Auto Channel 33 by Via Media

ISSUE 33 MARCH 2021

THE VOICE OF THE NEW ZEALAND AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY

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Trade enrolments boosted SOME POLYTECHNICS ARE REPORTING SIGNIFICANT INCREASES IN ENROLMENTS AS COVID HAS TURNED ATTENTION AWAY FROM TOURISM AND TOWARDS TRADES

government initiative to support trades to help fill a national shortfall in trade trainees and to help people needing to redirect their careers in response to Covid’s clampdown on tourism is helping boost trainee numbers. Some polytechs are reporting significant increases in enrolments. Manukau Institute of Technology deputy chief executive (Pasifika) Peseta Sam Lotuliga has told Radio New Zealand (RNZ) its enrolments were up by more than 70 per cent over last year.

New facilities “The subjects we’re experiencing high growth in are subjects like engineering trades, professional engineering, construction, and automotive,” Lotu-Iiga says. Lotu-Iiga attributed the increase to the institute’s

new trades campus in Manukau and a government initiative intended to support a move into trades, which waived fees for many trade courses. The Waikato Institute of Technology has also reported an enrolment boost. The institute had

leased extra facilities and hired more teaching staff to cater for the extra demand. It is expecting about 650 more equivalent fulltime students and possibly more as courses starting later still have open enrolments.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

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Contents

From the Ed.

8 Enrolments surge

Cover / 4

Vans nearly cool again

Plug and play trailer lights

High-throughput hoist required

Car news

The good oil on a Kiwi champion

The safety of the official supplier

Tech feature: restoring carbon fibre

Feature car: 1941 Willys coupe replica

Leveraging scan-tool reports

Explain diesel maintenance

Product profiles

Supplier directory

ovid has caused a few wobbles in Auckland lately. Many people are grateful for the uncompromising approach taken to safeguard the most vulnerable people in our society in imposing lockdowns. However, the economic impact of lockdowns is actual and severe. Lowwage groups especially suffer real harm, and the measures taken to mitigate those impacts are building debt that we will live with for generations. Small to medium businesses are also in the front line. They have had their resilience severely tested and the capacity to take much more is being stretched thin. We can be grateful indeed that, in between the losses caused by lockdowns, demand in the auto trade remains solid. Another of the unexpected blessings is that the pandemic is refocusing people’s attention on trades. The security offered by an ongoing demand for technical skills is now being recognised by both jobseekers and the government, which should be congratulated on its support and encouragement in this area. Here’s hoping the vaccine roll-out will enable the return to a more stable work–life environment soon.

Ian Parkes, Editor

Auto Channel is distributed 11 times per year. To receive your free copy or to change your address simply visit autochannel.co.nz.

AUTO CHANNEL IS DISTRIBUTED TO 11,306 NEW ZEALAND BUSINESSES

ONLINE autochannel.co.nz EMAIL editor@autochannel.co.nz PHONE 09 360 1480 MAIL PO Box 46,020, Herne Bay, Auckland 1147

EDITOR Ian Parkes, editor@autochannel.co.nz DESIGNER Day Barnes

Changing careers The enrolments were coming from both schoolleavers and people who were changing careers, changes that are showing up in application and enrolment growth across all age brackets. The most popular courses were in health and trades. The trades courses were fee-free, thanks to the government’s targeted funding scheme, but the health courses were not. Unitec saw a 25 per cent increase in domestic enrolments. Its head of engineering and construction Paul Jeurissen told RNZ that some students had enrolled because Covid-19 had cost them their jobs. “We’re seeing a lot of people from the tourism industry and obviously the airport that have been displaced because of Covid,” he said. Other institutes reported more modest increases. Ara in Canterbury reported domestic enrolments were up seven per cent and Hawke’s Bay’s Eastern Institute of Technology said that enrolments were six per cent higher, adding 117 more full-time students.

Support package The government’s Budget 2020 announcements included a $1.6 billion support package over four years for trades training aimed at retaining apprentices and learners, and incentivising further enrolments. Under the Targeted Training and Apprenticeship Fund (TTAF), all apprenticeship training programmes in the automotive industry have free training fees from 1 July 2020 to 31 December 2022 for anyone enrolled in an apprenticeship, and is designed to stimulate enrolments post Covid, attracting people to trades industries. Employers are also getting help but time to apply is now limited. The 20-month-long roll-out of the Apprenticeship Boost scheme expires in April 2022. Employers are eligible for funding up to $12K per full year of training for each first-year apprentice, and up to $6K per full year of training for each

Auto Channel Issue #33 March 2021

second-year apprentice. This is available for new and currently enrolled apprentices.

Making connections The Motor Industry Training Organisation (MITO) has reported a surge of engagement from the general public on its social-media channels, reflecting keen interest in trades training in the industries MITO represents. Since 2006 MITO’s StartUp programme has engaged nearly 3000 Year 11, 12, and 13 students, with 20 per cent of these students progressing to an apprenticeship at some point after leaving school. The government’s employer-funding initiative strengthens the proposition for those students to transition into apprenticeship after leaving school. MITO has also launched a free microcredential that provides foundation knowledge for individuals who may be considering a career in the automotive industry, whether they are leaving school or considering a career change. It is entirely online so learners do not need to be employed in the industry to complete it, but it provides a way for local businesses to connect with future employees. Micro-credentials are short courses that recognise the achievement of a defined set of skills and knowledge. This introductory course comprises Level 2 and 3 unit standards. On completion, learners will be able to demonstrate knowledge of the tools and equipment used in the automotive industry, automotive vehicle systems and components, and safe work practices. Microcredentials will be listed on their NZQA Record of Achievement. For more information and to enrol, visit mito.nz/aemicro. MITO also offers Job Hub to connect industry with new talent. Employers can advertise job vacancies for free on the MITO website. Entry-level positions are pushed via Facebook and Instagram to youth in each region. Jobseekers can also post their CVs for registered employers to view.

MEDIA SALES Mike White, michael.white@parkside.co.nz ADVERTISING COORDINATOR Emily Khov

AUTO CHANNEL IS PUBLISHED BY

PUBLISHER

Greg Vincent, greg.vincent@parkside.co.nz

BUSINESS DIRECTOR

Michael White, michael.white@parkside.co.nz

GENERAL MANAGER

Simon Holloway, simon.holloway@parkside.co.nz

DATA ANALYST Isobel Woudberg PRINTING Ovato

NOTICE TO ADVERTISERS Parkside Media uses due care and diligence in the preparation of this magazine, but is not responsible or liable for any mistakes, misprints, omissions, or typographical errors. Parkside Media prints advertisements provided to the publisher but gives no warranty and makes no representation to the truth, accuracy, or sufficiency of any description, photograph, or statement. Parkside Media accepts no liability for any loss which may be suffered by any person who relies either wholly or in part upon any description, photograph, or statement contained herein. Parkside Media reserves the right to refuse any advertisement for any reason. The views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of Parkside Media, the publisher, or editor. All material published, gathered, or created for Auto Channel is copyright 2019 Parkside Media Limited. All rights reserved in all media. No part of this magazine may be reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the publisher.

Auto Channel is the best way to reach the wider automotive industry. The publication is direct mailed to 11,298 New Zealand businesses in the following automotive sectors: Automotive workshops, parts importers and distributors, transmission specialists, automotive recyclers, towing operators, panel beaters and painters, crash repairers, tyre dealers, suspension and underbody repairers, steering specialists, towing operators, auto-electrical repairers, newand used-car dealers, air-conditioning repairers, heavy-machinery dealers, trucking and transport

New double-cab Custom Sport on the way BASED ON THE SUCCESS OF ITS TRANSIT CUSTOM SPORT, FORD NEW ZEALAND IS KEENLY AWAITING THE DOUBLE-CAB VERSION

he evergreen Ford Transit van looks set to take a bigger slice of the ute market as cool Custom versions are proving popular with buyers. The arrival of the new Custom Sport version last year took the Transit out of the practical-but-dull territory. Bonnet stripes complemented the van’s rakish body creases, the body-colour front valance accentuated the sporty lower grille and, together with its mag wheels, showed the owner was up for fun as well as function. It all points to the upcoming Transit Custom Double Cab Sport being another sales success. After all, double-cab utes are mightily popular with tradies in this part of the world, as they work well as family vehicles too during weekends. They have comfortable seats for the kids in the back, plenty of towing capacity for boats and trailers, and some even get used off-road. Plus, they look tough. The downside is that they have limited space for tools and equipment; the load platform is high; and, of course, the load tray is exposed to the weather. That’s fine in their native sunny mid-western US and Australia, but it’s not great here. A lid mostly fixes that issue but reduces available load space still further. That’s why, in most other markets, vans are much more popular than utes and not just with courier drivers. Tradies like plumbers and electricians can carry most of the gear and bits they need, and they can even work inside them. The original Transit set the pattern for large commercial vans by being designed around full-size sheets of ply. The new Custom Sport versions of the Transit helped a lot of people look at vans afresh, reversing the usual assumption. It made them a fun vehicle that was also practical. After all, despite their looks,

Auto Channel Issue #33 March 2021

vans had achieved some semblance of driving and handling responsiveness more like that of cars well ahead of their previously coarsely sprung ute rivals. Custom Transits also come packed with all the tech features Ford is building into its new-generation vehicles, not only driving and safety-assist features, but also levels of connectivity that make them pretty effective mobile offices. But it was the Sport version that added the fun factor. Ford New Zealand spokesperson Tom Clancy said the Custom Sport Transit was “a huge hit – exceeding our expectations”. He said that the less-well-known double-cab version of the new Transit was also proving more popular than projected. It is clearly finding a home with buyers wanting a dual-purpose vehicle like a ute, but with more actual load space practicality. It adds back in one of the key appeals of the ute, providing another row of seats for both a work team during the week and the family at weekends, while still offering plenty of tall, secure, and weather-proof storage for tools and equipment, and a low load height. Clancy has every reason to think the new double Custom Sport, now on its way to New Zealand, will

also be a success. It might even exceed the standard Custom Sport Transit’s margin over expectations as it crosses further into the ute’s successful formula. While it probably won’t be as cool as a ute, it could well have enough of a fun factor for the kids to think it’s kind of a cool way to head to the beach, while still being a proper work vehicle for Mum or Dad during the week. Clancy says the first double-cab Custom Sport Transit demonstrator models are due to arrive “in a month or two”. Technically, the Transit Custom is already sophisticated transport. It has a low-emission Euro 6.2-certified, two-litre EcoBlue diesel, and a sixspeed automatic transmission. It has FordPass Connect, which works through an embedded modem, giving access to streaming music and the ability to manage the vehicle through a phone app. That allows remote locking, vehiclelocation tracking, servicing prompts, and other alerts. It even allows owners to remotely start the vehicle on cold days to warm up the engine and cab, or to fire up the air con on hot days. Custom Transits also have a swathe of driverassistance tech including dynamic stability control, trailer sway control, adaptive load control, hill launch assist, and rollover mitigation. All Transit vans also feature an eight-inch colour touchscreen, smartphone integration, a reverse camera, and home comforts like heated seats. The Custom Van also comes in a plug-in hybrid version. There is also a high-top Cargo version of the Transit, and a minibus version, the Transit Tourneo. For more information, see ford.co.nz.

