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PROFESSIONAL
SUMMER 2020
MOTOR
F R T E R E A
T T O H E
D E
S E R V I C I N G ■ R E P A I R ■ D I A G N O S T I C S ■ M O T
THE TRADE MAGAZINE FOR SERVICING AND REPAIR PROFESSIONALS
MOVING ONLINE PMM helps steer you towards your ideal online training provider Also inside... FlexRay and the new generation of automotive communication buses
TECHNICAL TIPS AND CLINICS ‘HOW TO’ GUIDES AND BEST PRACTICE ADVICE BUSINESS ESSENTIALS AND TRAINING UPDATES
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Contents Regulars 7-8
NEWS & VIEWS
10
TROUBLESHOOTER
12
CLUTCH CLINIC
14
BELT FOCUS
16-20
TECH TIPS
22-27
BUSINESS & TRAINING
47
COMPETITION
48-49
WHAT’S NEW?
VOLUME 21 ISSUE 6 SUMMER 2020
Features
30- 32 EXHAUSTS & EMISSIONS
35-38 DIAGNOSTICS & ENGINE MANAGEMENT
Editor’s Picks 10
DIAGNOSTIC HOUSEKEEPING Ross Kemp of Scantec Automotive reveals how he manages customer data
27
TRAINING GROUND PMM presents some of the top online training providers out there in the aftermarket
32
CLEANING BEYOND THE ENGINE Neil Chapman, owner of Offmore Road Garage, discusses the FlexFuel offering
41 -42 STEERING & SUSPENSION
45-46 A/C & THERMAL MANAGEMENT Total Average Net Distribution 60,820 1st July 2018 – 30th June 2019
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VIEWPOINT
Editor
A new normal
DANIEL ARON Editorial Assistant LAURA GUALDI
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Digital Manager KELLY NEWSTEAD Account Manager ALEX DILLEIGH Group Manager ROBERT GILHAM Magazine Designer GEMMA WATSON Group Production Manager CAROL PADGETT Production Assistant STEPHANIE STAPLETON Distribution Manager KARL CLARK Publisher BRYAN SHANNON
Subscriptions
PROFESSIONAL MOTOR MECHANIC is a business magazine for firms and individuals involved in all aspects of the motor trade. It is published eleven times a year and is available nationally FREE to the trade through leading motor factors. It is also available through the post at a cost of £30. EUROPE and OVERSEAS 1 year (11 issues) £50 Airmail 1 year (11 issues) £65 Printed by Walstead Peterborough Published by HAMERVILLE MEDIA GROUP Regal House, Regal Way,
he coronavirus pandemic has really put things in perspective. The social, political, and economic issues of pre-lockdown now seem insignificant compared to the disruption caused by the current government-enforced restrictions. Yet, some time has passed since these changes to everyday life came in, and as I sit at home writing this viewpoint, I feel almost as if this is ‘normal’. But things are far from normal. You will no doubt have noticed that you are in fact reading a summer issue of PMM as opposed to the usual June copy. Businesses have had to adapt to a volatile and underperforming economy. This is as true for publishing companies as it is for independent garages. What’s more, this wonderful combined edition is not the only thing that’s changed. Digital platforms have boomed as people are left stuck at home unable to meet face to face. Take Zoom as an example. At the start of this year, very few people would have even heard of the video communications provider, but now it is integral to most businesses and is in the mainstream media almost every day. If I were to draw a parallel of sorts, many readers will have previously picked up their copy of PMM from their local motor factor. Unfortunately, this became very difficult due to social distancing regulations. So, we turned to the electronic version of the publication, and in an effort to prevent disappointed readers, we started sending out each issue directly to readers’ inbox (if you would like to make the most of this service, then sign up here: WWW.RDR.LINK/AR001). It’s not just trade media that is now winding its way through the network of digital pipes either – eager technicians are seeking out online training opportunities. It’s an aspect to the aftermarket that has been in its infancy for a few years now, but the coronavirus restrictions may just be the catalyst for this form of education to take hold within the industry. In an effort to push this undoubtedly good thing along, you will find a selection of the top online training providers on page 27. These resources have been chosen based on contributor recommendations and diversity of content, so understand that there are plenty more options out there. Is there a glimmer of optimism then that can be derived from all this upheaval? I believe so. Independent garages, aftermarket suppliers, and even the trade media have had to adapt and innovate to traverse this period of disruption. And, for an industry that is hardly renowned for its willingness to try new things, this is immensely reassuring and a testament to the aftermarket’s resilience. Let’s hope then, that this really is the new normal!
Watford, Herts, WD24 4YF. Tel: Watford (01923) 237799
Enjoy the issue and have a great summer.
Fax: (01923) 246901
Daniel Aron
E-mail: pmm@hamerville.co.uk Sales enquiries: pmmsales@hamerville.co.uk Website: www.pmmonline.co.uk Facebook: /ProfessionalMotorMechanic
Editor
Twitter: @pmmmagazine Copyright © 2020
Associate member
The publishers and editor do not necessarily agree with the views expressed by contributors, nor do they accept responsibility for any errors of translation in the subject matter in this publication.
Front Cover: © vectorfusionart/AdobeStock
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GET YOUR DAILY FIX OF INDUSTRY NEWS AT WWW.PMMONLINE.CO.UK
©BillionPhotos.com/AdobeStock
IGA creates Covid-19 compliance scheme The Independent Garage Association (IGA) has launched a compliance scheme for independent garages that will enable them to prove that they have the proper coronavirus safety processes in place.
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he scheme is based on the Government’s safe working guidelines to prevent coronavirus transmission and will underpin the IGA’s case to overturn the six-month MOT extension by providing evidence that garages are safe places for customers to visit. “The IGA is committed to supporting independent garages, so these audits will be offered at no cost to members and carried out by the IGA’s own resources,” said Stuart James, IGA Chief Executive. “If members need guidance on how to minimise the possibility of spreading the virus to people on their premises, this
audit will position them to be compliant within government guidelines. Certification will be included, so garages can display this to customers and create a level of assurance that the environment is safe. Stuart concluded, “The IGA is working extremely hard to provide evidence that independent garages have prepared their premises to be safe for customers, so that the MOT extension can be stopped. Our aim is to support the Government and meet their requirements to bring back the MOT, which will assist with the UK’s economic recovery.” The scheme will be available to IGA members from June.
NEWS
& VIEWS
HSE advises on PPE at work Health and safety law states that employers must protect workers from injury or harm to health which could happen as a result of work-related activity. This includes taking reasonable steps to protect your workers and others from coronavirus.
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uring the coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak, HSE (Health & Safety Executive) has worked with others to develop guidance about current issues with PPE (personal protective equipment). For most people, any potential infection from coronavirus will not be because of their work. If you do not normally wear a face mask, or any other PPE for work, then you do not need to because of coronavirus. There is currently little evidence that using face masks outside of a healthcare or clinical setting will protect
people from coronavirus. Face coverings do not need to be worn in the workplace, but employers should support their workers if they choose to wear one. You can find more on face coverings in the GOV.UK guides on working safely during coronavirus. There are also other core guidance resources available: ■ PPE hub – WWW.RDR.LINK /AR002
■ Guidance for non-clinical settings – WWW.RDR.LINK /AR003
■ Coronavirus (Covid-19) in Scotland – WWW.RDR.LINK /AR004
■ Coronavirus (Covid-19) in Wales – WWW.RDR.LINK /AR005
Using any form of PPE is a last resort after you have assessed the risks. Make sure that you understand what you need to do for your business. ©InkheartX/AdobeStock
“The IGA is working extremely hard to provide evidence that independent garages have prepared their premises to be safe for customers.”
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NEWS
& VIEWS
FOLLOW THE LATEST BREAKING STORIES ON TWITTER @PMMMAGAZINE
Autotech Recruit launches free virtual training platform ©Ivan Traimak/AdobeStock
IAAF battles against renewed scrappage scheme push With VMs joining forces to call on the government to help the struggling car industry get moving again, the Independent Automotive Aftermarket Federation (IAAF) is stressing that a new scrappage scheme may not necessarily be the answer.
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he British car industry has struggled as a direct result of the coronavirus in recent months, and many are calling for the introduction of a scrappage scheme to look to give consumers an incentive to purchase a new vehicle. While the IAAF recognises that it is imperative to get the economy back into gear, it believes there are other ways to do so and a scrappage scheme is not the only way. The federation is arguing that if introduced, it will have a significantly negative effect on public mobility and the automotive aftermarket long term, especially as most of the
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vehicles eligible for the scheme will still be roadworthy. This prediction is based on previous experience as in 2009, a scrappage scheme removed 400,000 serviceable vehicles from the aftermarket, with more than 90% of vehicles sold under the scheme originating from non-UK factories. In 2020, the situation remains largely the same with 88% of cars sold in the UK during 2019 being imported. As the UK aftermarket also employs approximately 347,000 people as opposed to 186,000 in vehicle manufacturing, employment in the independent automotive aftermarket would be damaged by a scrappage scheme and jeopardise thousands of repair businesses. This would also be detrimental to motorists and customer choice. With a newer vehicle parc, there is also a risk that VMs could potentially gain a monopoly on access to vehicle technical condition data, raising the question of data access.
Surveying its network of over 450 temporary vehicle technicians and MOT testers during the unprecedented lockdown, Autotech Recruit has responded to calls for greater training by launching its own platform on Our Virtual Academy – enabling contractors to access free training.
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n addition, as the training provision will incorporate courses in hybrid and electric vehicles, the move is also set to underpin Autotech Recruit’s objective to make all contractors fully conversant in these vehicles by the end of 2020. Following the survey results which saw 60% say they would like to undertake further training, Autotech Recruit has invested in the site and developed an exclusive platform with Our Virtual Academy. With access to 180 online training chapters, tutorials and final tests, contractors can fully maximise the current enforced downtime
to upskill. With over 70% of technicians seeking employment through Autotech Recruit citing lack of progression as the overriding factor for them wanting to move on, the company has always been a driving advocate for lifelong learning within the industry – and its dedicated Autotech Training division is testament to this. “While supporting the industry as a whole with training provisions, we have used this lockdown period to speak to our contractors and understand what they are looking for to take their careers to the next level,” commented Simon King, Managing Director of Autotech Recruit.
“We have used this lockdown period to speak to our contractors and understand what they are looking for to take their careers to the next level.”
