GT Spring 2015

SPRING 2015

ADE LISBURN

celebrates first anniversary as Dublin HQ hits 50

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CONTENTS GT

SPRING 2015

www.garagetrader.co.uk

Spring 2015

Inside this issue... subscriptions: (UK £18.00 Outside UK £27.50)

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News...

TO ADVERTISE IN THE MAGAZINE CALL: (028) 9078 3200 REGARDING EDITORIAL CALL: (028) 9078 3220 General Manager Eileen Wilson eileenwilson@greerpublications.com Editor Pat Burns patburns@greerpublications.com Art Editor Helen Wright Publishers James & Gladys Greer Designed & Produced by Greer Publications Design Greer Publications Ltd, 5B Edgewater Business Park, Belfast Harbour Estate, Belfast, BT3 9JQ Tel: 028 9078 3200 Fax: 028 9078 3210 Greer Publications © 2015. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior permission of Greer Publications.

Motor Insurers face a critical shortfall in crash repair capacity......................................................................4 Car companies profit in UB 200 list................................................................................................................5 SIMI Industry Awards in Dublin.........................................................................................................................6 Parts Doc: new motor factors opens in Coleraine......................................................................................29

Special Features...

Northern Ireland Bodyshop Symposium in Lisburn.........................................................................................8 Technical Tips on Renault DCi belt change.................................................................................................16 ADE Lisburn first year in business.......................................................................................................................39 Technical Tips on Mini braking electronic system..................................................................................... ......44

People...

Motor & Commercial Dungannon celebrate 25 years in business.............................................................26 Batyre celebrate their 50th anniversary........................................................................................................33 The Northern Ireland Apprentice Challenge 2015.......................................................................................55 Stuart Alexander of Car-O-Liner is in the Driver’s Seat..................................................................................62 26

33

16

62

T

he old expression, ‘Turnover is for show, profit is for dough’ seems particularly apt when looking at the motor trade. Northern Ireland’s motor dealers have massive turnovers, but actual profits barely reach 3 per cent of turnover, with some dealers registering less than 1 per cent of turnover as profit.

The figures have been released by Garage Trader’s sister publication Ulster Business. The UB 200, which lists the top 200 Northern Ireland firms with turnover of £60m or less, included 15 motor retailers and fleet managers which between them were turning over £466m, according to latest published accounts, which mostly relate to 2013.

Early indications suggest a slightly slower start to the year for new car registrations in NI compared to last year. A total of 18,295 new cars were registered in the three months to the end of March, according to the Society of Motor Manufacters and Traders (SMMT), a fall of nearly 2%. However, that follows a strong performance for 2014 as a whole Editor when new car sales climbed by 9% to a seven-year high.

Pat Burns

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Garage Trader Magazine

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GT

NEWS

IN BRIEF

Motor insurers face critical shortfall in crash repair capacity

T

he latest UK Car Body Repair Market report, by independent research company Trend Tracker, warns that insurance company profits will be dented by a repair capacity deficit.

The number of car body repair bodyshops has declined by 32% over the last decade and Trend Tracker predicts a further 9% decline, to just 3,020 by 2020.

This, combined with an expected

2% increase in the number of repairs, will create an 11% shortfall in repair capacity by 2020. The resulting backlogs will increase insurers’ costs and leave vehicle owners frustrated.

With insurance companies financing around 70% of all accident repairs, bodyshop owners have long bemoaned the lack of profit in insurance-funded repairs. This, coupled with a fall in the number of accident repairs since the 2006

peak, has led to many bodyshop closures.

Based on an average insurance accident repair cost of £1,380, a large insurer-approved bodyshop, operating on modern factory flowline repair principles, will typically earn just £13.52 net profit on a job taking 15.7 hours to complete (source: ABP Club). This equates to a profit of just 86p per hour per repair.

Robert Macnab, lead analyst at Trend Tracker, commented: “As recently as 2004 there was a repair capacity excess of nearly 50%.

Insurers were spoilt for choice in terms of who to give work to and could dictate terms. The increasing repair capacity deficit will put quality bodyshops in a much stronger position to secure a better deal from insurers.

“We will see more repairers renegotiating or simply rejecting the least profitable insurance contracts, particularly where there is an openended obligation for them to provide courtesy cars at their own expense.

The hourly labour rate is also likely to rise, further denting insurers’ profits.”

“Passing on these extra costs to

Two Northern Ireland Renault dealers through to JD Power finals T

wo Northern Ireland Renault dealers are through to the final of the JD Power Renault Dealer awards.

Renault UK has announced that Bells of Crossgar and TC Autos of Omagh are on the list of nominees for its ‘J.D Power 2015 Dealer of Excellence’ awards. Following further rounds of independent assessment the eventual recipients of this unique industry accreditation will receive their ‘J.D. Power Dealer of Excellence’ award at a presentation ceremony in July.

2015 marks the second year that the Renault Group UK dealer network has been independently audited for service quality by global market research experts J.D. Power. The ‘J.D. Power Dealer of Excellence’ accolade will be bestowed upon dealerships that push the boundaries and consistently deliver an outstanding level of customer experience.

Commenting on the announcement of this year’s nominees, Steve Whitcombe, Head of Network Quality and Training, Renault UK, said: “Our strategy brings customer feedback even further into the heart of our business. We are committed to providing the right framework of development and support to ensure all our teams have the skill, knowledge and aptitude to deliver an excellent customer experience.

“The dealers nominated as J.D. Power Dealers of Excellence for 2015 have gone the extra mile and fully deserve their nomination to this prestigious and exclusive programme for delivering what our customers rightly demand most – outstanding service experience,” added Whitcombe. ■ 4 - garageTRADER

motorists might not be an option for insurers. The UK motor insurance market is highly competitive and attempts by insurers to raise premiums have often come unstuck, particularly due to the influence of price comparison websites, which encourage low prices.”

Since peaking in 2006, the annual volume of car body repairs has fallen by 28% and the number of car body repair workshops has declined by 24%. The rise in oil and petrol pump prices during that time discouraged consumers and businesses from using their cars, resulting in fewer accidents.

This trend was compounded by the onset of recession in 2008.

Trend Tracker, which has been analysing the market since 1994, notes that the UK car accident repair market has historically been very stable and resistant to macro-economic trends. The recent upheaval is unprecedented.

Now the market seems set for a period of sustained albeit modest growth, as lower fuel costs encourage greater car use, resulting in an increase in the number of accidents and the number of car body repairs. ■

Chrysler to leave the UK in 2017

C

hrysler dealers have been issued two years notice that the brand will withdraw from the UK in 2017.

Chrysler UK said the latest possible date that the brand will be operating in the UK will be March 15, 2017 and its network of car dealers has been given 24 months notice of termination.

The departure has been widely expected, as Fiat Chrysler Automobiles UK, the parent group, had begun promoting Jeep as a separate entity over the past 24 months after years of trading from Chrysler Jeep dealerships.

Chrysler’s product line-up, including the rebranded Lancia models the Ypsilon and Delta, as well as the US-based 300C and Grand Voyager MPV, have struggled to gain significant interest among UK consumers.

In 2014 Chrysler’s new registrations in the UK totalled 1,982 units. ■

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NEWS GT IN BRIEF

Car companies profit in Ulster Business 200 list C

ar companies made nearly £4m profit over the last year in a list of some of the biggest companies in Northern Ireland, according to Garage Trader’s sister publication, Ulster Business.

The UB 200, which lists the top 200 Northern Ireland firms with turnover of £60m or less, included 15 motor retailers and fleet managers which between them were turning over £466m, according to latest published accounts, which mostly relate to 2013.

They had a net worth of nearly £37m and employed a total of 1,081 people.

The listing, produced by Dun & Bradstreet, details the financial results of the 200 companies which fall just outside the annual Ulster Business Top 100 Companies list, one which includes the likes of Charles Hurst, Donnelly Brothers Garages, Lindsay Cars, Bavarian Garages, Isaac Agnew and Agnew Commercials.

Some of the Top 100 names appear again in the UB 200 as subsidiaries of holding companies while others appear twice as a result of accounting splits in their businesses.

Early indications suggest a slightly

Rank

Company

Turnover (£000)

Pre-Tax Profit (£000)

Net Worth (£000)

1

Isaac Agnew (Mallusk) Ltd

55,400

1,066

2,120

2

Desmond Motors Ltd

44,960

82

1,748

3

Donnelly Bros. Garages (Fermanagh) Ltd

40,696

-112

1,073

4

Donnelly Bros. (Belfast) Ltd

37,935

23

2,941

5

M-B Truck and Van (NI) Ltd

32,932

330

3,316

6

David Prentice (Cars) Ltd

29,254

-1,597

867

7

SERE Ltd

28,992

527

1,534

8

S.E.R.E. Holdings Ltd

28,897

378

773

9

J.K.C. Specialist Cars Ltd

28,673

103

3,496

10

Shelbourne Motors Ltd

28,281

362

4,777

11

Agnew Autoexchange Ltd

24,553

386

2,145

12

John Mulholland Motors Ltd

24,502

687

5,664

13

Fleet Financial Ltd

22,006

803

1,982

14

Pat Kirk Ltd

19,769

210

3,258

15

Agnew Corporate Ltd

19,506

683

1,166

466,356

3,931

36,860

slower start to the year for new car registrations in Northern Ireland compared to last year.

A total of 18,295 new car keys were handed over in the three months to the end of March, according to the Society of Motor Manufacters and Traders (SMMT), a fall of nearly 2%.

However, that follows a strong performance for 2014 as a whole when new car sales climbed by 9% to a seven-year high.

The full UB 200 reported a 0.7% increase in turnover to £6.87bn in 2013 compared to the previous year.

Profitability of the UB 200 jumped

sharply by 130% to £374m over the year with only 27 companies reporting a pretax loss.

Net worth for the UB 200 was also up, climbing 7.6% to £5.573.7m, while total employment amongst the group was down on the year by 8.5% to 38,204.

John Mulholland Motors take top Škoda award R

andalstown’s John Mulholland Motor Group has been named as the UK’s number one Škoda dealership.

The dealership, which earlier this year completed a £1m refurbishment, beat off 135 other Škoda retailers to claim the prestigious crown at a gala awards ceremony in Seville, Spain.

“We’re blown away at clinching this accolade,” company owner John Mulholland said. “It’s a monumental achievement for the dealership and underlines the incredible work everyone here has put in over many years.”

This marks an unprecedented success for the Northern Ireland motor trade and is the first time that Škoda have awarded their top accolade to a dealership from the province.

“We’ve managed to see off every single dealer, from every big city across the UK, including a number of major plcs like Arnold Clark and the Ridgeway Group.” “Škoda judged us on every key metric, from new and used car sales through to customer service, to parts, after-sales, return on investment – indeed they go through their dealerships with a fine tooth comb.”

John and his wife Alicia were flown first class to Dubai, where Škoda’s UK Managing Director Alisdair Stewart hosted them to a VIP bash at the luxury, seven-star Burj Al Arab hotel where Škoda board member Werner Eichhorn personally presented John with a plaque to commemorate gaining the

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Alisdair Stewart, MD, Škoda UU, presents the UU Dealer of the Year Award to John Mulholland. Also pictured is Claudia Winkleman who compered the awards in Seville.

accolade of number one dealership in the UK. From there they were whisked off to the Škoda UK Retailer of the Year awards in Seville hosted by Claudia Winkleman from the hit BBC1 show Strictly Come Dancing.

garageTRADER - 5

GT

NEWS

IN BRIEF

Irish Motor Industry Awards

celebrate the best in the industry T

he SIMI Irish Motor Industry Awards in partnership with new sponsor Bank of Ireland Finance was held recently at a glittering ceremony at the DoubleTree

by Hilton Hotel, Dublin. The accolades were announced by RTE presenter Des Cahill in front of over 700 of the Motor Industry’s senior figures and guests.

The awards honoured those businesses that have demonstrated excellence and best practice in their Industry over the last 12 months. The awards are open to all sectors of the Irish Motor Industry and seven award categories were presented by James Brookes President of the Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI) and Pat Creed, Managing Director of Sponsors Bank of Ireland Finance.