PEACE OF MIND

WITH FORD GENUINE PARTS TRADE PRICE1

GETGENUINE POINTS2

PART

PART NUMBER

APPLICATION

Front rotors

5R2Z1125A

Falcon BA - FG Standard brakes - Front rotors

145 pts

Front hub

AU22B663A

Falcon AU - BF - front hub/bearing assembly

$ 113

169 pts

Front pads

BR2Z2V001A

Falcon BA - FG Standard brakes - Front pads

$ 80

120 pts

Universal joint

BA4635A

Falcon AU - BF Ute/Wagon Single piece driveshaft - Universal joint

94 pts

Drive shaft coupling

BAF4821B

Falcon BA - FG Sedan 6 Cylinder, 6 Speed Auto

$ 200

300 pts

Rear wheel bearing

BA1215A

Falcon BA - FG Sedan 6 Cylinder

$ 130

195 pts

Front diff mount bush

BAF4B424A

Falcon BA - FG Sedan 6 Cylinder (10/2005 on)

88 pts

Rear diff mount bush

BAF4B425SF

Falcon BA - FG Sedan 6 Cylinder (10/2005 on)

144 pts

BA5B639A

Falcon BA - FG Sedan 6 Cylinder (10/2005 on)

60 pts

BA5B638A

Falcon BA - FG Sedan 6 Cylinder (10/2005 on)

85 pts

Front crankshaft seal

XFC6700A

Falcon AU - FG 6 Cylinder

91 pts

Crankshaft damper (Front pully)

BA6316A

Falcon BA - FG 6 Cylinder

$ 368

552 pts

Crankshaft rear seal

EA6701B

Falcon AU - FG 6 Cylinder

$ 88

132 pts

Falcon XD - BA 6 Cylinder

30 pts

Rear suspension upper control arm inner bush

Rear suspension lower arm inner bush

Oil filter spin on 3/4" x 16 UNF thread AFL1MC Oil filter spin on 22mm thread

AFL101

Falcon BA - FG 6 Cylinder

30 pts

Water pump

BA8501KT

Falcon BA - FG 6 Cylinder

$ 159

238 pts

Water pump pully

AR2Z8A528AA

Falcon AU - FG 6 Cylinder

81 pts

Thermostat gasket

EA8A571A

Falcon AU - FG 6 Cylinder

12 pts

Thermostat

AUC8575A

Falcon AU - FG 6 Cylinder N/A

45 pts

Drive belt pully

BA8A617A

Falcon BA - FG 6 Cylinder

$ 107

160 pts

Drive belt tensioner

BA6B209A

Falcon BA - FG 6 Cylinder

$ 224

336 pts

Drive belt

BA8620A

Falcon BA 6 cylinder 7/02 - 9/05

$ 90

135 pts

Drive belt

SX8620A

Falcon BA - FG 6 Cylinder 10/05 on

87 pts

Call your local Ford dealer today 0800 FORD NZ (0800 367 369) Prices are recommended only and are net after discount and exclude GST. Recommended prices were correct at the time of printing. 2 GetGenuine reward points are awarded only to trade customers registered under the GetGenuine GetRewards Programme. Some exclusions apply. Images shown are example parts only. For full warranty terms and conditions ask your authorised Ford Dealer. Promotion ends 31 March 2021.

Waterproof boat-trailer lights NARVA’S PLUG AND PLAY BOAT TRAILER KIT MAKES AN UPGRADE INSTALLATION EASY

indicator-lamp assemblies, one having a white number-plate light built in. Separate amber sidelights and wiring runs are also part of the kit. The Model 37 trailer lamp has been engineered specifically for use on boat trailers where regular submersion is common. The watertight lamp units are constructed to IP68 standard with a two-stage sealing process that incorporates ultrasonic welding and a two-part epoxy glue. That makes them a true sealed marine lamp, which are also easily replaced in the event of damage, thanks to the push-fit connectors.

For more information, call 09 525 4575, contact sales@griffithsequipment.co.nz, or see shop.griffithsequipment.co.nz.

pgrading an old trailer by installing new lights will make a simple summer project. These new waterproof lamps from Narva will be an ideal replacement for older design lamps that may be giving up the struggle after years of saltwater immersion. The bundled wiring harness on Narva’s Model 37 multi-voltage (12V or 24V) trailer-lamp kit and waterproof connectors makes installation a breeze. A short video on Griffith Equipment’s website shows how simple upgrading to this waterproof trailer lights can be. Simply remove the old lights and cut away the old wiring. Drill new mounting holes if needed, lay out the new wires alongside the trailer, fasten on the new lamps, and connect up the wires. The connectors are push fit with a screw-down seal, completely avoiding the need for splicing or the use of any tools. Then it’s simply a matter of fixing the wire harness in place with clips or cable ties. The kit contains two combined stoplight and

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Griffiths Equipment Ltd. Email: sales@griffithsequipment.co.nz, Tel: +64 9 525 4575, www.griffithsequipment.co.nz

Auto Channel Issue #17 September 2019

Emco delivers quality lube systems ITALIAN RAASM BULK FLUIDS HANDLING SYSTEMS PROVIDE THE QUALITY BASELINE

mco — Equipment Marketing (2008) Limited — is an engineering and lubrication design and installation business based in Hamilton that reaches right around New Zealand. Emco delivers anywhere in the country, as well as providing service and workshop installs anywhere in the North and South Islands. If you want to store, transfer, dispense, and measure volumes of air, liquid, oils, and grease, Emco has a solution for you. Emco prides itself on offering top-quality gear from international suppliers known to last the distance — and look good, too. Their main brand, Italian-designed and -manufactured Raasm, provides gear that is durable and reliable. As such, it provides long-term, cost-effective solutions to a business’ reticulation requirements, whether they are in the automotive, food and manufacturing, or commercial industries.

“It’s essential to us … to stand behind our products,” says Emco owner James Driscoll. “We know we are giving our clients a product that is trustworthy and reliable over time. One of the great things about Raasm products is that not only are they professionally made with great pride by their owner, but they are also costeffective. The products just work — they don’t give you problems.” Being a New Zealand family-run business, Emco understands its clients’ priorities, but it has the flexibility and expertise to work with any size business. They sell pumps, trolleys, and hose reels and have a technical team that can provide expert advice on what gear will be most cost-effective for each business. “What we do is about more than just selling boxes; we go above and beyond to make sure we understand what our customers need,” James says. “Anyone can sell a pump, but we make sure it’s the right pump for each business’ requirements.” Raasm products include pneumatic oil pumps

and powder-coated carbon steel retractable hose reels for oil, grease, air, and water. Its digital, standard, or preset oil-delivery handpieces work cleanly, accurately, and reliably. The range also includes waste-oil receivers, mobile bases, and delivery equipment for all drum sizes and lube types, and much more. Emco’s focus on solutions continues into its installation services. Emco also designs storage and distribution systems utilising the latest industryapproved, double-skinned storage tanks and carbon or stainless-steel piping systems that will deliver a clean, contaminant-free product. The design of a workshop lube system needs to improve efficiency, create ease of maintenance, a safe working environment, and have design appeal that evokes the workshop’s efficiency and professionalism. The Emco team brings a unique determination and vision to make sure each installation functions on all of these levels. For more information, contact Emco on 07 850 5240 or email sales@emco.co.nz.

EMCO is an Industry Leader in the distribution of lubricant and fluid equipment including: • Hose Reels • Pumps • Mobile dispensing equipment EMCO is a one stop shop, specialising in advice, installation of pipework and equipment as well as servicing of fluid management systems. We distribute and sell a great range of lubrication equipment from leading brands including RAASM, GRACO, ReCoila and Macnaught.

Here is what one of our customer had to say recently about an installation job EMCO completed: “When we were building our new Flagship Toyota dealership here in Hamilton, we worked closely with James Driscoll and his team from EMCO. They were very easy to work with right from involvement during initial concept meetings and quotes, clarifying technical queries about pipe systems and equipment that they recommended…through to the installation of equipment from oil, water and air lines, oil fill manifold cabinet through to double skinned tanks. The work was completed on time with EMCO working closely with our construction company and meeting our high standards and expectations both from a functionality and aesthetic point of view.” - Alistair Silcock, Aftersales Manager, Ebbett Toyota

Contact EMCO on 07 8505240, email sales@emco.co.nz or visit our website www.emco.co.nz 9

New year, new workshop WITH MORE CARS ON THE ROAD THAN EVER BEFORE, IT PAYS TO ENSURE EFFICIENCY IN THE WORKSHOP TO MAKE THE MOST OF GROWING DEMAND

dvance Fluid Control (AFC) can become a vital cog in a modern workshop’s servicing machinery. AFC is a New Zealand–owned, family-run business that specialises in fluid transfer equipment and fluid management systems for mechanical and industrial workshops. AFC is geared to help workshops become more efficient, productive, and compliant with the latest fluidhandling regulations. It also stocks the widest range of day-to-day and system-based equipment to help workshops run smoothly. AFC’s specialist team has the ability, skill set, technical knowledge, and experience to cover everything from supplying and servicing day-to-day workshop equipment, through to custom-built fluid distribution, transfer, and management systems. AFC has the innovation and extensive experience to advise, supply, and deliver fluid distribution and management equipment, systems, and solutions, whatever the size or parameters. AFC prides itself on working closely

with customers and helping workshops become more efficient, streamlined, and ultimately more productive. Finding solutions to help their customers is what they do best. One of the many innovative solutions in their portfolio is the new Graco Pulse Pro Oil Management System. The Graco Pulse Pro solution from AFC adds a vital contribution to any automotive workshop team. It’s like having another staff member — one who is obsessive about accuracy. Graco Pulse Pro

has been designed to help workshops increase productivity and create instant accountability. It gives technicians and management staff unparalleled control with real-time tracking and management of the workshop’s bulk fluids. If you’re keen to know more about how AFC can help you, your business and your team, give them a call today to chat about all your workshop needs. For more information, see advancefluidcontrol.co.nz or call 0800 538 058.

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Auto Channel Issue #33 March 2021

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‘Signature Class’ hoist WHEN TOYOTA WANTED A NEW HOIST TO MEET THE THROUGHPUT DEMANDS OF ITS SIGNATURE CLASS VEHICLE PLANT, IT CONTACTED TREADWAY EQUIPPED

eeting demand for Signature Class vehicles means that Toyota New Zealand’s Thames Vehicle Operations facility is under constant pressure. Signature Class vehicles are used Toyotas from Japan, certified to specific standards, together with refurbished ex-lease Toyotas previously sold new here. The plant’s associate site services manager, James Higgs, says that Toyota Thames Vehicle Operations handles all the Signature Class refurbs and fit-outs for bespoke fleet vehicles. The checking and refurb process is meticulous. The team works to high standards and is committed to quality and efficiency. The hoist would be in the front line, as the first inspection platform for incoming vehicles, meaning that it would be raising and lowering 15 or so times a day. As the hoist would be in such heavy use, reliability would be important to minimise downtime. That put the focus on build quality as well as efficiency. Treadway Equipped’s sales manager, Loren Bill, made an on-site visit to get a clear picture of

the requirements and potential refinements. He recommended the Steiner Professional Series, which is backed up by a five-year warranty, and a commitment to spares being available for around 25 years. James says that Treadway Equipped handled the whole installation process, working with the line shut-down times to ensure no lost throughput — smooth operation is a high priority for this busy assessment centre. The LT440MPRO, part of the Steiner Professional Series, is designed and built in Europe. This hoist’s

automatic magnetic locking system doesn’t require compressed air to power the locks. That means fewer things to go wrong, and it means there’s no need for extra air lines cluttering the floor. Build quality also ticked Toyota’s boxes. The folded columns are stronger than hoists that have longitudinal welds. It also permits a more slimline design, meaning it is easy to work around. “The Steiner Professional Series is hard working and reliable, perfect for operations that can’t afford downtime due to equipment failure,” Loren Bill says. For more information, contact Treadway Equipped on 0800 436 436, or email enquiries@treadwayequipped.co.nz.

Treadway Equipped’s Loren Bill congratulates Thames Vehicle Operations’ James Higgs

LT440APRO 4T FOUR POST HOIST A vital part of any workshop, the Steiner Professional LT440APRO is 100% manufactured in Spain to the highest European standards and is available with an Alignment kit and rolling jacks.

Electro-hydraulic lifting system operated over a special double piston cylinder Platform locking system operated automatically by electromagnets Hydraulic cylinder with control valve of lowering speed No compressed air required to operate locks 5 Year warranty

SMART, DEPENDABLE, EFFICIENT 0800 436 436

treadwayequipped.co.nz

enquiries@treadwayequipped.co.nz

Cost effective two- and four-post hoists from Peak HOISTS GEARED TO LESS DEMANDING WORKSHOPS THAT DON’T COMPROMISE ON SAFETY

oists designed for less demanding work can do without some of the features needed for heavy use, but Peak’s four-tonne two-post lifts have kept a particularly smart feature. The safety locks are automatically activated as the hoist is lifted but, when lowering the lift, both sides’ locks can be released. There is no need for the operator to go to the

other side to unlock it manually. This feature makes them ideal for installing against walls where access might be tight. It is a much safer system than the usual double-sided arrangement, which requires the operator to move under the vehicle to release the safety lock on the other side. All lifting and lowering operations are controlled from one column. The Peak P-209X has automatic double-lock safety system, so even with the shorter carriages of a base-plate model you can still lock the hoist at low levels and still have a single-sided lock release.