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TROUBLESHOOTER
Diagnostic housekeeping
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enerally speaking, I think we have all come to accept that when it comes to the diagnostic process, data is king. We are surrounded by thousands of possible fault codes, many more thousands of lines of data, and that isn’t even including the technical bulletins covering manufacturer-known faults that may involve parts swap outs, parts modification, or software modification, etc. Now, as a diagnostic technician and selfconfessed tech geek, instead of shying away from this ever-growing technology I do my best to embrace it. I want technology to make my life easier or in the case of this article, I want to use it to streamline our diagnostic process. As many of us in the trade right now appear to have more time on our hands than normal, I thought I would highlight some aspects of this technology that we use to streamline and document our processes and procedures during a diagnostic session.
Ross Kemp, of Scantec Automotive, understands the difficulties of keeping a functioning data log. In this article, he outlines the system his business uses to ensure that he always has access to the information required for vehicle diagnostics. Thought experiment Imagine for a moment that you have a diagnostic job in your workshop with reported symptoms present and fault codes being logged. You also note after a quick initial diagnostic assessment that some of the live data lines are questionable. This particular situation is ringing bells with you, but you find that you can’t quite put your finger on it. You start to convince yourself that you have seen this before, leading you to ask the following question: maybe there is a technical bulletin available? Now, think how useful it would be to have your very own database on your PC, laptop,
partition or smart phone; one through which you could search for a fault code, symptom, or section of live data by entering make, model or any other variable you can think of? To be fair, this is not new by any means, after all, having multiple PCs, laptops and partitions is the norm these days. From our standpoint though, this is something that has progressed over the years – we have always saved and documented various pieces of data and/or evidence. The problem we had experienced previously was trying to remember what machine or partition we may have used when saving that nugget of information – let alone the added complication of taking various laptops out of commission or even recommissioning them for a different purpose.
Solving storage problems Many years ago, one of the first steps for us was to use cloud storage; the likes of Dropbox, Google Drive, etc. Storing all our diagnostic data, printouts, technical bulletins, photographs and videos in the cloud, not only allowed us to have a central location for all our data, history, and evidence, but also freed up space on our machines. This allowed us to access this data from any machine, partition, smart phone or tablet anywhere in the world. The next thing that we adopted into the business was print-to-PDF software. This is again available for just about every device, including Windows, Mac and iOS devices, and is available from many different sources. For us, the one key requirement was for the PDF printer to be able to merge documents – in effect, add additional pages to an already existing document. As a side note to this, there is also a reason why we chose to save everything as PDFs rather than screenshots, html files and photos etc., but I will explain that later.
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The bigger picture Now, if I detail our average diagnostic job or diagnostic process, hopefully I can put all the parts together for you. We always and without fail carry out a complete global fault scan before doing anything else. The reason for this is that it gives us the chance to document the complete vehicle’s state as it arrived to us and ‘before we touched it’ so to speak. We of course print the complete report as a PDF via our PDF printer to a file named with the vehicle registration. Next, we might (depending on codes stored or present) go and view some relevant live data, and, to reiterate, we will always print that data to our current PDF file using the allimportant merge function. We may also, for example, run some manufacturer test plans and again print the results to our PDF. If we then check for and find a relevant TSB (technical service bulletin) relating to our symptoms and/or fault codes, we will also print this document and add it to our customer file PDF – the same is also true for wiring diagrams if they are used in the diagnostic process. If we then stripped the vehicle down to inspect a control module and found any form of evidence, we would generally take a photo of this and sometimes add before and after photos. Again, we would print those photos using the PDF printer, adding them to the customer PDF record. Scope patterns taken (although saved as priority files) would also be printed and added to the ongoing customer record. If you think about it, anything that can be printed from any device can be added to your ongoing vehicle record. You can see that by doing this we are not only documenting every part of the vehicle (to include all control module part numbers, software variants, coding values, fault codes, fault freeze frames, live data, relevant technical bulletins, relevant wiring diagrams, photos and so on), but we are also building it as a complete diagnostic and evidential timeline.
Full vehicle profile For one vehicle, we have one file. Each and every page made up in that PDF file has a time and date stamp allowing us to not only document the time spent on the vehicle, but
also know that we already have data for the vehicle in question, so we can simply start a new timeline by adding it to our already existing PDF file. And yes, you guessed it, we keep all those PDFs in the cloud. That way, no matter which brand we are working on (and therefore what PC or laptop we may be working with), we have access to all the previous files and therefore the ability to save new files to the same cloud location. This is all possible by having your chosen cloud service app installed on all your devices. You can also segregate them if you so choose. For example, you may choose to separate stored customer diagnostic PDFs in separate folders by brand, that way, when installing your cloud service on your BMW laptop for example, you could simply choose to only download/synchronise the BMW folder, saving further valuable and expensive storage space.
Information at your fingertips Now, here’s the reason we chose to use PDFs over any other document format. Apart from the fact it is difficult to merge different types of information in other file formats, PDFs are perfectly suited to something called file indexing. This is something that can be done automatically by nearly all operating systems in the background, scanning each and every file and can distinguish between each and
every word in your PDFs. So now I can use the windows search bar or my cloud service app on any device, laptop or partition from anywhere in the world and I can search for any word or any character located in any one of the previously saved customer record PDFs. Going back to my original scenario, hopefully you can now see that I could simply search for a fault code and bring up (within seconds) all vehicles we have worked on that ever contained that fault code. It would even bring up every record containing every TSB that includes that same term. We could do the same by searching for a control unit part number and bring up every vehicle we have ever seen in our workshop that had that same control unit part number fitted – very helpful when trying to calculate coding values. In fact, you are only limited by your own imagination when it comes to what you can search for. The longer you stick to this type of process the more natural it becomes and the greater the depth of data you have access to. Just don’t forget to back it up every now and then!
TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT ROSS KEMP AND SCANTEC AUTOMOTIVE, WWW.RDR.LINK /AR006
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CLUTCH CLINIC
HOW TO Replace the clutch on a MINI One Countryman Charles Figgins, Technical Marketing Manager at Blue Print, runs through the clutch replacement procedure on a MINI One Countryman, which was fitted with the popular 1.6 petrol PSA group engine.
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he MINI One Countryman was in the workshop for an annual inspection. It was reported to the owner that the clutch was starting to slip (Fig 1).
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Step-by-step guide After getting the vehicle into the workshop and onto the ramp, open the bonnet and disconnect the battery. This is located in front of the bulkhead, under an access panel below the windscreen. Working from the top, remove the coolant expansion tank and put it to the side. The fuse box cover and engine ECU retainer should then be removed. Then, remove the air intake hose and vacuum pump plastic pipe. With these components removed, the gear selector cables should now be revealed. The cable bracket can then be unbolted, and the cables unclipped from the selectors. Then, disconnect the reverse lamp switch connector and secure it so that it does not get in the way (Fig 2). Loosen and remove the bellhousing bolts located at the top of the transmission. Remember to note the location of each bolt. Before the transmission mounting bolts are removed, support the engine and transmission with a support beam or a transmission jack.
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With the vehicle raised, both front wheels need to be removed, followed by the driveshaft retaining collar nuts. If the complete transmission is to be removed, the front sub frame with steering rack and front suspension wishbones also need to be removed. Alternatively, there is just enough room to separate the transmission from the engine in order to replace the clutch without needing to remove the transmission completely. For this MINI, this is the option that was followed. Undo the transmission oil drain plug to drain the oil. Then, release both front lower suspension ball joints from the hubs, leaving enough movement to remove both front driveshafts from the transmission using a suitable lever. Once removed, the driveshafts can be removed from the hubs.
Next, the starter motor should be removed and retained securely, along with the clutch slave cylinder. This also includes the hydraulic pipe that is clipped to the top of the transmission. Before removing the last of the bellhousing bolts, the transmission neutral switch connector must be disconnected, and the wiring loom unclipped (Fig 3). With the transmission supported, the transmission mounting retaining bolts can be removed. Then, remove the rest of the bellhousing bolts. The transmission should then be separated from the engine, leaving enough room to access the clutch. Undo the six pressure plate retaining bolts and remove and inspect the clutch. In this case, the clutch had endured a hard life, as there was evidence of hot spots and cracks in the
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mating surfaces of both the pressure plate and flywheel. Because of this, a decision was made to replace both the three-piece clutch kit and the flywheel. The flywheel was taken off, leaving the reluctor ring in place (Fig 4). This is only retained by the flywheel. The release bearing was then removed, and the sliding surface of the guide sleeve was inspected for wear and lightly greased before fitting the new release bearing. The new flywheel was fitted with new bolts and tightened to the manufacturer’s torque settings. This was followed by the installation of the new friction disc and pressure plate. After replacing and adjusting the necessary components, align the transmission with the engine and bolt it back into place, along with all other components that were removed. Then, inspect the driveshaft seals before refitting the driveshafts, including new retaining hub nuts. Next, fill the
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transmission with fresh oil through the level plug located at the rear of the transmission, close to the right-hand driveshaft. If necessary, replace the clutch slave cylinder as a precautionary measure and bleed to remove the air with a pressure bleeder. Lower the vehicle, tighten the new hub nuts, and refit the wheels. Also refit all parts on top of the transmission and
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reconnect the battery. Ensure that the vehicle is road tested for smoothness of operation before being handed back to the owner. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON BLUE PRINT'S PRODUCTS AND SERVICES, WWW.RDR.LINK /AR007
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BELT FOCUS
HOW TO Replace the timing belt on a Peugeot 2008 This month, REPXPERT Alistair Mason replaced the timing belt on a 2015 Peugeot 2008 fitted with a 1.2 VVT 3-cylinder petrol engine.
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he oil pressure warning light was activated at the relatively low mileage of 52,000 miles. Upon further inspection, the reference fault code P15A8 was traced to a blocked oil strainer, which was found to contain small fibrous particles that had come from the timing belt. This engine is fitted with a timing belt that runs totally immersed in oil, called a ‘belt in oil’ or ‘wet belt’. A quick visual inspection of its condition can be carried out through the oil filler cap, in order to confirm it is the likely cause of the blocked oil strainer and subsequent fault code. The following workshop equipment is required for the replacement:
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Vehicle lift (two post is ideal) Engine timing tool set Torque wrench and engine sealer Key (if locking wheel bolts are fitted)
Timing belt removal With the vehicle positioned on the lift, raise the vehicle and remove the engine undertray. Then lower the vehicle to waist height, remove the O/S/F wheel and wheel arch liner (Fig 1), and drop the vehicle to access the engine bay. Remove the engine cover and turbo inlet pipe (Fig 2), first disconnecting the engine breather and vacuum pipe, followed by the
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engine breather pipe and turbo to intercooler pipe, being careful to unclip the solenoid attached. Disconnect the sensor and take off the intercooler to inlet manifold pipe, the air intake to air filter assembly, the top section of air filter unit, the multi plugs from the coils and injectors, the coils, high pressure fuel pump and metal fuel pipe. Also disconnect the turbo vacuum solenoid and bracket at the rear of the cam cover, and then the multi plugs from the two cam position sensors.