Addressing the audience, SIMI President James Brooks called for the motor industry to look to the future with renewed confidence.

“We are an industry that thrives on confidence; Consumer confidence together with the availability of finance are vital for selling new and used vehicles”. Stating that the Industry had turned a corner, he acknowledged that the 2nd registration plate was a contributing factor which now gives the Industry a second sales peak each year. He thanked all involved in delivering this better system. The SIMI President also noted the industry’s work in areas such as End of life Vehicles (ELVES) the structural repair of vehicles (CSS) and Commercial Vehicle Testing (VTN).

Commenting on the increase in passenger car sales, up 32% so far this year, and Light commercial vehicles sales up an astonishing 70%; James Brooks noted that consumers are starting to spend again. ■

Award Winners • Franchised Sales Operation of the Year – Blackstone Motors, New Grange Business Park, Donore Road, Drogheda, Co Louth.

• Franchised Aftersales Operation of the Year – Blackstone Motors, New Grange Business Park, Donore Road, Drogheda, Co Louth.

• Commercial Vehicle Operation of the Year – Nolan Motors, Curryline, Newtownforbes, Co Longford.

• Independent Sales Operation of the Year – Auto Assure, Grays Lane, Park Street, Dundalk, Co. Louth.

• Independent Aftersales Operation of the Year – Green Auto Service, Enniskerry Road, Kilternan, Dublin 18.

• Bodyshop of the Year – Pratt’s Auto Bodyshop Ltd, Hacketstown Road, Bennekerry, Co. Carlow.

• Apprentice of the Year – Andrew Bushe of G. Bushe Motors, Inchicore Dublin 8.

• Outstanding Achievement Award – Robert Prole, founder of Contact After Retirement.

(L-R): Noel Stewart, Director Blackstone Motors; James Brooks, SIMI President; Donal Waters, Director Blackstone Motors and Pat Creed, Managing Director of Bank of Ireland Finance.

(L-R): James Brooks, SIMI President; Andrew Bushe of G. Bushe Motors (Apprentice of the Year) and Pat Creed, Managing Director of Bank of Ireland Finance.

(L-R): James Brooks, SIMI President; Niall Nolan and Michael Nolan, Directors of Nolan Motors and Pat Creed, Managing Director of Bank of Ireland Finance.

(L-R): James Brooks, SIMI President; Nigel Pratt, Proprietor Pratt’s Auto Bodyshop Ltd and Pat Creed, Managing Director of Bank of Ireland Finance.

(L-R): Eoin McGuinness, Director Auto Assure; James Brooks, SIMI President; Adrian Sherman, Director Auto Assure and Pat Creed, Managing Director of Bank of Ireland Finance.

(L-R): James Brooks, SIMI President; Robert Prole, founder of Contact After Retirement and Pat Creed, Managing Director of Bank of Ireland Finance.

(L-R): James Brooks, SIMI President; Gregg Moore and Ian O’Brien, Directors Green Auto Service and Pat Creed, Managing Director of Bank of Ireland Finance.

(L-R): James Brooks, SIMI President; Donal Waters, Director Blackstone Motors; Pat Creed, Managing Director of Bank of Ireland Finance and Noel Stewart, Director Blackstone Motors.

6 - garageTRADER

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NEWSGT IN BRIEF

Ireland’s largest car supermarket opens for business T he Charles Hurst Group, Northern Ireland’s biggest used-car retailer is opening what it claims will be Ireland’s largest car supermarket.

The Charles Hurst Goup has opened its Usedirect Ireland outlet at the Kingswood Interchange on the Naas Road, Dublin, in a move that combines its online and physical presence in the market.

The subsidiary of automotive retail giant Lookers plc already runs the Dublin Audi Centre in Ballsbridge and has premises at Goatstown and Sandyford.

The group says it will have the biggest selection of used models in the country and its arrival, at a time when Sterling is strong against the Euro, will be watched with interest given the improving state of the new and used car market.

Launching the new Charles Hurst Usedirect Ireland showroom at Kingswood Exchange, CityWest is model Lynne Kelly and Mark Weir, General Manager.

New Hella Training Academy courses announced

T

he Hella Training Academy offers quality training courses delivered by highly trained professional tutors.

The Academy has two courses on offer in May, the Mobile Air Conditioning Handler Certificate (F-GAS) and the Oscilloscope Training Course, in Woodford Business Park, Santry, Dublin: Mobile Air Conditioning Handler Certificate (F-GAS) 18th May 1 day course 19th May 1 day course Oscilloscope Training Course Wed 20th May 1 day course Thurs 21st May 1 day course To book a place on a course, call Ken Johnson on 087 2773757 “Educating our independent mechanics is one of the major pillars in our Tools, Parts and Service strategy. From my point of view, we as an industry have the responsibility to provide training to the Independent Aftermarket to help our mechanics repair all the cars of tomorrow. That was the idea of starting the Hella Training Academy and bringing together the best trainers,” said Johannes Schade, Hella Ireland.

Gates announces TechPartner programme for the aftermarket F

ree training for garage mechanics, an extra two years warranty on automotive parts, greater access to specialist tools, plus branded signage that confirms TechPartner status are all part of a ground-breaking programme for the aftermarket just announced by Gates.

The Gates TechPartner programme is a tripartite agreement that unites independent garages, motor factors and Gates – one of the world’s largest manufacturers of belts and tensioners – in a partnership that will deliver enhanced technical support and promote ‘best practice’ amongst installers of Gates products.

It gives garage customers the prospect of a better deal at the same time.

Garage signatories to the TechPartner programme undertake to participate in technical drive systems training provided by Gates and will agree to install parts according to the correct installation procedures. Training, plus the use of specialist tools are the keys to success.

Motor factors will play a vital role in the Gates TechPartner programme.

Through them, Gates will share more technical expertise and deliver the free technical training that will help mechanics in independent workshops to keep pace with the technological evolution in engine technology. The motor factors will also undertake to stock the Gates product range and the specialist tools, which will be available for sale or hire, where appropriate.

Kerr’s Tyres sign Three Year Tyre Deal with Hannon Transport K

err’s Tyres has signed a three year deal with Hannon Transport to supply, fit and maintain all tyres for the companies fleet of over 300 units and trailers.

Hannon is one of Ireland’s leading refrigerated haulage companies dealing with the transportation of cut flowers, plants, fruit, vegetables, meat and dairy from mainland Europe across the UK and Ireland.

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The three year deal, with an option to extend for a further three years, will focus on the supply, fit and maintenance of Fuel Efficiency tyres designed to reduce fuel costs and the number of breakdowns over the life of the contract.

Pictured (left to right): Norman Kerr, Managing Director, Kerr’s Tyres and Aodh Hannon, Managing Director, Hannon Transport. garageTRADER - 7

GT

NEWS

IN BRIEF

Educating Customers is Essential

T

he Northern Ireland Bodyshop Alliance recently held a symposium in Lisburn Civic Centre. One of the guest speakers was Tim Kelly, who runs a company called ‘Motor Claim Guru.’

Mr Kelly worked as an engineer for 18 years for RAC accident services, as an independent engineer, Directline at RBS and more recently AVIVA. He spoke to the guests about how to improve their labour rates from insurance companies.

Mr Kelly asked, “How many other industries are there where you get told by the party responsible for the bill what you can charge them? Not only that, they want you to justify everything you do, provide proof of where you bought your parts from, at what price, and want you to share the discounts you have secured?

“The current model is a tri-partate agreement between the bodyshop, the customer and the insurance company acting as an “agent” on behalf of the customer. The instant you have the insurance company acting as an agent on behalf of the 8 - garageTRADER

Tim Kelly

customer there is a conflict of interest.

“You need to remember who the “customer” is! Your customer is the consumer, not the insurer or accident management company. You are there to service the customers’ needs, the insurance company is under contract with the customer to “indemnify” them and pay the bill.

“The current model, the industry clearly does not work? Yourselves

as bodyshops do not make enough money! The average profit margin for repairers is 2-3%. The repair industry has been massively affected by insurers , many bodyshops are either going bust or joining large networks and being consolidated. It may not be far ahead in the future where we will see four large networks, but this does not mean there is not potential for everyone else.

“ICOBS Is the regulatory framework from the Financial Conduct Authority that under the Financial service and markets act, ALL insurers must abide. Imagine my surprise to find on reading the regulations that what I thought I knew and was led to believe by insurance companies was actually incorrect!

“Insurers must treat customers fairly, under icobs 8.3.3 where an insurer has sold a policy to a consumer it is the customer’s “agent” if the firm intends to be the insurers undertaking “agent” it needs to consider the risk of becoming unable to act without breaching its duty to either the contract or the customer making the claim and make the customer aware of this. To do so would be a conflict of interest, what does this mean? It means insurers should not be negotiating with you.

You have the right the right to charge whatever you want as long as it is “reasonable.”

“When dealing with insurance companies, what you have to remember is that is nothing to do

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NEWSGT IN BRIEF

Crash Services: Kerona Hasson, Niamh Shannon, Tony McKeown, Gerry Quinn and Lisa Gribben

Sean Bradley, Tony McKeown, Derek Lockhart, Jonathan McKeown

with repairing vehicles. It is all about financial loss, and the insurer will do everything it can to minimise settlement. So what is the proper measure of the customers loss? Quite helpfully this is covered by the case law of Coles v Hetherton. The three main issues that were considered were: What is the proper measure of a customers loss for damage under a chattel (customers loss for damage to their vehicle).

Does it make a difference if the repair was organised by the insurer as opposed to the person themselves?

“If an insurer indemnifies an insured in respect of repairs, is it recoverable?

This may include sundry incidental and administrative costs. The courts

Adrian McKay, Richard Hastings and Jim Porter

advised that the proper measure of loss was the diminution in loss of the damaged chattel (the cost of repairs to the damaged vehicle).

“The loss happened at the time of the accident so could not have been mitigated by having been repaired at a lower cost. The reasonable cost of repairs was the cost the claimant could have got the vehicle repaired for in the open RETAIL market. It did not matter that the insurer could have been able to get a better rate through its industry connections provided the cost was “reasonable”.

“What does this mean to you?

You have ICOBS showing the insurer should not be negotiating the consumers, loss when it is the paymaster, and the case law saying

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that the consumers loss is at retail rates in the market place, not the preferential rates insurer’s ask.

“So what is reasonable I hear you ask?

Reasonable is your retail rate in the open market - not the preferential rate you give insurers.

The issue in the body repair industry are the labour rates you get and the discounts requested.

You set the rates in your company, not the other way around.

Remember, this is your starting point not your finish point.

“If you start at £28 per hour, you will not get more than that.

“If you want a higher lab rate for the industry you need to charge more! Simple as that!

Referring back to Coles V Hetherton, the court viewed the reasonable rates as one that is available in the open RETAIL market.

When insurance companies fight these cases in court they carry out research by ringing round bodyshops to find out the going rates in the area.

If you all advise that you charge £28 per hour THAT IS all you will get.

Should you want to work for an insurance company at that rate, by all means do “but” advise this is the “preferential rate” you are giving to them under the proviso of the contract you have entered into with them.

But publish and display your retail rate at the higher amount. Cleary >> garageTRADER - 9

GT

NEWS

IN BRIEF

LKQ Coatings: Derek Lockhart, Alan Wright and Robert Templeton

Riverpark: Colin Hagan and Janet Forbes

Donnelly Group: Thomas Cobine, Parts Manager

display your RETAIL RATES in the reception area, and on your website.

“Educate customers! This is the probably the most important thing you can do! They have the power, they have the contract with the insurer. Advise them they have the legal right to use you as their choice of repairer and cannot be denied this right.

“They have the legal and contractual right to their full financial loss! The insurance company must “indemnify them” as per their contract.

Make them aware the insurer may want to use secondhand parts or non-original parts repairing their vehicle, and will try and steer them away from using you! Let them know by using you, they control how their car is repaired.

When you have the customer empowered and educated you have much more control.