The Peak single-side lock-release system means the safety locks are always engaged unless the operator is pressing the unlock lever. In comparison, on some low-cost lifts, the manual locks can stay unlocked until the lift is raised again. That means the operator can be underneath without safety locks being active. The P-209C clear-floor model has an optional height extension kit that raises the overall height from 3821mm to 4431mm. A width extension kit is also available. Both versions have wide base plates, which means they need only 100mm depth of reinforced concrete floor. They have three-stage arms to suit a wide range of vehicles. They are also available in either single-phase or three-phase power supply. The four-post lifts, the 3.5 tonne P-408P, and the four-tonne P-409HP make ideal parking and storage lifts, with the ability to mount the control column, with its single-point locking release, on any corner. They are designed to be moved easily with the optional caster kit. To cope with floors that may not be flat, the locking ladders in the columns are adjustable to attain perfect levelling. They come with drip trays and jack trays and have an optional sliding centre jack. Prices start at $3295 for the two-post P-209X and $4295 plus GST for a four-poster. For more information, contact Automaster on 0800 214 604 or see automaster.co.nz

AUTO EQUIPMENT BUILT TO PERFORM THE UPSIDE OF LESS DOWNTIME When your equipment isn’t working, you’re not working and that’s dollars off your bottom-line. So if issues arise we deal with them on the spot to get you back up and running ASAP. *Delivery, installation and GST not included

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Ryco catch-can goes universal RYCO’S ENGINE-BREATHER CATCH-CAN HAS BEEN RE-ENGINEERED TO SUIT BOTH DIESEL AND PETROL ENGINES

hanks to Ryco’s Melbourne engineering team, there’s now a crankcase filter system that suits both diesel and petrol engines, the new RCC351. Catch-cans are now a popular engine add-on to prevent oil and soot contamination entering a clean-air intake system, which helps keep engines operating efficiently. What is less wellknown, according to Ryco, is that catch-cans are beneficial for high-performance petrol engines as well as turboed diesels. They offer high levels of protection for turbochargers by preventing oil build-up in intercoolers and generally keeping engine components cleaner. Ryco says that an RCC351 catch-can should be at the top of the list of priority upgrades for any vehicle owner serious about the efficiency of their engines, whether for increased performance and fuel economy, or simply long-term reliability. Designed for ease of fitment, the RCC351 features inlet and outlet ports that can be adjusted in several configurations, enabling it to be mounted to almost any vehicle in a variety of under-bonnet locations. Ryco’s RCC351 mounting bracket has been developed in Australia for outback conditions. The bracket is tough, E-coated, and allows the whole unit to be mounted and unmounted quickly, providing for easy inspection and servicing

of awkward locations. A tap has also been incorporated into the sump of the filter to allow for easy draining. The RCC351 upgraded catch-can supersedes

the RCC350 version, which was suitable for diesel vehicles only. For full specs or more information call Ryco on 0800 838 222 or visit ryco.co.nz.

Keeping floor jacks jacking MOST WELL-MADE FLOOR JACKS WILL HAVE A LONG SERVICE LIFE IN THE WORKSHOP WITH SOME PERIODIC BASIC MAINTENANCE

ike all equipment, floor jacks should be inspected regularly for damage and kept clean. The owner’s manual is the best source for specific recommendations on lubrication, when to change the hydraulic fluid, and other maintenance requirements. These five tips should help keep your jack free from the dreaded float. 1. Check hydraulic fluid: With the saddle fully lowered and the jack on level ground, wipe the cylinder clear of dirt and remove the filler screw.

Hydraulic fluid should be filled to the level of the filler screw hole. If the level is below this hole, add hydraulic fluid. 2. Use proper fluid: Do not use brake fluid, alcohol, detergent, motor oil, dirty oil, or anything other than quality hydraulic fluid. Anything else is asking for problems. 3. Lubricate properly: All moving joints require lubrication. Wipe off grit and dirt and lightly grease the saddle post and saddle bottom. Remove the handle and grease the lower end where it rotates in

the socket. Using a grease gun, grease the lift-arm pivot shaft via the nipple until grease appears at the end of the shaft. Oil all lift-arm linkages, front wheels, and rear casters. 4. Bleed the cylinder: If the jack seems to strain in lifting and supporting loads, bleeding the cylinder could restore the lifting capabilities. 5. Store properly: Storage is a critical element of proper floor-jack maintenance. Release all the pressure in the cylinder to alleviate stress on the system. Wipe away dirt before storing it. Store it in the normal upright position to prevent the hydraulic oil from leaking.

Auto Channel Issue #33 March 2021

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Calibration after windscreen replacement ADASS RELY ON CAMERAS AND LASER SENSORS THAT PASS THROUGH WINDSCREENS, MAKING WINDSCREEN REPLACEMENT MUCH MORE COMPLEX

here was a time when windshield replacement was a case of simply removing the old glass and sticking in a new one. It was a straight-up procedure with little or no complications. Now, if an ADAS, or ‘advanced driver-assistance system’, also looks through the windscreen, it will need recalibration. A car’s ADAS, for example, can automatically activate the brakes to avoid a collision. It can also alert drivers to other vehicles that are too close, and notify them if they’re drifting from their lane. The problem is that ADASs rely on cameras and laser sensors that pass through the windshield, which can distort those signals due to refraction. Replacing windscreens with non-OEM parts that could have different refractive qualities can also be an issue for the same reason. Technicians cannot afford to make a mistake when replacing the windscreen of an ADASequipped car, as it could give the wrong assistance to drivers. As part of the windshield-replacement process, technicians will need to remove, then reattach, the cameras and sensors and correct positioning is critical. The camera angle, for example, cannot be off by even one degree, because it will impact the camera’s viewing angle significantly. The laser sensors must also be perfectly aligned so they can ‘see’ the road and nearby obstructions as accurately as possible. For technicians, making sure that a car is prepared for an ADAS sensor calibration in keeping with its manufacturer's specifications is a crucial part of the process. While those specifications may differ from one automaker to the next, they typically include: • a full tank to account for a car’s accurate height • removal of heavy items from the car • ensuring that the front and rear vehicle ride height are within specifications • tyres inflated to manufacturer recommended pressures • performance of four-wheel alignment • clean windshield in front of camera/sensor • removal of protective cover from radar sensor. Many new vehicles are fitted with an ADAS, and many drivers are already familiar with how they work. However, they could easily fail to recognise the signs or causes that mean that their ADAS needs recalibration, which can include: • a fault code appears on the dashboard • after minor vehicle collisions • the camera is disconnected or disturbed • the car’s suspension has changed • after wheel realignment. Technicians should ask owners of ADAS-

Auto Channel Issue #33 March 2021

equipped cars if they have experienced or performed any of these. Making these situations part of a checklist is a good idea. Technicians also need detailed training to perform calibration, must be meticulous about the details, and have the right tools and equipment.

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Car news

Porsche to test synthetic fuels

Hydroplaning solved

ydroplaning causes tens of thousands of vehicle accidents every year, but a new company called Easyrain could have up the solution Easyrain has teamed up with design company Italdesign and Bosch to develop a waterjet system that blasts puddles out of the way. The Aquaplaning Intelligent System (AIS) features sensors and software that have been designed to detect the onset of aquaplaning. When this occurs, it squirts a controlled jet of water ahead of the front wheels that blasts the extra depth of water on the road that the tyres cannot cope with. With the water out of the way, grip is restored and the vehicle is easier to control. In side-by-side comparisons, videos show an Audi with AIS turned off losing grip and drifting wide on a corner after hitting a puddle of water. With the system activated, the driver remains in control and

Land Rover Defender ute possible

and Rover has previously dithered about launching a ute variant of the new Defender, but it’s now looking more likely to go ahead Jaguar Land Rover executive director of vehicle programs, Nick Collins, told Autocar that “we always said the Defender would be a family”, and to “watch this space” for news on a possible

the vehicle corners without fuss. Easyrain says testing has shown the system improves vehicle performance by 35 per cent in a straight line, and 30 per cent when cornering. Easyrain says the system can been installed to fit almost any road-going vehicle.

ute, or pickup. That suggests that Land Rover is at least doing the maths working out whether it would be feasible. Autocar speculated the open-bed truck might be sold in the US and in Europe, with South America and Africa being other potential markets. The British mag is clearly unaware of Australia and New Zealand’s penchant for utes. The pick-up variant is most likely to be based on the longer Defender 110. Given the pricing of the new Defender, it would make for a very expensive ute, but Land Rover could at last be recognising it really missed a trick by not offering a pick-up version of the Discovery over several generations.

orsche is keen to preserve the value in its internal-combustion engines so it plans to begin trials of synthetic fuels next year It has been investigating synthetic fuels for quite some time. It announced partnerships last year with Siemens Energy, AME, Enel, and Chilean petroleum company Enap to build a plant and produce synthetic fuels on an industrial scale. It will begin operations in 2022, aiming to produce up to 55 million litres of synthetic fuel by 2024, and up to 10 times that amount by 2026. Porsche chief executive Oliver Blume extolled the benefits of e-fuels: “E-fuels can be used in combustion engines and plug-in hybrids, and can make use of the existing network of filling stations,” he said. Porsche’s sports car boss Frank Walliser said the plan was “an important part of Porsche’s global effort to reduce the CO2 impact of the transportation sector”. “The general idea behind these synthetic fuels is that there is no change to the engine necessary, unlike what we have seen with E10 and E20, so really, everybody can use it, and we are testing with the regular specs of pump fuel. It has no impact on performance — some horses more, so it’s going in the right direction — but emissions are way better; we see less particles, less NOx [nitrogen oxides] — so that’s going in the right direction,” Walliser said. Porsche’s synthetic fuel is created by combining hydrogen with carbon captured from the air to produce methanol, which is then transformed into a gasoline substitute that vehicles can use. The Chilean factory will create the e-fuel with the aid of wind power. Porsche already has a pilot programme involving various classic Porsche models using synthetic fuels. Blume said: “We believe that synthetic fuels produced with 100-per-cent renewable energy have the potential to be an important element. Seventy per cent of the cars we have ever built are still on the road, and for many years to come there will be cars powered by combustion engines. “The only problem we still have is price, which is still higher than US$10 dollars per litre.” Porsche is working to bring this down to less than US$2 per litre. Blume believes it could be available to the public in about 10 years.

UK’s most expensive number plates revealed

dding to the long list of reasons why New Zealand is a better place to live than the UK in 2021 is the price and availability of personalised plates Auto Trader, the UK’s largest digital marketplace for new and used cars, has collated a list of the 21 priciest car number plates sold in the UK: 25 0 — $1,003,990 — Bought at auction by a Ferrari trader who put it on his Ferrari 250 SWB, previously owned by Eric Clapton. To date, this is the most expensive plate sold by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA). X 1 — $973,046 — The original sale price for this was £1M but someone got a steal, paying just half that in 2012. G 1 — $968,205 — Selling in 2011 to adorn an Aston Martin, it was the most expensive plate in the UK at the time. RR 1 — $913,986 — The plate ‘RR1’ was described as “one of the most special” registration plates in the world ahead of its sale at the Goodwood Revival. It went to a Rolls-Royce owner.

F 1 — $853,230 — Invoking the world’s most popular motorsport, this plate is unlikely to leave the top 10 of most expensive plates.

M 1 — $641,920 — Multimillionaire Mike McComb bought this in 2006, apparently for his son’s sixth birthday.

S 1 — $782,432 — This was the first-ever number plate issued in Scotland. It was bought in 2008 and placed on a Skoda, making it 10 times more expensive than the car itself.

GB 1 — $629,333 — Sold in 2009, this plate sits on a Rolls-Royce. Its value post Brexit is unknown.

1 D — $682,412 — One Direction must be keen to see this to go back on sale. A property developer bought it in 2009.

Plates and prices 11 to 21 are as follows: D 2 — $581,109, VIP 1 — $551,877, 1 BM — $551,877, V 1 — $532,513, S 5 — $523,412, GN 1 — $503,749, GS 1 — $501,094, 51 NGH — $491,848, 1 RH — $480,137, MS 1 — $455,056, MG 1 — $455,056.

1 S — $658,380 — In 2010, this private reg was bought and placed on a Rolls-Royce Phantom. It’s thought to have doubled in value since.

Ducati launches smart jacket

ucati is aiming to keep its brand riding high by working with Dainese to market a stylish sleeveless self-inflating safety vest using Dainese’s D-air airbag technology Ducati Smart Jacket borrows the technology used in the racing leathers of MotoGP riders to produce a Ducati-branded vest suitable for all motorcyclists in both men’s and women’s versions. Inflation is triggered by an electronic control unit that analyses data 1000 times per second. If it detects dangerous situations, such as the bike sliding, the rider high-siding, a rear-end collision, or impact with another object or vehicle, it activates Dianese’s patented gas-powered microfilaments. The airbag bag inflates in a uniform and controlled way around the entire surface, creating a wraparound shield. The bag offers protection equal to that of seven level-one back protectors, without any rigid structure. The Ducati Smart Jacket can be easily folded and stored in a side bag or backpack off the bike. It has a 26-hour battery life and can be recharged via any USB socket.