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Remove the vacuum pump on the side of the cam cover and the two-engine cover/air filter fixings (Fig 3), followed by the top cam cover assembly (Fig 4). Raise the vehicle lift to gain access to the bottom pulley, remove the auxiliary drive belt by turning the tensioner in a clockwise direction, and inspect the belt for any wear, replacing it if required. Remove the six bottom pulley bolts and then the pulley, which will allow the stretch belt to the water pump
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to be inspected and replaced if necessary. Lock the engine with the engine timing locking tools. Using the crankshaft pulley bolt, rotate the engine in a clockwise direction until the flat surfaces of the camshafts are at the 12 o’clock position (Fig 5). Slide the crankshaft locking tool through the lower bell housing and into the location point in the back of the flywheel (Fig 6), then lower the vehicle lift and fit the camshaft locking plate to the camshafts (Fig 7). Once the engine has been locked and engine timing confirmed, remove the tools and slacken the crankshaft sprocket bolt. Lock the ring gear using a pry bar through the bell housing, slacken the crankshaft sprocket bolt. Then re-insert the engine locking tools and with the engine locked, remove the crankshaft sprocket bolt. Take off the black plastic plate above the crankshaft pulley and remove the timing belt tensioner and idler (Fig 8), followed by the crankshaft sprocket assembly. The timing belt can now be eased upwards, ready for removal. Lower the vehicle lift to gain access to the engine, and after noting their location, remove both camshaft sprockets and then the timing belt. Whilst this repair was carried out, the sump was removed and the oil strainer checked (Fig 9) and cleaned, along with the vacuum pump and variable valve timing units. Finally, the engine oil and filter were replaced.
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Note: The timing belt replacement interval for this engine has now been lowered to reduce the risk of this problem.
Timing belt installation After cleaning the components and surfaces, position the new timing belt in the front of the engine. Ease the crankshaft sprocket assembly into position, ensuring the keyway locates correctly, and fit the new crankshaft bolt to hold the sprocket assembly in position, whilst still allowing it to rotate. Fit the new tensioner and idler. Tighten and torque the idler bolt then lower the vehicle lift and fit the camshaft sprockets whilst easing the timing belt into position. Ensuring the camshaft sprockets locate on the keyways, install the new camshaft bolts and torque to the manufacturer’s specification.
With the belt installed, raise the vehicle lift to gain access to the tensioner, and using an Allen key, rotate the tensioner anticlockwise until the pointer aligns with the mark on the tensioner (Fig 10). Tighten and torque the tensioner bolt. Then, tighten and torque the crankshaft sprocket bolt, but use a counter hold tool, otherwise the locking pin can break. Remove the engine locking tools, rotate the engine two revolutions, refit the engine locking tools, and check the tensioner is still set correctly. Refit all items in reverse order of removal, but when fitting the bottom pulley, locate the water pump belt on both pulleys. Using a longer bottom pulley bolt, start to bolt the pulley into position. When close, twist the pulley into the final position and secure with a second bolt. Once secured correctly, replace the longer bolt with the original.
INFORMATION ON SCHAEFFLER PRODUCTS, FITTING INSTRUCTIONS, REPAIR TIMES AND MUCH MORE CAN BE FOUND ON THE REPXPERT GARAGE PORTAL, WWW.RDR.LINK/AR008 – OR THE NEW REPXPERT APP.
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TECH TIPS
Breathing life back into
BATTERIES Covid-19 has left vehicles across the UK motionless, and as lockdown eases this is set to cause all kinds of problems. At the top of that list is the battery.
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attery failure is the most common problem for vehicles that have remained stationary for a long period of time, and the impact can be costly. As little as a couple of weeks off the road can cause issues for some vehicles; owners are far more likely to check tyres, oil, or even coolant, over the battery. Ken Clark, Managing Director of Rotronics, said, “Your workshop will be helping people get their vehicles back on the road and you could also be helping them prepare their vehicles for additional off-the-road periods. Your customers do not want to run the risk of getting stranded, especially Midtronics EXP1000 tester when there may be social distancing restrictions in place and recovery may not be straightforward. “We want to share some tips with you, so that you can provide excellent customer service, on how to maintain your customers’ vehicle/s and battery health.”
the battery’s ability to just start the vehicle. The latest generation of diagnostic tools measure the reserve capacity and the cranking capacity of the battery. The Midtronics CPX900 (Conductance Profiling™ Battery and System Analyser), services modern vehicles and battery technology with reserve capacity problems. Ken explained, “Once you know what charge the battery requires, make sure that it is charged accordingly. Smart charging is the most reliable diagnostic battery technology, this will help you build customer trust and improve customer satisfaction. The CPX900 has a new design which includes a 3.5” colour screen, a new user design interface, easy grip plus and an optional builtin printer. CTEK’s state-of-the art chargers offer power supply and efficient charging for all lead acid and lithium technologies.”
■ Make sure that you have the right
SITUATION ONE
Solution: When all vehicles enter your workshop, do a full battery diagnostic check to test the state of health. Testing the reserve capacity is equally important because the reserve capacity testing, using a controlled RC (reserve capacity) test, will tell you if the battery has enough power to support the stop-start system. It is not enough to rely on
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minimum of 25A charge output is used for efficient charging during workshop maintenance. ■ Some vehicles may have a lithium battery – can your charger cope with lithium charging? ■ Does your charger have a power supply or battery support unit that is enough for diagnostic validation – 25-100A or more would be required. Rotronics recommends the CTEK PRO25 and MXS25 Charger range to compliment getting your workshop charging needs in place. Key features include: ■ 2m or 6m charge cables ■ 25A charge and power supply capabilities ■ Suitable for all battery technologies (PRO25S & SE now include lithium charging capability). ■ PMM readers will benefit from preferential pricing, quoting the reader offer reference on the following page.
Tips for your workshop
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Problem: Customers who have fallen into the trap of running their vehicles for a few minutes and taking short drives may have caused more deterioration than not driving at all.
Midtronics MCC-070 charger
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equipment in your workshop. Ensure that your tester can test EFB and AGM batteries. Is your equipment in a serviceable state, does it function as intended? When did your tester have a health check – is it delivering accurate results? It is recommended that these testers are checked annually. Midtronics With an increase in charging CPX900 tester requirements, do you have enough chargers to support this? Do you have the right charging outputs? A
SITUATION TWO Problem: Your customers have had to jump start their vehicles. What advice can you give them about battery care at home? Solution: If your customers have needed to jump start their vehicles, encourage them to have a suitable battery charger to hand. Encourage them to practice good housekeeping, for example keeping their vehicle lights switched off. If they have a keyless entry make sure they know to keep their keys stored away from the car to stop ECUs (electronic control units) being activated. If customers have an integrated garage, they need to keep keys out of range of the vehicle.
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Ken Clark explained, “Your customers should really keep their batteries charged at all times. If they are looking for a battery charger, there are several things to take into consideration. We would strongly advise selecting an intelligent smart charger so you don’t run of risk of overcharging your battery – this can lead to severe battery damage. Buy a charger that is simple to use and suitable for the type of battery you’re charging (i.e. AGM or lithium). “If vehicles have been stationary and not in use for some time, they may fail when they are needed most. A 7A charger used domestically at home can speedily charge even the most deeply discharged batteries. Select a charger where charge time is reduced. In case of emergencies, you certainly would not want to wait longer than you need to get your car back on the road. Rotronics recommends the CTEK XS7000
charger for customers needing assurance that their vehicle battery remains in top condition whilst being off the road. This charger is fully automatic, simply plug it in.
Tips for your customers ■ Why not send an email to your
customers, providing them with some of the tips in this article? ■ You could offer free battery inspections to your customers every three months. ■ Offer battery recharge for a nominal fee. This will identify any failing batteries that may need to be replaced proactively before they let your customers down. This also helps you generate some revenue. ■ You could also consider supplying your customers with a charger that is suitable for domestic use and Rotronics would recommend the CTEK XS7000 for its simplicity and efficient charging capability.
Midtronics DCA8000 charger
READER OFFER For preferential rates on battery equipment to all those who have read this article, please get in touch with Rotronics and quote the reference ROTRONICSPMM1. You can email info@rotronicsbms.com or call 0121 526 8185. For further tips, WWW.RDR.LINK/AR009
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TECH TIPS
BEST PRACTICE Lambda sensor lowdown Ignition specialist NGK provides a few pointers on how to properly install Lambda sensors.
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hen it comes to Lambda sensors, the longevity of the component rests on two aspects: the first is the quality of the part, and the second, is the quality of the installation. The former is very much up to the decision of the technician. Which supplier should they use? NGK is certainly one option, and using its experience supplying VMs across the globe it claims to be able to offer the right sensor for each vehicle application. It is always best practice to go with a bespoke original equipment (OE) quality Lambda sensor, rather than anything that is labelled as a ‘universal sensor’. NGK enhanced its NTK sensors’ offering with the addition of 20 wide-band Lambda sensors in November 2018. Commonly referred to as ‘5-wire’ Lambda sensors, they supplemented its existing range of 64 NTK OE 5-wire sensors. Their introduction significantly increased the company’s UK range coverage – particularly for VAG models – and means that NGK now has 5-wire sensors available for almost every vehicle manufacturer that utilises this technology.