This is why I primarily work with customers, as they have the power to change things.” ■ 10 - garageTRADER

TPS: Brian Dempster, David Hanna and Peter Majury

Nexa Karkraft: Vincent Burton and John Cooney

Kent: Johnny Hume and Phil Parkes

PPG Paint Distributors: Robin Gourley, Technical and Sales, and Peter Reilly, Paint Distributors

Hursts Parts: Gary Pickering, David Cunningham and Gerry Bryans

3M: Kevin Robb, Robert May and Trevor Doyle

Panther Pro: Mark Holmes, Jonny Martin and Alan Lemon

Indasa: Kenny McDonald and Stephen Bell

Givran Autoparts Belfast: Colin Thompson of proSpray, Darren McGivern of Givran, Jimmy Walker of Givran and Don Western of J-Tape

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GT KYB

New kyb catalogues for 2015 K

YB has launched its latest European catalogues for shock absorbers and coil springs - a complete listing of the KYB range as well as details of all new applications for 2015.

The comprehensive catalogues feature 112 new shock absorber part numbers and 140 new coil spring part numbers. These include applications for cars and light commercial vehicles (LCVs). Many of the new parts are already available from stock.

The new additions for shock absorbers & coil springs will cover an impressive 22.5 million cars across Europe. Notable new applications are listed on page two of this press release.

Also included are 32 additional applications for Suspension Mounting Kits – which increase the life of the shock absorber and are easily replaced at the same time as the shock absorbers, as well as 29 new Protection Kit applications. 80 Vehicle manufacturers are included in the KYB shock absorber catalogue, giving market leading car parc coverage for the European aftermarket. For easy reference they are listed alphabetically in both catalogues. A helpful pictorial listing of suspension components is also included. An interactive version of the catalogue is available on the KYB Europe website, as well as a PDF download. It is also listed on major electronic catalogues. KYB is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of original equipment shock absorbers. The same world class product quality is available to the European aftermarket. KYB recommends that all shock absorbers and coil springs are fitted in pairs, to restore the vehicle’s suspension performance and handling to how the vehicle manufacturer designed it. ■

Notable new applications Shock Absorbers

Strut Mounts

BMW 5 Series, X1 Series Citroen C3, DS3 Dacia Logan, Sandero, Duster Ford Focus, C-Max, Grand C-Max Kia Sportage Hyundai ix35 Opel Astra, Meriva, Zafira Nissan Micra VW Polo, Caddy, Caddy Max

Citroen C3 II, C3 Picasso, DS3, C4 Picasso II, C4 Grand Picasso III Ford Fiesta VI Smart Fortwo Coupe, Cabrio Mercedes A-Class, Sprinter VW Crafter Volvo S60 II, V70 III, S80 II, XC60, XC70 II

Coil Springs Audi A1, Q5 Citroen C3, C3 Picasso, C5 Dacia Logan, Sandero Hyundai i10, i20, 130, ix35 Mazda 3, 6, MX5 Renault Kangoo, Megane Grandtour Toyota Avensis, Prius, Rav4 VW Polo, Tiguan 12 - garageTRADER

Protection Kits BMW 3 Series Ford Mondeo IV Nissan Micra III, Note Renault Clio III, Megane III, Scenic III, Grand Scenic III Toyota Aygo, Urban Cruiser 2WD, Verso S, Yaris VW Caddy

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AFTERMARKET GT FYFES

Fyfes Omagh Opens for Business J

anuary marked the start of a significant year for Fyfes Vehicle & Engineering Supplies Ltd. 2015 will see Fyfes celebrate 100 years in business. This is a major achievement for any company, and Fyfes have various plans to mark this milestone.

What better way to start this big year, than with the addition of a new branch. Monday 5th January 2015 marked the opening of Fyfes branch in Omagh, Co. Tyrone, bringing the Fyfes network to a total of 12 depots in N. Ireland. Located on the Derry Road, Omagh stock the same huge range of car parts and engineering supplies that customers have come to know from Fyfes.

The Fyfes fleet is already a common sight on the roads in Omagh and the surrounding area. This new depot will add to the fleet and further improve the

stock holding the new branch is set

current levels of service, range

and Newtownstewart means Fyfes

and availability. With an extensive

are always on your doorstep.

to make an impact on the local marketplace. Backed up with numerous daily deliveries from Fyfes central warehouse in Ballymena.

Employing local staff with extensive experience in the local area, Fyfes Omagh is set to revitalise the local market offering a better overall service, allowing the motor and engineering trade to reap the benefits. Manager Damian Meeke has 27 years experience in

From left to right: Nathan Beattie, John White, Daniel Mc Kenna, Paul Conway, Garry McGillion, Glen Heaney and John Jones.

the motor trade having previously managed Fyfes Lurgan branch.

If you are in the Omagh area, why not call in and visit Damien and his local team, or alternatively give them a call on 028 8225 5899 and see what Fyfes can do for you.

Delivering hourly to Omagh and 2-3 times daily to Ballygawley, Carrickmore, Castlederg, Enniskillen ■

From left to right: John Jones, John White, Damien Meeke (branch manager) and Glen Heaney.

12 branch network ✓ 70 vehicle fleet ✓ and £5 million + of stock ✓ Extensive range of Water Pumps available

• Ballymena: 028 2565 2801 • Ballyclare: 028 9334 9000 • Ballymoney: 028 2766 9777 • Bangor: 028 9145 0005 • Belfast: 028 9040 5555 • Dunmurry: 028 9030 6300 • Lurgan: 028 3832 9666 • L/Derry: 028 7136 4444 • Magherafelt: 028 7963 3113 • Mallusk: 028 9084 5888 • Newry: 028 3083 1303 • Omagh: 028 8225 5899

check out the website: www.garagetrader.co.uk

Extensive range of Gates Powergrip® plus Water Pump Kits available

Sister Company Opened in Co. Louth FYFES CAR PARTS IRELAND Drogheda: 041 989 2070 Dundalk: 042 935 1095

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GT

AFTERMARKET

FIRST LINE GROUP / TRW / REMY AUTOMOTIVE

First line goes universal Stretch boots to fit first time

T

he First Line Group (FLG) has introduced a revised range of eight universal stretch boots to supplement its existing range of more than 900 CV boots and steering rack gaiters.

As would be expected from the country’s largest aftermarket supplier of steering and suspension components, each universal stretch boot has been manufactured using high quality and durable rubber/polyurethane and is designed to be fitted without the need to remove or dismantle the CV joint, with the use of a fitting cone or hydraulic fitting gun, tools which are also available from FLG. Supplied with robust metal clips and including a sachet of the correct formulation of CV grease, the universal stretch boot range caters for most driveshaft diameters and CV joint sizes, so will provide a convenient solution for the vast majority of common applications. Helpfully, the company has also produced a useful guide to assist with the selection of the correct universal stretch boot in relation to its individual direct replacement part number.

However, for specific applications FLG also offers a comprehensive range of premium quality direct replacement CV boots and steering rack gaiters. Again, each kit includes all the necessary components to allow technicians to undertake a full boot or gaiter replacement, so in addition to stainless steel securing clips and CV joint grease, where specific applications need additional components, these items are also included within the kit.

For more information about the quality products available from the First Line Group, please call the sales team on 01869 248484 or visit www.firstlineltd.com. ■

TRW launches dual stage transmission oil pumps

T

RW Automotive has announced that it has started production of its dual stage pump technology across two major European vehicle platforms.

The dual stage pump is TRW’s latest innovation in pump technology. It is highly suitable for wet dual clutch transmissions due to its ability to integrate two external gear pumps in a compact single housing. The first stage is a low-pressure pump which cools and lubricates the wet clutches with oil. The second stage is a high-pressure pump that serves as a hydraulic pressure source to actuate the clutches, shift forks and other elements.

An electric motor runs the pump at variable speeds, operating only on-demand and reducing viscous friction losses, leading to a highly efficient solution.

TRW has produced over 40 million pumps to date, including eight million transmission oil pumps. The company has proven experience with different liquid formulations for powertrain, drivetrain and transmission applications and can offer the full range of pumps, from low to high pressure applications (0 – 200 bar). TRW continues to innovate in this area and new pump developments are underway such as variable displacement pumps with either an external gear or pendular design. ■

New comprehensive electric steering column poster from Remy R

emy Automotive has announced the introduction of a new electric steering column poster designed to introduce the technician to this important new technology and to explain how simple they are to install.

Electric steering is now fitted to 80% of new vehicles and is set to become the preferred steering technology with vehicle manufacturers. Pre-programmed, quality remanufactured columns represent a fantastic growth opportunity for independent garages. All that is required is an up-to-date diagnostic tool.

The new poster highlights the ease of fitment, all done in a clean working environment, with no hydraulic pipes, fluids or fumes and without the need to tie up a ramp. It also emphasises that, because steering systems are so safety critical, there is absolutely no compromise on quality in the Remy remanufacturing process.

The new electric steering column poster is now available from Remy UK distributors. ■

14 - garageTRADER

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AFTERMARKET GT HBA POWERSTORE

HBA Powerstore adds Petronas Syntium to it’s portfolio H

BA Powerstore is delighted to announce the launch of Petronas Syntium to Ireland’s automotive aftermarket. This exciting range of high per­formance synthetic lubricants has been bred on the race track for optimum perfor­mance on the road and is the result of advance R&D carried out by Petronas as the official technology partner to the Mercedes GP Petronas Formula 1 Team.

It meets the most stringent industry standards and is designed to take on the most challenging terrains and driving conditions and now it’s available throughout Ireland.

For more information contact HBA Powerstore on: Tel: 028 3753 1155; email: info@powerstore.uk.com or visit www.powerstore.uk.com. ■

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garageTRADER - 15

GT

TECHNICAL TIPS

DAYCO

Renault 1.9-Litre DCI Timing Belt Kit Installation Dayco Kit KTBWP4650

T

he 1.9-litre dCi diesel engine used in the Renault Laguna, (Espace, Master, Trafic and the Movano/Vivaro from Vauxhall/Opel) features a timing belt driven water pump. Since the job also requires the auxiliary drive system to be removed, Dayco recommend that all the systems’ components (timing drive, water pump and auxiliary drive) be replaced.

This step-by-step technical guide will help technicians through the process, to avoid complications and ensure a first-rate job.

As with all primary drive system jobs, the work should be undertaken when the engine is cold, so ideally the vehicle will not have been run for at least four hours.

Using the engine in the Laguna as the example, first remove the upper insulation panel from on top of the engine and then the right-hand side panel, followed by the cowling under the right-hand wing and the panel that covers the auxiliary drive belt.

With a ring spanner, release the nut on the auxiliary belt tensioner and remove the belt, then the idler, followed by the tensioner itself and finally the crankshaft pulley. With the auxiliary drive system now absent, remove the lower engine tie rod and, with the engine suitably supported, remove its right-hand upper support.

Rotate the crankshaft clockwise until the reference mark on the camshaft pulley appears in the window of the timing belt cover and, after removing the plug in the engine block, insert the crankshaft timing pin (Dayco tool number Mot. 1054) and remove the timing belt cover.

Using paint, mark on the housing behind the camshaft pulley to align with the reference mark on the pulley (see image 1) and then remove the tensioner idler and the timing belt, followed by the tensioner idler plate. The water pump can now be removed.

Ensuring that the cooling system has been flushed through and no debris is present, install the new Dayco water pump, complete with its seal, followed by the tensioner idler with its supporting plate, which is to be fastened to 10Nm of torque. Insert a suitable bolt in the thread hole to facilitate adjustment during the belt tensioning stage.

Install the new Dayco timing belt according to the direction of rotation indicated on its back, with the 16 - garageTRADER

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TECHNICAL TIPS GT

DAYCO

reference point on the belt aligned with the mark on the camshaft pulley, the mark painted on the housing and the crankshaft alignment mark. Then slightly tension the belt by tightening the bolt inserted into the hole on the tensioner idler plate (see image 2).

