has been bought by neighbour Umesh Samani.

Samani, one of the most popular figures in the UK motor trade and founder of Specialist Cars of Stoke-on-Trent, has purchased the business as part of an expansion of his operations.

Surviving the recession of 2007-8, Samani has run his dealership from the Harris Motor Company’s site in Stoke as a one-man band for almost two decades. He said: ‘It’s a natural progression to take the business forward under my wings. I’ll keep you posted with lots of new changes.’

WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

| 13

NEWS. | WASTED HOURS |

Drivers spend ages locating a garage BRITS lose more than 37 million days a year trying to find a garage or mechanic to fix their car.

That’s according to new research by online car repair marketplace ClickMechanic, which found that nearly 893.5 million hours are wasted annually in the process.

The survey of 1,000 people found that men are the worst deliberators, with 16.4 per cent taking eight-plus hours to book their car into a garage, versus just 2.8 per cent of women.

Nearly 17 per cent (16.7) of men confessed to taking time off work to get their car repaired, and just 23 per cent of respondents were likely to get a single quote for the work needed.

| ANDREW PAGE |

New range of MOT training courses ANDREW Page has introduced a range of annual training and assessment solutions for MOT testers and quality controllers. Through its Auto Education programme, Andrew Page has introduced seven courses to meet new Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) requirements, with courses for existing and new testers.

Andrew Page’s offering ranges from online courses, training plans and annual CPD for existing testers; to one, two and three day courses.

Paul Hall, training manager at Andrew Page, said: ‘Our programme of training courses further extends our relationship with the IMI.’

| MAINTENANCE |

Ford’s special rules for GT servicing in US DEALERS chosen to handle the Ford GT in America are being told to spend $30,000 (£22,800) upgrading their service facilities, it has been reported.

And special consideration must be taken when handling the hand-built, mid-engined performance car.

At the moment, the instructions only apply to Ford’s US dealerships.

It has not yet been determined whether UK outlets will be required to take any special measures to handle the car after sale, Workshop Magazine was told. A small number of GTs will arrive in the UK from October.

14 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

Autonomous driving set to feature on Qashqai in 2017 System will be available on top-spec models and is likely to be an option on other trim levels too, says Nissan

by JAMES BAGGOTT @CarDealerEd

N

issan will launch autonomous driving technology on its bestselling Qashqai SUV as soon as next year.

The system – activated at the push of a button on the steering wheel – will be able to control the car in stopstart traffic and drive it unassisted on single-lane A-roads at speeds up to 62mph.

However, in light of recent tragic accidents with similar technology on Teslas in the US, the Japanese manufacturer has been quick to point out its version is a ‘driver aid’ and not ‘self-driving’.

‘Drivers must have their hands on the wheel at all times while the technology is running and if they take them off, they will be given a two-stage warning to put them back on,’ said a spokesman for Nissan.

Once activated, the ‘ProPilot’

system can keep a car in its lane on a motorway, adjusting the steering automatically and compensating for merging traffic. If there is a car in front, it will follow at a safe distance or alternatively stick to a predetermined speed in its own lane.

The technology is currently being rolled out in Japan on Nissan’s new Serena minivan. However, by 2017 the system will be available on topspec Qashqais and is likely to be an option on other trim levels too.

Top-spec Qashqais – which start at around £27,000 – account for around 50 per cent of sales of the popular model, and last year, the manufacturer sold 60,812 in the UK. This means more drivers are likely to

experience autonomous technology in a Nissan before any other brand.

Commenting on the recent Tesla crashes, Hideyuki Sakamoto, the Nissan executive in charge of the brand’s autonomous technology, said: ‘We don’t have a full understanding on the Tesla system as it’s not ours.

‘However, we will be informing our customers of the constraints of ProPilot clearly.

‘If they’re not holding the steering wheel or paying attention they will be warned – the driver must always be ready to drive the car.’

ProPilot will debut on the Qashqai in the UK alongside a mid-life facelift in the latter part of 2017.

Nissan exec: Tesla crash a setback for self-driving tech A NISSAN executive has admitted the Tesla autonomous driving crashes have been a major setback for the technology.

Tesla has been forced to defend its autopilot function following a fatal crash in the US. An owner died when his Model S hit a tractor trailer at 65mph with the autopilot system engaged.

Tesla has said its system is safe ‘when used properly’ but reminded owners that they must be ready to intervene at ‘a moment’s notice’. The timing couldn’t have been worse for Nissan which launched its own driverless technology in Japan recently.

The manufacturer will roll out the tech in the UK on top-of-the-range Qashqais next year, as we report on this page.

‘It’s our responsibility to give our customers confidence in the technology,’ said vice president of product planning, Ponz Pandikuthira.

Nissan was also quick to explain its ‘ProPilot’ system – which can drive cars on single-lane highways up to 62mph autonomously, and assist in stop-start traffic – is a ‘driver aid, not self driving’.

‘Customers will make up their own mind

on autonomy and I think we will be surprised by the take-up in the next four years,’ said Pandikuthira. ‘Every time there is a problem, though, the press will react negatively.

‘We want our technology to be ready and for consumers to accept it bit by bit. That’s why we’re introducing it in stages.’

In 2018, Nissan’s cars will be able to tackle multi-lane motorways, helping the driver overtake, and then by 2020 it plans to sell fully autonomous cars.

But for autonomy to be a total success, Pandikuthira believes it will take car manufacturers being forced to work together to perfect an industry standard. He said cars will need to be able to ‘talk’ to each other, but that’s a step makers have yet to take.

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WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

| 15

FEATURES. HOW I MADE IT

IT’S A BEAULIEU-FUL LIFE FOR MANAGER DOUG

Tinkering with a 1938 Morgan as a young boy led to a dream career for the National Motor Museum’s chief engineer, discovers SOPHIE WILLIAMSON-STOTHERT

K

icking off his career as a trainee photographer on a national newspaper in London, Doug Hill soon ditched the capital city for the New Forest, where he became an engineering apprentice and, in time, the right-hand man to National Motor Museum founder Lord Edward Douglas-ScottMontagu – the third Baron Montagu of Beaulieu.

Being a 16-year-old student, Hill’s venture down to the coast in 1973 Hampshire was a rather daunting yet thrilling affair, marking the day he flew the family nest and embarked upon what would become one of the most fulfilling and demanding roles at the Beaulieu National Motor Museum – chief engineer and museum manager.

Tinkering with cars as a young lad, Hill was never happier than when he was with his father and taking apart – or piecing together – old engines. And it all started with a classic Morgan...

‘I was just nine years old when my father inherited a 1938 Morgan from my great-uncle,’ explained Hill. ‘We restored it over the years and got it in running order again.

‘You could say that’s what fuelled my obsession for old cars, and I was most happy when I was working on them or attending shows and rallies.’

According to Hill, becoming a photographer wasn’t particularly something he was interested in doing – it was more of a convenience than a passion. ‘I didn’t particularly want to become a photographer, but it was the only other thing I was remotely interested in.

‘I’d only been at the Financial Times for six to eight weeks when I saw the advertisement to become an apprentice here at Beaulieu and decided to go for it.

‘Out of 70-odd applicants, I was the only one who had actually worked on an old car, which meant my experience working on the Morgan as a young lad had really paid off.

‘So I secured my place on the four-year apprenticeship at 16½, headed down to the New Forest to live in questionable rented digs, which I grew to love, and I’ve been here ever since – working my way up from apprentice level to chief engineer and museum manager in 1989.’

16 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

Sophie finds out about Doug Hill’ s career

Hill added: When I joined the team, the museum had only been open for a year. It was growing and, being in the right place at the right time, I was able to grow with it, watching it evolve into the landmark it is today.’

Being a museum, people are often led to believe that its exhibits, which in this case are vintage and classic machines on two and four wheels, are no longer in operation. But this couldn’t be further from the truth, since the hundreds and thousands of pounds-worth of metal, which includes 150 cars and 80 motorcycles, housed at the museum are preserved

THE SUPERCHARGED STAR ONE of Doug Hill’s star cars is this 1930 Bentley 4 ½-litre Supercharged, owned by the National Motor Museum Trust.

Walter Owen Bentley, an engineer who founded Bentley Motors Limited, built his first sports car – a 3-litre – in 1919, and its successor was the 4 ¼-litre, which was eventually developed into the famous Supercharged, or ‘Blower’, model – this very car. Bentley himself wasn’t very keen on supercharging, and the ‘blown’ cars were largely developed by Bentley racing driver Sir Henry Birkin.

Despite being developed by motor racing professionals, though, it didn’t have the greatest track record in competition.

In fact, it was the ‘un-blown’ Bentleys that won the Le Mans 24 Hour Race in 1924, 1927, 1928 and 1929. Nevertheless, it did make for a perfect road car. What’s more, it produced 175bhp and was capable of reaching speeds of up to 120mph.

”

We try to turn every engine in the museum once every month –‘try’ being the key word.

and kept in full working order.

This enables them to continue taking part in annual events and simply keep their spirits alive.

But where do many of the world’s most prestigious racers, record breakers, movie stars and ground-breakers head for their annual checks? ‘We have an on-site workshop here at the museum, which isn’t open to the public,’ said Hill. ‘In fact, I would be surprised if they even knew there was a workshop here.

‘Beaulieu is effectively a living museum and these cars are still very much in use – that’s what

I’m here for. A lot of these cars still head out on events such as the two Goodwoods [the Festival of Speed and Revival] and the London-to-Brighton, and we’re responsible for carrying out annual tests, safety checks, regular inspections and condition reports, as well as repairs in some cases.

‘We try to turn every engine in the museum once every month – “try” being the key word there. I believe that the best way to maintain a car is to keep it in running order and condition, and here at Beaulieu, we never send a vehicle on

the road without an MOT, whether it’s exempt or not.’ He added: ‘Approximately 60 per cent of the vehicles in the museum are owned by the museum’s trust, 20 per cent are owned by Lord Montagu’s Beaulieu Enterprises and the rest are privately owned – and they need to trust that we can take good care of these vehicles.

‘One of the cars we house is a Porsche 917, which is worth nearly £20m. The owner asked if we’d like to borrow it, to which we responded with a direct yes, and in return he gets first-class storage and insurance cover for up to £15m. It’s a great addition to WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

| 17

FEATURES. HOW I MADE IT our collection and one we’d never have the funds to go out and buy, so it’s a pretty good deal for both parties.’