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Installation tips To successfully carry out a Lambda sensor installation, it is important to understand that these sensors are very vehicle specific. This means it is essential that the replacement item has the same specification as the original factory-fitted part. Differences in the wiring configuration may not be easily identified, therefore selection of the correct part is vital. Part of the EOBD (European On-Board Diagnostics) function is to monitor the performance of both the fuel regulating and catalyst monitoring diagnostic sensor. Fitting a sensor that does not match the specification of the original part could result in poor running, record of a fault code or cause the MIL (malfunction indicator lamp) to illuminate, telling the driver that there is a problem in the system. Sensors live in a harsh environment and corrosion of the exhaust and sensor is inevitable. This can make removal difficult and so it is essential that suitable tools are employed, such as a tube spanner, to prevent personal injury or damage to the sensor. Before installing the new sensor, ensure that the threads are clean and in good condition. All NTK sensors have a factory applied anti-seize
compound on the threads. This grease is sensor friendly, and care should be taken if alternative greases are used to make sure that they contain no sensor damaging ingredients. Tighten the sensor to the recommended torque to ensure correct sealing, a good earth via the exhaust (if applicable) and not to over stress the metal shell. Before connecting the multi-plug, check the vehicle side connector for damage, oil contamination and corrosion. TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE NTK RANGE OF LAMBDA SENSORS, WWW.RDR.LINK /AR010
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TESTING TIMES It comes as no surprise that the extended period of downtime caused by government-santioned lockdown has led to an increase in battery failures.
With the increased practice of home-working, the new ‘stay-athome’ routine, and few to no visits to family or friends, road traffic has fallen massively throughout the UK. In fact, for many people mobility has come to a complete standstill due to social distancing restrictions. According to the automotive market research expert, GiPA, traffic has fallen by 75% in some areas of the UK. Many vehicle drivers think that if the car is started and left running on idle for 15 minutes, this will keep the battery ‘topped up’ with charge. Many don’t realise that this is actually detrimental to the vehicle, as the charge required to start the car cannot be replenished simply by the car idling.
VARTA highlights that it’s now more important than ever to check every battery and encourage workshops to carry out proactive battery checks with a good quality tester. Even under regular conditions, research shows that proactive battery testing makes sense; of every 100 batteries proactively checked, 23% are replaced, averting an inconvenient battery failure for the driver.
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VARTA RECOMMENDS Batteries should be able to cope for several weeks without use. However, for longer periods, VARTA recommends that workshops offer the following advice to customers: ● If possible, drive the car for 20-30 minutes instead of embarking on very short journeys. This will allow the alternator to fully recharge the battery. ● Turn off the radio and use the electric windows and electric sunroof as little as possible, and only use the air conditioning system at a low level. This is because all these consumers draw power that can be better used to charge the battery. ● If the car is parked for extended periods, keep the doors and boot closed and locked – only open if really necessary. This will keep the car in automatic sleep mode, which means the power consumption of all electrical devices will be reduced to an absolute minimum – as soon as they open it wakes the electrical consumers, which then start to draw power from the battery. ● Ensure the battery is dry and clean, as dirt and moisture between the terminals can cause creeping currents and accelerate the discharge of the battery. ● Even if a battery is easily accessible, it is better to charge it than to disconnect and remove it. Electronic systems in newer vehicles can trigger error messages or lose data when the power supply is interrupted, which then may require a visit to the workshop to be reset. It's enough to check the voltage from time to time and recharge the battery as soon as it drops below 12.4V. By offering a battery check to all customers, and replacing or giving advice on those batteries close to failure, workshops will have provided peace of mind and a reliable service to their customer base. For more information on battery testing and best practice advice for workshops, or to become a member of the VARTA Battery Test-Check Programme, please contact the VARTA team by emailing vb-uk-enquiries@clarios.com, or by following VARTA on Facebook at www.facebook.com/VARTAAutomotiveUK
SUPPORT YOUR CUSTOMERS – TEST EVERY BATTERY BATTERY CARE TIPS VIDEO To watch a short clip highlighting best practice care for batteries during long periods of downtime, scan the following QR code. Sign up to join the VARTA Partner Portal for free: WWW.RDR.LINK /AR011
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BUSINESS
& TRAINING
Keep your tools SAFE With many technicians temporarily shutting up shop due to lockdown measures, tools have been left unattended and vulnerable. Although lockdown has started to ease, tools still need to be kept safe, and The Tool Register may be the perfect way to do it.
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ased in Cholsey, South Oxfordshire, uWatch Ltd recently launched a new smartphone app called The Tool Register, which is available on both android and iOS. The app aims to make tools ‘too hot to handle’ and therefore very difficult to re-sell. This is called ‘the market reduction approach’ and is the best solution to reduce theft in the long term. Tool theft costs tradespeople £100 million per year and ruins livelihoods. This type of crime is increasing year on year which is evident by increased insurance claims. To truly understand the severity of the problem, uWatch Ltd met with over 30 police constabularies across the UK. However, it became apparent that there was no system in place which empowers tradesmen to securely register their tools and identify stolen ones. The market reduction approach lowers the crime rate by reducing the opportunity for thieves to resell what they have stolen. If you can’t sell the tool you have stolen, why would you steal another one? The Tool Register adopts this philosophy but firmly puts the ability to identify stolen goods in the hands of the tradesmen and general public as well as the police.
How does the app work? The app allows tradespeople to record pictures and details of their tools and receipts on a secure cloud server which holds the ISO27001 certificate. This list of tools can then be downloaded as a PDF and sent to the police and insurance companies Users can very quickly report tools as stolen or lost from the app. This sends an instant alert to all other local registered users,
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warning them a theft has just happened. This allows them to make sure their tools are secure and to keep an eye out for suspicious activity. After tools are reported stolen, they appear on ‘Dodgy Gear’ – a search engine for stolen goods which can be freely accessed by any member of the public or police. Before purchasing an item (online or at a market) you can very simply check on Dodgy Gear to make sure the item you are about to buy is not listed as stolen. You can search for the tool by serial number, model number, brand, tool type and description. If the tool you are looking at is displayed you can do three things: ■ Take picture of vendor or URL ■ Share the tool picture and information ■ Directly contact the original owner
through the app
Subsequently, the original owner will get an alert on their app, informing them that their tool has been found and the repatriation process can begin. This is a huge deterrent to thieves, knowing that anyone can very easily use an app to check what they are selling is legitimate. By definition, if every tool was registered on this system today, then any tool that is now stolen could be identified by any member of the public. “The Tool Register will lead to a longterm decline in the theft of tools. The only requirement is that lots of people sign up nationally and therefore everyone is not only reporting tool theft but helping to identify stolen ones, and most importantly, getting them back to the original owner,” commented Louis Bennett, Product Manager at uWatch Ltd. YOU CAN DOWNLOAD OR FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE TOOL REGISTER APP IF YOU WWW.RDR.LINK /AR012
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BUSINESS
& TRAINING
The cost of CLEAN-UP Spillages happen every day in garages and cleaning them up can be a costly and time-consuming exercise. Günes Yenen, UK Country Manager of MEWA, sheds light on these difficulties and offers a solution.
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ngine oil, hydraulic fluids, antifreeze and grease; all of these fluids are essential to the smooth running of motor vehicles and, as such, they are prevalent in garages. It is no surprise then that the spillage of these fluids is a common occurrence. These spillages are often prevented with drip trays and are cleaned up with trusty blue paper towel, but is there a better approach? After all, spillages create a number of significant problems for the owners and managers of garages.
Safety first Spillages can present a potential hazard to employees. According to the UK’s Health and Safety Executive (HSE), slips and trips cause approximately 20% of all injuries in the motor vehicle repair (MVR) industry. These accidents can be serious, often resulting in broken or dislocated bones, and long absences from work. As such, it is essential that owners and managers of workshops and garages prevent spillages of oil and grease, provide materials for tackling spills, and ensure that they are cleaned-up immediately.
“Garage owners have a duty of care to ensure all waste engine oils and solvents are stored and disposed of correctly.” Costly consumables Thought also needs to be given to the consumables used to clean-up spillages. Absorbent pads and granules can be used for large spillages and, for minor spillages, it makes economic sense for garages to use rags. Unlike tissue and spill kits, rags can often be cleaned and re-used for a time. They must never be put straight into a washing machine, however. Doing so could not only damage the machine’s motor, but the fumes may escape and cause a fire, particularly as the washing machine’s motor heats up. Instead, rags with minimal amounts of oil can
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be cleaned by soaking them in a large bucket of water mixed with a non-toxic, biodegradable, all-purpose cleaner. Rags will often be too dirty for washing to be effective and must be disposed of. It is worth noting, then, that oily rags – together with used granules and absorbent pads – are classed as hazardous materials. The European Commission (EC) states that waste oils (with the exception of edible oils) are “absolute hazardous” entries on the Waste Framework Directive’s List of Waste document. In the UK, the Environmental Protection Act 1990, the Special Waste Regulations Act 1996 and
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the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Act (COSHH), meanwhile, all set-out storage and disposal procedures for such hazardous materials. As a result of this legislation, garage owners have a duty of care to ensure all waste engine oils and solvents are stored and disposed of correctly. Failure to do so can result in large fines and prison sentences.
The solution Spillages in garages and workshops must be cleaned-up quickly to minimise the chances of accidents. The cleaning process can be long-winded, and the resulting residues and dirty rags must be dealt with appropriately in order to comply with local, national and international regulations—a significant and potentially costly responsibility. Purpose-designed absorbent mats, such as MEWA’s Multitex, offer a simple and efficient way to keep the workplace and floor free from hazardous fluids. The mats are
designed so that fluid is transported immediately from their exterior to their absorbent, inner cores, meaning that their surfaces remain relatively dry. A Multitex mat can absorb up to three litres of fluid before needing to be replaced, eliminating the need for rags, sand, granules and plastic tubs. Multitex absorbent mats are part of
MEWA’s reusable service offering. Used mats are collected by the company, washed using an environmentally friendly method, and returned, clean and ready for use again. MEWA has also developed a container, SaCon, for the safe storage of the mats prior to their collection. A clean SaCon is returned with each fresh batch of Multitex mats. Any workshop or garage will know just how difficult it can be to effectively clean-up spillages, no matter how minor, and the legal and environmental responsibilities associated with the disposal of such potentially hazardous waste can be time-consuming and expensive to fulfil. As such, service-based contracts, such as that offered by MEWA, represent a highly attractive alternative. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON MEWA AND ITS SPILLAGE SOLUTIONS, WWW.RDR.LINK /AR013
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TRAINING GROUND SIMPLYDIAG NETWORK
©igor_kell/AdobeStock
ONLINE AND ON POINT The current lockdown restrictions may mean that you’re out of the garage, but that doesn’t mean you have to be out of practice. Why not brush up on the basics, or get a head start on the latest technologies? PMM has compiled a list of online training courses and providers to keep you ahead of the game. GS YUASA ACADEMY
IMI
Need to brush up on batteries? The GS Yuasa Academy is a free, online battery training solution, offering fullyaccredited courses full of diagrams, videos, and physical demonstrations. Ranging from beginner to advanced, the academy is perfect for both expanding your understanding and brushing up on the basics. Each module is brief and easy to digest, and is accompanied by a revision quiz to help you practically apply the information.