With a Dayco DTM Tension meter tool initialised with code 1252129, turn the bolt in the tensioner idler so that the instrument displays ‘OK’ when the belt is vibrated where the instrument is positioned, midway between the tensioner idler and the crankshaft pulley (see image 3).

Remove the crankshaft timing pin and manually rotate the crankshaft clockwise four complete revolutions and check the position of all the timing marks. If the timing marks do not align repeat the timing

procedure. Once correct, tighten the belt tensioner idler fastener to a torque of 45Nm. Remove the bolt used to put the initial tension on the belt and replace the plug where the crankshaft timing pin was inserted and tighten to 25Nm. After replacing the timing belt cover, fit a new Dayco auxiliary belt, idler, tensioner and crankshaft pulley, tightening the latter to 40Nm + 110°. Then reattach the engine support and tie and finally, replace the cover, cowling and engine insulation panel.

For more information regarding the OEM quality power transmission products in the Dayco range, please email: info.uk@dayco.com or visit: www.dayco.com ■

Image 1

Image 2

Image 3

The 1.9-litre dCi diesel engine used in the Renault Laguna, (Espace, Master, Trafic and the Movano/Vivaro from Vauxhall/Opel) features a timing belt driven water pump. Since the job also requires the auxiliary drive system to be removed, Dayco recommend that all the systems’ components (timing drive, water pump and auxiliary drive) be replaced.

check out the website: www.garagetrader.co.uk

garageTRADER - 17

Wishing continued success to Motor & Commercial, Dungannon and also Parts Doc, Coleraine.

geared for the future Contact: 028 8676 9887

GT WESLEY FORDE - MOTOR & COMMERCIAL - DUNGANNON

Motor & Commercial celebrate 25 years in business

The Team at Motor & Commercial left to right: Blaine Bradley, Andrew McAdam, Wesley Forde with his wife Carol and son Alan, Mark Walker.

A

merican Independence Day 1990 is a date that stands out in Wesley Forde’s memory. That’s the day he opened his own business, Motor & Commercial, in John Street, Dungannon. Wesley has worked in the motor trade all his life and with his son Alan now actively involved in the business, and a very successful tie-up with parts group FG7, the future looks secure for the South Tyrone Motor Factors.

Wesley started his career in the motor trade in WR Hamilton’s depot in Dungannon where he learned the trade and soon decided to set up his own business. He left WR Hamilton a short time later and set up his own business. >>

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garageTRADER - 19

GT

20 - garageTRADER

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GT WESLEY FORDE - MOTOR & COMMERCIAL - DUNGANNON

Motor & Commercial’s first premises were right in the centre of Dungannon and after 13 years there he moved to a much more accessible location on the Ranfurley Road on the A29, the main road through the town. What started out as a one man band has now become a very successful business with a staff of seven and a wide range of customers from enthusiasts and mechanics to agricultural, accident repair centres and multi franchise dealers.

The move proved very successful for Motor & Commercial, and recently Wesley joined the FG7 motor factor group. “With being part of a large buying group we can offer a wider range of spares at better prices and with a wider range of stock.

Being close to the FG7 warehouse means that we can get parts in just a few hours.”

“In a competitive market we are able to compete and offer better check out the website: www.garagetrader.co.uk

deals than ever and can match and beat all of the competition.

“Motor & Commercial has always stocked quality parts,” he says. “I always ask myself the question, ‘Would I fit it to my own car?’ when it comes to stocking components and while there may be cheaper options available, it is no good if customers start coming back with faulty or unreliable parts. I have worked too hard to build up my reputation.”

Wesley has witnessed a major change in both components and the motor factors business itself over the past 25 years. When he first started, car electronics were in their infancy and many cars still had carburettors and came without radio stereos.

Nowadays all cars have sophisticated electronics and fault logging and even changing a battery in a car can involve the use of diagnostics equipment, while behind the counter, the bulky catalogues that were continually out of date have now >> garageTRADER - 21

GT

Wesley has witnessed a major change in both components and the motor factors business itself over the past 25 years. When he first started, car electronics were in their infancy and many cars still had carburettors and came without radio stereos.

22 - garageTRADER

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GT WESLEY FORDE - MOTOR & COMMERCIAL - DUNGANNON

been replaced by the AutoCat system which updates on a daily basis.

Motor & Commercial can now get up to three deliveries a day from FG7 which means that if they don’t have the part in stock, the customer can get it within a few hours. “The service we get from FG7 is excellent,” says Wesley, “it’s very reliable, very dependable and the parts are all from top quality manufacturers. We’ve really seen an upturn in business since joining them. We have many customers in >> check out the website: www.garagetrader.co.uk

garageTRADER - 23

GT

With being part of a large buying group we can offer a wider range of spares at better prices and with a wider range of stock. Being close to the FG7 warehouse means that we can get parts in just a few hours.

24 - garageTRADER

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GT WESLEY FORDE - MOTOR & COMMERCIAL - DUNGANNON

Wesley (right) with his son Alan.

the Dungannon area and we now offer an excellent delivery service within a fifteen mile radius of the town. Many of our customers can get up to three deliveries a day and we would welcome the chance to take on new customers and businesses in the wider Dungannon area.

“I’ve always loved working in the motor trade,” he says, “and I’m delighted that my son Alan gets the same buzz from it as I do.” It looks like there will be plenty to celebrate in Dungannon this 4th of July... ■

3 Ranfurly Road, Dungannon BT71 6ED • T: 028 8775 2155 E: info@motorpartsdungannon.co.uk • W: www.motorpartsdungannon.co.uk check out the website: www.garagetrader.co.uk

garageTRADER - 25

GT

WESLEY FORDE - MOTOR & COMMERCIAL - DUNGANNON

Comline kicks off spring in style with new additions to its filter and brake disc ranges T

he Comline brand has enjoyed a fast start to the year thanks to its ongoing product development and the introduction of an all-new, 3-year (36,000 mile / 60,000 km) warranty.

With spring now upon us Comline is continuing to march forward with yet more new additions to its multicategory product range; this time its filters and brake discs in the spotlight.

The filter category remains a real area of strength for Comline with the brand offering up over 1500 numbers covering popular European, Japanese and Korean marques.

Selected recent introductions (see ‘Notes to Editors’) serve to underline that Comline has its finger on the pulse of the aftermarket and continues to deliver one of the most comprehensive and current ranges available in Europe. Sales & Marketing Director, Malcolm Rosher, is quick to point out Comline’s filter prowess: “At Comline we invest a huge amount of time, energy and resource into our filter range and we are rightly proud of what we have to offer.

Comline delivers quality, valuefor-money and a range of filters

that’s constantly evolving to meet the needs of an ever-changing marketplace.”

The Comline brake disc range has also received a batch of new numbers and, as with filters, these part numbers also illustrate the breadth and diversity that exists within the Comline product line.

These new part numbers (see ‘Notes to Editors’) are representative of an all makes range of brake discs which covers vehicle applications from all across the globe.

Product quality is at the forefront of the Comline brake disc range as Malcolm Rosher explains: “When it comes to brake discs our quality credentials are clear and we have absolute confidence in each and every Comline disc. Our discs are manufactured in worldclass production facilities using state-of-the-art CNC machines and subjected to rigorous testing procedures, including 100% dynamic balance checks, to ensure consistent, reliable performance.”

With quality throughout its product offering and an ongoing development programme which

continues apace, the Comline brand continues to march on within the UK and wider European aftermarket. ■

Pumps with Prowess

Comline bolsters its range of water pumps with 21 new part numbers

C

omline is once again making an impact across the UK and wider European aftermarket and this time it’s the brand’s range of water pumps that are in the spotlight. Comline has announced the introduction of 21 new water pump numbers as part of an ongoing expansion project that will see its range double in size to over 350 part numbers by the end of 2015. Sales & Marketing Director, Malcolm Rosher comments: “Water pumps will be a particular focus for Comline in 2015 and we have big plans for the range. We already have the bulk of popular numbers covered but by year end we will be in a position to offer a water pump for over 90% of the European, Japanese and Korean vehicle parc.”

Among this batch of 21 new Comline water pumps are some standout numbers that the brand expects to be in high demand. These include Nissan Qashqai, BMW 1,3 and 5 Series, Ford Mondeo and S-Max and Audi, Seat and VW Golf.

Comline is well known for delivering product of consistent, reliable quality across its range and its water pump offering sticks rigidly to brand’s quality ethos. Comline water pumps utilise Super ‘N’ high grade bearing grease that is tested to perform across a huge range of temperatures (-40°C to 200°C) whilst delivering low noise properties.

Each water pump is also tension tested to ensure the correct pressure for maximum sealing and service life performance. Reflecting product confidence, all Comline water pumps are then batch and date stamped for total traceability. Malcolm Rosher comments: “At Comline we take great pride in the quality of our products. Some may associate the brand with great value, and rightly so, but we are also committed to delivering product of undeniable quality. Water pumps are no exception and we are confident that each part number within our range firmly ticks the box when it comes to quality and performance.” ■ 26 - garageTRADER

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GT

28 - garageTRADER

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PROFILE GT PARTS DOC

Parts Doc

The team at Parts Doc L-R: Davy Wilson, Joanne McFadden, Curtis Fletcher, Andrew Lynch, Nicky Bell, Sophie Doherty, Johnny Malone and Ian Freeman.

New motor factor opens in Coleraine...

P

art Doc is a new motor factor business that has just opened in Loguestown Industrial Estate in Coleraine. The business is the brainchild of Clive Jardine, son of well known rally driver and motor factor Alan Jardine who operates a motor factors in Comber, Co. Down.

Clive has worked in the motor factors business since he was a teenager. His first job was working after school and at weekends at Motor & Commercial in Dungannon.

He served his apprenticeship at Watson Motors in Aughnacloy and when his father Alan opened Comber Autospares in 1996, Clive soon joined the business. He learned the finer details of the business in Comber and by 2002 he had spotted the potential of selling car parts online. Such has been the success of the online shop that Parts Doc outgrew the premises in Comber and Clive had to look for something much bigger.

On a trip to their holiday home in Portstewart, Clive heard of a former Holmes Cash and Carry available in Coleraine and after inspecting the 24,000 square foot premises Clive knew it was the one to have.

After fitting out the storage area with racking and shelving, Parts Doc moved up to the north west and the business continued to flourish.

It was obvious to Clive that a >> check out the website: www.garagetrader.co.uk

garageTRADER - 29

GT

PROFILE

PARTS DOC

"

Clive has worked in the motor factors business since he was a teenager. He served his apprenticeship at Watson Motors in Aughnacloy and when his father Alan (Jardine) opened Comber Autospares in 1996, Clive soon joined the business. He learned the finer details of the business in Comber and by 2002 he had spotted the potential of selling car parts online.

"

front of house motor factors would fit in well so he recruited local man Robert McIlreavy to manage this side of the business along with Nicky Bell.

Robert has 15 years experience in the local motor trade in Coleraine previously working for Norris Brothers in the town, and Nicky has a vast knowledge of main dealer parts such as VW, Renault and Nissan. The online shop opened last summer and the over the counter motor factors side of the business opened just before Christmas last year. They quickly picked up a wide selection of customers from local garage’s

servicing and MOT preparation to agricultural, and Parts Doc will even make hydraulic hoses on site.

Parts Doc is part of the FG7 buying group and offer their wide range of parts and also offer Millers Oils as well as car care products from Holts, Auto Finesse, Poor Boys, Mothers, Meguairs and Simoniz. An impressive selection of Draper, Teng & Sealey Tools is also on display and they are a major stockist of NGK spark and glow plugs.They operate the latest MAM and AutoCat software packages and have six operatives on the counter. ■

PARTS DOC

9 Loguestown Industrial Estate, Coleraine, Londonderry BT52 2NS

Tel: 028 7032 2970 • Email: sales@partsdoc.co.uk • Website: www.partsdoc.co.uk 30 - garageTRADER

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Liqui-moly supplier

Would like to wish PARTS DOC continued success

51A Market Street Newtownards BT23 4DT Tel: 028 9181 3035 441 Beersbridge Rd Belfast BT5 5DU Tel: 028 9067 1444

BATYRE THE BATTERY SPECIALISTS

Main Supplier of Global batteries stocking the largest most competitive range of Automotive & Deep-cycle traction batteries in Ireland

201 York Road, Belfast, BT15 3HB Tel: 028 9078 1215 • Fax: 028 9037 0935 Mob: 077 4554 7570 Email: colin@batyre.com • Web: www.batyre.com

BATTERIESGT

BATYRE

Batyre celebrates 50th anniversary One of Northern Ireland’s largest battery stockists, Batyre, is celebrating its 50th year in business this year and will host an open day at their York Road, Belfast premises on Saturday 25th April.