Throughout his career, being responsible for the entire museum collection, Hill has worked on some pretty impressive projects, including Peter Ustinov’s 1928 Mercedes 36/220 and a 1900 model Daimler once owned by King Edward VII and loaned by the Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust, which was completely restored by the team at the National Motor Museum and presented to the Queen at her silver jubilee celebrations in 1977.

‘That was a special car to work on, and following our restoration, Prince and Princess Michael of Kent drove it in the London-toBrighton Rally that same year – it made it there!’

Reminiscing about his years at the forefront of the high-octane action, including his competition days in the Monte Carlo Rally, and the trusting relationship he developed with Lord Montagu, he explained how working for the main man wasn’t always as smooth and simple as it may sound. In fact, he told us, it could be rather frustrating.

‘Since I started working here back in the ’70s, I’ve worked on almost every car to grace our museum, as well as managing the desk and taking responsibility for the day-to-day running of the museum and its security,’ explained Hill.

‘You could say I landed my dream job when I was accepted on to the apprenticeship. Over the years, it’s enabled me to travel the world and compete in so many rallies, including the Monte Carlo Rally with Edward Montagu by my side.

‘One of my favourite cars, which is stored here in the museum, is the 1919 Bentley 4½-litre, Doug Hill shows us the specialist parts which I drove, with Edward, across the finish line vital to maintaining the museum’s vehicles in the 1994 Gentleman’s Monte Carlo Rally to take victory.’

Hill is responsible for overseeing. ‘This position But, as with anything, with the sweet came does require dedication, and if you’re not careful, the sour. ‘In truth, working with Edward could it can become a 24-hour job,’ Hill commented. actually be a nightmare!’ Hill chuckled to himself.

‘After all, we do have more than 200 vehicles to ‘We could be halfway through a restoration and maintain. But I am working on making myself he’d storm into the workshop and start firing take some time out…’ instructions for other projects. He once came In fact, Hill has been something of a in and asked me, “Where’s my white workaholic all his life. It was only Rolls-Royce?” to which I said, “It’s in in 2010 that he resigned from the garage having repairs”. “That’s his position as a firefighter in good,” he replied, “I need it in the village of Beaulieu after 34 You could say I landed 10 weeks for a rally I’m doing in years. ‘Yes, I was working as a my dream job when I Delhi.” So we dropped what we firefighter while carrying out my was accepted on to the were doing to get the 1909 Silver duties here at the museum,’ Hill apprenticeship.

Ghost ready. I ended up driving it explained with a smirk on his from Delhi to Bombay, and I only face. ‘That was a 24-hours-a-day, had to adjust the carburettors once seven-days-a-week responsibility in along the way.’ itself. But in truth, I only wanted to put He added: ‘Sometimes we’d try to get in the out fires – I didn’t want to do all the other things, workshop first so we could lock the doors before like filling out paperwork, for example. I finally he could come in and give us more jobs to do!’ admitted I couldn’t do it all and resigned in 2010.’

Many won’t realise that the National Motor He added: ‘This did, inevitably, give me more Museum is kept in full swing thanks to a excuses to be at the museum.’ dedicated team of 23 full-time volunteers, as well When asked how he continues to manage the as nine full-time staff members, six part-timers extensive workload, Hill responded ‘my strength and a team of five security officers – all of whom is my team’.

”

18 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

Doug Hill, left, with senior engineer Ian Stanfield in the workshop – and a replica of the much-loved Chitty Chitty Bang Bang car behind them

He said: ‘My senior engineer Ian Stanfield – aka Stan, my wingman – is in the workshop and using the tools when I’m not, which keeps the work ticking over.

‘We’re quite a small team working in the workshop, with four full-time engineers and two volunteers – so we’re always up against the clock – but yes, you could say we’re the dream team.

‘At any one time, we can squeeze two vehicles in the workshop, so we have to be organised and turn projects around relatively quickly – but that’s not always easy with only a couple of pairs of hands!’ It’s common knowledge that the number of people with the skill sets required to work on ageing vehicles is slowly dwindling, but when asked if it was difficult to find the right people for the job, Hill and Stanfield remained confident for the future of the profession.

‘We believe in the legacy of our mechanics,’ explained Stanfield. ‘The skills we have today come from the people who worked on these cars in period – you can only maintain and learn these skills by working with those who have the experience.

‘To work here, we tend to look for someone who has agricultural engineering skills as well

All of the cars at the National Motor Museum are kept in full working order as a passion for old cars – that’s what we’d call a good mix.’ And after more than 40 years, does Hill still get his hands dirty in the workshop, or does he focus on the paperwork?

‘I still enjoy getting my hands dirty, and I do on occasion,’ he said. ‘If I’m taking a car on an

event, the chances are I’ll already know it inside out, but I’ll reacquaint myself with it by doing a little tinkering. I still have our old Morgan at home, as well as a 1969 Mustang, so I do a little more tinkering in my spare time than I’d like…

I adore them both but, I have to say, I get more

satisfaction in driving the Morgan five miles than I do driving 100 in the Mustang.’

When it comes to maintaining and repairing particular vehicles in the Beaulieu collection, many of which are priceless examples of automotive history, Hill and his team aren’t afraid to hold their hands up and request specialist help.

‘We know our limitations,’ said Hill. ‘I believe this is one of our strongest virtues, because it means we know our boundaries and skills base.

‘Sometimes we surprise ourselves. Once, someone asked whether we thought we were clever enough to work on a Type 35 Bugatti that required a new front cross-member. And we did it!’

Lord Montagu passed away in August 2015 at the age of 88, passing down the reins of the National Motor Museum to his son Ralph Douglas-Scott-Montagu. When asked what it’s like working under the instruction of the fourth Baron Montagu of Beaulieu, Hill said: ‘We don’t use the vehicles in the same way as we used to.’

Laughing to himself, he added: ‘In contrast, the new Lord Montagu is a very busy man and has a passion for advertising, design and lineage.

Edward was a PR man, much to the annoyance of the bill payers.’

WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

| 19

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: Rights and wrongs of towing – what’s the correct way to do it ?

A:

We’ve seen an increase in the number of claims received for damage to transmissions where a vehicle has been towed incorrectly and caused damage due to the configuration of the drivetrain.

Typically, this is where a flat tow or rear lift tow has been attempted on a four-wheel-drive vehicle, or in some cases, a front lift tow on a rear-wheel-drive vehicle (the new Renault Twingo is a good example).

If you have to recover a vehicle at the roadside, before you attempt the recovery, double-check the drive configuration and transmission type.

If you’re uncertain, you’ll be able to find the information in the handbook.

On some models, it’s not immediately obvious that it is a four-wheel-drive. For example: crossovers, or ‘softroaders’, such as the Nissan Qashqai and Juke and Mini Countryman are available in four-wheel drive. Even some Ford Transit vans come in four-wheel drive!

So to avoid very expensive claims, make sure you know if the vehicle is front, rear or four-wheel drive and then tow correctly.

Q: Is it safe to tow a vehicle with its ignition switched on?

A:

Have you ever had a call-out to attend a vehicle with a gearbox fault and subsequently towed it with its ignition switched on?

We’ve seen examples of vehicles being towed with the ignition switched on and the engine starting during the tow because of the gearbox fault, causing extensive damage. There are two things to remember here: you need to be very cautious about towing any vehicle that has a transmission fault unless you know the exact

Did you know? Jaguar XF – DEF warning indicator Ever seen a Jaguar XF diesel with a‘Low DEF Fluid’ message being displayed?

nature of the fault; and you’re confident that such a fault cannot be made worse or have consequential effects by towing the vehicle.

Most importantly, do not tow a vehicle with the ignition on, regardless of the fault.

This can cause issues such as those above and some vehicles – those fitted with Haldex-type transmission for example – can engage the transmission at relatively low speeds, which may cause expensive damage.

DEF stands for Diesel Exhaust Fluid, which is essentially ‘AdBlue’. Where this is encountered, Jaguar has advised that regular AdBlue (non-commercial) can be used to top up, but a funnel must be used and care taken due to the risk of interior trim damage. Our advice is to check the handbook for instructions.

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

| 21

MY PROJECT CAR.

LAURA THOMSON FINDS OUT ABOUT A CAR THAT’S ALL SET TO HELP A WORTHY CAUSE LATER THIS YEAR

Facing a deadline: Will this Porsche 924 be ready for rally?

T

his month’s Project Car comes courtesy of our very own Andy Entwistle, managing director of Blackball Media, the publishers of Workshop Magazine.

Entwistle recently purchased a 1983 Porsche 924 from eBay for the princely sum of £401.

Without having seen the car, and knowing it to be a non-runner, he had it delivered to friendly Porsche specialists Brookspeed, in Eastleigh, Hampshire, who had kindly offered to help with the restoration.

‘Having bought the car unseen, I took a bit of a risk,’ Entwistle laughed.

‘I paid for it to be delivered from somewhere in Oxford and half-expected it to turn up in boxes, but luckily it didn’t!’

Why would he go to such lengths to get his hands on this model, you may ask?

The answer is that the car is destined to take part in this year’s Bangers4BEN challenge – the annual charity event organised by our sister publication Car Dealer Magazine.

A bit later this year, a fleet of 50 sub-£750 bangers, driven by members of the motoring trade, will make their way down to the South of

France, before crossing into Italy and heading to Ferrari’s famous Maranello plant. As a lifelong Porsche enthusiast, Entwistle was determined to be the first to enter one into Bangers, and what better than the 924, the German carmaker’s entrylevel model of the ’70s and ’80s?

Since he acquired the car, Entwistle and the team at Brookspeed have completed a full service on it, and stripped down and rebuilt the fuel system. To their joy, they found that the previous owner had fitted new fuel pipes, as well as re-conditioned the underneath.

However, the interior was a different story.

‘There’s relatively little rot – if any – on the car.

It was pretty solid,’ said Entwistle. ‘The interior does look like it has been eaten by crocodiles, however, never mind mice!’

That will have to wait, however, as aesthetics and appearance are last on the fix list. The main aim now is to get the car in working order.

Using a direct 12-volt feed, they have managed to get it running. However, for it to do that under its own steam, the fuel pump will need rewiring.