Hayley Pells, Director of Avia Autos, cites IMI as her first port of call for training. Measurable and easy to track, the IMI system allows managers to easily take stock of what needs to be done. Getting stuck in with electric (EV) technology may seem like a daunting task, but the IMI’s approach breaks the information up into processable chunks. IMI membership also offers a discount for the courses. For the perfect introduction to EV and HV technology, try the IMI Levels 1-3 EV Course.
WWW.RDR.LINK /A R014
WWW.RDR.LINK /A R016
MOT JUICE Recommended by the Operations Manager of CCM, Tina Drayson, MOT Juice is a subscription-based, all-inone compliance and online training software platform. Both regular and CPD training is available, with 15minute modules delivered monthly to each tester. The monthly CPD training is great practice for annual assessments. WWW.RDR.LINK /A R015
AUTOMOTIVE TECHNOLOGY ACADEMY Tom Denton’s Automotive Technology (AT) Academy offers online courses on a wide range of topics, from ADAS to Advanced Fault Diagnosis. Free with the purchase of his textbooks, why not kill two birds with one stone and get access to two resources instead of one?
The SimplyDiag Network developed an online portal to be a place for all kinds of automotive information and learning materials. Currently, the network offers free membership and access to education resources to all legitimate apprentices. Since lockdown, the platform has also hosted a number of free webinars to members, delivered by some of the most skilled within the industry. WWW.RDR.LINK/AR018
OUR VIRTUAL ACADEMY Our Virtual Academy is a subscriptionbased online training provider that offers manufacturer-level technical training. The courses cater to a number of different learning styles and provide helpful accompanying videos for you to keep track. With a particularly large offering of electric technology courses, this option suits technicians looking to keep up to date with the latest technologies. The company also offers a range of different payment plans, including a custom option, to suit garages of all sizes, and the manager feature allows for efficient course allocation, tracking, and organisation. WWW.RDR.LINK/AR019
‘GRUPICO’ WEBINAR THERAPY SESSIONS ‘GruPico’ webinar therapy sessions, from Technical Topics, provide training via live expert-led webinars that predominantly focus on diagnostic troubleshooting and how to get the most out of your oscilloscope. The webinars feature scope case studies from the group and live, on-car sessions including vehicle networking, pressure pulse analysis, component testing, and hybrid and EV testing. WWW.RDR.LINK /A R020
WWW.RDR.LINK /A R017
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SPECIAL REPORT
You’re in SAFE hands In light of Sealey introducing the renowned Worksafe range to its product family, PMM took the opportunity to speak with Managing Director Mark Sweetman about the brand. PMM: What is Worksafe? And, how did Sealey come to supply the brand? Mark Sweetman (MS): Well, Worksafe is actually already a well-established brand within the hire and construction industry, and has recently been added to the Sealey product portfolio. We believe that the Worksafe range will enhance and strengthen our offering, whilst at the same time opening up the rest of the Sealey range to Worksafe customers. The name will remain the same as it has an excellent reputation in the market for good quality products, complementing the core principles that the Sealey business represents. The addition of the Worksafe brand particularly benefits our PPE range for all trades, including the automotive sector. It has given us access to new suppliers who we are working closely with to help broaden and strengthen both the Sealey and Worksafe product range. This has already
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proved very successful considering the additional demand for PPE due to the current position the UK finds itself in. PMM: Why should automotive technicians be interested in the range? MS: With the addition of Worksafe, Sealey now offers one of the largest ranges of safety equipment and consumables in the automotive industry. Whatever it may be, technicians can be confident that we have their well-being and safety in mind. And, this is all backed up by our service levels that I believe are second to none, as well as affordable prices from a trusted brand. To give you an idea as to what is included within the range, take the
Worksafe collection of safety gloves. They offer an excellent range of hand protection, from general purpose gloves, to anti-cut, antivibration, anti-slip, as well as shot blasting and welding gauntlets.. Face masks, ranging from single-use nuisance masks, to FFP3 valved cup masks, are also of exceptional quality, providing a very high level of protection considering they conform to stringent certified EN standards. We are proud of our reputation for being able to supply items quickly from stock, and as part of the essential supply chain during these difficult times, have continued to operate normally with many staff members working from home. Sealey has been helping the Health Care Services to source certain PPE products for frontline staff, including items such as SSP55 latex gloves which are usually sold by Sealey into the automotive market.
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PMM: The range includes workwear. Is this new ground for Sealey? What makes this workwear different? MS: PPE clothing has been a part of the Sealey range for a while now, but with the addition of the Worksafe range, we are now able to expand the offering with additions like the competitively priced Sealey 5V heated jacket and gilet, which, through clever design, can be charged through a 2A power bank, avoiding the need for a more costly 12V battery (as typically used on competitor’s products). There is also hi-vis clothing, which is ideal for the roadside technician. The inclusion of Worksafe in the larger Sealey range will mean the product group will see huge benefits from the company’s expert technical department. There is on-
hand assistance with product choice, offer advice and any questions a customer may have. This has always been what sets Sealey apart from the rest. We are also renowned for our high stock availability, currently operating with over 99% of our range available and ready to go. Technicians can be confident that they’ll get their order fast and efficiently. Indeed, we aim to dispatch all orders placed by our dealers before 5pm the same day. PMM: The previous company to own the Worksafe brand was predominantly involved in the hire and construction industry, so how does this translate to automotive? MS: In that sector and very much like the automotive industry, employee safety is paramount. The addition of the Worksafe
brand to the Sealey range continues this commitment, improves our product offering and helps to strengthen our market position, providing motor vehicle technicians with an even greater choice. PMM: Is there a particular product in the range that you see as a best seller? MS: As you would expect, PPE, in particular masks, gloves and face protection, is in huge demand in all walks of life, not least the automotive sector. We now have a very good offering for the technician, but we will continue to be proactive in sourcing good quality and compliant products from trusted supply partners.
TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE NEW RANGE OF WORKSAFE PRODUCTS, WWW.RDR.LINK /AR021
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EXHAUSTS
& EMISSIONS
Back to BUSINESS Kalimex expects independent garages to bounce back and then some from the troubles of the past months, and here is why…
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s we emerge from this global pandemic there will be winners and sadly losers. The professional automotive mechanic, especially the independent mechanic who before lockdown was offering expertise and value for money – will undoubtedly be in even bigger demand, and firmly in the winners’ category. Not least for the following reasons: ■ New car sales are at their lowest level since the 1940s. ■ Cars that have been stuck on the drive for weeks on end are now being dusted down. The annual service that was delayed, those small repairs; they cannot be put off any longer. They must now be attended to by a professional. ■ DPFs will be far from ship shape. The stop-start short journeys, a by-product of the pandemic, will result in many vehicles with a partially or completely blocked DPF. ■ Those motorists that had an eye on a shiny new vehicle before the pandemic will now have to focus on keeping their current vehicle on the road and in good repair.
K-SEAL MULTI-PURPOSE COOLANT LEAK REPAIR This coolant leak repair is said to be a safe and reliable way to repair leaks in all parts of the cooling system. These leaks can often be expensive to repair, so K-Seal is the solution for getting your customers back on the road until they can pay for a mechanical repair or replace the vehicle. And, Kalimex claims that a repair made with K-Seal is guaranteed for the lifetime of the engine.
QUIKSTEEL EPOXY PUTTY Already a firm favourite with the UK’s roadside recovery services, QuikSteel is an industrial strength epoxy putty that will bond to any hard surface and is ideal for repairing damaged fuel tanks, blowing exhausts, cracked sumps, leaking pipes and many other emergency vehicle faults. QuikSteel cures steel hard in minutes and withstands up to 300C.
JLM offering If ever there was a time when the professionalism and expertise of a mechanic was needed – it’s right now. And, this demand is likely to increase in the coming months. Kalimex has supplied its products to automotive technicians for three decades. Here are its top six trade-trusted products that would be worth considering as you get set to re-open for business.
With so many vehicles off the road or carrying out short journeys, diesels are suffering from neglect. DPFs will be clogging up with soot as they fail to regenerate. JLM products from Kalimex offer a variety of maintenance and repair solutions to help get customers back on the road and keep them there – especially delivery drivers who depend on their vehicles. With main dealers and DPF cleaning services not always available, the independent technician can use JLM products to carry out this work in-house.
CATALYTIC EXHAUST CLEANER
“If ever there was a time when the professionalism and expertise of a mechanic was needed – it’s right now. ”
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Simply add this preventative treatment to the fuel to clean out the fuel system, improve emissions and keep exhaust filters clean. There are separate dedicated formulas for both diesel and petrol. This should be used on a regular basis, especially for low mileage vehicles, to maintain optimal performance.
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DPF CLEANER The most powerful fuel-borne treatment containing platinum and cerium is said to safely and effectively help the DPF regenerate at a lower temperature, removing soot and restoring performance. It’s a good idea to use this at the first warning light to help your customers avoid expensive trips to the main dealer.
PROFESSIONAL DPF CLEANING TOOLKIT Once the DPF is overloaded with soot, which is expected to happen more frequently due to low mileage journeys, the vehicle will go into limp mode. Rather than sending customers to a main dealer or sending the DPF offsite for cleaning, you can use the JLM DPF Clean and Flush Toolkit to clear the DPF without having to remove it from the vehicle. This saves your customers time and money.
DIESEL EXTREME CLEAN This product incorporates a dose of almost every professional JLM formula, making it the perfect tonic for diesels that have been neglected for some time. The company claims that a single treatment can clean from the fuel tank to the exhaust including injectors, upper cylinder and EGR. It even contains a shot of DPF regen additive to help clear out the filter.