Mitsubishi Motors NZ makes record-breaking start to 2021

itsubishi Motors NZ has bounced back stronger than ever from the industry-wide slowdown caused by last year’s Covid-19 disruption. Since November, sales have hit record highs, reaching a 30-year peak of 1436 units in January. That number includes 1002 passenger vehicles, with the remainder consisting of Triton and Express van sales The end-of-year surge put Mitsubishi in third place for the 2020 calendar year, with a nine per cent market share — this result is in the context of a 22.8 per cent downturn in sales across New Zealand’s car and light commercial vehicle (LCV) market. Mitsubishi New Zealand’s record-breaking start to 2021 sees the brand sitting in second position on the ladder, with a predicted market share of 10.6 per cent. “The year 2020 was challenging for most vehicle brands,” says Reece Congdon, Mitsubishi local head of marketing and corporate affairs. “The great news is that, for the most part, New Zealand as a whole has been able to quickly get back on track, while we as a company were wellpositioned to deliver on the subsequent surge in consumer confidence. “With an always-fresh mix of vehicles in step with changing Kiwi lifestyles, we have consolidated our market position. We expect this trend to continue for us over the coming months, with the all-new Eclipse Cross and Outlander runout already starting to exceed our expectations.”

Despite import issues, the Triton ute was the country’s third most popular and the brand’s biggest seller at 3694 units. ASX and

Outlander sales were 2477 and 1998 units, respectively, while the new Eclipse Cross contributed 706 sales.

New Eclipse Cross

How to stop drink driving

ountries around the world are still grappling with reducing road deaths relating to alcohol abuse. UK roadside assistance organisation GEM compiled this round-up of measures enacted in other countries in a bid to encourage change in the UK, where road deaths due to alcohol have increased in recent years Reducing the limit in Estonia: Drink-driving deaths reduced from 61 in 2006 to 7 in 2017, representing an 89 per cent decrease. This was the result of a reduction in the drink drive limit to 0.2 grams per litre (g/l) blood alcohol concentration (BAC) and a concerted and sustained improvement in enforcement techniques. The limit is 0.25g/l for drivers over 20 in New Zealand. Tough fines and education in Denmark: Any driver found with a BAC above 0.5g/l must pay for and follow a 12-hour mandatory course on alcohol and road safety to regain a driving licence. Drivers found with a BAC over 1.2g/l receive an unconditional three-year ban, with prison sentences for repeat offenders. There were 112 drink-drive deaths in 2007, compared with 30 in 2016 — an average annual reduction of more than 12 per cent. Low limits and harsh sanctions in Australia: In the Australian state of Queensland, learner and recently qualified drivers must have a zero BAC, while for all others — including motorcyclists — the limit is 0.05g/l BAC. A zero limit applies for all professional

Auto Channel Issue #33 March 2021

drivers. In July 2020, Australian newspaper headlines criticised one Brisbane driver for being ‘six times over the limit’ when stopped by police. She was disqualified for a year and paid a fine of approximately NZ$1500. The actual BAC reading she gave was 0.298g/l. She would have needed a BAC reading 16 times over the Queensland limit to reach the England and Wales limit of 0.8g/l.

Random breath tests in Israel: An average of almost one million random alcohol breath tests have been taking place per year, in a country with just eight million inhabitants. This was supported by an increase in night-time bus transport to deter car use among younger drivers heading out to parties and bars. Roadside evidential testing in Belgium: Roadside evidential breath testing was introduced a decade ago in Belgium. Police use screening devices on drivers that reveal a ‘safe’ reading of below 0.22g/l, an ‘alarm’ reading of between 0.22 and 0.35, or a ‘positive’ reading of above 0.35. In the event of an alarm or positive result, the driver must take a further evidential breath-analysis test in a police van, which calculates the exact amount of alcohol in the breath. High-volume screening checks in Finland: It takes four or five police officers to set up testing at a busy road junction, where they use simple screening devices and obtain a test from every driver. There is no need for suspicion that the driver may have been drinking. The device immediately shows whether there’s alcohol present in a driver’s system. Those who give a negative reading continue their journeys, with no more than a few seconds’ delay. Those who give a positive reading are directed to the roadside for further evidential testing.

GM teams up with Microsoft on driverless cars

eneral Motors (GM) is teaming up with Microsoft to accelerate its roll-out of electric, selfdriving cars The company said Microsoft’s Azure cloud and Edge computing platform would be used to “commercialise its unique autonomous vehicle solutions at scale”. Microsoft joins GM, Honda, and other institutional investors in a combined new equity investment of more than US$2 billion in Cruise, bringing its valuation to about US$30 billion. Cruise,

which GM bought in 2016, has been a leader in driverless technology and got the go-ahead from California late last year to test its automated vehicles in San Francisco without backup drivers. “Microsoft is a great addition to the team as we drive towards a future world of zero crashes, zero emissions, and zero congestion,” said GM chairman and CEO Mary Barra. “Microsoft will help us accelerate the commercialisation of Cruise’s all-electric, self-driving vehicles and help GM realise even more benefits from cloud computing as we launch 30 new electric vehicles globally by 2025, and create new businesses and services to drive growth.” GM has been aggressively revamping its image, saying the industry has reached a historychanging inflection point for mass adoption of electric vehicles. After the announcement, shares in GM jumped more than eight per cent in early trading.

Ford Europe goes all-in on EVs with a US$1 billion transformation Europe and further growth here is key to Ford’s European profitability. It is building an ecosystem around connected services designed to enhance the customer experience and help their businesses thrive. These include, for example, connected uptime and productivity services such as FordPass Pro for fleets of up to five vehicles, and the launch of Ford Fleet Management. Ford and Google also announced recently the establishment of a new collaborative group, Team Upshift, to drive disruptive, datadriven opportunities.

US$1 BILLION FOR FORD COLOGNE

y mid 2026, 100 per cent of Ford’s passengervehicle range in Europe will be zero-emissions capable, all-electric, or plug-in hybrid. The company’s European vehicles will be completely electric by 2030 The news comes after Ford reported a return to profit in the fourth quarter of 2020. It will invest at least US$22 billion globally in electrification through 2025, nearly doubling the company’s previous electric vehicle (EV) investment plans. “We are charging into an all-electric future in Europe with expressive new vehicles and a world-class connected customer experience,” said Stuart Rowley, president, Ford of Europe. “We expect to continue our strong momentum this year in Europe and remain on track to deliver our goal of a six per cent EBIT [earnings before interest and taxes] margin.”

COMMERCIAL KEY In 2020, Ford achieved its sixth successive year as the leading commercial vehicle sales brand in

Spearheading Ford’s plan is a US$1 billion investment in modernising its vehicle assembly facility in Cologne, Germany. It is one of its largest manufacturing centres in Europe and the home of Ford of Europe. The investment will transition existing vehicle-assembly operations into the manufacture of EVs. Ford’s first European-built, volume, allelectric passenger vehicle for European customers will be produced at the facility from 2023. Building a second all-electric vehicle there is under consideration. “The decision to make the production and development site in Cologne the e-mobility centre for Ford in Europe is an important signal to the entire workforce,” said Ford-Werke GmbH general works council chairman Martin Hennig. “It offers a long-term perspective for our employees and, at the same time, encourages them to help shape this electric future.” Ford of Europe employs approximately 43,000 people in its wholly owned facilities and joint ventures, and approximately 58,000 people when including unconsolidated businesses. The first Ford cars were shipped to Europe in 1903 — the same year the Ford Motor Company was founded. European production started in 1911.

Future EVs could offer less range

lectric vehicle (EV) makers are currently engaged in a range war, trying to offer a similar range between charges to that of a tank of petrol or diesel. This is being driven by a perceptual false equivalence — as petrol cars can’t be refilled every night like electrics — and Audi chief executive Markus Duesmann thinks evs of the future may actually offer less range than they do now He believes that as more people get used to the new EV paradigm, the desire for big batteries will fall away. As charging stations begin to replace petrol stations and high-speed chargers bring recharge times down to a few minutes — the technology already exists — range anxiety will disappear. “Putting huge batteries for thousands of kilometres — I’m not sure that this is a trend that will go on,” he says. “Later on they will go down because charging infrastructure is denser and also the experience of customers. With electric cars, you have to adjust your behaviour a bit. But once you’re used to that, I think battery sizes will go down again, because they make the cars unnecessarily heavy and unnecessarily expensive. And unnecessarily big too.” The new e-tron GT features an 85kW battery pack and can travel 38km on a single charge under EPA testing. As battery tech continues to improve, car manufacturers will be able to reduce the size and weight of battery packs, benefiting range, handling, and performance. Tesla chief executive Elon Musk has also acknowledged a bragging-rights battle is continuing the focus on range. Tesla is still deciding on the right balance between range and weight for its new Cybertruck.

New Zealand’s own automotive lubricants — Aegis Oil IN AN INTENSELY COMPETITIVE FIELD, AEGIS OIL HAS A UNIQUE MARKET POSITION

“N

ew Zealand’s Oil” says the strapline under Aegis Oil’s logo, and it means what it says. New Zealand brand Aegis Oil operates the country’s sole remaining volume automotivelubricants blending facility. The virgin base oil and additives are imported, but they are formulated and blended by Aegis at its Coromandel plant. Its products are literally made in New Zealand. More than 80 brands of oil jostle for market share here, but managing director Paul Radisich — yes, former World Touring Car champion Paul Radisich — says Aegis Oil remains truly unique for its resolute commitment to supporting New Zealand industry. Paul says that Kiwi identity remains as strong today as when his father Frank started the business 38 years ago. Paul says all of its packaging — containers, cardboard, wrapping, labels, and palletising — is made and put together here, supporting those industries. “It’s keeping people in jobs in New Zealand. And it means we proudly carry the

‘New Zealand made’ logo on all of our products. We are Kiwis supporting Kiwis.” The company’s other key strength is its complete range of products, offering a one-stop shop for all mineral-based oils, and fully synthetic motor oils, through to heavy gearbox oils, greases, and even anti-freezes. Paul says that Aegis uses the full spectrum of additives required to meet stringent API, European, and Japanese oil-quality standards. Vehicle manufacturers are continually refining their specific requirements, but Aegis is able to adapt fast and expand its product range to meet the market with next-day supply virtually anywhere in the country. Aegis Oil is best known in the farming and industrial sphere but is growing its market in fleet servicing workshops, for vehicles no longer tied to other suppliers or by warranty contracts. “We are very proud to be a part of the New Zealand–based Blackfern Cooperative, which helps us support New Zealand companies with New Zealand made products,” Paul says. For more information, see blackfern.coop and aegisoil.co.nz for all products available to Blackfern members.

Paul and Frank Radisich at the Turua plant

Paul and Carina Stavert discussing stock shipments

Orders 0800 655 645 Phone 07 867 5321 www.aegisoil.co.nz

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Repco relaunching Launch diagnostics BUYING FROM THE DISTRIBUTOR ENSURES THAT YOU GET THE RIGHT NEW ZEALAND–SPECIFIC TOOLS

aunch is one of the best-known diagnostic brands globally, and its general-purpose Scan Tool is well known here. But once you start to look at individual models, it quickly becomes confusing. Which one does what? The picture gets even more complicated when New Zealand’s parallel-import laws make it simple for anyone to import equipment and sell it as ‘official’ product, whether it is geared to this market or not. Repco New Zealand is an authorised retailer of Launch diagnostic equipment in New Zealand and that offers distinct advantages to tool buyers. Launch Tech Australia is the official distributor of all Launch products for Oceania, which includes New Zealand. Repco deals directly with them. Launch Tech Australia handles all warranty repairs, software development, and anything specific to the Oceania market. There’s no guarantee that

other resellers importing from other markets offer after-sales support, or that they would get the right country-specific support. All Launch diagnostic equipment is manufactured in China. It is typically sold through online distributors, which have specific online models. Then there are the ‘bricks and mortar’ distributors, like Repco. Repco’s national equipment manager, Kevin Odgers, says that this offers peace of mind to anyone looking for a Launch Scan Tool. “It means you are buying a Scan Tool configured specifically to the Oceania market. Online tools may miss out on our market-specific software, such as for the Holden Colorado, which is unique to the Oceania market.” The same reasoning applies to the Scan Pad range of Scan Tools that Repco has been selling for close to five years. The Scan Pad brand was created in the US exclusively for Napa Auto Parts. Repco and Napa are part of the same group. The Scan Pads sold here have Oceania-specific software, so you’ll find Mitsubishi Express Van software here, which is

related to the Renault Trafic in other markets. “Repco does not, will not, and never has sold Scan Tools or any other products that are not designed or set up for our market,” says Kevin. Repco will soon launch the Scan Pad 101V4 version. This fourth-generation Scan Pad 101 has an Android 9.0 operating system, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 eight-core 1.8GHz processor, 3GB of RAM, and internal storage of 32GB, and supports adding a Micro SD Card up to 128GB. It has a protective case with storage for the VCI, or dongle, which is slimmed down from the previous ‘chunky’ models. Repco is also renaming the X-431 PAD V model to become the ‘Euro Tab V2’, which makes it easy to identify and confirm that this is the Oceania-specific model, as the Euro Tab V2 is exclusive to offline distributors. Repco and related retailers sell Launch, G-Scan, Autoland, Ross-Tech, Hella Gutmann, and FCar diagnostic equipment. With more than 33 different models available, this means that no matter what your diagnostic requirement, there will be at least one model that suits your requirements and budget. Repco sells Launch, G-Scan, Autoland, RossTech, Hella Gutmann, and FCar diagnostic equipment. With more than 33 different models available, at least one model will suit your requirements and budget no matter what your diagnostic requirement. For more information contact a local Repco store or equipment specialist.