Following this, the team will assess the head gasket and radiator, although these are both

components that Andy hopes won’t pose any problems due to the fact that a new cooling system is part of the renovation.

‘Once that’s done, then it’s just putting all the niggles right,’ he explained. ‘It needs a bit of work on the electrical systems to make sure the headlights work, as they don’t pop up at the moment. The radio works, which is good. But the fan doesn’t, nor does the cabin cooling system.

‘And once we’ve got it running solid, we’ll strip down and rebuild the brakes, make sure the drivetrain’s OK and get it MOT’d!’

The car’s livery will be the finishing touch.

‘The plan is to wrap it in Martini colours, so it looks like a racing car,’ Entwistle explained.

‘We’ll then put our logo on it, and the Brookspeed logo too – as they’ve been very good at helping with the parts for it, not to mention the amount of time and effort required.

‘We’re incredibly grateful to the team there – they really know their stuff and have been so helpful since it’s all for charity.’

With just six weeks to go until project’s planned completion, the team have a tight deadline to meet.

Bangers4BEN will take place from October 8-11 but Entwistle hopes to drive the car for a few weeks beforehand, to make sure it’s totally ready.

Once the rally is over, the classic Porsche will go to BCA alongside its fellow bangers, where it will be auctioned for BEN. It’s hoped the 924 will make in excess of £1,600.

”

So far, the car has undergone a full service and been equipped with a new fuel system 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.

22 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

Once we’ve got it running solid, we’ll rebuild the brakes

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| 23

FEATURES. ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

THE KNIGHTS IN SHINING KNOW-HOW ARMOUR

Technical data supplier Autodata has made sure that it’s moved with the times, becoming a global leader in its field, reports JOHN BOWMAN

W

ith so many makes and models of cars plus the constant advances in automotive technology, it can be a nightmare for workshop technicians to keep on top of things.

Enter Autodata as their knights in shining know-how armour!

The Maidenhead-based company, which supplies technical information to the aftermarket, was established in 1975 and has grown to become a world-leading and trusted name in this important automotive field, with divisions in Australia, France and Germany.

It has data licences with more than 80 vehicle manufacturers for a staggering 29,000 models, and its 200-plus highly skilled and experienced employees worldwide are responsible for helping firms in more than 44 countries.

Max Lienard, head of product and market development at Autodata, said: ‘Instead of replicating the same logic as manufacturers, we wanted to come up with a logic that simplified work for car mechanics, as they have to follow different processes for, say, a Peugeot and a Fiat. And we’ve come up with something very consistent so that a technician doesn’t need to know exactly all the differences in terms of electronic architecture of both systems but will be able to perform the job very quickly and very consistently across the board.’

He continued: ‘We help technicians by not only supplying them with the information that they need but also by digesting the complexity on their behalf and guiding them. And not only has the amount of technology in each car been increasing dramatically, but also the diversity of technology has increased dramatically between brands, models and parts – almost exponentially – so when you add everything up it becomes impossible for a technician to know it all. It’s going too fast and there are too many things for them to know.’

One example Lienard highlighted was the relatively straightforward task of changing brake pads. Throw into the equation the electronically

24 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

Max Lienard, head of product and market development regulated air suspension system of a four-wheeldrive vehicle plus a technician blissfully unaware of the implications and suddenly things can go very wrong very quickly, with the workshop ending up with a busted air suspension system, an understandably disgruntled customer and a large repair bill.

But thanks to the knowledge provided by Autodata, all that can be avoided quite easily.

Lienard said: ‘The technician will just tell us they want to change the brake pads on such-andsuch a vehicle and we will automatically feed them with the information they need to know, so in such a case we will tell them to be careful on that particular car as there is a four-wheel-drive system with air suspension, therefore they need to follow a specific jacking procedure.

‘We fetch that information for them and provide them with any specific details that they need to know that they wouldn’t necessarily have known otherwise, so not only is this a way to save them time but it also makes sure they do the right job the right way, even if they didn’t have the training for that specific technology released by that specific car manufacturer.’

The aim of Autodata’s game, therefore, is to make life a lot easier for technicians and save them potential headaches while still being

extremely thorough, helping them with guided diagnostics. ‘We’re trying to go way ahead of what we used to do. We are trying to make the information as smart as possible, because having a huge database isn’t relevant if you’re not guiding your users well enough, as it’s just impossible for them to know it all,’ said Lienard.

‘A lot of what we do now is looking at how we can add smart features and smart logic and how we can digest that complexity. How can we direct them, guide them a bit better, so that we point them in the right direction at the right time and help them do the job right but also be more efficient and potentially even generate more business by doing that?’

Autodata is also harnessing the leaps in technology for further benefits, added Lienard.

‘For example, we’re working right now on an application that helps our key accounts be alert to their customers, to tell them – for example – in two weeks’ time your next service is going to be due, it’s going to take an hour and a half, it’ll cost

so much, we’ve got an appointment available at 9am on Tuesday, do you want to take it? This additional piece of logic on top of the data is to help the garage so people can really extract the value out of it.’

These are certainly exciting times for Autodata in terms of innovation, but what does he think sets it apart from its competitors?

‘It’s the way we work with manufacturers and with our data and the fact that we’ve been around for 40 years now.

‘Our coverage of different markets, of the different cars, of the different models is something that we’ve put a lot of effort and attention into, to ensure we’re the most comprehensive and the most accurate provider, making sure that we’ve got the right information as soon as possible when a vehicle is released.

‘And we’re doing that more and more at a worldwide level, making sure, for example, that service schedule information for a particular vehicle is right for a particular country, because

conditions differ. That’s one area where we do all we can to be ahead of everyone else.

‘What we’ve also done during the past few years is transform the autodata business to become an innovative company that is really in touch with its users to address issues and help them by adding layers of intelligence on top of our data, helping users attract new customers or retain their customers.

‘It’s all about using our data in a smart way to really help customers.’

It has also embraced changes elsewhere by moving from manuals, which is how it originally provided information but which, by definition, are a finite resource, to going wholly online, where information can be rapidly updated

as and when necessary – for example, if a manufacturer decides to change when a timing belt should be replaced.

As such, Autodata sends out releases roughly four times a week.

‘There really are a lot of opportunities,’ said Lienard. ‘And it is just the beginning, because we are also now in the world of connected cars, with all that’s offered by those, and the more we can add value with the data, the more the opportunities are going to be exciting for the independent market.’

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FEATURES.

TOP TECH FOR THE WORKSHOP

Today’s garage has a huge digital tool kit at its disposal. ALEX WELLS takes a look to see how technology can help the modern workshop

B

elieve it or not, technology is your friend.

There is a vast range of digital tools, apps and services out there that can help you. It can organise time and manage bookings, not to mention communicate with current and future customers – and yes, talk to the cars themselves, too.

Keeping up with this hot tech, ranging from information access to video, will put you ahead of the competition.

AHEAD OF THE CURVE – AUTOLOGIC THE RANGE of technology a workshop needs to be using now is vast – and it’s only going to get bigger, according to Mark Stamp, chief technology officer at Autologic. ‘The automotive industry is evolving rapidly, especially in Europe and North America, with manufacturers increasing the levels of technology within vehicles as well as diversifying ranges and increasing model variants.

‘It’s not unusual for modern cars to contain more than 40 ECUs, potentially containing up to 100 million lines of software. Given this level of complexity and the protocols now employed by manufacturers, it’s essential that technicians are thoroughly trained in diagnostics and, if appropriate, the validation of programming files that can only be securely and accurately delivered via manufacturer applications.’

Feature-rich Stamp said: ‘Workshops have to invest in the most feature-rich products and services that can solve the most issues and save them time as well as increase productivity and profitability. It’s equally important for technicians to have tools at their disposal that are future-proofed to keep pace with the speed of technological advancements.’

And he said Autologic was ahead of the curve.

‘Automechanika was awash with stands depicting the advent of the cloud, whereas over a year ago Autologic launched the first and only cloudbased, vehicle-connected aftermarket automotive diagnostics solution, which has been enabling repair shops to quickly identify faults in vehicles and, ultimately, repair cars faster.’

Autologic Assist ‘The Autologic Assist solution spans a suite of capabilities that uses state-of-the-art technology to simultaneously integrate innovative software with

26 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

the AssistPlus multi-faceted, touchscreen diagnostic device,’ said Stamp.

‘The current AssistPlus device provides comprehensive diagnostics, aligned with software and support solutions, whereas competitors tend to rely on tools that report on fault codes or specific functions. These applications, along with the recently launched AssistMobile smartphone app, provide customers with seamless real-time access to the Fault 2 Fix team of dealer-trained master technicians providing vehicle diagnostic support.’

It’s an empirical approach, says operations director Tony Gill. ‘Unlike tool providers, Autologic looks beyond the diagnostics and all the ways to actually fixing the car. The Fault 2 Fix team are passionate about helping customers fix cars, and recommend that they provide total transparency with their customer (the car owner) in explaining the benefits of comprehensive diagnostics and to charge for each process en route to a fast fix.’

Pass-Thru Support Complementing its advice, the company has launched Autologic Pass-Thru Support. ‘Depending on the chosen marque, the initial set-up of PassThru can be a complex and daunting experience.

Having compatible computer and VCI hardware, registering with the OE application, getting security

clearance, loading applicable software, it’s far from a walk in the park,’ observes Gill.

‘Autologic recognises the potential challenges to our customers, so we actively support and encourage them to sign up to the manufacturers’ Pass-Thru solutions. We have been successfully assisting and supporting customers in their transition to OE applications such as ODIS, so we are introducing this as a value-added service.’

Specialist training As in any profession, knowledge is king, so technicians have to keep up-to-date with the latest trends, vehicle specifics and fix solutions. ‘This may be achieved at specialist training sessions, online self-help, or retaining the knowledge relayed to them by the Autologic Fault 2 Fix team of master technicians,’ says Gill.

‘Autologic are recognised as pioneers within the sector, so will continue to stay in tune with the customers’ needs, while keeping a finger on the pulse of technology. The password-protected User Area on the website contains premium content for our customers. They can create their business profile, including each technician, to ensure that each member of staff has access to the latest help guides and the AssistMobile smartphone app.’