Now is the time for you to fly the flag for all that is great about your business. It is not business as usual. It’s back to business with a boom. FOR MORE DETAILS, CONTACT KALIMEX VIA ENQUIRIES@KALIMEX.CO.UK OR CALL 0800 783 3717. FOR GENERAL INFORMATION, WWW.RDR.LINK /AR022
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EXHAUSTS
& EMISSIONS
CLEANING beyond the engine Offmore Road Garage was one of the first in the UK to sign up to FlexFuel, with owner Neil Chapman clearly seeing the benefits. The garage, located near Kidderminster, caters for all types of servicing and MOT requirements, with hydrogen cleaning a popular offering. PMM finds out more…
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ffmore Road Garage is an independent workshop that has been operating for 18 years, employs four technicians and sees a steady stream of customers taking up its offer of servicing and repair. Since late 2018, the site has also been offering FlexFuel hydrogen engine cleaning, a service that is becoming popular across the country. “FlexFuel contacted me and offered to conduct a demonstration on my own van,” Neil explained. “The guys did a clean on it, and when I took it out afterwards, I could immediately feel the effect; the van ran smoother, quieter, it was more responsive, almost like a different vehicle. “At that point, I could understand what the FlexFuel process did and decided to take the machine on.” There was also the environmental aspect to consider: “FlexFuel is good for the environment. We have had many cars in that have failed their MOT horrendously on emissions, and after running a FlexFuel treatment, we have been able to pass them. So, taking these vehicles and improving their emissions is only a good thing,” added Neil. Ensuring a thorough clean is essential as Neil noted: “One of the factors that I was interested in is the EGR pilot, which we can connect subject to accessibility.” The EGR pilot pulses the EGR valve,
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ensuring a good decarbonising around the flap as well as in the channel itself.
Business benefits The FlexFuel clean requires minimal effort, and once running, technicians can get on with other jobs. “It is not labour intensive, we just check the vehicle is running effectively while it is cleaning, then the vehicle is ready to go,” Neil commented. “You free yourself up to do other work and, therefore, potentially double your work rate and income from jobs.” When asked about tips for using FlexFuel, Neil elaborated, “You have to talk to customers about the service, telling them about the benefits and the reasons why they should consider it. I have said to customers that if they do not feel a difference, they can have their money back. I’ve never had to refund a customer. “It is an additional revenue stream. We can put it on as a service and sell it as an annual package, encouraging customers to come back and ensure their vehicle retains its best possible performance.”
“You free yourself up to do other work and, therefore, potentially double your work rate and income from jobs.” has now reopened, and business is returning to a ‘new normal’. “Throughout lockdown, FlexFuel has been on hand to provide support where we needed it,” Neil continued. “I work with dozens of suppliers, and FlexFuel I see as a true partner. It is not only my view, but the view of countless other partners within the FlexFuel network. We will soon be provided with our own FlexFuel safety masks, and the team has been constantly in touch to see how we are managing.” The Hy-Carbon machine sits perfectly alongside Offmore Road Garage’s wider car servicing offering. There are no consumables and no maintenance required, it is 100% standalone and requires next to zero manual intervention – ideal under current safety guidance.
Coronavirus response On March 24th, following the Government’s initiation of lockdown procedures, Neil decided to close the garage. With new procedures in place, Offmore Road Garage
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON FLEXFUEL, WWW.RDR.LINK /AR023
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DIAGNOSTICS
& ENGINE MANAGEMENT
Adapting to ADAS ADAS has had a profound effect on the automotive industry. However, the area that has had to adapt to these developments the most is the diagnostic process. To gain a better understanding, PMM spoke to Dominik Overmann, Head of the Electronics Product Team at Meyle. PMM: What is the relationship between sensors and ADAS? Dominik Overmann (DO): ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) are divided into six different ‘Levels of Driving Automation’ (based on SAE J3016). In the levels 0-2, the driver still has control over his vehicle and is responsible for the car. That means the driver must constantly supervise the dedicated support features. The driver must steer, brake or accelerate as needed to maintain safety. In level 3-5 you are not driving when the automated driving features are engaged – even if you are seated in the driver’s seat. Some of these automated driving features will not require the driver to take over driving. The connection to sensors is quite close. For example, in level 0 of Driving Automation you will have features like blind spot warning, lane departure warning or automatic emergency braking. All these features are requesting different kinds of sensors, like ultrasonic sensors. These sensors are connected to control units and the whole system is called ‘ADAS’.
growing as well. An extensive In level 1 you would have know-how about the technology features in your car like lane and how to change sensors is centering or adaptive cruise required for the garage and its control. In level 2 you would technicians. Usually the car have lane centering and reports a failure in the dashboard adaptive cruise control at the and the expert can connect a same time. This means steering diagnostic device to the vehicle and brake/acceleration functions in order to identify the dedicated are taken over by the car. Those Dominik Overmann, failure code. Afterwards the functions are controlled by Head of the Electronics technician is able to change the sensors like camera, laser or Product Team at Meyle defective part. This requires angular position sensors, too. knowledge in two main areas. The signals of the sensors are controlled and The first is how to operate with a diagnostic processed in control units and ECUs and device and “get into the car electronics”. again called ‘ADAS’. The higher the ‘Level of And the second is expertise on how to Driving Automation’ is, the more sensors are change the part. I would like to give an currently in use and the more signals need to example: When you are replacing a be processed within an ADAS. windscreen and the car has for instance a lane departure warning system, you have to PMM: Electronic sensors are nothing calibrate the camera sensor afterwards. new, but how has the increase in Necessary to do so is the right equipment and ADAS affected the way garages the dedicated know-how. approach this area of repair and maintenance? PMM: Is there anything that DO: The number of sensors is increasing. As technicians should take into a result, the request for sensor repairs is account regarding the wider electronics system when repairing or replacing sensors? DO: The most important point is to stay up to date with new technologies. The development of new features, new kinds of sensors, and new kinds of functions is rapid; it is easy to get lost. If you are missing some of the development steps today, it will take some effort to build up the right know-how tomorrow. Besides that, it is more important than ever to be accurate and precise when replacing sensors. This should guarantee that any failure of the sensors is not as a result of a malfunctioning part due to a technician error. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON MEYLE’S RANGE OF ELECTRONICS, WWW.RDR.LINK /AR024
PMM SUMMER 2020 35
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Want to know more about what you have seen in this issue WE’VE INTRODUCED A DIGITAL INFORMATION SERVICE. RDR.LINK IS DESIGNED TO GET YOU FASTER ACCESS STRAIGHT TO THE EXACT ONLINE PLATFORM THAT HAS THE SPECIFIC INFORMATION YOU WANT. FROM VIDEOS TO TECHNICAL GUIDES, PDF’S TO PODCASTSRDR.LINK WILL TAKE YOU STARIGHT THERE.
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DIAGNOSTICS
& ENGINE MANAGEMENT
Speed dating for
IN-VEHICLE SYSTEMS
W
e have all heard of the expression ‘networking’. This usually calls to mind socially networking with friends, or at a business event. Within the context of a vehicle, however, ‘networking’ is not so different from the conceptual viewpoint – it is still about exchanging information with a recipient. As the time needed to do this becomes ever-more critical, it is perhaps becoming a little more like speed dating! The CAN bus was invented over 30 years ago to reduce the plethora of heavy and expensive wires needed to connect the electronic systems and components of a vehicle. Times have moved on, and the ever-increasing need to communicate faster has pushed the CAN bus to the limit. So, what is being used now to handle this greater volume and speed of data transmission? The answer is FlexRay.
As technology develops, so does the demand on vehicle networking. While the CAN bus is enough to process smaller volumes of data, the ever-increasing need to handle a greater speed and volume of information has resulted in the development of an alternative option. Neil Pattemore explains. communication, but is much more tolerant of glitches than CAN bus. FlexRay still uses the ‘twisted pair’ found in CAN bus, but this can be of either the two- or four-wire variety. It will not replace the other two dominant invehicle standards, CAN and LIN, but will optimise cost and reduce transition challenges. The next generation of cars will implement FlexRay for high-end applications, with CAN bus for mainstream powertrain communications, and LIN for low-cost body electronics.
A catchy name, but what does it do?
What are the differences between these various invehicle networks?
FlexRay is described as a communications bus that is a deterministic, fault-tolerant, and high-speed system. It was developed in conjunction with vehicle manufacturers and leading Tier 1 suppliers to deliver ‘the error tolerance and time-determinism performance requirements for x-by-wire applications. In other words, it not only provides faster
There are two key differences – speed and cost of implementation. LIN communicates at 40 kbit/s, CAN at 1Mbit/s, and FlexRay at 10Mbit/s. In relation to costs, they double between LIN and CAN and they rise by another 50% for FlexRay. There are some similarities with CAN bus, but FlexRay supports both single- and dual-
channel configurations, which consist of one or two pairs of wires, respectively. Differential signalling on each pair of wires reduces the effects of external noise on the network without expensive shielding. Additionally, most FlexRay nodes typically also have power and ground wires available to power transceivers and microprocessors. The dual-channel configurations offer enhanced fault-tolerance and/or increased bandwidth. Most first-generation FlexRay networks only utilise one channel to keep wiring costs down, but as applications increase in complexity and safety requirements, future networks will use both channels. One important aspect of FlexRay buses is that they require termination at the ends, in the form of a resistor connected between the pair of signal wires. While specific network implementations vary, typical FlexRay networks have a cabling impedance between 80 and 110 ohms, and the end nodes are terminated to match this impedance and to help eliminate problems with signal reflections.