A 92E

RESTORING CARBON FIBRE HOW TO SAVE YOURSELF A BIT OF CASH BY BUYING AND REPAIRING SECOND-HAND CARBON-FIBRE COMPONENTS

f you are looking for a cosmetic upgrade for your car, you’ve probably searched deep for carbonfibre parts. As cool as they are to look at, there are actually a couple different types of carbon fibre and different purposes for each. Those seeking weight reduction, with cosmetics lower on the priority list, would be looking at ‘dry’ carbon fibre. This is pre-impregnated epoxy carbonfibre cloth that is shaped, vacuumed, and dried in temperature-controlled rooms — it’s the real deal when it comes to carbon fibre and is the more

Auto Channel Issue #33 March 2021

expensive route. Those wanting pure cosmetic appeal are after ‘wet’ carbon fibre. This is hand-laid fibreglass with a layer of carbon-fibre cloth on top and is what typical aftermarket carbon-fibre parts bought off the shelf are made of. It will, of course, be lighter than the factory example, but not as light as the dry-carbon iteration. Carbon pricing can fluctuate depending on material, component, and condition. A good way to pick up good, cheap carbon is to find secondhand units that are in rough condition. These are

generally easy to come by, won’t hurt the wallet, and are able to be restored. In this guide, we team up with Delta J Panel and Paint to look at restoring a typical wet carbon-fibre bonnet — how to repair the damage and bring it back up to scratch. This bonnet came with the assortment of damage usually found on second-hand items. The corners were damaged and the clear coat was badly delaminating. In some places, it had worn down right to the fibreglass.

Step one Start by sanding the whole bonnet down with 240-grit sandpaper, which will remove all the clear coat that is delaminating and give a better view of the damage. Here it is showing on the corners and on the top air vent, going back to raw fibreglass. To seal that damage off, we spray two coats of 2K clear coat over the affected areas and allow it to dry. This will seal off the carbon fibre and raw fibreglass, as well as give a good surface to work on and bond the new fibreglass repairs.

Step three Step two Time to repair the damage. As you can see, the carbon-fibre overlays on top of the fibreglass itself. This is what wet carbon fibre is. We can’t apply more carbon fibre because it’s not practical for the repair, so we will use fibreglass mat and resin to repair the damage. The new repairs will graft to it easily because the area being repaired is raw fibreglass. Once that is done, we prime the repairs using 1K spray-can primer, leaving it ready for the base coat to be applied.

Now that the repairs are primed, the whole bonnet including the repairs needs to be sanded down to a stage at which top coats can be applied. We accomplish this here using 800-grit sandpaper, which is ideal for base coat and 2K clear coat. Before we clear coat it, we need to blend in the repairs. We do this using a black base coat, after first masking off the area to make sure it is even, then feathering it around the edges and uniformly on the air intake. The repairs don’t cover the whole side of the bonnet, but, to keep it uniform, both sides are done. The same with the air intake. It also adds a nice contrast to the bonnet.

Step four To lock it all down, another coat of clear is applied, using 2K clear for UV protection and durability. Once dried, it is flow coated one more time — this is a great way to achieve the best gloss and depth from your paint. The basic process is to paint your panel with base coat and clear coat then allow it to cure for at least three days. After that, sand it down again and apply a further two or three coats of clear.

Step five Fitted to this Suzuki Swift Sport, it might not be as light as dry carbon fibre but it’s certainly lighter than the factory steel bonnet and has also improved the aesthetics. This same process can be used to repair a plethora of used carbon goods, including interior trims, and for engine-bay snazz-ups. It’s easier than you’d think, and, once you’ve done one, you’ll find that your car will soon be dripping in that carbon goodness! Thanks again to Delta J Panel and Paint.

Auto Channel Issue #33 March 2021

The magic formula DAVE VAZEY’S WILLYS COUPE WAS ONLY EVER INTENDED FOR THE STRIP, BUT NOW THE BLOWN HEMI-POWERED MACHINE IS TURNING HEADS AND TYRES ON THE STREET WORDS: TODD WYLIE PHOTOS: STRONG STYLE PHOTO

n stark contrast to popular opinion, Dave Vazey states that there’s no dramas in getting scratch-built cars road legal, if you know what you’re doing. The ’41 Willys coupe that he’s just completed is a clear signal that he well and truly knows what he’s doing. As if building a car like this from a blank slate is not enough of a challenge, the car was initially being constructed solely for strip use. However, during the build, Dave, who is a talented engineer by trade, decided that the way the build was shaping up, it’d be a shame to only be able to use it a quarter of mile at a time. Working in his favour on this wild change of direction was the fact that he’s owned and built 30 or so American cars in the past, ranging

Auto Channel Issue #33 March 2021

from reasonably mild to completely wild, so he’s well aware of what it takes to build them right, and if, on the off-chance that he didn’t, there was every chance that his son Doron Andersen Vazey did. If Doron’s name is familiar, that is probably due either to his own quarter-mile exploits behind the wheel of his impressive A-body Cuda or the fact that he too is a very capable engineer.

Easily put, the best damn engine combo you could ever throw at a Willys coupe! Working smartly from the outset, Dave made contact with Dean Cadman to get the plans Dean used when building his own Willys coupes — cars successfully registered on the street and shot down the quarter-mile. This gave Dave the perfect foundation to

build a car that he knew would be capable of not only holding the power plant he wished to drop in it but also making the most of that power. Mild steel was the material of choice for the chassis, both for ease of working and its structural properties. The lion’s share of the fabrication work was taken care of by Dave himself, although Doron got the call to TIG up the integral roll cage. With the car’s intended purpose of minimal quarter-mile times, the rear chassis

rails are very tightly spaced to ensure enough room under the haunches for plenty of rubber. In fact, the diff that is hanging off a four-link on the rear measures in at just 850mm from flange to flange — that’s narrow when you factor in the TSD nine-inch diff housing in the middle of it. Into that housing were slotted 31-spline axles, while a Detroit Locker along with Strange yoke and pinion take care of the centre. The custom driveshaft that links the diff to the Dedenbear-cased Powerglide transmission is also ridiculously short, but that’s not a bad thing given the hiding it will receive once the car hits the strip. The trans itself has also been well and truly futureproofed with a transbrake, manual valve body, and high stall converter being fitted. So, what’s powering the car for it to need all of this? Easily put, the best damn engine combo you could ever throw at a Willys coupe! While big block Chevs may be easier to build, and cheaper to get power out of, Dave’s desire to own a Willys extends back to the days when they were raced hard and packed with blown Hemi horsepower, so he wasn’t prepared to settle for anything less. A real-deal cast-iron 392 Hemi was sourced from a 1957–1958 Chrysler Imperial and, despite being near bulletproof from the factory, it was soon dropped to West Auckland Engine Reconditioners (WAER) for some treatment. Martin Hogan was the WAER expert to work his magic on the combo, filling the slightly enlarged bores with Ross Racing pistons atop the stock rods and crank. The Hemi heads also remained relatively stock, only being cleaned up before heavy-duty valves were fitted and a Weiand intake manifold bolted on top. The pièce de résistance of the set-up is the beautiful The Blower Shop (TBS) 8-71 supercharger that sits on top with two 750cfm Holley carbs, topped with a Hilborn-style scoop. It’s hard to beat the look of a blown Hemi and, with the features this one is packing, it’ll be hard to beat on the track, too — case in point being the MSD 7AL ignition, which works off an MSD crank trigger and a locked MSD distributor.

This combination will ensure that a powerful spark is sent to the combustion chambers, where it ignites the fuel supplied by an Aeromotive fuel system. To keep the fuel pressure up to speed — or, more accurately, up with the boost — an Aeromotive boost-referenced fuel-pressure regulator has been fitted to regulate the flow from the 60-litre alloy fuel tank. Like many parts, the tank has been handcrafted. The top wears a 6061 alloy plate that has been milled by hand to get the Aeromotive pump and sender unit exactly how Dave wanted it. That exercise in excess — because he could — is testament not only to Dave’s abilities but also his attention to detail. That effort has flowed into the cooling system, where a custom aluminium radiator has been fitted in conjunction with AN-20 hoses and fittings rather than traditional radiator pipes. The exhaust side is where two-inch stainless headers come in to play. Dave called Doron in to help with this aspect of the build, which, given how much work goes into crafting headers like this, was a great call to make. The exhaust system that follows from the four-inch collectors flows through custom mufflers before ending beneath the rear of the car. The twin three-inch pipes need to snake their way through all the custom cross members, along with a Cadillac steering rack and custom fourlink, on the way to the rear. The steering rack has been built to work with Reid uprights and custom A-arms that are suspended by Aldan coilovers and QA1 springs. The rear suspension set-up also utilises Aldan coilovers and Aldan springs along with a torsion roll bar and torsion Panhard set-up. When setting up the braking system, Dave opted to fit a floor-mounted Wilwood pedal box that controls four-pot calipers through a proportioning valve and line lock from the same manufacturer. That pedal box is in good company when it comes to race-style components, as it’s riding with a Woodward steering column and Kirkey fullcontainment seats. Softening the look slightly are

Driver: Dave Vazey CAR CLUB: Wheels Inc Hot Rod Club OCCUPATION: Engineer PREVIOUSLY OWNED CARS: 30 or so American cars ranging from a Holman-Moody 427 Thunderbolt to a ’58 Imperial LENGTH OF OWNERSHIP: Hard work for the past few years; collecting parts a bit longer DAVE THANKS: My wife Tami, Doron, Jodie, LVV guys, and Motor Clinic West Auckland. Many people help out when you build from scratch, so a huge thanks to all who have helped get this done; it was a great effort and I’m very pleased with it

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custom deerskin seat covers and a Ferrari-sourced steering wheel, while luxuries such as electric windows and a Dakota Digital dash are sure to help on those long drives to the drag strip. When it came time for working on the exterior, Dave was torn between the wild colour schemes of the Willys coupes that he fell in love with all those years ago, and the colour that’s hard to beat on the iconic shape: gloss black. The final outcome was to

Testament not only to Dave’s abilities but also his attention to detail get Jodie Fletcher to create a mix of both: PPG jet black along with a detailed mixture of lace, candy, and flake. The choice of Center Line wheels is almost as iconic as the look of a black Willys itself, especially when wrapped in 33x21.5x15 Hoosier Pro Street tyres for maximum traction. Up front, the half-width Center Lines wear 25x7.5x15 Hoosiers. Although those tyres are switched out for road use, the build has been performed so well that there were no headaches when it came time to LVV certification. With that hurdle ticked off, the only thing left to do is get it down the quarter and see how quick it goes. From what we have seen from how wellprepared Dave is, we’re sure the car’s performance will well and truly live up to expectations!