Changing the game, p42

INTERCONNECTED WORKSHOP – AUTODATA Autodata’s online workshop application runs on multiple platforms

SECTOR-specific IT applications can provide and organise vast amounts of technical information for the garage. They can also help manage customer relationships.

Max Lienard, head of product and market development at Autodata, said: ‘From managing customers to conducting a vehicle service and from diagnostics to parts ordering, all processes in a workshop can now be interconnected.

‘This means less repetition, more intelligence and better profitability through efficiency.’

Autodata’s online workshop application enables garages to access all the information they need on 29,000 vehicles from 80 manufacturers.

Meanwhile, its API (Application Programming Interface) is a delivery platform where large varieties of data can be integrated in a structured and stable manner.

Lienard continued: ‘New technology also raises the point that the on-going good work to ensure a right to service for the aftermarket does not necessarily mean there is the ability to service. However, the development in systems, such as Autodata’s own online tools, means that workshops can continue to take on work and protect their reputation through access to the right advice and instructions – even for the most advanced and complex technologies in vehicles.

‘The mechanic, the workshop and the wider industry may see these developments as a huge challenge.

However, with the right information and guidance they are

in fact a huge opportunity to evolve business practices to maintain access to the market, protect reputation through underpinning quality, and ultimately ensure and grow profits through greater operational efficiency.

‘By embracing new technology on its way, the industry can hugely reduce duplication, inaccuracies and general mistakes. This means better business and more trust from the end customer. It also means that with a smart approach, workshops can easily and automatically become so much more proactive in generating new business and maintaining their customers.’

UX testing

Autodata has added an additional feedback layer this year, introducing laboratory user experience (UX) testing.

Technicians who have never used Autodata, as well as previous and current Autodata users, were invited to the City Interaction Lab to test Autodata’s most up-todate online workshop application. All technicians were interviewed, observed and monitored to identify areas for continued improvement.

Lienard said: ‘For us, it’s important to understand the challenges our users face. We regularly conduct research to identify any issues and to recognise what technicians need.

This helps us to focus our efforts and our technology on supporting their businesses. It is the best way to make sure we deliver value to our users, and this is why their input is essential and core to everything we do.’

Knights in shining know-how armour, p24

‘WHO’ CAN HELP? WHOCANFIXMYCAR.COM TECHNOLOGY can help you work on vehicles in your workshop – but before that it can help you get them through the door .

WhoCanFixMyCar.com has helped more than 250,000 drivers find a local garage. By entering their registration and a few details, a job is posted directly to local garages, which are free to contact the driver and provide a quote. The driver can then choose a garage based on reviews, location, the garage’s profile and the quote.

Co-founder Al Preston says: ‘Garages on our platform are filling their workshops by embracing a more efficient and effective way to win work.

‘A huge amount of time, effort and stress is saved as the whole process is taken online. A total of

8,100 garages are members of the platform, with the number growing by the week.

‘We’re extremely excited about the future, as huge numbers of garages and drivers are enjoying a modern and fresh approach to car maintenance.’

The offering is expanding too.

‘We’ve recently announced a partnership with Confused.com and have launched service plans.

We’re helping independent garages integrate these

into their businesses. Service plans allow garages to offer drivers the opportunity to split the cost of an annual service into manageable monthly payments.’

The process is simple, says Preston: ‘Each job posted by a driver is free for a garage to view and provide a quotation on, meaning they have access to thousands of jobs at their fingertips.

‘Garages are now basing their entire business model off the website and are reaping huge rewards. To give an example, Automotive Components Specialist, which is based in Enfield, north London, has made over £300,000 in revenue from the work found on WhoCanFixMyCar.com alone.’

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FEATURES. APPRAISE WHERE IT’S DUE – DRAGON 2000 THERE are mobile phone apps for everything these days – and that includes helping you in the workshop.

APPraise is a new, easy-to-use app from Dragon2000 that has a vehicle health check (VHC) tool as a key feature. The major benefit of the app is that it is fully integrated with DragonDMS – the DMS software.

VHCs are usually offered as a free service by many workshops when customers book their vehicle in for a service, MOT or repair. They typically feature a visual check of wheels, tyres, brakes, underside of car and under the bonnet, fluids, lights and electrics. They provide workshops with the opportunity to upsell aftersales work and boost customer satisfaction and trust.

Many technicians currently use paper checklists, manually recording VHC data. Customers are often given copies of the document, with the garage either attaching a copy to the job card and filing it away, or keying the data into a DMS system.

First-hand information Although technicians may not have direct access to the management system, by using the VHC tool on a mobile device, they can record information as they physically inspect the vehicle in the workshop.

They can also add photos to visually record the condition of each item checked. This provides firsthand information directly to the customer in the form of a full report, which can be emailed ahead of discussing with them if they would like the workshop to go ahead with the work.

The VHC tool also enables technicians to record health-check videos, which can be sent directly from the DragonDMS to the customer’s mobile phone. It also alerts workshops by email when a customer has watched the video and records this in the DragonDMS – a great time to call and discuss the work needed.

Opportunity Mark Kelland, commercial manager at Dragon2000, comments: ‘The VHC tool provides workshops with the opportunity to carry out extra work the customer would not have otherwise requested, as they were simply unaware it was required.

A mechanic at work with APPraise, and below, APPraise on the phone ‘The workshop can email the VHC report direct to the customer, and there is nothing better than sending a short video highlighting the work to help the customer decide whether to have the work carried out.

‘From a customer’s point of view, seeing the actual technician who has been working on their car and getting first-hand information demonstrates transparency, which helps create trust and increases repeat business.

‘Technicians can accurately record the condition of a vehicle using the VHC tool and can easily inform the customer of maintenance items that need attention, but more importantly potentially serious defects. Being able to refer back to a report within the DragonDMS, with images and video, is essential should there be any future query on the vehicle’s condition at that time.’

He adds: ‘The VHC tool works on a trafficlight system – green, amber and red – and workshops can create their own checklist, so they can tailor the VHC as required.

‘As it fully integrates with DragonDMS, should the customer decide not to go ahead with certain VHC items during this visit, they can be marked as advisories within the DragonDMS. ‘A follow-up date can be set which generates CRM reminders – it streamlines the whole communication process between the technician, the customer and the workshop adviser and helps capture the additional work in future.’

The VHC tool allows workshops to create and perform their own vehicle health checks and seamlessly integrates into the DragonDMS. The technician inspecting the vehicle can attach images and record video, which can be sent directly from the DragonDMS to the customer, to help them decide on having the work carried out or deferred to a later date.

The APPraise app is free to DragonDMS users.

Innovative new app, p41

VIDEO IS THE WORKSHOP STAR – CITNOW IF A picture paints a thousand words, imagine what a video can do for customer engagement.

Customers visiting any aftersales environment are looking for convenience, efficiency and transparency. By delivering a personal video, the technician meets all of these. This creates trust, and trust means customers make the right decision.

Andrew Howells, chairman and founder of

28 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

automotive video services provider CitNOW, says: ‘In the workshop, every minute counts. A CitNOW video is an effective way to provide a visual condition report on any customer’s vehicle.

‘A personal presentation from the technician working on the vehicle is very compelling.

‘They aren’t selling anything, they are simply presenting the facts, offering the best advice in

their professional opinion – ‘‘I recommend that you have this tyre changed today’’, accompanied by the right visual evidence. A close-up of the tyre and the use of a digital tyre-depth gauge helps the decisionmaking process profoundly.’

Process Process is key. ‘The average length of a CitNOW

REMEMBER WE SAID THERE’S AN APP FOR EVERYTHING?

Analyse customer data with Sales-i Sales-i is a sales performance app created to track and pre-empt buying patterns and behaviour.

Paul Black, the chief executive of Sales-i, comments: ‘Any good salesperson knows how important relationships are to business success.

What they might not know is the degree to which technology can improve them. Every time you interact with a particular customer you have an opportunity to gather data and learn more about them.’

Sales intelligence software can track the behavioural patterns and preferences of any individual. ‘If Customer X likes to buy tyres and hubcaps at the same time, you’ll be alerted to this tendency – and given the power to approach them with tailored offers,’ explains Black.

‘If they buy in bulk during a particular season, you’ll be able pre-empt any decision to defect to a rival with a special discount.’

Know your customer

A video is made in the workshop to send to a customer workshop video is 60 seconds,’ explains Howells.

‘Once recorded, the technician can often select the specific vehicle from a pre-populated dropdown list.

No data entry and no fiddly email address. Press ‘‘send’’ – job done, start the service.’

He continues: ‘All customers receive a brandapproved presentation page, whether using their mobile, tablet or PC. Typically, an email and

text message are sent. Both contain links to the technician’s HD-quality video plus clear, easy-toread health check information, and open rates can easily reach 70 per cent.’

Increase In 2014, CitNOW was introduced to Motorline and its 27 aftersales departments. Three months later,

The more significant advantage, however, is the insight that this software offers in relation to the wider industry.

‘By automatically analysing customer data, the right technology can identify trends in the market and attract the very best prospects,’ says Black.

‘If there’s a seasonal upswing in the sale of clutch kits, you’ll be appraised of this opportunity and given the chance to concentrate your efforts in this area.

‘If certain parts are underperforming, they may sell better when paired with others or when discounted.

Whatever the correlation, you’ll be fully aware of it.

‘This isn’t to say that technology will fix all of your problems, or that there’s no place for old techniques.

‘It’s at its best when it acts as a kind of digital PA, shouldering your burdens and enhancing your best qualities.’ Black adds: ‘Use it correctly, and you’ll stand a better chance of making your customers happy – and making money in the process.’ the group reported an average increase of 53 per cent in the value of identified work sold.

Howells adds: ‘Keeping customers involved and informed is important. Not only does it increase the amount of work sold, customers are encouraged to provide feedback with a simple ‘‘Rate This Video’’ pop-up. Such a response helps every workshop to maintain standards and improve further.’

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CLUB.

MEET THE JUDGE – OUR TOP LEGAL EXPERT WHO’S READY TO HELP YOU We’re launching a brand new advice service with the help of our friends at Lawgistics, the legal firm for the motor trade. DAVE BROWN finds out how you can get involved.

R

unning a service and repair outlet is a fun, yet challenging, way to earn a living. As well as scheduling work, organising parts deliveries and overseeing personnel, there are plenty of issues you need to deal with on a daily basis – it’s not always easy.