Stephen Hanna, sales managaer, Jim Brennan, general manager, David McNeill (van/counter sales) and Colin Watterson, managing director

B

atyre opened its doors in North Queen Street, Belfast, in 1965 and also had another depot on Sandy Row. The original plan was to sell both batteries and tyres, as the name Batyre would suggest, but as soon as the business got going the demand for batteries was so great that the company never got into tyres...

Over the past 50 years it has seen massive developments in batteries and now stocks a vast array of batteries for just about every possible use. Obviously cars and HGVs are its bread and butter, but it also stocks batteries for motor bikes, marine use, wheelchairs and mobility vehicles, golf carts, lift access, motorhomes, motor sports and alarm systems.

Batyre originally started as an agent for Tungstone Batteries who was a massive UK manufacturer of batteries based in London and Market Harborough. Batyre was the official agent in Northern Ireland for Tungstone until the business closed

in 2002, the downturn in the motor trade at the time bringing an end to large scale production in the UK. A new battery manufacturer was needed and in 2002 Batyre joined forces with Yuasa bearing the famous Tungstone brand. To begin with, batteries were brought into Northern Ireland from Birmingham, but from late 2005 Batyre started importing their batteries direct from the manufacturing plant in Korea to their Belfast base. This created a need for much larger premises so in 2013 the company moved to its new site on the York Road, backing onto the M2 motorway. The company receives on average about three container loads per month and around ÂŁ500,000 of stock is held at their new 8,000 square foot premises.

Colin Watterson is the managing director of Batyre and told Garage Trader, “Back in late 2007 and early 2008 the battery market really started to change when the first Stop/Start >>

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garageTRADER - 33

GT

BATTERIES

BATYRE

>> BMW 1 Series was launched and the Absorbent Glass Mat (AGM) batteries were developed. The first of these AGM batteries are only starting to fail now and it is essential that the correct battery is used on a Stop/ Start car. It is estimated that an average car will start around 1314,000 times in its lifetime of around 9 years, but a Stop/Start will operate around 70-90,000 times in the same period.�

Batteries for stop/start cars are much heavier than on a standard car due to the heavier workload, often occupying the spare wheel well in the boot. As they are much heavier they are also more 34 - garageTRADER

expensive, but motor factors and workshops must ensure that the correct battery is installed. Some cars even require ECU interrogation to change battery so it may not be the five minute job it once was.

Batyre have a shop front retail counter on site but this accounts for only around 10 per cent of their business, the other 90 per cent generally divided between tyre and exhaust fitters, auto electricians and motor factors. They are the Northern Ireland stockists for Global Yuasa but also stock specialist brands Varta , Odyssey batteries which are designed for motor sport applications and Unibat motorcycle

batteries. Batyre also stock Crown deep cycle special batteries for access equipment, traffic light systems, off grid solar plus marine applications. For hire companies and the use of the correct batteries in these applications is essential as the weight of the battery is also used as ballast for the lift. They also stock Haze Agm/Gel batteries for anything for a small alarm panel to a large electric vehicle such as a Golf Cart.

The company is part of the Irish based Granning Group based in Naas that supply a vast array of spares to the heavy goods industry.

The team at Batyre consists of

MD Colin Watterson, sales manager Stephen Hanna, general manager Jim Brennan as well as counter / delivery sales William Martin and David McNeill. The company has three vans on the road, covering Northern Ireland and the border counties plus courier deliveries to the rest of Ireland.

The open day is on Saturday 25th April from 10am to 3pm , there will be a chance to see round the new premises as well as meet John Christie, 2013 world hot rod champion who will have one of his cars on site .

All welcome and some nibbles and refreshments will be provided. â–

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AFTERMARKETGT

TEAM PR REILLY, FEDERAL-MOGUL, AUTODATA

Dubliner Kennedy Targeting Showdown Spot With Team WD-40!

Team P R Reilly – Limited Edition Team WD-40 Can Now Available!

D

ublin based Jack Kennedy returns from the world stage to join Team WD-40 Kawasaki for their two pronged attack on the 2015 MCE Insurance Superbike Championship.

Kennedy has previously been a contender in the Motorpoint British Supersport Championship, narrowly missing out on the title in 2012 after

being forced to retire in the final race of the season. The Dublin-based rider has since spent two seasons in the World Supersport Championship and is now ready to take on the challenge of MCE BSB. To mark Team WD-40’s forthcoming campaign the brand have launched a limited edition can of their famous multi-purpose lubricant! Currently available from Team P R Reilly each can comes with a fantastic free window sticker showing a SuperBike in action.

Unfazed about the challenge ahead Kennedy said: “I have been looking at the transition into Superbike

New Champion Retail Concept helps improve stockists’ profitability

F

ederal-Mogul Motorparts has announced the launch of its new, highimpact Champion Retail Concept, which optimises its premium Aerovantage range to make buying wiper blades easier for consumers, whilst maximising revenue for resellers. A carefully chosen stocking profile forms part of a compact, visually striking display, which reaches in excess of 90% of the market.

“We have identified a way to make buying wiper blades easier for the customer without compromising our extensive market coverage. At the same time we are providing Champion stockists with the opportunity to increase their margins, it’s a win, win,” said Jonathan Allen, Federal-Mogul Motorparts Regional Marketing Manager. “Federal-Mogul is constantly looking for ways to help customers drive sales in the premium segment of the market.

We believe the Champion Retail Concept will allow retailers to entice customers with simple, clear cataloguing and easy to understand selling messages about Champion blades. Put simply, we believe that consumers will pay more for the quality and performance the Champion brand represents when given good reason to do so and it’s made easy for them.” ■

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for a few years and it was the chance to join Team WD-40 that has excited me the most because I know we can have a real crack at it. I know there is such a huge following of BSB and I am looking forward to getting back out in front of those big British crowds again. The level of competition in BSB is unreal; if you look at the list of riders already announced it shows the depth of field and I am excited to be a part of that.

“I couldn’t be more confident than I am now for joining this team with their package and crew. Every rider in BSB focuses on being in the Showdown and that is the same for

me. I want to be pushing for the top six and then we can go hell-for-leather in the last three rounds. Both myself and the team want to be fighting for podiums – we are certainly not there to make up the numbers!”

One thing is for sure – the WD-40 SuperBikes will definitely be in tip top shape as the team will have an unlimited supply of the WD-40 Specialist Motorbike Range at their disposal!

For more information on WD-40 products and offers please contact the Team P R Reilly sales team – email: sales@team.ie or call 01 832 0006. ■

‘Go Retro with Ferodo’

F

ederal-Mogul Motorparts has announced a new addition to its exciting 2015 promotion campaign with its ‘Go Retro with Ferodo’ incentive.

Throughout April and May customers purchasing Ferodo products from participating distributors will receive a retro style t-shirt in a limited edition collectable tin.

“We are always looking for new ways to reward customers, and the latest incentive is a perfect celebration of Ferodo’s heritage and its 100 years of innovation,” said Jonathan Allen, Federal-Mogul Motorparts Regional Marketing Manager. “The ‘Go Retro’ campaign is the perfect complement to the expanding Ferodo range and its ongoing commitment to developing the latest braking technologies, such as low and zero copper formulations in its Eco-Friction range.”

There are two different t-shirt designs available in black or white and sizes ranging from medium to extra large. The heavy, 100% cotton t-shirts are presented in stylish retro design tins that are the perfect accompaniment for any garage or collector’s home. ■

Autodata Launch Innovative New Online Product

A

utodata has launched an innovative new online platform, setting a new standard in the delivery of automotive technical information.

As well as featuring a new look and feel, the latest structure means users can access even more technical information, easier and quicker.

The system is now fully online, allowing ‘live’ data updates and the capability to instantly enable new features and diagnostic material.

Speaking about the benefits this will bring to garages across Europe, Autodata Chief Executive, Rod Williams, said: “The new product has been fully designed around the end user, meaning it is much simpler and more intuitive for mechanics to locate exactly what they need, when they need it.

“To provide an example, the number of steps taken to access a service schedule has been cut by 75% compared to previous online versions. This not only makes life easier for the mechanic but also saves a great deal of time, which can have a major impact on business performance.”

The product covers over 80 vehicle manufacturers across 29,000 models, while giving subscribers access to more than 85,000 diagrams and illustrations, and 500,000 procedures. ■ garageTRADER - 35

Serfac Limited, Hilary House Belgard Road, Dublin 24 Tel: 01 459 8700 Fax: 01 459 8709 Email: sales@serfac.ie Web: www.serfac.ie

BRAKES GT

SERFAC LIMITED / FIRST LINE GROUP

Great offers from Serfac Limited on Borg & Beck braking

S

erfac Limited is now offering an expanded range of Borg & Beck braking components at lower prices to provide motor factors with an even more competitive proposition.

Although predominantly known in the aftermarket for its clutch components and kits, Borg & Beck’s braking programme further enhances the brand’s reputation and provides aftermarket professionals with a comprehensive range of matching original equipment (OE) quality braking products.

Borg & Beck automotive components are manufactured to the highest of standards.

Rigorous testing procedures and a strict material control programme ensure premium quality at all times. With a complete range of OE specified product designed to the highest standards, the Borg & Beck braking programme contains over 3600 part numbers and provides comprehensive coverage of the European car parc.

“Borg & Beck’s braking programme provides installers with a range of products that are fully ‘fit for purpose’, says Liam O’Donohoe, commercial manager, Serfac. “Brake pads, for example, are manufactured to match the OE fitment and can be fully relied upon to deliver OE quality

performance. This applies to all the products within the range, including the matching OE quality discs, which provide optimum coverage for the Irish car parc.”

First Line, the owner of the Borg & Beck brand, is renowned for its excellent cataloguing and full application reference details, along with product diagrams and images, are available via the major electronic cataloguing system providers. A printed catalogue is also available.

For more details on current Borg & Beck promotions, please contact the Serfac sales team on 01 459 8700 or via sales@serfac.ie ■

BACKTEK braking evolution

T

he latest evolution in the First Line Group’s development of its Borg & Beck braking programme, is the introduction of a high quality ‘BECKTEC’ coating as standard to the majority of the range. It is important to note that this will be a phased introduction.

In addition to their great looks, the BECKTEC coating provides several significant benefits over a standard uncoated disc, which include a greater resistance to corrosion, improved braking performance and, important from an installation perspective, they do not require cleaning or degreasing prior to fitment.

Incorporating the latest innovative technology, BECKTEC utilises zinc and aluminium flakes to increase the corrosion protection of the entire brake disc, including the braking surface and the inner vein structure. As well as its excellent corrosion resistance, the coating also improves the efficiency of the thermal exchange properties within the braking cycle.

Once the BECKTEC disc is fitted, optimum braking performance is guaranteed from the first application and although the braking surface will become ‘polished’, it will have no detrimental impact of the life of the brake pads.

Unlike other ‘painted’ discs, the water-based BECKTEC coating does not use a solvent element in its manufacture and is therefore kinder to the environment and poses far less risk to those involved in its manufacturing process than a solvent-based product. ■

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ADE GT

ADE - AUTO DIESEL ELECTRIC

ADE Lisburn celebrates first anniversary as Dublin HQ hits fifty St Patrick’s Day 2015 marked the first anniversary of the opening of ADE’s Lisburn branch. The team is led

by John McShane who has overseen a year of growth and expansion.

A

DE first began trading in Dublin fifty years ago in a market very different from that of today. Back in 1965, Ford, Vauxhall and British Leyland dominated the marketplace.