1941 Willys coupe (replica) ENGINE: WAER-built 392ci Chrysler Hemi, bored 30-thou, Ross Racing pistons, stock heads, heavyduty valves, Weiand intake manifold, TBS 8-71 supercharger, twin 750cfm Holley carbs, Hilbornstyle scoop, 60-litre alloy fuel tank, Aeromotive fuel pump, Aeromotive boost-referenced fuel pressure regulator, MSD crank trigger, MSD 7AL ignition, twoinch stainless headers, four-inch collectors, custom mufflers, custom alloy radiator, MSD distributor DRIVELINE: Dedenbear-cased Powerglide transmission, transbrake, manual valve body, high-stall converter, nine-inch diff, TSD centre, 31-spline axles, Detroit Locker, Strange yoke and pinion, heavy-duty driveshaft SUSPENSION: (F) custom independent front suspension (IFS), Reid uprights, QA1 springs, Aldan shocks; (R) four-link torsion roll bar, torsion Panhard BRAKES: Wilwood floor-mounted pedal box, line lock, Wilwood proportioning valve, (F) Wilwood four-pot calipers, (R) Lokar handbrake WHEELS/TYRES: (F) 15x7-inch Center Line, 25x7.5x15 Hoosier Pro Street; (R) 15x18-inch Center Line, 32x21.5x15 Hoosier Pro Street EXTERIOR: Fibreglass body, suicide doors, Hagan hinges, PPG jet black paint, custom lace work CHASSIS: Mild steel full-tube INTERIOR: Kirkey full-containment seats, deerskin seat covers, Ferrari steering wheel, Woodward column, Earl’s-type shifter, Dakota Digital dash, Spitfire aircraft dash light, electric windows PERFORMANCE: TBC

Beyond the repair LEVERAGE SCAN-TOOL DOCUMENTATION AND FEATURES TO CONNECT WITH CUSTOMERS

can tools are a vital part of the diagnostic process, and they have come a long way in recent years. The features and functions available on today’s scan tools don’t stop at the vehicle diagnosis. They can also log data directly into a customer file, a feature that is helping technicians provide very thorough — and revenue-generating — service. They help to connect technicians and customers; they ‘verify’ a repair, keep track of maintenance, and earn repeat business. Today’s tools now offer functions like built-in TPMS, the ability to do J2534, key programming options, remote diagnostics, and ADAS. Even so, technicians should also consider features that help to document and share repair information with other technicians in the shop. They can also help technicians share diagnostic repair information with customers in an easy-tounderstand way. This can go a long way to giving customers peace of mind about the repair. Repair documentation helps customers understand their vehicle problems in an often ‘too technical’ automotive repair world. It can also give customers assurance that what they thought might have been a small issue does actually warrant what the workshop recommends. It also makes it easier to discuss issues that were not initially identified. It lets customers make the right decision to solve vehicle problems and avoid come-backs. Pre- and post-scan reports can be uploaded and shared close to real-time, without so much as a phone call. The technician can share vehicle-system reports

Auto Channel Issue #33 March 2021

and images via text or email, sharing pre-scan reports and images with customers to receive quick approvals for repair. They can also forward pre- and post-scan reports and images to insurance companies to confirm OEM repair requirements have been met. Some systems can automatically upload images, vehicle-system reports, and pre- and post-scan reports to the cloud where they can be accessed by a phone, tablet, or computer whenever the technician or customer needs them. Technicians can mark and order files, identify images as ‘known good’ or ‘known bad’; tag files to make a keyword search fast for future reference; and retrieve files by customer name, VIN, or sort by

date, allowing for easy retrieval. In addition, they can compare and share information with peers and share images with other shops and technicians for the best possible intelligence. These services are a boon to customers, who can get immediate information from their workshop and give approvals for work. Copies of both the pre- and post-scan reports and any related images give customers confidence in the workshop and the repairs it has carried out. This builds trust between shop and customer that will have lasting effects, such as repeat business, and great reviews that also drive more business and referrals. Much of vehicle work nowadays is invisible to customers, but today’s top diagnostic tools can help customers see the technician shining a light into the darkness.

SEAT POSITION INSTRUMENT PANEL AIR CONDITIONING ENGINE CONTROL ABS SUSPENSION TRANSMISSION BATTERY

Blue condutis indicates intermediate voltage (30-60 volts DC)

Stay safe around high voltage HYBRID ELECTRIC VEHICLES ARE COMMON BUT PURE ELECTRICS ARE SEEING HUGE GROWTH. IT’S TIME TO GET TO GRIPS WITH THEM

ost independent repair workshops will have some experience with hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), which have now been around for more than 20 years, but pure electric vehicles (EVs) are now the primary growth area in the automotive industry. One of the most profound differences with EVs, apart from the lack of an internal-combustion engine, is the presence of high-voltage (HV) electrics. For decades, technicians have only had to deal with voltages less than 30 when servicing most automotive electrical systems, which required only minimal precautions on the part of the technician, as the threat to personal safety was relatively low. However, the modern HEVs and EVs have electrical systems that operate at anywhere from 42V to 650V. If we plan on offering comprehensive service on these vehicles, we will have to adopt not only new procedures but also new attitudes.

Safe and effective HEV service is going to require an attitude adjustment for mechanics used to low-risk electrical systems. We all get into a rush and sometimes bypass steps that we think are less critical. For HV system service, the price of skipping steps is too high. Use the correct equipment and follow the recommended procedures at all times; no exceptions. You have surely heard the expression: “There are old pilots, and there are bold pilots, but there are no old bold pilots.”

First principles When servicing HV automotive systems, be absolutely certain to follow the manufacturer’s recommended service procedures. These cars have been designed to be safe for the motoring public, but a service technician can easily get among components that could hurt or even kill them.

Auto Channel Issue #33 March 2021

Orange denotes high voltage areas

Consequences It might help to understand the effect electricity has on the human body. Actually, it is the current, not the voltage that actually does the damage. Keep in mind that voltage is electrical pressure — it is what pushes electrons through a conductor. Without sufficient voltage, very little current will flow. Conversely, the potential for higher current to flow becomes greater as voltage increases. The human body is not a particularly good

conductor, but it is a conductor nonetheless. If voltage is applied to human flesh, damage will be done in proportion to the amount of current that flows through it and for how long. While as little as 1mA (milliamp, or 1/1000th of an ampere) will cause a faint tingle, a mere 9mA can cause a painful shock and a loss of muscle control. As current increases, the consequences also escalate: • 50mA can cause severe muscle contractions, and may stop breathing as well as prevent the victim from letting go • 1–5A will cause nerve damage and abnormal heart rhythm • 10A will cause severe burns, cardiac arrest, and probable death. Depending on the individual, death can occur when as little as 100mA passes through the body for as little as two seconds. So it makes sense to do whatever is necessary to prevent electric current from flowing through our bodies. This starts with wearing the correct personal protective equipment, or ‘PPE’.

Insulate yourself When working on HV automotive electrical systems, it is critical to examine everything you are wearing

Insulated hand tools are cheap insurance for preventing injury or death

and ask yourself a basic question: Is this item helping to make me a conductor, or an insulator? Start your personal audit by removing all jewellery, such as rings, watch bands, and necklaces. You should also consider items that are less obvious. What about a metal belt buckle? Think carefully and remove any other clothing items that could compromise your safety in a HV environment. Safety glasses should be at the top of your list for HV PPE. It doesn’t matter what type of automotive work you are doing, you should always wear your safety glasses. The complaints and arguments against them are well known — “I can’t see with these on”, “They don’t stay on the bridge of my nose”, “They fog up”. Just buy a pair of approved safety glasses that fit you and get over it! Get a prescription set if that will work best for you. If you wear them long enough in the work environment, it will get to the point that you feel naked without them.

Check your metre has 1000V capability

You should also wear safety shoes whenever you are working in the automotive environment. Check to make sure that your shoes have rubber soles that will prevent you from becoming a path to ground.

HV glove care and feeding Let’s talk about gloves. This may be the most important aspect of your PPE plan. Certified Class 0 linesman gloves must be worn whenever doing work on HV automotive electrical systems. While these may seem expensive at first glance, keep in mind that the correct gloves are specially constructed and certified by a lab to protect the wearer at up to 1000V AC. While this is more than enough protection for work on HEVs, it will be compromised if the glove gets damaged. To prevent damage, rubber linesman gloves should always be used with leather outers. They should also be carefully inspected before each use, including lightly inflating the glove to look for perforations. Some designs have made inspection easier by colouring the glove orange on the outside and blue on the inside. If the glove is damaged, discard it and replace it with a new pair.

Electrical measurement Another aspect of HV system service is the ability to make safe and accurate voltage measurements. Now is the time to bin a multimeter of questionable pedigree. Look for appropriate certifications and capabilities to be assured of your personal safety. The meter should also be certified to a minimum of CAT III at 1000V. An item that many technicians overlook is the quality and condition of the test leads they use with their multimeter. It’s obvious when you think about it, but these should have ratings similar to your meter and be in good condition. Inspect them carefully before each use and replace any leads that are damaged. When you are ready to make a measurement, start by confirming that the meter is working correctly. Take a DC volts measurement at the vehicle’s auxiliary (12V) battery first, and then continue your work once you know for sure that the meter is okay. There’s nothing like reading 0V at a HV voltage source because the meter has a blown fuse! This brings up another key point: never assume that an HV system is discharged. Always double-check the system with a functioning multimeter before concluding that it is safe to service.

Tools for HV service

To test for performations, trap air in the glove and squeeze

A common area of complacency for automotive technicians is the use of non-insulated tools when working with HV systems. If a technician has been using ordinary ratchets, pliers, etc. when servicing HV components, they are that much more likely to become bolder with their practices in the future. One day, the technician suffers a ‘brain fart’ and forgets to put on their gloves when disassembling a HV battery pack. If they have got into the habit of using only insulated tools when performing this service, they will live to see another day. Insulated tools are an additional barrier between yourself and the HV source that could potentially kill you. What is your life and health worth to you? Moreover, what would your loved ones have to say about the matter? Don’t let a few hundred dollars be the difference between living into your golden years and becoming another statistic.

Procedures Automotive electrical systems are classified by voltage level. This includes: • low voltage — less than 30V DC • intermediate voltage — between 30V and 60V DC • HV — over 60V DC. Test leads must also be rated for a minimum of CAT III at 1000 volts

Low voltage would cover most conventional electrical systems. Any wiring in this category would probably be in black conduit. Low voltage requires limited precautions on the part of the technician. The next classification is intermediate voltage, which covers mild hybrids and the electric power-assist steering system on some hybrids. Intermediate voltage wiring is generally coloured blue, but can also be yellow in some applications. Finally, orange conduit is an indication of HV, usually found on medium and strong hybrids or on pure EVs. Take extra care when working around this wiring, especially underneath the car, where it is possible for misplaced lift arms to damage them. The blanket rule when working with any HV automotive electrical system is to turn the vehicle off and take the key out of the ignition. Then, take the key and secure it so it won’t be put into the ignition without others being notified. Once the car has been shut off and the key is secured, OEM-recommended procedures can then be followed to further disable the system before service work commences. ‘Respect’ is a key word when servicing HV automotive electrical systems. You know that the system is capable of causing severe injury or death, but you prepare yourself with the correct equipment; knowledge; and most of all, attitude. Never work alone, never assume the system is discharged, never skip steps, and you can go home safe at the end of the day to those who care most about you.

What is ‘CAT III’? There are four categories of hazard level when doing electrical work: CAT I, CAT II, CAT III, and CAT IV. These are classified according to how close you are to the energy source, and indicate greater danger with higher numbers. A minimum of a CAT III rating is assigned to test equipment that is capable of safely working close to a HV automotive battery pack.

Auto Channel Issue #33 March 2021

Bendix to reduce emissions AUSTRALIAN BRAKE MANUFACTURER BENDIX HAS LAUNCHED A PACKAGE OF INITIATIVES TO IMPROVE ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE

endix has signed up with Greenfleet, a leading not-for-profit environmental organisation, to offset 170 company and employee vehicle emissions by helping restore Australian and New Zealand forests. Greenfleet is Australia’s first carbon offset provider. Since 1997 the organisation has planted 9.6 million trees, creating more than 500 biodiverse forests in Australia and New Zealand. The plantings have offset more than 3.5 million tonnes of carbondioxide equivalent (CO2-e). Greenfleet is currently working with more than 400 organisations, many of which have been offsetting carbon emissions for more than 10 years. Using the Full Carbon Accounting Model (FullCAM), developed by CSIRO and approved by the then–Australian Department of the Environment, the organisation ensures the carbon uptake of each forest at each planting site.