Most of the time, we know you’re capable of sorting out any problems and dealing with staff and customers in a fair and friendly manner.

But what about the times when things can’t be resolved in a goodnatured way? Where do you stand if you’re dealing with an unreasonable customer and you’re not sure of your legal position? What about that young mechanic who took a customer’s car home for the night when you specifically said not to? And are there any changes to consumer rights legislation that you need to worry

about? It can be tricky to keep up.

Well, here at Workshop Magazine, we are firmly on the side of our readers – and next month, we will be helping you in an exciting, entertaining, but above all, useful new way. We have teamed up with automotive law firm Lawgistics and will be answering your questions in these pages.

The man giving out the advice is The Judge – aka Lawgistics’ sales manager Ian Gardner, who is certainly wellequipped for his new role.

With a first-rate legal brain and always up to date with the latest legislation affecting our sector, he is ideally placed to provide much-needed advice to help you resolve any tricky

issues you might encounter. And in the unlikely event that he doesn’t know the answer to a particular question, he’ll certainly know someone who will!

Gardner told us: ‘I have a great product and a great team around me.

‘Our legal team know their stuff inside out and I believe wholeheartedly in what we do and the benefits our services bring. We’ll be putting our heads together to help resolve any issues that Workshop readers have so we’d advise you to get in touch as soon as possible – we expect this to become a popular feature of Workshop magazine.’

So – if you have a dilemma that’s giving you nightmares, an issue that’s keeping you awake, or a dispute that won’t go away, send an email to TheJudge@lawgistics.co.uk and you may very well see your problem dealt with in these pages. And in the meantime, join Workshop Club!

It’s the Judge! And he’s

JOIN TODAY AND GET THESE SUPERB BENEFITS More than £400 off braking training

One free month of additional support

£100 off your motor trade insurance

The price of a Pagid Professional Academy brake training programme is normally £1,000 but Workshop Club members can book their place for £599. Take your or your team’s braking knowledge to the next level for this special Workshop Club price.

Just quote ‘Brake Training 2016’ in the Promo Code box when registering your interest. Find out more and register your interest here: pagidprofessional. co.uk/training/braking/

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

With 25 years of industry experience in the world of commercial vehicle insurance, Plan Insurance Brokers is the expert for the UK’s professional road users. Motor trade insurance is vital to keep your business moving, whether it’s your own vehicles or customers’ cars you’re moving about – even if a customer’s car is involved in a fire or theft while in your care.

Club members can receive an exclusive £100 discount on their motor trade insurance through Plan Insurance Brokers.

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

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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.

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32 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

PRODUCTS. Jumpin’Jack Flash

The traditional workshop trolley jack can be cumbersome and very heavy, added to which it also takes time to jack up a vehicle. Laser Tools’ solution comes in the form of these new pneumatic jacks. Their compact size means they’re easy to use where space is tight – including on a four-post lift – and they’re particularly useful on very low vehicles. They just need connecting to the workshop air supply and they’ll raise or lower vehicles in a few seconds without any effort.

Dedicated Follower Of Fashion

New for you

Dickies has introduced the fashionable twotone Lewiston jacket into its men’s premium range. The jacket is made from 96 per cent polyester and four per cent elastane and it’s designed to be worn outdoors, too. It comes in black with grey panels on its sides, inner arms and shoulders, with purple zip guards to give a great first impression when you arrive on site.

Bleeding Love

Brake bleeding and the Gunson Eezibleed are just about synonymous, and now the best-known kit on the market is available in a deluxe set. The Eezibleed Special Edition kit includes the standard Eezibleed kit components that use air pressure from the spare wheel to bleed both brake and clutch hydraulic systems, and also includes the Eezibleed multi-purpose cap, a brake-bleed spanner and a classic pen-type tyre pressure gauge.

Jive Torqueing

New from Laser Tools is this high-quality and accurate detachable-head, mechanical torque wrench supplied with a 1/4” drive ratchet head plus a selection of open-ended spanner heads, which enables accurate tensioning of difficultto-access fasteners. Particularly suitable when changing the engine pulleys where access is quite tight, the torque setting can be locked for continuous accurate work, and a sealed neck keeps dust and grit away from the torque mechanism for longer tool life.

What A Wonderful Weld

GYS’s new Gyspot Evolution PTI-s7 machine is a 14,500-amp transformer gun Spot Welder with lightweight arm and the latest fully automatic control system. Developed as part of a long relationship with Ford Motor Company, the Gyspot meets Ford’s latest certification standards, including technical welding specifications, with time, current and pressure being automatically set by the machine. Also part of the certification was Gys’s ability to provide effective aftersales support and technical help.

PRODUCT TESTS

FLOOR CLEANERS: P34

KNEE PADS: P36

OUR EXPERTS TEST INDUCTION HEATERS: P38 WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

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PRODUCTS. TEST 13

Floor cleaners ANDREW EVANS spills the beans on which are the best products to keep your workshop looking spick and span

S

pills are a fact of life when you’re working on cars. Even if you try to contain them with spill trays, you’ll always end up with something that was providing the car with a vital function getting on to your garage floor instead. Worse still is a customer’s vehicle with a leak that leaves a tell-tale sign on the forecourt.

If you like a nice clean shop floor, or your garage is part of your image, you’ll want something to get it off and bring your work area back up to a presentable standard.

There’s always a leaky car or two on the Workshop fleet, so we’ve been scrubbing our own garage floors clean to find out which is the best product from this selection.

Gunk Driveway Cleaner How much: £4.50 Where from: halfords.co.uk Gunk is one of the better-known products for enginepart degreasing, and since floor degreasants are broadly chemically similar in a diluted form, we had rather high hopes. It did a fair job on all surfaces with fresh stains, but when it came to tarmac, concrete and brick it was far less effective, particularly with older drips and spills. It’s also rather pricey, at £4.50/litre, and is only recommended for use neat.

Zep Commercial All-Purpose Cleaner & Degreaser

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34 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

How much: £12.99 Where from: screwfix.co.uk Although really intended as a cleaner for tiled and painted surfaces particularly, we found the Zep did a decent all-round job – at least when it came to fresh stains. More venerable blotches, particularly on porous surfaces, were left largely untouched. It’s not recommended for natural stone surfaces, so while it fared reasonably well on our test bricks you may want to consider something else if your workplace features a lot of block-paved areas. It does have the bonus, though, of being suitable for use on counter tops and stainless steel surfaces, so you don’t have to buy a wholly separate product to clean more areas – and it’s good value anyway.

HOW WE TESTED THEM There’s only one way to test floor cleaner: by cleaning floors! We tried the products on tiled and painted garage floors, along with bare concrete, both with relatively fresh fluid spills and slightly older stains. We also tested the products out on tarmac and block-paved driveways that may simulate a customer parking area.

Thompson’s Oil & Drive Cleaner

Swarfega Oil & Grease Remover

No Nonsense

How much: £8.00 Where from: diy.com The Thompson’s brand comes from the same family as Ronseal, and the family motto certainly applies here.

While the cleaners were fairly level-pegging on painted floors, the Thompson’s did the best job on the brick, concrete and tarmac surfaces. The difference between this cleaner and the others was most noticeable on the tiled floor, too – not on the tiles themselves but on the grouting between them. It is to be used neat, however, so some of the other products offer better value at the cost of outright performance.

How much: £6.99 Where from: halfords.com Swarfega’s fame for hand-cleaning products is, as we discovered a few issues back, well deserved, so it seems wise to consider it for cleaning other things, too. The yellowish concentrate certainly looks the part, and it does no less a job on the painted garage floors and tiles than any other product here. We found it less able on the more porous surfaces and with older marks, but working the neat cleaner into stains on concrete and brick had more of an effect – though it wouldn’t touch a stain on a tarmac driveway. It’s rather good value for money and would work well as a diluted floor wash for the end of a work day.

How much: £12.99 Where from: screwfix.com The No Nonsense cleaner proves that you don’t need brightly-coloured gloop to do the job. It might not look impressive but it only really loses out to our winner here for the broad spread of cleaning ability. Used at recommended dilutions it’s good for getting fresh stains off, but you’ll need a capful or two of it neat to tackle the stubborn marks. You’ll see the least joy with old oil splodges on tarmac, but otherwise it’s a worthy runner-up.

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PRODUCTS. TEST 14

Knee protectors It’s usually only when ANDREW EVANS is asking for a pay rise that we see him on his knees, but for this feature he assumed the position to see which were the best guards against damage to these vital joints

Y

ou probably won’t realise how important your knees are to your daily life until you injure one of them.

Each of them is a crucial joint that supports just about all of your bodyweight when you’re on your feet, and it’s vital to look after them – but if you’re working in an automotive workshop, or even on your own car at home, it’s likely that you’ll encounter no end of hazards determined to do the opposite.

It’s important, then, to make sure you have the right safety gear to stymie the universe’s attempts to take you out at the knees, whether it’s a sharp part of vehicle at exactly the wrong height or bolts and car parts hiding on the garage floor.

We’ve been looking at a selection of knee protection, with both wearable knee pads and portable knee boards, to find which are the ones that we’d choose to save us from a slightly higher fate than Achilles.

36 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

Sealey board (VS8573)

Draper foam mat (MM1)

How much: £9.54 (inc VAT) Where from: sealey.co.uk

How much: £18.91 (inc VAT) Where from: drapertools.com

It might seem a little harsh to mark the kneeboards as low as we have, but ultimately they simply don’t offer the same kind of protection that the pads do. There are benefits to them – you don’t have to wear them so there’s no issues of fit to consider, they’re quite light and they’re portable. It’s also worth noting that the thick foam does offer a decent level of comfort but this deteriorates much more quickly than with the pads as any foreign object you’re kneeling on works its way into the board.

There’s little to choose between the two kneeboards.

The Draper provides broadly similar protection to the Sealey item, but the fact it’s markedly smaller means it’s something you can only really kneel down on for a very short time – as soon as you try to adjust your kneeling position you’re likely to slip off the edge of it! The underside is surprisingly easy to mark too, with screwheads still in evidence a few days after our test. We’d be quite tempted to fix this board to a hard plywood backing to protect it, as it’s largely not a bad way of saving your knees.