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DIAGNOSTICS
& ENGINE MANAGEMENT
©beebright/AdobeStock
So, what is different in the way that FlexRay works? Firstly, the FlexRay protocol is timetriggered, which provides options for deterministic data that arrives in a predictable time frame (down to the microsecond), as well as CAN-like event-driven data to handle a large variety of frames. FlexRay accomplishes this hybrid of core static frames and dynamic frames with a preset communication cycle that provides a predefined space for static and dynamic data. CAN nodes only need to know the correct baud rate to communicate, but nodes on a FlexRay network must know how all the pieces of the network are configured. FlexRay manages multiple nodes with a Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) scheme. Every FlexRay node is synchronised to the same clock, and each node waits for its turn to write on the bus. Because the timing is consistent in a TDMA scheme, FlexRay is able to guarantee determinism or the consistency of data delivery to nodes on the network. This provides many advantages for systems that depend on up-to-date data between nodes. Its communication cycle is fixed when the network is designed but is typically around 15ms. There are four main parts to a communication cycle; there is a ‘static segment’ which has reserved slots for deterministic data that arrive at a fixed period, the ‘dynamic segment’ which behaves in a fashion similar to CAN, the ‘symbol window’,
“The next generation of cars will implement FlexRay for high-end applications, with CAN bus for mainstream powertrain communications, and LIN for low-cost body electronics.” typically used for network maintenance and signalling to start the network, and the ‘network idle time’, used to maintain synchronisation between node clocks. The static segment is the space in the cycle dedicated to scheduling a number of time-triggered frames. The segment is broken up into slots, each slot containing a reserved frame of data. When each slot occurs in time, the reserved ECU has the opportunity to transmit its data into that slot. Once that time passes, the ECU must wait until the next cycle to transmit its data in that slot. Because the exact point in time is known in the cycle, the data is deterministic, and programs know exactly how old the data is. This is extremely useful when calculating control loops that depend on consistently spaced data. For the dynamic segment, FlexRay prioritises the data by using ‘minislots’ to prioritise data, with higher priority data using a minislot closer to the beginning of the dynamic frame. Once a minislot occurs, an ECU has a brief opportunity to broadcast its frame. If it
doesn't broadcast, it loses its spot in the dynamic frame and the next minislot occurs. This process moves down the minislots until an ECU elects to broadcast data. As the data is broadcast, future minislots must wait until the ECU completes its data broadcast. If the dynamic frame window ends, then the lowerpriority minislots must wait until the next cycle for another opportunity to broadcast. Most applications require data to be represented in real decimal values with units, scaling, and limits. When you take one or more bits or bytes from a FlexRay frame, apply a scaling and offset, you get a ‘signal’ that is useful for communicating actual parameters between ECUs. Most ECU programs work with FlexRay data as signals and leave the conversion of signals to raw frame data up to the driver or lower-level communication protocols. Impressive! However, as in-vehicle communication demands continue to increase, the next network will be a new 100Mb/s version of Ethernet – speed dating on steroids!
THANKS TO… National Instruments, WWW.RDR.LINK /A R025, for contributing the figures and data included within this article.
TO CONTACT NEIL, WWW.RDR.LINK /AR026
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STEERING
& SUSPENSION
Lessons in GEOMETRY Have you noticed that the steering wheel is misaligned when driving in a straight line? If your answer is yes, this could be a classic symptom of steering geometry issues. Autodata takes us through a few steering geometry essentials to help you in your service, maintenance and diagnostic work.
S
teering geometry problems generally tend to occur with the aging and wearing of components. Nevertheless, they can also be caused by impacting potholes, driving over kerbs, and after a vehicle is involved in a major impact. Steering geometry, also known as wheel alignment, is the procedure required to check, and if necessary, adjust settings when they have deviated away from the manufacturers’ specifications. However, it is also important to bear in mind that if after a steering geometry inspection there is cause for re-alignment, not all geometry values are adjustable; whenever noticeable deviations from pre-defined settings are observed, the only remedial procedure available could well be component replacement.
Camber angle The camber angle (Fig 1) is the direction that the front wheel is leaning relative to the wheel's vertical centreline. Depending on the lean, the camber angle is either positive or negative. Observe from the front of the vehicle – if the top of the wheel is leaning towards the engine, this is considered negative camber. Conversely, if the top of the wheel is leaning outwards, this indicates positive camber. If during a steering geometry examination the measurements are outside of specified tolerances, and if the camber angle needs amending, look for evidence of elongated holes on the suspension strut tower. Also look at eccentric bolts or washers securing the upper and lower control arms as a means of adjustment. In their absence, inspection of the suspension and steering components is essential to check for any potential damage.
Castor angle The castor angle (Fig 2) refers to the positioning of the steering axis centreline from the wheel vertical centreline, when viewed from the side of the vehicle.
í˘ą 1: Negative camber 2: Wheel vertical centreline 3: Positive camber
If the steering axis centreline contacts the road surface ahead of the wheel's vertical centreline, this is said to be positive castor. Negative castor indicates that the steering axis centreline contacts the road surface behind the wheel's vertical centreline. Most modern vehicles are designed with positive castor, which, in conjunction with the other geometry angles, reduces steering effort and allows the front wheels to selfstraighten after a bend is negotiated.
Yet, to stop the vehicle from wandering towards the kerbside, the average vehicle castor and camber angles can sometimes be set at slightly opposed settings from left to right, depending on which side of the road the vehicle is driven. In most contemporary vehicles the castor angle is non-adjustable; nonetheless, aftermarket kits do exist that can be tailored to the suspension to permit castor angle alteration.
King pin inclination (KPI) í˘˛ 1: Negative castor 2: Wheel vertical centreline 3: Positive castor
King pin inclination (KPI) (Fig 3), also called steering axle inclination (SAI), is achieved differently, depending on the suspension arrangement. Typically, with the MacPherson strut type suspension, KPI is attained by leaning the strut. While with the control arm type suspension, the angle of the upper and lower swivel joint pivots is offset. KPI being non-adjustable can often result in it being left unchecked or overlooked in collision situations. Incorrect KPI caused by worn or damaged suspension components usually results in accelerated tyre wear, along with poor directional stability and increased steering effort, particularly when the vehicle is implementing a parking manoeuvre.
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STEERING
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Toe-in and toe-out Toe-in and toe-out (Fig 4), commonly referred to as ‘tracking’, is the most frequent steering geometry adjustment undertaken. It is the degree to which the leading edge of the front wheels steer out or in from the vehicle centreline, when observed from the front. Toe-in is when wheels are pointing in towards the vehicle centreline, and toe-out is when the wheels point away from the vehicle centreline. Making sure that the vehicle’s toe-in or toe-out measurement is correct offers many advantages such as improved straight-line stability, better road handling characteristics, and a more effective steering response. This adjustment will also allow minor tweaks to correct suspension bush disparities caused by production or accepted wear levels. If adjustment is needed, it is worth remembering to adjust the track rods equally. Guaranteeing precise steering geometry alignment is vital to prolong the life of tyres and ensure vehicle stability. Regular steering
í˘´ 1: Toe-in 2: Vehicle centreline 3: Toe-out
í˘ł 1: King pin inclination
“Guaranteeing precise steering geometry alignment is vital to prolong the life of tyres and ensure vehicle stability.� geometry checks are advisable and should not just be performed when changing worn tyres, steering, or suspension components. Checks should also be carried out if subframe removal is required to facilitate gearbox or clutch repair work. Finally, it is worth noting that rear wheel geometry can influence steering stability as well. It is possible to have the front steering geometry angles correctly aligned and still have a vehicle that pulls to one side or displays abnormal tyre wear patterns. In such circumstances, it is imperative that rear wheel geometry is also considered when confronted with a vehicle experiencing unusual tyre wear
or stability issues. Autodata has a dedicated wheel alignment module to further assist technicians with wheel alignment procedures and help provide workshops with an additional revenue stream. Within the module there is a comprehensive guide which includes information on subjects such as camber angle, ride height, tyres and adjustment procedures together with manufacturer-specific data. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON AUTODATA, WWW.RDR.LINK /AR027
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A/C
& THERMAL MANAGEMENT
CLEARING the air
I
n order to protect against harmful particles and boost the efficiency of the air conditioning system, UFI Filters recommends replacing the air cabin filter regularly: every 15,000km – even at shorter intervals in particularly dusty areas – or at the latest, every six to 12 months. This operation is crucial for guaranteeing health and comfort inside the vehicle. The company also advises that the selected filter corresponds to the application suggested in the catalogue – the use of incorrect part numbers is a frequent cause of malfunction, and may even result in the collapse of the filter. Garages should follow service procedures as suggested by the vehicle and filter element manufacturer in order to achieve the best possible service operations and prevent functionality issues.
PMM speaks with UFI Filters, a leading company in filtration and thermal management, to find out its top tips for the proper replacement of cabin air filters. Common fitment errors
Dangerous knock-on effect
■ The filter cannot be located, with the
The poor fitment of a cabin air filter, or failure to replace it at the recommended intervals, can lead to a number of dangerous risks: ■ An accumulation of harmful gases, unpleasant odours and airborne particulate matter that trigger allergies, throat discomfort or sneezing ■ Fatigue and poor concentration after prolonged driving ■ Poor visibility due to condensation that builds up on the windscreen and side windows
disassembly/assembly procedure only partially understood ■ Residue in the filter housing is not removed and the housing is not properly cleaned – if necessary, use an antibacterial spray ■ The replaced filter is not perfectly sealed in its housing, e.g. as the new filter is not the same as the one being replaced ■ Noises or leaks are not identified after replacement
HOW TO To properly illustrate how a technician should go about installing a cabin filter on a vehicle, UFI Filters has provided brief step-by-step guidelines for a Vauxhall Adam 1.0 SIDI Turbo.
Locate the filter underneath the glove box
Remove the filter box cover
Pull out the cabin filter from its housing
Check the compatibility between old and new filter
Insert the new cabin filter in its housing
Close the housing with the appropriate cover
TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT UFI FILTERS’ RANGE OF PRODUCTS,
WWW.RDR.LINK /AR028
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A/C
& THERMAL MANAGEMENT
DRIVING force In recent years, the pressure on VMs to meet emissions standards has led to significant changes to the primary drive system. Aftermarket suppliers have had to adapt to this progress quickly, as PMM finds out…
I
n order for vehicle manufacturers (VMs) to achieve the engine emission and fuel consumption reductions imposed by worldwide legislation, every aspect of engine performance must be minutely examined to ensure that all of its systems work in unison. Central to this effort is effective thermal management, which is why VMs have developed solutions to ensure their engines not only reach their operating temperatures as quickly as possible but are also being maintained at optimal working levels. Electric water pumps that can be activated instantaneously provide an instant response to coolant temperature changes, and therefore play an important part in this process. Over the last few years, VMs have also begun to integrate the water pump into the primary drive (timing) system, rather than it being driven by the auxiliary belt. This has a direct effect on the aftermarket because in contrast to the auxiliary belt, which rarely has a scheduled replacement interval, the timing belt does. This means that technicians come into contact with the water pump more frequently than previously, and it is therefore far easier for them to assess its condition. As a consequence, more are found to be either in need of replacement or are being changed as a ‘best practice’ precaution. Sales, therefore, are on the rise.