Greenfleet forests are legally protected on-title for up to 100 years from land clearing, harvesting, and construction, even if the land is sold. In cases of natural disaster such as fire, floods, and drought, or damage from browsing animals or pests, the trees are replaced or planted in other areas. The plantings include ‘locally adaptive species’ to ensure resilient forests that will thrive and flourish. Regular checks are made, especially during the establishment phase, to check on the health and growth rate of the trees. Greenfleet CEO Wayne Wescott says Bendix’s parent company FMP Group is offsetting hundreds

of tonnes of CO2 emissions. FMP Group (Australia) Pty Ltd general manager George Kyriakopoulos says the FMP Group is initiating a series of projects to reduce carbon emissions. “The Greenfleet approach has allowed us to not only counter our fleet vehicle emissions but to also include the many vehicles owned by our employees. The company is dedicated to creating a better environment for future generations and with Greenfleet we join with a number of other major corporate-conscious national and international companies in this objective,” he says.

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Common complaints In particular, on diesel vehicles it’s worth inspecting batteries for weaknesses. A battery measuring as little as 0.2 of a volt below manufacturer’s specifications (‘almost 12V’ is no use as an assessment) can result in scary-sounding banging noises. It’s well worth quickly performing a battery test, and checking and tightening terminals, to have some confidence that the power supply will be up to the task in colder weather. Catching any kind of problem in advance means that the customer gets to choose a more convenient time to be without the vehicle, rather than hope that the upcoming and inevitable no-start happens when they’re not doing much, their kids aren’t in the vehicle, the shop is still open, and parts and a technician are available right away to get them going — and there isn’t a long wait for a tow truck to show up. Pointing out to the customer that a component is out of specification and should be replaced before it fails and strands the vehicle — and driver — somewhere usually helps convince a customer to pay the cost of maintenance.

How to persuade customers to lock in diesel maintenance IT’S PROBABLY TRUE TO SAY THAT REGULAR MAINTENANCE OF DIESEL VEHICLES COSTS MORE THAN THAT OF PETROL EQUIVALENTS. HERE’S HOW WORKSHOPS CAN EXPLAIN THIS TO CUSTOMERS, FOR THEIR MUTUAL BENEFIT

aintaining a modern diesel vehicle can be costly, but it needs to be done because avoiding maintenance will almost certainly be more expensive in the long run. That’s not something that most customers want to hear, which discourages workshops from discussing it. However, deciding to stay on top of maintenance is best for both customers and workshops.

Speaking up for maintenance Along with the benefit of keeping the vehicle running reliably and efficiently and reducing air pollution, there’s the time it can take to get specialorder or back-ordered parts. Delays are even longer now that manufacturing and shipping have been affected by Covid. Breaking down, which results in unplanned maintenance, is best avoided if possible because it will almost inevitably involve waiting for parts. And, while the wrong parts will be readily available, it could take way longer than expected, or promised, for the correct parts to arrive. No one wants an unhappy customer waiting days, weeks, or sometimes months for their vehicle — even if you want it out of the workshop even more than they do. It is also worth noting that many diesel vehicles

Auto Channel Issue #33 March 2021

are work vehicles and can have specialty equipment or tools installed on them. Renting a straight replacement might be impossible — so if the truck can’t run, neither can the customer’s business. Making the point that keeping that unit on the road is absolutely critical gives customers quite an incentive to invest in proper maintenance. Also, it’s not a good look for a company to have vehicles branded with corporate names and logos smoking, leaking, and generally misbehaving — or being towed.

Frequent filters Many customers are still surprised at how often filters need to be changed on a modern diesel vehicle, and how even a seemingly slightly restricted air filter can (and does) cause big drivability problems. Not replacing the air filter on an inspection to save the customer money can result in a no-start — or worse if the restricted filter gets sucked into the intake and chewed by the components along the way. Maybe keep a filter that actually caused drivability problems to show customers, because show and tell works well with customers. You can also have a cheap brand of filter and the recommended filter cut open on hand to show the difference in quality. Most customers will then choose the quality parts. It’s also important to replace the fuel filter, because not replacing the fuel filter can also have severe consequences. It’s harder to keep a restricted fuel filter on hand — messy, smelly things, and a

hazard — but you can show the size of the passages involved and relate the pressures involved.

Show and tell Fuel injectors and turbos also suffer when a diesel isn’t maintained properly, or spends too much time idling. Showing customers photos of failed components can help convey what happens when maintenance is neglected — and so too can showing copies of previous invoices for repairing the problems on similar vehicles (with the names and identifying details blacked out, of course). In other words, showing customers real examples of the risks being run can help them understand the consequences of a slow build-up of issues and why maintenance is so important.

DEF as a post The number of diesel vehicles that use diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) is increasing as manufacturers have installed them to meet the US’s EPA clean air requirements. While most owners will know about this, it’s possible some won’t know how regularly they need to top up the DEF and how important it is to do it often — most vehicles will lose power and they all eventually won’t restart without DEF. No matter what it says in the owner’s manual, mileage will vary and some units require DEF top ups more often than others, which many people learn the hard way. And depending on the vehicle, the DEF system may need to be filled up completely, right to the top (not just topped up a tiny bit), before it will start again. Keeping the DEF topped up is expensive, but the alternative is much worse.

DPF filters Some customers will also be shocked at the cost of keeping their vehicle’s diesel particulate filter (DPF) clean — which often involves removing the filter and cleaning it manually (with mixed success), or replacing this expensive part altogether. And it’s a

fairly common problem. It’s easy to tell when these filters go bad. The vehicle loses power, sometimes to the point (especially on low-maintenance vehicles) when they will no longer move at all, putting that day’s work in jeopardy. In some cases, the filter’s monitor will just say so. Of course, DPF-delete kits exist and people install them, despite the associated risks, liability, potential fines, and damage to the environment. However, most customers will concede that paying to have their clogged or restricted filters cleaned or replaced is worthwhile to keep their vehicles running. You can explain the limited success rate with removing and cleaning dirty filters and let the customer make the choice: replace, or clean and refit. Unfortunately, this probably won’t save you from a customer’s displeasure if cleaning is unsuccessful and simply delays and adds to the cost of replacing it anyway. You could also choose to keep a DPF close on hand to show customers, but photos of clogged units are cleaner and easier to handle. Most manufacturers also have excellent images and explanations on their websites. In the end, DPFs, like most filters, have a dirty job to do and they need to be maintained. On the bright side, it’s nice for us, and our diesel engines, to be able to breathe.

Conclusion The fact is that while fuel costs are lower, newer diesel vehicles need costly maintenance to keep them running, they tend to take longer than expected to repair when they do break down, and they’re programmed to stop operating when their emission systems are neglected. And despite all that, people still love them.

mounting options are near endless — rotating base, magnets in the base, a carabiner for hanging them and tripod mount. All products are extremely well thought out,” he says. Industrial site lights, including the CRI-2300, SLR-1300, SLR-2500, and the SLR-4750, all feature IK07 shock resistance, as well as dust and water resistance. The CRI-2300 is a super-bright CRI 96+ with five colour settings, a maximum runtime of eight hours, and boasts 2300 lumens with a 58m range — perfect when working in engine bays and panel and paint workshops. High-power head torches from Unilite should also be on a mechanic’s shopping list, with options including dual power or rechargeable, sensor control and/or high-power features. For more information, call 09 444 2560, see unilite.co.nz, or email sales@unilite.co.nz.

Let there be Unilite UNILITE IS A PREMIUM PORTABLE LIGHTING BRAND FOR TRADIES AND EMERGENCY SERVICES IN THE UK. IT’S NOW AVAILABLE HERE

ince 1981, Unilite portable lighting has proven its worth with the UK’s Metropolitan Police, fire service, and automotive and trade sectors. “They are very robust, reliable, high-quality units that are made for everyday use in the workshop,” distributor Premium Tools ANZ director Andrew Cordes says. “They have a number of features that benefit the automotive trade. Let’s take a work light: the

‘In a world of grey, we stand out’ TOTAL BODYSHOP HAS CARVED OUT A NICHE IN PAINT SUPPLY BY FOCUSING ON DELIVERING WORLD-CLASS PRODUCTS WITH A COMPLETE DEDICATION TO SERVICE

wner Kelvin Daly says Total Bodyshop is New Zealand's fastest-growing paint store both online and within the trade. “We sell paint and body-shop equipment. That’s it. That’s all we do,” says Kelvin. As the supplier of one of the world’s best respected paint brands, it delivers PPG automotive, industrial-, wood-, and powder-coating products to trade shops all over New Zealand. “We started in 1999 with a small high-street shop in Lower Hutt. Twenty-one years on, we have three stores — in Petone, Palmerston North, and Hastings — that service all parts of the country.” Kelvin says that Total Bodyshop imports the best technology from around the world, everything needed to panel beat or paint a car, truck, train, plane, or kitchen. The materials are backed up with technical advice and support from four fully qualified and experienced spray painters, part of Total Bodyshop’s 21-strong team. The company’s Petone base is a purpose-built facility with a spray booth and training school offering trade and non-trade training. “We have an amazing team of completely different people from all walks of life and they will go out of their way to help you, and no one will

Auto Channel Issue #33 March 2021

beat us on price or product. “In a world of grey, we stand out,” says Kelvin. Kelvin is being a little modest here about his achievements. It would be fair to say when he started up in 1999 that the wholesale chain was a pretty ‘closed’ shop. Total Bodyshop is a Blackfern supplier. Blackfern’s Roger Castleton says that Kelvin had created space in a virtual closed-shop industry by “wriggling into the gaps” with determination and imagination. “He brought competition into the sector not just in pricing but by adding service and skills to the industry. He’s a great Kiwi battler,” says Roger. For more information, see totalbodyshop.co.nz or blackfern.coop.

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Supplying to the Trade

New Zealand Wide - Wholesale Only Warehouses in Auckland, Christchurch, Geraldine and Invercargill

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Quality brands Prices to the trade Premium and budget tyre options available Excellent profit centre for tyre shops and garages Online ordering 24 hours

FREE PHONE: 0800 80 90 96

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Auto Channel has unsurpassed reach into the wider Automotive trade, direct mailed to over 11,000 business owners in New Zealand.

For all your ABS ISSues L e a k s , B y p a s s e s , O b s t r u c t i o n s , V a lv e T e s t i n g , M oto r R e b u i l d s a n d E l ec t ro n i c R e pa i rs

Call me to today to discuss ways I can help you grow your business through NZ’s highest circulating automotive trade publication! Mark Everleigh - 09 222 1729

Products

The latest automotive products

Top tech, guaranteed Century’s Ultra Hi Performance batteries use the latest in battery technology to deliver proven power, performance, and reliability. They are specifically designed to deliver superior performance in power-hungry modern vehicles. Features including calcium battery-plate groups, advanced grid designs and optimised paste formulation, and Century’s revolutionary maintenance-free lid technology, combine to deliver superior starting power, exceptional corrosion resistance, and longer life. For more information on Century’s comprehensive range, call 0800 93 93 93 or visit centurybatteries.co.nz.

Just add adventure Rola’s range of cycle racks includes the easy-to-use, roofmounted Rola, which has wheel-on or wheel-off options that will attach to most reputable roof racks. The TX series of tow bar–mounted racks caters for two to three, or four, and secures directly into the popular Titan Hitch-style tow bars. The FX series mounts using the vehicle’s tow ball, making it a universal fitting at a lower cost. Prices range from $89.95 to $314.95, incl. GST. Call 0800 698 227 or visit myautomotive.co.nz.

Automaster for heavy duty First muffler 1st Auto Parts new self-branded mufflers offer stainless-steel durability at a very competitive price. The inlet and outlet are offset and centre, which allows for the muffler to be installed in multiple orientations. They have a straight-through design with perforated holes throughout and fibreglass packing. And the welding looks good. Priced from $39. Contact the team at 1st Auto Parts on 09 638 6439 or see 1stparts.co.nz for more information.

The Automaster AM-203IT Pro Series heavy-duty tyre-changer is the most popular in the Automaster line-up. Built tough with only premium quality components, you can bank on years of dependability. Fully featured with a tubeless air-blast inflation system and a pedalcontrolled inflation gauge, it retails for $3795, plus GST. See automaster.co.nz or phone 0800 214 604.

Clears the floor The Century 4000B is a commercial four-tonne clear-floor lift at an affordable price. It has an overall height of 3750mm and extra-wide arms, making drive-in easy. The lift has automatic arm restraints and carriage locks, dual limit switches, dual levelling cables, door protection rubbers, double telescopic lift pads, and 100mm 4x4 adapters as standard. Supplied standard in single phase for a wide range of applications at $5499, plus GST, delivered and installed. Contact centurydistributors.co.nz for more information.