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HOW WE TESTED THEM We’ve been looking at knee pads and knee boards to assess how well they protect in a number of normal situations. Both have been tested for durability – how they stand up to repeated use and attempts to damage – but we’ve also been looking at how well the knee pads will fit a range of body sizes.

Draper pads (KP4)

Site Optimus

Sealey SSP63

How much: £19.99 (inc VAT) Where from: drapertools.com

How much: £14.99 (inc VAT) Where from: screwfix.co.uk

How much: £22.74 (inc VAT) Where from: sealey.co.uk

These pads are almost the opposite of the Sealey model.

Fit is great and you won’t struggle to get them on, even if you have tree trunks – or pipe cleaners – for legs.

They’re fairly flexible too, so they’re not a bind to wear, unlike the thicker pads here that almost force you to walk like a novice cowboy, with bended knees. They fall down a little on outright protection. While we may have taken the products here to unusual extremes, it remains the case that with these knee pads you can feel much more of the surface you’re kneeling on than with the other two.

These Screwfix-own brand pads ended up just about head and shoulders (if not knees and toes, too) above the rest of the products here and excellent value for money, too. For outright protection, they are probably equalled by the Sealey knee pads – both brands producing pads that protect the wearer even when kneeling directly on an exposed screw head on a flat floor – but the Site items take the crown on fit. The bottom velcro strap is pretty standard fare, but the upper strap hooks into place and has a sliding adjuster.

The Sealey pads are just about level-pegging with the Site brand product when it comes to sheer toughness.

We didn’t find anything that could breach either and generate any kind of sensation that you were kneeling on something amiss. Where the Sealey could do better though is when it comes to fit. The straps have a very narrow range of sizes, so although they’ll suit most people, if your calves and thighs are too broad or too narrow they’ll not fit you. We also found them a little inflexible, and the straps would ride towards the inside of the knee while in use.

HHHHH

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| 37

PRODUCTS. TEST DRIVE

Garage test: Induction heaters

Our expert testers, Joel, Steve and Andy, give us their verdicts on products that deliver flameless heat to awkward spots.

Laser Heat Inductor 5834 Price: £1,203.96 (inc VAT) From: lasertools.co.uk

Joel The flexible filament is quite hard to get in place and leave the gap you’re

supposed to between it and the metal you’re heating up – the stiffer filaments of the Sykes and Mini Ductor are better in that regard. It’s easier to use though with the trigger, but didn’t seem to heat up as quickly as the Sykes did.

Steve I’m a bit concerned by the plastic body – if it had a rubberised cover on it, that would make it a bit more workshop-friendly. I like the feel of it to use more than the lumpy Sykes and Mini-Ductor ones – the switch feels good to use and it’s more of a natural thing. It heats up much quicker than the other two too.

Andy It’s reasonably heavy, but it feels solid and like it’d take a bit of abuse in the workshop – obviously a lot of things like this depend on how it’s looked after. It’s pretty simple to use too, but as the most expensive one it’s a question of cost. This is probably the one I’d buy for using in our workshop.

HHHHH

Mini-Ductor II + MD-800P Price: £714 (inc VAT) From: theinductor.co.uk

Joel With all of these products, it seems a shame that the connectors are so fiddly –

something like old push-fit speaker connectors would be great. This one is the slowest to heat up too, and we’re not as keen on it as the other one that looks the same.

Steve Along with the Sykes, this is the slowest to heat up of the four and there’s really not much difference between the two of them. The cord on the loops seems to burn really easily if you accidentally contact the metal you’re heating up too and the thinner filament seems like it’d break sooner – but if it came down to it with these two we’d buy whichever one happened to be the cheapest!

Andy This seems to be exactly the same as the Sykes piece, only with a red button.

With the same ups and downs with the weight, filaments and the LED worklight on it, it’d come down to whichever of the two would be cheaper to be honest.

HHHHH

Sykes-Pickavant SP Induction Heater + 96020000 Price: £474 (inc VAT) From: Sykes-Picavant agent

Joel It’s quite bulky, but I quite like the light on the end. It’s fairly heavy to hold on to

in the air for any length of time, but it’s easy to use and heats up reasonably quickly. It’s perhaps not as nice to use as the gun-type Laser, but it’s a good bit of kit.

Steve It heats up pretty quickly, but it’s quite bulky to use. Perhaps if the handle was a bit thinner it wouldn’t feel so bulky. Other than that, it feels like a substantial bit of kit.

The button is okay to use but I don’t know how long it would last – it feels a bit... not industrial, let’s say. But it feels like a quality piece of equipment in general, though the outside is made of hard plastic and quite often stuff like that will have a short life, if it’s dropped a couple of times!

Andy This is pretty heavy and if you’re holding it up in the air for a length of time doing an exhaust or something it might start to feel very heavy. Having to hold the switch in too would be a bit of a pain, but for the cost it’s a decent piece of kit. The fact that you can form the filament into more solid shapes is good. If I was buying one for myself, it’d probably be this one.

HHHHH

38 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

Joel Stanton Kwik Fit

Steve Harding Moreland Motor Service

Andy Stanford Hendy Ford, Fareham

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.

Offering the full breadth of garage services, Moreland covers everything from body repairs and engine replacements to wheel balancing and tyre changes.

The first dealer in the UK to sell Ford models in 1910, Hendy is a Ford main dealer group with branches across Hampshire and West Sussex.

How Joel rated them: 1 Laser; 2 Sykes; 3 Draper; 4 Mini-Ductor

How Steve rated them: 1 Draper; 2 Laser; 3 Sykes; 4 Mini-Ductor

How Andy rated them: 1 Laser; 2 Sykes; 3 Draper; 4 Mini-Ductor

Draper Expert Induction Heating Tool Kit IHT-15 Price: £594 (inc VAT) From: drapertools.com

Joel There’s no light on this one – the only model without one! I’m not too keen on this with

the power pack you have to lug about though. The end is good to get into small areas, but the lead is only short. So if the car’s high, you’ve got to wear the pack and it’s not ideal.

Steve I like the flexibility of the coils on this one more than the two stiffer ones. The knurled nuts on the end feel like they’d break quite quickly, but I like the fact that this is easier to use due to the size. Okay, so you have to carry the box close to you, but with the actual probe separate, you can work in tighter places and we’re mostly using these in places we

wouldn’t want to get a flame on, so for me this one scores highest.

Andy The external pack is quite heavy on the shoulder, but the actual head that you’re using is a lot smaller and good for tight spots. I like that, but I don’t know I could get on with the power pack on my shoulder all day. It does heat up quickly though, so you probably wouldn’t be wearing it all that long and you can get the head into tighter areas. The cable’s not long enough to get away with putting the pack on the floor.

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40 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

SOFTWARE  sales@dragon2000.co.uk  AUTOMOTIVE dragon2000.co.uk  01327 222 333 AUTOMOTIVE SOFTWARE  sales@dragon2000.co.uk  dragon2000.co.uk   sales@dragon2000.co.uk  dragon2000.co.uk  01327 01327 222 222 333 333

FOCUS ON

DRAGON2000

DRAGON2000 LAUNCHES INNOVATIVE NEW MOBILE APP DRAGON2000

T: 01327 222 333 W: DRAGON2000.CO.UK

DRAGON2000, a leading provider of DMS solutions, has just launched a new, easy-to-use mobile app, APPraise, featuring an innovative VHC tool.

The VHC tool allows workshops to create and perform their own vehicle health checks, seamlessly integrating into DragonDMS. The technician inspecting the vehicle can attach images and record video, which can be sent directly from the DragonDMS to the customer, to help them decide whether to have the work carried out, or defer it to a later date.

Though technicians may not have direct access to the management system, by using APPraise’s VHC tool on a mobile device, they can record information as they physically inspect the vehicle and can also add photos to visually record the condition of each item checked.

The VHC tool, which is provided free of charge to DragonDMS customers, works on a traffic light system – green, amber and red – and workshops can create their own checklist, so they can tailor the VHC as required. If the customer decides not to go ahead with certain VHC items during this visit, they can be marked as ‘Advisories’ within the DragonDMS and a follow-up date can be set, which generates CRM reminders.

It streamlines the whole communication process between the technician, the customer and the workshop advisor and helps capture the additional work in future.

Mark Kelland, Commercial Manager at Dragon2000, said: ‘The VHC tool within our new APPraise app provides workshops with the opportunity to carry out extra work the customer would not have otherwise requested, as they were simply unaware it was required.

‘The workshop can email the VHC report direct to the customer. There is nothing better than sending a short video, highlighting the work, to help the customer decide whether to have the work carried out.

‘From a customer’s point of view, seeing the actual technician who has been working on their car and getting first-hand information demonstrates transparency, which helps create trust and increases repeat business.

‘Using the VHC tool will undoubtedly present upselling opportunities, but dealers also have a duty of care to their customers. Being able to accurately record the condition of a vehicle using a VHC report means that customers can be informed of maintenance items that need attention, but, more importantly, potentially serious defects.

”

Using the VHC tool will undoubtedly present upselling opportunities.

u Mark Kelland says the new APPraise app offers many benefits to workshops ‘Being able to refer back to a report within the DragonDMS with images and video is essential, should there be any future query on the vehicle’s condition at that time.’

Dragon2000 has more than 20 years of experience helping dealers grow their businesses. The firm’s software is used by over 1,000 motor trade dealers and independent workshops, in the UK and overseas. DragonDMS is a complete Dealer Management System – integrated software for car sales, workshop, parts inventory, accounting and car dealer websites.

DragonDMS software is integrated with Sage50, enabling dealers to easily produce accounts reporting. n For further information, please call 01327 222 333 or go online to dragon2000.co.uk WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

| 41

FOCUS ON

AUTOLOGIC

GETTING ISSUES IDENTIFIED AND RESOLVED AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE AUTOLOGIC T: 01865 870050 W: AUTOLOGIC.COM NEVER before has customer service been such a priority at the heart of a global business, and it’s refreshing to see this in practice.

Established in 1999, and serving customers in more than 120 countries from Assist centres in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia and Germany, Autologic is changing the game in aftermarket repairs.

The Oxfordshire-based firm’s Assist service enables its inhouse team of more than 100 dealer-trained master technicians to go above and beyond the initial diagnosis stage, all the way through to helping repair professionals – of all levels – fix customer vehicles.

The aim of its game is to help customers find faults faster and more accurately, repair more cars faster with fewer mistakes and reduce main dealer referrals.