Today, Alan Lyons is the company’s Managing Director. Alan has ensured that ADE has continually moved and adapted with a changing market and subsequently it has become one of the largest stockholders of car and commercial components in Ireland.

ADE began trading in Northern Ireland in 1983. Back then orders were sent via courier daily from Dublin to provide a service for customers north of the border. John McShane joined the company in 2006 after spending six years as Business Development Manager for Comma oils followed by seven years in the same role at FAI Automotive. It was while managing the FAI account at ADE that John first met Alan and as a result, ADE now hold the largest stock of FAI steering and suspension, water pumps, timing chains etc in Ireland.

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Over the past nine years John has worked hard building a motor factor customer base in Northern Ireland for ADE and his success culminated in the company opening its Northern Ireland branch at Knockmore Industrial Estate, Lisburn, on 17 March 2014.

Though ADE stock a massive range of parts, John is not complacent about the needs of a modern day motor factor business. “We had to up our game to match the competition”, said John. “When I started at ADE a van left Dublin every morning at 11am. Subsequently, it could be a struggle to complete all deliveries by close of business that day. Therefore we decided to set up our own base in Northern Ireland where we could hold a large reserve of stock ourselves and get topped up from Dublin every day. We started last year with a staff of nine and already that has risen to twelve.

“Currently we have six vans delivering twice daily across Northern >> garageTRADER - 39

GT

40 - garageTRADER

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ADE GT

ADE - AUTO DIESEL ELECTRIC

>> check out the website: www.garagetrader.co.uk

garageTRADER - 41

GT

ADE - AUTO DIESEL ELECTRIC

Ireland and three times a day in the Greater Belfast Area. Support from many of our suppliers has been vital to our success and we thank them all for their efforts.

“This month our Dublin warehouse has been extended by 12,000 square feet and this will now allow us to grow our product portfolio as well as increase coverage on our existing ranges and give us space to develop in an ever changing market. From an Alfa to a Volkswagen, we will always do our best to keep stock to meet our customer needs.”

ADE has always prided itself on stocking the necessary original equipment parts, such as Mann filters, Sachs and Lemforder, but the company is also realistic about the need of motor factors to dual stock on value brands for customers who have a job to do on a budget.

“No motor factor likes to lose a sale and while price is important, availability is equally so”, explained John. “Motor factors want parts at the right price and they want it today. Tomorrow won’t do any more which means we are constantly reviewing and extending our stock ranges to be sure we have the right mix”.

Maxtrac have chosen ADE to introduce their range of shock absorbers and springs to the Irish market. Although Maxtrac head office is based in

42 - garageTRADER

From L-R: Cormac Donnelly, Gavin Goodall, Michael Porter, Marty Markey, John McShane, Jonathan Hanna, Mark McClenaghan, Bobby Ruddy, Michael O’Neill and Darran McShane.

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ADE GT

ADE - AUTO DIESEL ELECTRIC

Germany they now have a UK-based distribution warehouse which allows ADE to replace stock and fill special orders quickly. In the past Maxtrac manufactured shock absorbers and springs for other well-known brands but have now chosen to go to market in their own livery. “Maxtrac is one of our fastest growing ranges,” said John, “it has been very well received in Ireland and I am excited about its future potential”.

Other products available include starters, alternators and over running pulleys from WAI Global, Lucas batteries, UFI Filters, Liqui-Moly Oils and Additives, Comline products, Allied Nippon brake pads, Beru ignition, Bendix Pads and Wheel Bearings as well as Jakoparts, a comprehensive range of parts for Japanese and Korean vehicles, to name but a few.

“We keep a large stock here in Lisburn and have a massive back up from Dublin,” said John. “We have a great team in Lisburn and it is the small details that really matter to all of us. When we took over the premises from Motor Sport Wheels we signed a ten year lease and some people questioned our wisdom but the first year has exceeded all expectations.

The motor trade is finally recovering and ADE will be here to supply the parts that keeps the trade turning…” ■

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garageTRADER - 43

GT

TECHNICAL TIPS

SAFETY SYSTEMS

Staying in control...

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

A

ctive vehicle safety systems have been developing at a rapid rate in recent years. Systems such as Anti-lock Brakes, Traction Control, Stability Control, Adaptive Cruise Control and Automatic Emergency Brake to name but a few. These systems have been designed to help the driver avoid accidents and ultimately help save lives. Like many vehicle developments, these are first seen on ‘premium brand’ vehicles and as time goes by they become a standard fitment on all models. For example, Vehicle Stability Control, once the reserve of performance or luxury vehicles, became a standard feature on ALL new cars sold in Europe from the end of 2013.

In this article I focus on the BMW MINI, which was a joint development between Rover and BMW from 1995, until BMW took full control of the project in 1999. When launched, many parts of the car were sourced from existing BMW models. This included the braking system. The new MINI was first introduced in 2000 and depending on the model or options

44 - garageTRADER

selected it was fitted with Anti-lock Braking (ABS), Automatic Stability Control (ASC) or Dynamic Stability Control (DSC), which eventually became a standard fitment in 2008.

The first generation of MINIs (R50/52/53) were equipped with a variation of the Teves Mk60 ABS unit as standard, which included the following three features: EBV – Electronic Brake Force Distribution (Elektronische Bremskraft Verteilung) – Control of the rear axle braking force is regulated by the ABS unit which detects partial braking by the wheel speed sensor signals.

CBC – Corner Brake Control – Reduces vehicle instability that can arise when the brakes are applied while cornering at speed, by distributing brake pressure to the left and right brakes, or reducing the brake pressure to the rear axle.

MSR – Engine Drag Torque Control (Motor Schleppmomenten Regelung) – Prevents the driven wheels from locking up under engine

braking.

Some models of the MINI were also fitted with ASC and some with DSC. DSC has additional sensors which include steering angle, yaw rate, transverse acceleration and hydraulic pressure to achieve the extra control.

But how can you tell which system is fitted to the vehicle you are working on? Simple! You can identify the system by looking along the row of switches below the heater controls.

If the vehicle is fitted with ASC or DSC it will have a switch to turn off these features from the ABS system.

Alternatively, locate the ABS unit under the bonnet (close to the bulkhead) and there will be a sticker on the motor of the ABS unit

BY CHARLES FIGGINS, BLUE PRINT TECHNICAL CONSULTANT

and communicates information to other control units via the CAN bus network. Information such as wheel speed, brake pressure, steering angle, brake lamp switch, handbrake switch, ASC or DSC switch, Yaw rate and lateral acceleration values are all used in conjunction with the engine management, Supplemental Restraint System (SRS), Body Control Module and automatic gearbox ECU (if fitted), to implement the necessary braking to assist the driver (Braking CAN Network Figure 2).

Figure 1 The braking system is an integrated part of the car’s electrical system check out the website: www.garagetrader.co.uk

TECHNICAL TIPS GT

SAFETY SYSTEMS

Schaeffler quality helps keep you on the road FAG Face Spline bearing

Figure 2 I have looked at some of the common sensors and repair procedures on this system to provide an insight into maintenance and repair.

Wheel Speed Sensors on the MINI are a magnetoresistive type and fitted into the hub assembly (Figure 3 left hand, front hub pictured).

Figure 3 All four wheel speed sensors relay the rate of acceleration, deceleration and the direction of travel to the ABS control unit. The speed signals are registered by the corresponding sensors ADB117103 (front) and ADB117104 (rear) and processed by the ABS control unit.

NOTE: The rear left sensor is also used as the driving speed signal for the speedo, and the rear right sensor is used as an input signal for other control units, such as the automatic transmission if fitted.

The sensor is mounted in the hub at right angles to the magnetised impulse wheel that is built into the wheel bearing seal. The active wheel speed sensor makes use of the magnetoresistive effect; a magnet in the sensor produces a magnetic field with the lines of magnetic flux running at right angles to the sensor layer.

Deflection of the lines by the impulse wheel causes changes in resistance in the thin ferromagnetic layer of the sensor element Figure 4.

The sensor element converts the changes in resistance into voltages. The square wave voltage detected by the ABS control unit is a measurement of individual wheel speed and this is used to derive the vehicle speed and is definitive for brake control.

Figure 4 A Steering Wheel Angle Sensor is only fitted to vehicles that are equipped with DSC. The sensor (ADB117213) is located at the base of the upper steering column and is designed as a potentiometer with two wipers offset

by 90° Figure 5. The potentiometer signal is evaluated and converted into digital form to be on the CAN network.

Figure 5 The sensor signals provide a steering wheel angle variable which covers the entire range of steering wheel rotation. The signal is repeated after every 360 degrees. Voltage jumps are then evaluated thus determining the steering wheel turns. The total angle is therefore derived from the sensor signal, the stored steering wheel angle offset, and the number of steering wheel turns.

The steering wheel angle sensor is calibrated to the individual vehicle, meaning if you replace one it MUST be calibrated to the ABS/DSC system using suitable diagnostic equipment. The calibration permanently stores steering wheel position at the straight-ahead position. Therefore it is very important when carrying out this procedure that the front wheels must be set exactly in the straightahead position.

The DSC Sensor combines the functions of the Yaw rate sensor and transverse acceleration sensors and is located to the rear of the handbrake lever beneath the trim. This sensor feeds back information to the ABS/DSC control unit on the angular rotation of the vehicle around its own vertical axis (Yaw) and lateral acceleration to determine vehicle drift. If the control unit is replaced it will need to be calibrated using suitable diagnostic equipment, such as the G-Scan 2.

Figure 6 With all its safety features built into the braking system, if the vehicle reaches its dynamic driving limits, the control unit decides whether to implement ABS control, ASC or full DSC control, subject to the situation.

For more information on G-Scan visit www.blue-print.com/gscan or Scan QR code. ■

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FAG Encoder checker

F

AG has long been renowned for quality and reliability, but did you know that there is a lot more going on inside the modern wheel bearing than just balls or rollers!

Many FAG wheel bearings now incorporate magnetic encoding technology that provides essential data to various vehicle safety systems, helping drivers keep control of their vehicle in hazardous conditions.

Schaeffler Automotive Aftermarket (UK) Ltd Technical Services Manager Malcolm Short said: “Many of the modern safety features that we take for granted rely on data fed from the wheel bearing encoder, using technology which is developed in partnership with the VMs. “This is just the latest example of how Schaeffler engineers are working hand in hand with vehicle manufacturers to make vehicles safer on our increasingly busy roads.”

The encoders found in modern FAG wheel bearings provide data for all of the safety critical systems including ABS and Torque Vectoring (YAW Control).

Speedo/Cruise control – modern vehicles now have electronic speedometers that are operated from the signal generated by the magnetic pulse from the encoder built into the seal on the wheel bearing. Cruise control will use the data to electronically maintain vehicle speed, with the same technology used in vehicles fitted with speed limiters.

Distance Control/Automatic Braking/Park Assist – in conjunction with front and rear sensors, or a front mounted camera, speed can be either reduced or increased by applying the brake or throttle to maintain the distance between the driven vehicle and the vehicle in front. Park assist also uses speed data from the wheel bearing along with the steering sensor and front and rear parking sensors on the vehicle.

Hill Start – the magnetic poles in the wheel bearing work from 0mph.

Hill start is monitored from this data and the brakes are electronically applied until the accelerator is depressed.

Hill Descent – some modern day all wheel drive vehicles are now fitted with a ‘hill descent’ option, which controls the speed of each wheel whilst applying even brake pressure to maintain safe control of the vehicle.

SATNAV/GPS – accurate wheel speed data supplied to these systems allows information to the driver to be relayed such as, arrival times, current speed etc even when working at low speed or during a loss of the GPS signal. ■

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GT

TECHNICAL TIPS

POWER STEERING

Electric Power Steering (EPS)

BY JIM GILMOUR, BLUE PRINT TECHNICAL CONSULTANT Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

E

lectric Power Steering (EPS) or Motor Driven Power Steering (MDPS) has been around for the best part of two decades and is fitted to the majority of small and medium sized cars coming off today’s production lines. There are different types using different technologies but essentially the principles remain the same.