46 SUMMER 2020 PMM
A greater offering Power transmission manufacturers such as Dayco have proactively responded to this development by adding a water pump to their timing belt kits, to provide workshops with a complete aftermarket replacement solution. Designated by the KTBWP classification, each of the company’s water pump kits include a replacement pump alongside a belt, tensioner, and idler combination. 75 of these references also contain the patented Dayco High Tenacity (HT), or ‘white’ belt. “Sometimes, for the best of intentions, workshops will try to save their customers money and replace only the belt and its ancillary components,” said Dayco UK’s National Sales Manager, Steve Carolan. “However, this policy runs the risk of their customers having to face a much larger bill if the water pump goes on to fail at a later date. “As a timing belt replacement is relatively expensive, there is sound logic behind changing both the water pump and timing belt at the same time; it is a far more costeffective solution for motorists in the long run, and also gives them confidence that their vehicle has benefitted from a full and thorough system overhaul. “For the owner’s peace-of-mind, as well as the most profitable result for the
“There is sound logic behind changing both the water pump and timing belt at the same time.” workshop, Dayco therefore recommends that both motorists and technicians choose a full timing drive system replacement, rather than changing components in isolation. “OE-derived components provide workshops with a number of tangible benefits, from premium quality and ‘fit first time’ installation, to increased durability and reduced warranty claims. In addition, when workshops fit an HT water pump/timing belt kit, Dayco can provide an even greater level of reassurance by offering the opportunity to extend the existing two-year warranty by a further year in the form of the ‘Long Life +1 Year’ warranty,” Steve concluded. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON DAYCO’S RANGE OF THERMAL MANAGEMENT PRODUCTS, WWW.RDR.LINK /AR029
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COMPETITION
Your chance to SHINE Diamondbrite, manufacturer of award-winning cleaning products for automotive, motorcycle, leisure, and marine applications, is offering PMM readers the chance to get their hands on a brand-new Car Care Starter Pack. The comprehensive Diamondbrite Car Care Starter Pack is ideal for those looking to bolster their domestic cleaning supply with essential products required to get a vehicle shining to a thoroughly professional standard – all from the comfort of home. The bundle pack contains: Max Foam Shampoo 250ml, Ruby Red Alloy Wheel Cleaner 500ml, Ceramic Glaze 500ml, Rinse and Shine 500ml, Interior Cleaner 500ml and a Microfibre Cloth – all packaged in a premium soft-shell bag.
Max Foam Shampoo Diamondbrite's most advanced high foaming concentrated shampoo, Max Foam Shampoo, is derived from vegetable oils making it fully biodegradable. It claims to remove all types of dirt from exterior surfaces and adds a protective film as it cleans.
Ruby Red Alloy Wheel Cleaner Ruby Red Steel & Alloy Wheel Cleaner has a neutral pH formulation providing amazing wheel cleaning power. Attacking stubborn contaminants, its red foaming
characteristic leaves a great finish. Simply spray on, leave and rinse-off.
Ceramic Glaze Developed using the latest nanoceramic technology, Diamondbrite Ceramic Detailing Glaze is a finishing product that provides a hydrophobic coating, delivering quality levels of gloss with excellent durability.
Jewelultra’s Loughborough laboratory and production facility, the Car Care Starter Pack contains products rigorously tested by some of the most respected detailing professionals in the automotive, motorcycle, leisure, and marine industries. Diamondbrite is generously giving away two Starter Packs, so make sure you check below to find out how to enter the competition.
Rinse and Shine Specially formulated to aid the drying process with a streak-free finish, Diamondbrite Rinse and Shine imparts a protective hydrophobic coating to surfaces, making water bead away. Simply spray on after washing and dry with a suitable cloth.
Interior Cleaner Easily cleaning soiled carpets, upholstery, vinyl and rubber, Diamondbrite Interior Cleaner's tigger action spray and effective detergent technology combine for fast and effective results.
How do you enter? To be in with a chance of winning this great prize, all you have to do is GO TO WWW.RDR.LINK/AR030 and
answer the following question: Where is Diamondbrite parent company Jewelultra’s laboratory and production facility located? A) Luton B) Lancaster C) Loughborough
Developed and manufactured at Diamondbrite parent company
Deadline for entries is 10/09/2020. T&Cs apply. See website for details.
PMM SUMMER 2020 47
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WHAT’S NEW?
■ DIESEL INJECTOR EXTRACTOR This extractor from Laser Tools (part number 7802) has been specifically designed to allow the user to extract the Bosch CR solenoid type diesel injectors, without the need to remove the injector solenoid or internals. The tool is designed to mount directly onto the injector and over the solenoid. It can be secured in place by four screws and tightened with a 3mm hex key. The tool grips the injector securely while protecting the solenoid from damage. Once in place, a slide hammer can be attached. WWW.RDR.LINK /AR031
■ LEATHER TOOL ROLL Gunson has introduced a leather, traditionally designed tool roll (part number 77168) that is both practical and stylish. It is sturdy, with strong stitching, reinforced with metal rivets, and a buckled strap. It features 12 slots for spanners or screwdrivers, along with three press-stud secured pockets for small items like screws or fuses. The tool roll is made from pre-distressed, oiled leather, and is ideal for storing essential tools needed for roadside repairs on a classic car. WWW.RDR.LINK /AR034
■ WORK LAMP ■ RANGE EXTENSION DENSO Aftermarket has released a comprehensive range update, covering the thermal system, spark plug, wiper blade and fuel pump component categories. More than 70 references have been spread among the product groups. 46 OE-quality part numbers have been added for thermal systems, linked to 89 OE numbers to cover an additional 2,325 vehicles. For wiper blades, 19 references have been added to the OE adapter flat blade range, providing coverage to more than 800 applications. Two fuel pump references have also been added.
The most recent addition to HELLA’s offering is the PS1000, the first VALUEFIT LED work lamp with a corrosion-free, plastic housing. Due to its plastic composition, the lamp is protected against corrosion and can withstand the toughest conditions and can offer a weight saving advantage and better vibration control. LED work lamps are maintenance-free and are claimed to offer a significantly longer lifetime than a traditional halogen work lamp. With its 1,000 lumens, the PS1000 is ideally suited as a halogen substitute. Due to its ECE-R23 reverse lamp approval, the PS1000 is also ideal for rear mounting, and is therefore suitable for multiple purposes. WWW.RDR.LINK /AR035
WWW.RDR.LINK /AR032
■ MINI AIR RATCHET AIR WRENCHES Sealey has added two mini air ratchet air wrenches, the SA1001 and SA1002, to its offering. Their small size is ideal for work in confined areas such as engines, where space is limited. The SA1001 is a 2-in-1 Air ratchet 1/4"sq drive head with 1/2"sq drive adaptor, easily fitted on to ball with hex grub screw with a supplied hex key. The SA1001 also has a safety throttle lever to stop accidental operation. The SA1002 is a mini air ratchet wrench with 3/8"sq Drive. Both feature twist reverse action and trigger-operated power control. They also have rear exhaust with baffle for reduced noise level and come with a two-year guarantee. WWW.RDR.LINK /AR033
48 SUMMER 2020 PMM
■ DASH CAMERAS Recognising growing demand for high-quality, reliable in-cabin cameras, Ring Automotive has developed the Trade PRO1 and Trade PRO2 dash cameras. Both products are compatible with 12V and 24V applications. The dash cameras will record vital evidence in the event of a collision, which in turn removes the risk of insurance fraud, and, in some cases, can even reduce insurance costs. The Trade PRO1 includes an adjustable 110° lens with 720p HD resolution, along with 32GB of storage, while the Trade PRO2 dash camera comes with a 120° lens, offering 1080p and 64GB of storage. The Trade PRO2 also contains a GPS function. WWW.RDR.LINK /AR036
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■ AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FLUID Designed for use in a wide range of passenger car applications, Exol Lubricants has introduced a multi-vehicle, automatic transmission fluid. Autotrans LVA is a low viscosity fluid with significant fuelsaving benefits. Other beneficial features include: ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
Extended fluid life Greater oxidation resistance Proven anti-wear performance Improved sludge and varnish control Optimised frictional characteristics Enhanced low-temperature fluidity
The fluid is ideal for use in many passenger car automatic transmissions, including 6-, 8- and 9-speed units produced by ZF and modern Mercedes-Benz 7- and 9-speed auto transmissions. It is also backwards compatible to 5-speed stepped automatics. A number of the specifications for the latest models from SE Asian OEMs are also covered, including Honda, Toyota, and Nissan. WWW.RDR.LINK /AR037
■ INDUCTION HEATERS
MORE IN FO Just type in www.rdr. link foll owed by the u nique co de shown to get straig ht to more info.
The Teknel Butterfly and the Teknel Dragon 300, from Pro-Align, are induction heaters that allow technicians to heat ferrous materials and aluminium in a matter of seconds. This means that a host of regular workshop operations, such as unlocking joints and bolts, can be carried out quicker than ever before. Use of the induction heaters can also save more than 50% of the cost of using gaseous based heating equipment. Both induction heaters are capable of heating required areas up to a maximum of 800°C. The Butterfly has a maximum power of 3.5kW and the Dragon 3.9kW, both being selectable over 10 different output levels. The Butterfly provides over 30 minutes of continuous working time, and with a weight of just 7kg, this makes it an extremely portable and convenient unit. WWW.RDR.LINK /AR038
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ADVERTISEMENT INDEX
AC Tronics Ltd ................................................................ (page 19)
Mann & Hummel UK Ltd ................................................ (page 4)
Bailcast ............................................................................ (page 42)
Morris Lubricants ............................................................ (page 34)
BEN .................................................................. (inside back cover)
Petronas Lubricants (GB) Ltd ........................................ (page 33)
BG Products .................................................................... (page 40)
Pico Technology Ltd ........................................................ (page 36)
Castrol UK Ltd .................................................................. (page 6)
Pneumatic Components Ltd ............................................ (page 44)
Clarios ...................................................................... (pages 20,21)
Powerprobe UK .............................................................. (page 40)
Clean Diesel Technologies .............................................. (page 29)
rdr.link .............................................................................. (page 36)
Delphi Technologies Ltd .................................................... (page 9)
Remy Automotive UK Ltd .............................................. (page 17)
Energizer Group Ltd ........................................................ (page 49)
Robert Bosch Ltd ........................................................ (back cover)
Ferdinand Bilstein UK Ltd .............................................. (page 43)
RoTronics Battery Management Solutions ...................... (page 34)
FFED UK LTD/Flex Fuel ................................................ (page 31)
Schaeffler (UK) Ltd ........................................ (inside front cover)
Jack Sealey Ltd ................................................................ (page 23)
Shaftec Automotive Components Ltd .............................. (page 44)
Kalimex Ltd .................................................................... (page 39)
SP Diagnostics ................................................................ (page 25)
Kalimex Ltd .................................................................... (page 13)
Traction Charger Co Ltd .................................................. (page 38)
Maha UK ........................................................................ (page 40)
UFI Filters spa ................................................................ (page 29)
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