Divided into two tiers, Autologic technicians are experts in their field and focused on delivering support to designated brands, including Jaguar Land Rover, Mercedes, BMW, Volkswagen Audi Group, Renault, Peugeot, Citroen and Volvo.

‘Assist is the only vehicle-connected support service in the world,’ said Tony Gill, group operations manager. ‘Staffed by dealer-trained master technicians, we provide the help that service and repair professionals need to fix cars faster and more profitably, and at the heart of Assist Support is our unrivalled Fault 2 Fix process.

‘Historically, customers saw Autologic as another advice and

technical device support company. But we were actually one of the first firms in the sector to offer full live vehicle support to customers in the market place.

‘I’ve officially been working at Autologic for eight years, but my involvement with the company dates back 15 years.

I was one of the guys out in the office – I was a technician at HR Owen’s Land Rover dealership in west London, now run by Lookers. I helped to build the very first Autologic product, which was designed for Land Rovers only. That’s how they found me, and here I am now.

‘In my opinion, Autologic is one of the most fulfilling and highly important places to work in the industry. We’re more than just your average advice company – we’re here to be our customers’ right-hand wing man and get their issues identified and resolved as quickly as possible.’

Autologic Assist delivers a simultaneous set of capabilities that enables repair shops to get from fault identification to first-time fix, and fast.

As vehicles get more complex, they inevitably become harder to service and repair. Therefore, in order to keep pace with new vehicle models and chassis, repair shops continue to acquire different scan tools. Nevertheless, identifying root causes can take hours, or even days. Carrying out in-house research, Autologic discovered that up to 25 per cent of cars might never be diagnosed correctly.

‘This situation creates unhappy customers and dramatically

affects repair shop profitability. While tools help with diagnoses, they don’t solve the bigger problem: how to fix the most cars in the shortest time for the maximum profit,’ explained Gill.

According to the firm, Assist was developed in response to the rising sophistication of modern European premiumbrand vehicles, increasing workshop profitability and endcustomer satisfaction.

Essentially, Autologic provides a unique combination of technical insights and state-of-the-art technology. ‘It’s a bit like having a dealer-trained technician in your repair shop right when you need them – and not on your payroll,’ said Gill.

‘Our key focus is to help you get to the root cause of the issue more efficiently and way faster than if you were using tools alone. We estimate that with Assist you can save an hour a day, which could, if you calculate it on typical hourly labour rates, amount to a saving of more than £15,000 every year.’

In the past year, the Fault 2 Fix team received 300,000 cases submitted by Autologic customers, more than 50,000 cases displaying fault codes from AssistPlus and more than 15,000 individual fault codes. They successfully repaired more than 1,200 different automobile models and fixed 97.5 per cent of all cases submitted.

‘Our UK-based office here in Oxfordshire takes approximately 500 calls per day,’ said Gill. ‘We provide a direct fix or a diagnostic path, with a key aim to resolve all inquiries we receive – whether this is providing the customer with advice on the next steps to

KEEPING THE CUSTOMER SATISFIED BY GOING FROM FAULT TO FIX IN LESS THAN 15 MINUTES I SAT in on a customer call with BMW team leader Chris Routledge to find out how a customer can go from fault to fix in under 15 minutes, writes Sophie Williamson-Stothert.

Routledge had worked with BMW as a technician for 13 years before joining Autologic in 2013 as a Tier 1 adviser and working his way up the ladder to master technician and on to team leader.

On this particular occasion, a dealer technician was having trouble with a 2008 model year 1.6-litre petrol Mini Cooper S Clubman, which was suffering from boost pressure and cylinder misfire under load. In an informal and friendly manner, Routledge pointed out that the super-knocking was likely to be caused by carbon build-up, causing the vehicle to ‘kangaroo’, and the misfire was probably because of the third cylinder not firing. He advised replacing the timing chain and tensioner and investigating for carbon build-up by checking the spark plugs. In less than 15 minutes, one satisfied customer was back to work with a full diagnosis and fix route.

‘I absolutely love my job,’ explained Routledge. ‘It’s so

42 | WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

different to being in the workshop, and very rewarding.

You’re always learning and you’re also helping people everyday. Sometimes there is self-doubt, but you have to trust your instincts. When you’re in the workshop, you think you know everything, but when you come out you realise that you don’t.

‘No two days are the same here, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.’

Routledge also explained that, over time, master technicians end up making and maintaining relationships with Autologic customers, who trust their knowledge and advice. ‘Sometimes you find a customer requesting to speak to certain technicians. There are

u Sophie meets Chris Routledge

only four of us on each team and as BMW is one of the busiest we take up to 200 calls per day, so they quickly get to know who we are, just as we get to know them – that in itself is probably one of the most rewarding elements of my role.’

u Autologic’s master technicians, such as those seen here in the Oxfordshire centre, are experts who go above and beyond a diagnosis

take or directly completing the fix. On average, 97.5 per cent of our cases are resolved.

‘As you can imagine, we receive everything from difficult to relatively simple cases, depending on the customer’s skill sets and the vehicle fault. We refer to each call or live chat message with a master technician as a touch point. On average, our customers will have two touches with an Autologic assistant at the most before the issue is resolved.

‘This is because all calls are first directed to our skilled and knowledgeable technicians on Tier 1 – this counts as one touch

”

Our key focus is to help you get to the root cause of the issue more efficiently and way faster than if you were using tools alone

point. However, if they can’t resolve the issue, they’ll pass the inquiry to one of our brand master technicians on Tier 2, which counts as the second touch point.’

Key aspects of the Assist service are delivered through AssistPlus – a comprehensive diagnostics device platform, which has become a central hub of any modern workshop. It’s four times faster than the previous device, more equipped than other diagnostics tools in the market and continuously expands as new functions and partners join the industry.

The device was built to meet the challenges of diagnosing and repairing all complex European-designed cars, combining a deep diagnostic feature set with a range of additional applications, including web browser, high-resolution stills and video camera, live connection to Assist technicians and cloud-based vehicle reporting, as well as file syncing. AssistPlus enables Autologic to add new technologies and new service providers to the device as they become available, ensuring that your device expands its value to your business over time.

‘More than 2,500 customers use Autologic in the UK, with 6,000 in total across the globe. Our customers range from franchised dealers and big independents to people working in their back garden,’ explained Gill. ‘That’s why our team has to have a good, solid mix of great communication skills, first-class skills sets, patience and a knack of helping customers translate and put their instructions into practice.’

To ensure Autologic employs only the very best professionals for the job, and to ensure its master technicians stay ahead of the game, each member of the team has a background in working for a main dealer and is put through manufacturer training to reach master technician level.

‘Technology is always advancing, and so is the training required to work on and maintain it,’ said Gill. ‘We have a sizeable training budget here at Autologic and each of our technicians is sent on annual training classes.

‘When I started out, we weren’t called technicians – you were either a mechanic or a vehicle electrician, depending on whether you worked on mechanical components or electrical. Today, technicians do both – they have to, because of the continuing development of vehicle systems.

‘You now find, especially in the UK market, technicians are changing parts rather than fixing them, because it’s usually cheaper and more convenient to do it that way. They unbolt the part and replace it.’

You’d think the chaps at Autologic would want to escape the world of mechanics on their day off, but you’ll still find them tinkering with cars at the weekend. ‘Most of our technicians go home on Friday and are out working on cars on Saturday morning,’ said Gill. ‘I used to do the same, but I have four children now, so I don’t really have the time or energy!’

by Sophie Williamson-Stothert (@1Sophie_W) WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

| 43

OUR FLEET.

Ford Fiesta XR2 Say cheese! James Baggott encounters a couple of hot hatch hitches this month

I

t wasn’t until I tweeted a picture of it and someone pointed out that the MOT ran out last August that I realised I had neglected my little Fiesta XR2 for far too long.

The fact it took an anonymous follower to check the online database for MOTs and point out it hadn’t got one was pretty shameful really. I hadn’t even noticed – and I finally resolved to do something about it.

So I did what I always do in these situations and called on my mate Matt to help. He told me if I could get it to his garage he’d give it the onceover and MOT it for me. Considering it had been sat still for over a year, you won’t be surprised to hear it didn’t fancy starting.

First up, I ordered a new battery and, believe it or not, even managed to fit it myself. Following that, it turned over fine, but wouldn’t catch.

A few days later Matt turned up with a magic can of Fast Start. He suspected the fuel had been left so long it had gone off, but after some persistence it finally kicked into life – that 1.6-litre CVH thrum a pleasure to hear once again.

Matt drove it away and gave it a minor service.

It passed its MOT too with a bit of welding (not unusual on a Ford) and a few advisories, which obviously I’ll ignore for another year.

One of them, though, I shouldn’t have. Driving

the little Fiesta to the Goodwood Festival of Speed, where I was to be a guest of Ford, I hit a bump in the road and the exhaust promptly fell off. Fortunately it was only the rear mount that had sheared so I used a Ford lanyard to lash it on.

Matt dropped by a few days after Goodwood to replace the mount, but sadly he didn’t have quite the right one. That’s meant I’m now getting used to a new knocking noise and the smell of cheese, the latter thanks to me dropping an entire Costa latte in the footwell in a heatwave. I’ll let you know if I fix either in my next report, or just bite the bullet and find a nice chutney…

Model: Ford Fiesta XR2 Owned by: James Baggott Engine: 1.6-litre, petrol Bought for: £1,200 Mileage: 98,675 Money spent this month: £245.98 Highlight of this month: Getting it going again. At last

Mini R50 Cooper Sophie Williamson-Stothert finds herself hunting for a refurbished gearbox. Again COMMUTING along the A34 is never particularly pleasant. It’s even less appealing when your gearbox decides to annihilate itself.

I can’t say I was surprised. This is, after all, an R50 Mini and therefore houses Rover’s five-speed R65 gearbox – aka the ‘Midland Box’, which has a tendency to make holes in the casing.

It’s the second time ‘HCZ’ has suffered the same fate, with the diff doing exactly the same thing as it did five years ago. However, having

purchased and fitted a fully refurbished and, according to the seller, a stronger, more reliable example of the Midland example with my father, I wasn’t expecting it to disintegrate again so soon.

Nevertheless, I wasn’t going to let its evilness prevent me from fixing it a second time and we got to work on hunting for yet another gearbox.