This article looks at the column mounted type fitted to the Hyundai i30. The system was developed by TRW and is similar in operation to other systems.

Like any electromechanical component, the MDPS will eventually fail and the Hyundai unit is no exception.

Figure 1 A computer receives information about how much steering torque the driver is applying and delivers a motor torque to suit. It all sounds very simple until you look at how the sensors and actuators have been 46 - garageTRADER

designed with reliability in mind.

Gone are brush and commutator DC motors and gone are carbon track steering angle sensors. These modern units use brushless motor technology (something we are going to see much more of in new and future vehicles) and contactless opto-electronics are used to provide information on the steering wheel torque and movement.

Direct Current Brushless motors (D.C.B.M) The motor uses permanent magnets in the armature; modern rare earth magnets (neodymium) have very strong magnetic fields and this means that there is no need for armature windings and mechanical commutator which makes it more energy efficient and gets rid of the weakest part of any DC motor.

The EPS system uses a brushless motor Figure 2, where the rotor (armature) turns inside the stator (there are other types). Three

separate stator windings produce electromagnets. The polarity of the magnet depends on the direction of current flow so the current flowing through winding A from A1 to A2 will produce a south pole at A1 and north pole at A2. Reversing the flow from A2 to A1 will produce the opposite effect.

CNSBA

Figure 2 By switching the current flow to winding B, the rotor magnet is attracted to it (unlike poles attract) and the rotor turns in a clockwise direction. So by consecutively energising the three windings in order, the rotor will turn. Reversing the sequence will cause the rotor to turn anti-clockwise.

The switching is done by transistors, or to be specific, the control system uses MOSFETs (Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistors) which have the ability to switch large currents at great speed and

generate less heat than ordinary transistors.

For example Figure 3, switching on transistors 1 and 6 will energise stator coils 1 and 2. Switching on transistors 3 and 4 will also energise stator field coils 1 and 2 but the current will flow in the opposite direction and so the polarity of the stator magnets will be reversed. Sequencing the transistor switching will control the direction and by using Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) of the supply current, the speed and torque of the motor is controlled.

Figure 3 Speed and position Switching of the field has to be synchronised to the position of the rotor and this is done by rotor position sensors. The Hyundai unit uses Hall sensors. Hall sensors are polarity sensitive and switch on and off as the poles of the sensor rotor move past it. There are three Hall sensors which mean that the controller can work out

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TECHNICAL TIPS GT

POWER STEERING

DENSO Crash repair special: Radiator installation tips W

ith its original thermal technology fitted to almost 40% of European cars, DENSO is the ideal choice for crash repairers when it comes to replacement Radiators. The 850, OE quality Cooling Radiator references offered by DENSO Aftermarket Sales UK & Ireland for 4,600 vehicle applications are smaller, lighter and offer greater heat exchange efficiency than most other brands.

But what do installers need to know when fitting a replacement radiator? DENSO’s Product Manager, Nick Thomas, offers some top tips: • Check you have selected the correct part number through cross referencing.

• Inspect the new part carefully, including the size and fitment of ancillary parts such as caps, switches and sensors before installation.

• Carefully examine the radiator hoses and connections, and replace any with new OE parts where necessary. Failure to do this can cause radiator failure. The most common problem is coolant leakage resulting from defective or worn seals.

• Thermostats and caps are also susceptible to faults. This is usually due to inherent defects in the radiators, although faults relating to OEM and matching quality replacements are extremely rare.

• Avoid cheaper alternatives. This may sound like simple advice but research has shown that buying cheaper will cost more in the long run as too often cheaper can mean inferior quality.

• Be careful to avoid physical damage occurring whilst handling and installing.

• Don’t forget to inspect any defective radiator mountings (bushes/rubbers). These can easily be repaired before installing the radiator.

• Coolant anti-freeze concentration is also subject to certain regulations as outlined by the vehicle manufacturer. Be sure to double check this each time you fit a new radiator to ensure that the correct concentration is used.

• Remember that the radiator is the heart of the engine cooling system, in that it releases the heat exchanged from the engine into the air. Because of this make sure you check the performance and operation of the electric cooling fans after the new radiator has been installed.

• If in doubt, check the vehicle manufacturer’s guidelines. All practices and procedures will be available in the technical information that each VM creates for each vehicle they make. Block Exemption Rules state that this information must be available to installers. ■

the position of the rotor even when it is stationary.

Figure 4 Steering torque and angle position sensor The MDPS unit fitted to the Hyundai uses a combined Steering torque and angle sensor and has no electrical contacts, which improves the reliability of the sensor.

Figure 5 Proportionality The motor assistance applied depends on the amount of torque applied to the steering wheel.

When the steering wheel is turned, the torque applied is measured and a suitable torque is applied to the steering column by the motor.

When the steering wheel is stopped, the motor continues to drive the lower part of the column until there is no load on the torsion bar and assistance stops.

Figure 6 Type recognition The characteristics of the steering unit differ from model to model. For instance, the heavier diesel engine version will require more assistance than the lighter petrol engine version Figure 6. This is set at the factory (or at the remanufacturers and may need to be reset after installation.)

Absolute Steering Position (ASP) This is the datum used to identify the straight ahead position. It is set in the factory (or remanufacturer) but may need to be reset after installation or if wheel alignment has taken place.

Both the ‘Type Recognition’ and ‘ASP’ can be lost if the battery is disconnected whilst the steering unit is active.

You will need a suitable scantool such as the G-Scan or G-Scan2

to perform the task. ■

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garageTRADER - 47

GT

BATTERIES

MANBAT

Manbat supplies new VARTA® EFB battery Promotive EFB Joins The VARTA Ranks

M

anbat Ltd is the UK’s largest automotive battery distributor and the name behind the Numax and Lucas brands. It is also the country’s primary distribution partner of the market-leading VARTA® brand.

VARTA is the most popular original equipment (OE) battery brand amongst European commercial vehicle (CV) manufacturers and is therefore at the forefront when it comes to the research into and application of, new technology. Many of the brand’s pioneering developments are now commonplace features, but it continues to invest in the research necessary to ensure its products evolve and remain at the cutting edge.

The most recent example of this relentless pursuit comes in the form of the VARTA Promotive EFB, a CV battery that encompasses new technology to deliver a higher level of performance, over an extended

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lifecycle and is particularly designed for CVs with heavy cycling battery usage.

VARTA is renowned for its vibration resistant batteries, but the Promotive EFB’s end-of-frame cell installation process takes its resistance to a new level and combined with its other technological advances, it ensures improved performance and reliability.

In addition, its innovative acid circulator effectively prevents acid stratification, which is the common problem with deep cycling CV applications.

Manufactured in Europe, to the highest quality standards, the VARTA Promotive EFB will reliably power commercial fleets and dramatically reduce vehicle downtime when compared with a conventional battery.

because it saves the connectors from breaking. Additional connector fixings hold the connectors and plates securely in place, which all contributes to enhance the battery’s vibration resistance qualities, even when the vehicle is travelling on rough road surfaces.

Vibration Resistant

EFB Technology Features

The hot melt process renders the battery even more vibration resistant

Scrim is an additional polyester element that is located between the

plate and separator. The scrim holds the active material in place inside the plate and avoids the erosion of mass, which results in enhanced deep cycle resistance and superior charge acceptance. The glued fleece then ensures that the plates remain in their proper position at all times and in every condition.

For more information call Manbat Customer Services on 01743 218500 or visit www.manbat.co.uk ■

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AFTERMARKET GT BM CATALYSTS / GATES / OPTIMAL

Shocking news at Optimal!® W

hen looking at the road performance of any vehicle, especially in critical situations, shock absorbers hold a vital significance.

Sales of shock absorbers from Optimal® UK, to their ever increasing customer base has been particularly strong in the first quarter according to Optimal UK’ s Geoff Jones and have become the company’s biggest grower outside of its core business.

Optimal Shock Absorbers guarantee safety, reliability and minimum wear and tear, making them a valuable product in today’s market.

The range, growing due to its competitive price, has also recently changed its image and packaging, increasing the interest in Optimal’s products.

Furthermore, the growth in sales at Optimal UK has been stimulated by the company to add additional references to complement the existing stock holding in the shock absorber sector alone.

Optimal’s OE quality shock absorber range, includes both gas and oil pressure versions, produced using leading edge production technology and state-of-the-art stress testing, ensuring that the Optimal product is of the highest quality and built to last.

“The growth in the sale of shock absorbers,” said Geoff Jones, “is down to the growing appreciation and understanding, by motorists, of the importance of these safety critical components. Badly worn, they can affect tyre wear and potentially a vehicle’s handling at critical times.” The growing Optimal UK shock absorber range includes parts for all major European and Asian built models.

Optimal UK take great pride in ensuring their product range is constantly being expanded to facilitate for a wide range of vehicle models. Shock absorbers will receive a high level of concentration over the next 12 months. ■

Gates Bolt-On Extension boosts pulley range options T he inclusion of bolts with its 20 most popular Torsional Vibration Damper (TVD) applications is a move that offers major benefits to both motor factors and installers alike, says Gates.

As one of the world’s largest manufacturers of belts and tensioners for OE and the aftermarket, Gates works closely with vehicle and engine manufacturers in order to help to design the most appropriate drive system components for each application.

TVD bolts are not a universal fit. Installing incorrect bolts or re-using bolts from a previous installation are practices that have been identified as major causes of premature TVD failure.

Each TVD absorbs vibrations from the crankshaft and protects the belt as well as other components in Auxiliary Belt Drive Systems (ABDS). In doing so, it helps to extend the operational lifetimes of all of the associated components and increase ride comfort for drivers and passengers. However, by absorbing vibrations, over time the TVD becomes subject to wear.

The bolts stretch over time, so in order to protect the integrity of the TVD and the other associated components, new bolts are essential for every installation.

TVDs are often fixed with a single crankshaft bolt, but with some applications, between three and six bolts are required. This creates potential issues for motor factors in terms of correct part selection and appropriate storage facilities.

Gates believes that the inclusion of new bolts with its top 20 most popular part numbers makes it more likely that new bolts will be installed each time. Moreover, the move eliminates parts selection and storage issues at motor factor level. ■

BM Catalysts Blue Angel range now available B

M Catalysts is now taking orders for its new range of Catalytic Converters that are certified to the highest Blue Angel standards. These Premium Range Catalysts have been developed to offer customers and consumers even more choice when it comes to balancing quality, price and environmental concerns.

All BM Catalysts’ products are manufactured to the highest standards of precision engineering, but the UK-based company has increased the amount of precious metals in Premium Range parts; to enhance gas conversion and durability to make them even more environmentally friendly. This improved performance means the Premium Range conforms to some of the most stringent environmental testing requirements in the world, and has become the first set of products, from a non-German manufacturer, to achieve Blue Angel approval.

BM Catalysts is Europe’s largest independent manufacturer of Catalytic Converters, Diesel Particulate Filters and Front Pipes. It prides itself on making innovative improvements to its products months, and often years, ahead of its nearest competitors, as Commercial Director, Mark Blinston, confirms: “We are always looking to stay one step ahead of the market, and although we don’t predict that these new parts will initially take substantial sales away from our standard range, we’d expect the Blue Angel approval to make them appeal to our growing number of German distributors that take environmental issues extremely seriously. All of our parts are homologated to meet European standards, but Blue Angel raises the bar even higher, so it’s good to be the first manufacturer, from outside Germany, to meet and exceed them. Of course, these parts will also appeal to distributors outside Germany who want to order Premium parts, with the benefit of a three year warranty.” ■

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Mark Blinston

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GT

REFINISH

SPIES HECKER / STANDOX

Spies Hecker makes plastic finishing easy A minor accident today doesn’t automatically mean that damaged plastic parts have to be replaced. With the right refinishing products, applied correctly, successful coated plastic repairs are possible.

S

pies Hecker has a number of products – primers, additives and clear coats – that can help refinishers achieve effective and successful plastic paint repairs.