Auto Channel Issue #33 March 2021

Generally favoured AC Delco oil filters provide the first line of defence from contaminants that can seriously degrade engine performance and lifespan. AC Delco Duraguard filters are designed to have high efficiency capabilities throughout the life of the filter. The cellulose and synthetic fibre material used in Duraguard oil filters will trap virtually all contaminants larger than 25μm, which is smaller than a third of the width of a human hair, and many microscopic particles. For price and availability, contact a Holden service centre.

Protective and peelable Plasti Dip Glossy Black Spray provides a protective gloss black finish without the need for a separate gloss topcoat. Plasti Dip is a synthetic rubber-based coating that’s perfect for do-it-yourself projects around the home, garage, garden, or shop. Plasti Dip is used widely for automotive detailing, coating wheels, and painting decals that can be peeled off without affecting the car’s OEM finish. Plasti Dip can be used to coat wood, metal, glass, rope, plastic, rubber, concrete, and tools. It remains stretchy, provides electrical insulation, and it is anti-slip and abrasion resistant. Contact automotive and hardware stockists for pricing.

Fully auto four-poster The Steiner Professional Series LT440APRO hoist is designed and built in Europe to exacting standards. It’s a premium hoist geared to deliver ease of use and long-term reliability in high-volume workshops. It has specific safety and protection systems against obstacles (toes), cable breakdown, and motor overheating. This fully automatic hoist has a magnetic locking system with no need for an air compressor or additional air lines, and smooth lowering via a controllable hydraulic system. For more details, contact Treadway Equipped on 0800 436 436.

Heavy-duty commercial greaser

Trust Delkor Delkor Batteries have proven reliability, having won the Korean Standard Quality Excellence Index (KS-QEI) Award for 15 consecutive years. Most Delkor batteries use the brand’s Powerframe Grid technology, which provides a claimed 66 per cent more durability than standard grids, and 70 per cent better electrical flow. The Delkor Battery range has sizes to suit all makes, models, and applications, including automotive, AGM, EFB, commercial, marine, and leisure batteries. For more information, see delkor.com.au. Trade enquiries, contact R&J Batteries.

The portable Raasm Grease Kit (64031) grease dispenser will accommodate drums with an external diameter of 260–300mm. It is ideal for dispensing from 18kg grease pails, but also fits small or medium drums from 12 to 30kg. It comes with a drum cover and follower plate. The pump ratio is 50:1. Recommended trade price is $907, plus GST, from trade suppliers, or contact Emco on 07 850 5240, or email sales@emco.co.nz to purchase through Capricorn account. A 65:1-ratio pump is also available, as well as drum trollies.

Supplier directory

PA R Be TS

a S ra ring UP di s P at , d LY or iff : s, s, en al SE gi ter RV ne n O IC co ato ils E ,g C m rs, po br re O as N ne ak e, S nt e c co UM s, om ol A W Ba p an B O tte on L t R , E rie en Ra K t S r an : s ts gs SH , s cl , lu O fl ea b P ui ne ric C d, rs an O bu , C ts N lb SU ar , P SU s, flu SP C PE M ar , A sh Ti E a B e e N er L es , r A bu od SIO irc oso ES on ls : sh s, N ,a es ba & br , b ll j S as ea oin TE AF iv rin ts E es TE , r RI g , s, ac N Au R sh k G di M oc en : dr o, AR ks ds es pe K , s rf ET up or , p m AC W ai an C nt ce ES O /w p S D RK ra ar O ia S p, ts, RI g ha no HO dr bo ES nd sti P iv d : el y c E to s, Q iv ki e ts ol ho U s, is IP , RE sp ts M PA , ec e E N Au IR l ia ec T l to ist tr : en E SER se ics gi lec V rv , p ne tr IC ic ow i e c re al E: eq er bu , g W ui to ild ea pm ol IN r s b , D W S en s, su ox in C t sp es d m sc RE en , c irr re E sio yli or en N nd n S s, s ,c e w ,c & oo r h ip hi G W er p LA lin ead H s, re S g s, E O E cu pa S EM LS st irs : om , s re re & pa p T fit ide irs lac YR m gl , c em E en as S: o t s, e ns n AU t um , TO t re ab yre st R le s, s, fit su ora EFI in tin pp tio N ne g lie n, ISH r t /b s, sm E ub ala sp a R es nc ra sh S: in yp re g, ai pa nt ir er s, s, au pa to in b tc o or dy re ct io n

YOUR GUIDE TO NEW ZEALAND'S LEADING AUTOMOTIVE TRADE SUPPLIERS

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0800 472 787 0800 200 100 0800 445 889 0800 333 125 aecs.net 06 874 9077 bntnz.co.nz 09 414 3200 hcb.co.nz or 0800 422 228

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precisionequipment.co.nz 0800 246 478

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jasoceania.co.nz or 0800 527 335

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dieseldistributors.co.nz or 09 265 0622 09 836 6673

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autolign.co.nz or 09 574 2288 tatp.co.nz or 0800 268 266

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smitsgroup.co.nz or 0800 227 422

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griffithsequipment.co.nz or 09 525 4575

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parts@1stautoparts.co.nz or 09 638 6439 mountshop.co.nz or 0508 866 686

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bmw.co.nz or 0508 269 727 cyb.co.nz or 09 978 6666

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0800 465 855 0800 549 429

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automaster.co.nz or 0800 214 604 centurydistributors.co.nz

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dtm.co.nz or 0800 621 233

nzmotoroils.com or 0800 942 645

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0800 383 566 06 306 8446 or blackfern.coop redarcelectronics.co.nz 0800 757 333 or fenixautoparts.co.nz

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crc.co.nz or 09 272 2700 rjbatt.co.nz or 09 636 5980

 Auto Channel Issue #33 March 2021

patchrubber.co.nz or 0508 837 248

penriteoil.co.nz or 0800 533 698

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smitsgroup.co.nz or 0800 227 422

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treadwayequipped.co.nz 0800 436 436

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sales@advancefc.co.nz 0800 538 058 holden.co.nz/dealers

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07 850 5240

0800 188 122

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mmnz.co.nz or 0800 54 53 52

cooldrive.co.nz or 0800 327 868 ryco.co.nz or 0800 838 222

ford.co.nz or 0800 367 369

tyreorder.co.nz or 0800 80 90 96 moreyoil.co.nz or 09 813 9200 gearwrench.co.nz

The Auto Channel supplier directory is your easy reference for sourcing a range of automotive products and services.

This directory is a paid service for businesses who supply to the New Zealand automotive trade. To secure your inclusion, contact Mark Everleigh on 09 222 1729 or mark.everleigh@parkside.co.nz.

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a S ra ring UP di s P at , d LY or iff : s, s, en al SE gi ter RV ne n O IC co ato ils E ,g C m rs, po br re O as N ne ak e, S nt e c co UM s, om ol A W Ba p an B O tte on L t R , E rie en Ra K t S r a s ts gs SH : n , s cl , lu O fl ea b P ui ne ric C d, O rs an bu , C ts N lb SU ar , P SU s, flu SP C PE M a , a AB sh Ti E r e e N es , A er L r S bu od IO irc oso ES on ls : sh s, N ,a es ba & br , b ll j S as ea oin TE AF iv rin ts E es TE , r RI g , s, ac N Au R sh k G di M oc en : dr o, AR ks ds es pe K , s rf ET up or , p m AC W ai an C nt ce ES O /w p S D RK ra ar O ia S g p, ts, RI ha no HO dr bo ES nd sti P iv d : el y c E to s, Q iv ki e ts ol ho U s, is IP , RE sp ts M PA , ec e E N Au IR l ia ec T lis t : to S t s ric en E ER er s, gi lec V vi po ne tr IC ce w i c re al E: eq er bu , g W ui to ild ea pm ol IN s, rb W DS en s, su ox in C t sp es d m sc RE en , c irr re E sio yli or en N n, nd s, s S co er w ,c & ip hi G W ol he er p LA in ad H s, re S g s, E O E cu pa S EM LS st irs : om , s re re & pa p T fit ide irs lac YR m gl , c em E en as on e S: t s, AU su nt, TO m ty re ab re st R le s, s, fit su ora EFI in tin pp tio N ne g lie n, ISH r t /b s, sm E ub ala sp a R es nc ra sh S: in yp re g, ai pa nt ir er s, s, au pa to in b tc o or dy re ct io n

PA R Be TS

Five welding safety tips ADHERING TO THESE FIVE SAFETY PRECAUTIONS WILL ENSURE A SAFER AND MORE PRODUCTIVE WORK ENVIRONMENT

eing an automotive technician means having to deal with flying sparks, heavy tools, and high heat. This is especially true if you are doing any kind of welding. Here are five safety tips to ensure your safety while welding. 1. Wear the right clothing Clothes should at least cover the body. Overalls specially designed for welding are highly recommended, but denim or other thick and heatresistant material should be the minimum standard. Trousers with cuffs or lots of creases can also catch sparks. Wear high-top leather shoes or boots that close the gap around the ankles. Wear cloth shoes and you may start feeling a burning sensation in your feet. 2. Wear a shaded helmet A shaded or auto-darkening helmet will protect your eyes from sparks and let you work comfortably. Auto-darkening helmets are also lighter, which means less strain on your neck. An auto-darkening speed of 1/10,000 to 1/20,000 seconds is recommended. Avoid auto-darkening helmets with speeds of 1/2000 to 1/3600 seconds. 3. Clear the workspace Welding machines feature cords, clamps, and other electrical components that can catch on stray

items. Before welding, spend a bit of time clearing the workspace of hazards. Keeping everything organised also makes it easy to quickly access the tools you need. 4. Ensure proper ventilation Apart from sparks, welding also produces fumes and smoke. You can use an exhaust hood to get rid of these fumes, or a respirator may be required for some welding tools. It is best to ensure that the room you are welding in is well ventilated with proper circulation of breathable air. 5. Invest in a boom-mounted wire feeder A boom feeder reduces cable clutter. It also eliminates the need for lifting the wire feeders, which may be quite hefty. Safety first Every automotive garage or repair shop is different and may have safety protocols that are unique to it, but adhering to all five safety precautions will ensure a safer and more productive work environment.

Carbon build-up: then and now

Tyre dealers Suspension and underbody repairers Steering specialists Towing operators

DIRECT-INJECTION ENGINES OFFER A DIFFERENT SET OF CARBON-DEPOSIT PROBLEMS

arbon build-up in the combustion chambers, on valves, and in intake manifolds has reduced performance and caused other drivability issues for a long time. In recent years, cleaner-running gasoline direct-injection (GDI) systems have produced a slightly different set of carbon-deposit problems that require different repair strategies. The combustion chambers and exhaust valves of old-style petrol engines with carburettors tended to get caked with a hard, brittle coating of carbon over time, due to carburettors’ imprecise fuel-air mixtures, especially during warm-up and at low or idle speeds. Electronic fuel injection and on-board diagnostics ended the era of rich mixtures, but these leaner mixtures run considerably hotter than before. That causes the lubricating oil inside these engines to give off more fumes, and oil vapours produce more contaminants. Additionally, lower tension piston rings allow more gases into the crankcase. Crankcase breather systems are also set up to vent this mixture of oil vapour, unburned fuel, and water vapour back into the

Auto Channel Issue #33 March 2021

Auto-electrical repairers New- and used-car dealers Air conditioning repairers Heavy machinery dealers Trucking and transport intake manifold where it turns into a sludgy or gummy residue. Engine oil can also seep past valve-stem seals and coat valve heads and seats. Unlike older engines, valves in GDI systems are not scoured by incoming atomised fuel, which tended to keep them relatively free and clean of carbon deposits. Now, valves get coated with unburned oil deposits. Note that more modern engines will adjust to work around the problem and continue to adjust settings until they can no longer mask issues. That makes it important to perform carbon cleaning on a more regular basis, ideally non-intrusively. Advancements in chemical treatment technology now allow technicians to remove large carbon deposits without engine disassembly. Experience so far seems to indicate that decarbonisation at 50,000km intervals will safeguard against extreme and expensive carbon build-up on intake surfaces known to lead to very poor performance or complete breakdown.

Auto Channel Issue No. 34 distributed 3o March

Editorial: editor@autochannel.co.nz Advertising: Mike White michael.white@parkside.co.nz All other enquiries to: autochannel.co.nz Auto Channel is produced by Parkside Media, publishers of NZ’s three biggest-selling automotive magazines NZ Performance Car, New Zealand Classic Car, and NZV8.

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