To recap, the diff bearings in my Midland box collapsed, resulting in the diff freezing through the bell housing.

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

FORD FIESTA XR2

SUBARU IMPREZA STI

by Rebecca Chaplin Head of editorial video, @BelieveBecca

by Cliff Culver Advertising executive, @CarDealerCliff

by James Baggott Chief executive, @CarDealerEd

by Jon Reay Multimedia manager, @JonReay

This month, the Type 3 has mainly been coughing and spluttering around Hampshire, but an effective cure got it nicely back on track.

Cliff is now considering a long wheelbase T4, but is under orders from his daughter for it to be orange and have a double passenger seat.

It’s been a turblent month for the little Fiesta. It was finally woken from its year-long slumber and things didn’t go entirely to plan.

The Impreza underwent some much-needed wheel balancing. A bit overdue, too, to be honest – it took Jon nine months to arrange!

Volkswagen Type 3 Fastback

Jaguar X-Type Estate

A month of progress (of sorts) after Becca Chaplin scares a few pedestrians

A new addition to the fleet... owned by Workshop staff writer James Fossdyke

I HAVE never been so embarrassed driving a car as I have this month.

That’s a lie. I’ve driven far more embarrassing and broken-down cars than mine, but this month, my Volkswagen Type 3 Fastback has been firing shots like Keanu Reeves in Point Break.

Luckily this turned out to be an easy fix but in the meantime it’s caused some other issues. It was sounding really rough and wasn’t always firing on all four cylinders (much like its owner) but would only run like this temporarily before going back to its usual burbling self.

However, in those moments when it was backfiring – particularly in built-up areas – I could see pedestrians jumping out of their skins as I let off the accelerator, causing an almighty bang out of the exhaust.

Turns out all it needed was some new spark plugs. Since I’ve owned the car it’s been doing quite a few miles, close to 5,000 in five months, in fact, and it seems a service was due. Lesson learnt – I probably shouldn’t have continued to plough through the miles and use my car every day after the problem first arose.

Initially, the backfiring was minimal and

a smell of fuel when stationary led me to believe there might be a more sinister and dangerous issue at the heart of it.

Once the car warmed up this seemed to subside, but with aircooled Volkswagen engines being notorious for catching fire and having the fuel tank in front of me, there were definitely grounds to be concerned.

In the meantime, the unburnt fuel had been leaking into the engine oil as the backfires got worse.

This meant that when the engine was getting hot the ‘check oil’ light would appear but when I checked the level there was always more than enough. So with new spark plugs and an oil change completed, the car is back to the state it was in at the start of the month and none of the projects I wanted to get completed have been checked off.

Back to the drawing board for August.

Upon the arrival of my new (second) shiny reconditioned gearbox, which set us back £550 (again) to exchange it for my now broken transmission, we got to work on bolting it in.

In total, it took us under 24 hours to get from start to finish and, I’m pleased to report, she drives like a dream again.

JAGUAR X-TYPE ESTATE

Model: Volkswagen Type 3 Fastback 1600E Owned by: Rebecca Chaplin Engine: 1.6-litre Bought for: £3,500 Mileage: 91,300 Money spent this month: £35 Highlight this month: Fixing a very annoying issue.

THE world’s oil is running out, and contrary to popular belief (in our office, anyway) the key culprit is almost certainly not the latest addition to Workshop’s fleet.

My X-Type is commonly referred to as ‘the old Jag with an oil catch can under it’, but the truth is that the black box under the Jag’s front end isn’t really doing all that much. Honest.

As is common with petrol X-Types, the oil sump gasket is on its way out, resulting in a minor leak. I first spotted the drips after leaving the car in situ for a few weeks and immediately took the leaky old Jag to my tame dealership. About an hour later, the fault had been diagnosed, but the leak was described as ‘a bit pathetic’ and I was told I’d probably only noticed it because of the length of time the car had been left standing.

Basically, they could fix it, but it’s such a big job and such a small leak that it wasn’t really worth it. As a result, and as I’ve said, there’s a catch can under the sump.

Still, remembering to put the can under the car every time I park is a pain in the you-knowwhat, so I might think about getting it sorted.

I’m more worried about aesthetics, though, given the amount of bird poo and tree detritus that seems to land on that gorgeous Ultraviolet paint. Perhaps a cover should be my first priority.

Model: Mini R50 Cooper Owned by: Sophie W-S Engine: 1.6-litre normally aspirated Bought for: £5,500 Mileage: 133,000 Money spent this month: £550 Highlight this month: Changing the gearbox (for the second time in five years) in under 24 hours.

BMW 330D TOURING

MINI COOPER

Model: Jaguar X-Type 2.5 AWD Estate Owned by: James Fossdyke Engine: 2.5-litre petrol V6 Bought for: £2,000 Mileage: 103,500 Money spent this month: £0 Lowlight this month: Fielding pesky questions about why there’s an oil can under the front end.

MAZDA MX-5

PEUGEOT 205 GTI 1.9

by James Fossdyke Staff writer, @JFossdyke

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

As James mentions above, a minor oil leak is a bit of a pain but bird poo is causing headaches as well.

Time to invest in a cover, perhaps.

Belfort’s battery charger has been working – just not very well. A new set of tyres is in order, too. Tricky, though, when the car won’t move!

It’s been a pricey and frustrating month for ‘HCZ’ but, thanks to a little perseverance and elbow grease, Mini is back on the road.

The Merlot has spent this month in the air, as Andrew tries to solve the ongoing brake issue without actually spending any money.

The Peugeot has mostly sat sulking in the garage as the boss has spent the month pouring affection in the direction of his other hot hatch.

WorkShopMagazine.co.uk

| 45

OUR KEV.

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

Why our apprentice is always first to arrive and last to leave I ’m a big fan of the apprentice. By that, I don’t mean the TV show with that obnoxious goon with the beard, who takes great personal delight in belittling people who are too stupid or egotistical to know better.

I mean the principle by which young people are encouraged into work by learning a trade, then picking up their skills in a live working environment from people who are older, more experienced and more skilled than they are. Indeed, the title of the TV programme riles me because I believe it completely undermines the value of what a real apprenticeship is about, but I digress.

I came into the trade via an apprenticeship. I was always a bright lad, interested in how things worked, crazy about cars, but never one for an academic life, even though my teachers and parents told me I was perfectly able to string a sentence together and perform advanced maths.

Fine, I probably could, but my working life was never going to be one of management, strategy or accounting.

Cars, spanners, and taking broken things apart in order to mend them were my simple passions in life.

So, 25 years ago, I took an apprenticeship at a suburban garage 10 minutes away from my house. A quarter of a century later, in my early 40s, I’m still there. And I’m happy with that. Indeed, I’m now in charge of the oily side of the business, and over the years have acquired many good friends through the garage trade, be they customers, colleagues or others I’ve encountered such as sales reps, parts van drivers and even the postman. I love it. And I want to make sure that my apprentices love it, too.

We take on one new apprentice every three years, usually straight out of school. Our current lad, Kieran, is 17 and has been with us for about 18 months. I work the poor lad to the bones, for a rather miserly pay packet, but I believe that, in time, he’ll come to appreciate that.

We’re limited by what we can actually pay him by virtue of the apprenticeship being part government-funded, but I also don’t believe it does a young man any harm to scrimp and save to get what he wants, which in Kieran’s case is a souped-up orange Ford Focus that costs him almost half his salary per month to insure.

He lives with his mum and dad and doesn’t have a girlfriend… he’ll learn.

What we do, though, is give our apprentices a little something extra, which has been going on at our garage since I was in Kieran’s shoes.

And that’s dead cars…

How it works is this. Quite often, and most

ordinary garages will tell you the same, there comes a point where you have to tell a disappointed owner that their car is in the same boat as Monty Python’s parrot.

That, unless they’re prepared to spend much more than it’s actually worth to resuscitate it, their car is dead. No longer with us. It has packed up its bags and joined the choir invisible. Occasionally, that leaves our customers pining for their Fords… I’ll stop now.

More often than not, a customer has no further need for a dead car, so we do the decent thing and offer to dispose of it for them. We normally do this by dumping it round the back of the MoT shed, and chucking the key to our apprentice. At present, Kieran is in possession of a Peugeot 306 with a broken rear suspension beam, a Rover 45 with a blown head gasket and a Nissan Micra automatic that has completely lost drive. Quite frankly, I’m surprised the girls aren’t queueing up to date him.

However, I have every confidence that he will stoke up enough cash to cover this month’s princely insurance premium by reviving just one of those cars. After all, if Kieran wants to buy the bits he needs from the scrapyard, or spend hours of his own time dismantling and reassembling things that, at £45 an hour, are simply not worth someone else paying for, who are we to stop him?

Not only does reviving and selling dead cars give our apprentice a bit of extra cash in his pocket, but it teaches him two extremely important life skills. One is a very valuable and dedicated work ethic and the second is how to mend things, often independently. It’s how I learned, and how I became the person I am today.

Quite frankly, I’m proud of that, and of every young apprentice who follows suit. Kieran’s one of them – a good lad. But if he thinks he’s getting a pay rise after reading this, he’s got another thing coming…

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...

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I don’t believe it does a young man any harm to scrimp and save to get what he wants, which in Kieran’s case is a soupedup orange Ford Focus that costs him almost half his salary per month to insure . . .

Are You At The Back of the Queue?

MOT Annual Training is mandatory! There are over 60,000 testers that need to complete it. Don’t wait until it’s too late.

Complete Your Annual Training with the RMI As a replacement for DVSA’s MOT 5-year Refresher Course, all MOT testers must now complete three hours of annual training and pass an online assessment by March 31st 2017.

Although it’s easy to put off, if you wait until later in the year you could struggle to meet the deadline, as you’ll be queueing with the other 60,000 testers rushing to complete it too.

The Retail Motor Industry Federation offers a number of annual training options, which all include three hours of training or self-learning, plus access to the online assessment. They all meet the annual training requirements set by DVSA.

Not sure where to start?

Call our friendly team to book your training or get advice on 0845 305 4230 www.RMItrainingAcademy.co.uk The Retail Motor Industry Federation has been serving the motor trade for 103 years as the UK’s leading automotive trade WorkShopMagazine.co.uk | 47body.

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