The brand has also come up with some fundamental rules that can help make the process easy and straightforward.

Kevin Welling, Training Academy Manager for Axalta Coatings Systems in the UK and Ireland, explains: “Painting plastics needn’t be something refinishers worry about, provided certain basic criteria are observed. An accurate initial assessment is one of the most important aspects of attaining a great final result.”

At the outset of a plastic repair, a detailed inspection is required to ascertain whether the part is old or new, or if it has been painted, primed, or is untreated. Refinishers should also determine if the plastic part has been damaged or repaired previously or if it is resistant to solvents.

Welling says: “Lack of knowledge of plastic parts poses the biggest threat to achieving a good result, so care must be taken to avoid mistakes when refinishing them.”

Once the plastic part has been assessed, it must be thoroughly cleaned to ensure the best adhesion possible for the refinish paint. An anti-

static degreaser such as Permaloid 7010 Silicone Remover from Spies Hecker helps to clean the area and to eliminate static electricity on the surface. This step can eradicate nonwater soluble contaminants as well as remove small amounts of grease and oil. Permaloid 7010 Silicone Remover can be used on most automotive exterior plastic parts and it helps to prevent the plastic from attracting dust particles that can impair the final finish.

When the plastic part is completely clean, refinishers can then choose the

appropriate Spies Hecker products for the various repair stages. All of these have been developed with ease-of-use as a priority.

However, even though painting plastics should be a straightforward process, there is still potential for complications.

Welling says: “When trim parts are coated in a different colour, which is often the case with older cars or with customised parts, product selection can be quite a challenge. With bodyshops’ needs at the heart of

its product development, Spies Hecker offers refinishers a full range of colour tools for precise colour matching – ColorDialog and ColorDialog DeltaScan spectrophotometers, CRplus software, and the Color Index swatch system, as well as an online formula search. We believe that with the plastic repair products we offer, refinishers can undertake plastic repairs, regardless of the condition, age, colour or type of plastic to be painted, confident in the knowledge that we’ve got them covered.” ■

Standox offer solutions for waterborne waste E

nvironmental issues are important for paint manufacturers, and managing waste is something Standox takes very seriously. The 16.30 coagulant has been designed to help deal with waterborne waste.

“Waste management is not only an environmental issue, but also a health and safety concern,” says Anthony Cashel, Marketing Manager for Axalta Coating Systems in the UK and Ireland. “Standohyd Plus, the waterborne basecoat from Standox, is environmentally responsible and has fulfilled the requirements of VOC legislation ever since it was introduced. The 16.30 coagulant clears Standohyd wastewater so 50 - garageTRADER

that it can then be disposed of in line with local regulations.”

The 16.30 coagulant powder is mixed with the waste water and left for a few minutes until solid lumps of coagulated waterborne paint material start to form and settle.

When the water is completely clear, the process is complete and the coagulated paint material can be filtered out and removed as chemical waste. With the local authorities’ approval, the clear water can then be disposed of.

However, it must never be re-used or re-added to fresh waterborne paint.

Cashel stresses the importance of following instructions on the

safety data sheet and observing the precautionary notices displayed on the container. “The 16.30 coagulant is humidity sensitive so the container must be tightly closed immediately after use. And special and dedicated materials should always be used when cleaning waterborne equipment,” he says.

“Following these simple rules will not only make for a safer and healthier workplace, but will also ensure waste is managed responsibly, which is good for the environment.”

Standox produces a Standothek guide entitled Helpful Tips for Your Health and Safety, which covers the issue of correct waste management and disposal. ■

check out the website: www.garagetrader.co.uk

REFINISH GT

HENKEL / NEXA AUTOCOLOUR / PPG

PPG appointed official paint supplier for Williams Martini Racing

P

PG Industries’ long-standing relationship with Williams Martini Racing continues into the 2015 Formula One season as the company has once again been selected as the official paint and coatings supplier to Frank Williams’ resurgent team.

Lifted by a set of impressive results that saw Williams Martini Racing achieve nine podium places and third place in the Constructors’ Championship in 2014, the team has made further improvements to the car and is positive that progress will continue in 2015.

“PPG’s advice and input on the paint and

coatings we use on our Formula One cars has never been more important” commented founder and Team Principal Sir Frank Williams.“ They’ve managed to reduce the weight of the paint we use on the cars and every gram saved gives us the possibility of faster lap times”.

Williams Martini Racing demand the very highest quality and most exceptional coatings available. To ensure that the team’s requirements are continuously met, PPG’s paint technicians work closely with those of Williams Martini Racing throughout testing to design, apply and monitor

Thatcham certification for body shop metal pre-treatment B

ONDERITE® 1455 wipes for use in body shop repair are the latest product from Henkel to receive Thatcham Quality Assured certification. Widely recognised for testing, accreditation and Quality Assurance programmes, Thatcham Research ensures that products awarded certification have met the rigorous demands and high standards of criteria set by experts. Henkel’s status as a BSI PAS 125 KitemarkTM supplier complements the assurance of this products performance and efficiency savings.

The pre-saturated wipes effectively replace all other complex and timeconsuming methods of metal pretreatment for bare steel, aluminium, stainless steel, copper and brass surfaces. Application couldn’t be simpler, just wipe it on. After a few minutes to dry, surfaces are protected and primed. No tools, no masking and no overspray to rectify, providing a much tighter repair process. BONDERITE® 1455 wipes are particularly good for coating relatively inaccessible areas, knife edge mouldings, door edges and wheel hubs which, when etch primed, can be easily scuffed.

BONDERITE® 1455 wipes are chromiumfree and low VOC and therefore kind to both the environment and operator.

After use, and when dry, they become standard waste. ■

check out the website: www.garagetrader.co.uk

coatings that can provide a competitive edge.

“We’re very proud to continue our association with Williams Martini Racing,” commented Danni Aiken, Marketing Communications Manager PPG Refinish UK & Ireland. “The paint system we have devised for the team is testament to our continued investments in product development and to the feedback we gain from the many thousands of painters in bodyshops who use our products on a daily basis. We look forward to supporting Felipe Massa and Valtteri Bottas in their endeavours during the next twelve months”. ■

Speed up your bodyshop with new Nexa Autocolour® 2K aerosols P

190-9050 2K Clearcoat and P565-9020 2K Chromate Free Wash Etch Primer are the new 2K aerosols launched in the Nexa Autocolor® system to complete the range of aerosols combining ease of application with fast process times and superb finish.

The new 2K Clearcoat is water white delivering a flat high gloss finish and the 2K Chromate Free Wash Etch Primer gives an extremely fast flash off to provide excellent quality and durability of the final repair.

The 2K Clearcoat and Chromate Free Wash Etch Primer aerosols from Nexa Autocolor® use advanced nozzle technology to deliver a constant, fine atomisation with a spray pattern similar to a spraygun.

The hardener is separated during the storage in an isolated cylinder inside and is released by pushing a button when the painter is ready to use the product.

Developed to ensure bodyshops achieve quality and productivity, these two component premium products are always ready-for use which removes the need for time-consuming mixing, spraygun setup and equipment cleaning, thus improving productivity and profitability. ■

garageTRADER - 51

GT

WORKSHOP

AUTOROBOT / SEALEY

Autorobot Smartpuller: Dent pulling system with movable stand A

utorobot Finland has developed a new dent pulling system called SmartPuller. The new innovation makes the straightening of vehicle

panels and box structures faster and more economical. The special features of Autorobot SmartPuller are easy and quick to use. The

equipment is suitable for almost all kinds of car body straightening.

An easy use of the equipment has been achieved with the movable

stand with the wheels and the adjustable counter supports. Both counter supports can be set to the strong areas of the body which allows the best support for each area to be straightened. Autorobot SmartPuller needs a resistance welder for fixing the washers or welding wire to the area to be pulled.

The specialty of SmartPuller is its ability to straighten areas almost all over the body in all needed directions.

According to the information from the insurance companies, approximately 80 % of all damages are surface panel ones. The surface damage often appears on the box structures which cannot be pulled from inside of the car. An exterior straightening with the use of SmartPuller means remarkable saving to working time because the doors and other body structures will not need to be disassembled and reassembled. The advantages of SmartPuller can be best noticed in the repair of the large dents on the welded sides of the car and the roof.

This is why SmartPuller is one of the most important pieces of equipment in the modern body shops. ■

Brake Pad Thickness Gauge S

ealey have recently launched their ingenious, time-saving VS058 Brake Pad Thickness Gauge.

Not only is it small enough to slip into your overall pocket, this neat little tool can measure the thickness of all regular 6mm lined brake pads without having to remove the road wheel.

Thanks to its slim design, the VS058 is able to locate the rear of the pad backing plate, allowing the probe to measure the distance between the underside of the backing plate and brake disc. Suitable for both internal and external brake pads, it features a 1.5mm and calibration check marking.

Now available in Sealey’s newly launched Vehicle Service promotion, you can grab yourself a bargain for the princely sum of £15.95 +VAT. Drop into your local Sealey stockist today and order / buy your own which you will not find from any other tool supplier. ■ 52 - garageTRADER

check out the website: www.garagetrader.co.uk

PRODUCT NEWSGT

NEW IN STOCK

DO YOUR ABRASIVES REALLY CUT IT? PUT IT TO THE PANEL

S

ign up for your free 3M cubitron II Panel Shop Sample Pack at www.putittothepanel.co.uk.

At 3M we understood that improved versatility leads to improved productivity, which is why we believe your business could benefit from our 3M Cubitron II discs, Wheels and Belts range.

Featuring 3M precision-shaped grain, Cubitron II abrasive Discs and Belts continuously fractures to for sharp points and edges, slicing cleaner and faster, staying cooler and lasting many times longer.

For the full portfolio of size and grades available, please contact your local distributor or 3M representative.

For more information visit website www.3Mbodyshop.co.uk

NEW

WHEEL FROM TMG

THE NEW G-SCAN 2 BASE FROM BLUE PRINT

B

lue Print has introduced a new model to the G-Scan line-up, called the G-Scan 2 Base.

The new model has all the same features and benefits of the other G-Scan 2 models, but unlike the others it doesn’t have the built-in oscilloscope or multimeter. This great value model fills a gap in our range where a garage may already have a stand-alone oscilloscope.

The G-Scan 2 Base is the only tool in the aftermarket to offer genuine OEM developed Hyundai and Kia software – two vehicle manufacturers whose sales have increased massively in the last decade.

Allied with near OEM level Asian coverage, a two year warranty plus two years of free software updates, you can understand why the G-Scan range is No.1 for Asian vehicle diagnostics.

More details are available from CD Group, Fyfes and Serfac, J & S Automotive and on the website www.bilsteingroup.com

SPECIFIED OIL HELPS PREVENT TURBOCHARGER FAILURE

O

T

MG in Fintona is expecting delivery early June of the new AVA 19” Dallas Wheel in hyper silver.

Stocking over 20,000 wheels in their premises in Fintona they have been supplying wheels to the motor trade throughout Northern Ireland, Southern Ireland and the UK. They stock lots of top brands including: AVANTI ALUTEC, BELLINI, CSA, ETA, BETA, ICECOOL RACING, KN, KOSEI, AVA Dallas KOYA, LF WORKS, MINILITE, PANTHER, R DESIGN, RIZO, SSW, TEAM DYNAMICS, TSW AND ZCW. For more information visit www.tmgalloywheels.com, email: tmgalloywheels@hotmail.co.uk or Tel: 028 8284 1277 (Eire 048) (Int: +44)

n today’s roads more than 90% of diesel passenger cars are fitted with a Turbocharger. This figure is set to grow further as industry experts predict a rapid increase in the presence of Turbochargers in petrol engine vehicles over the next few years. Turbochargers increase engine power while at the same time improve fuel economy and reduce emissions. More and more mainstream car manufacturers are incorporating turbo-charging as a way to make small, fuelefficient engines viable.

Preventing Turbocharger failure by selecting the right oil for a given vehicle is essential. This is why Team P R Reilly and their partners at North Sea Lubricants invest so much in producing application data.

For more information contact the Team PR Reilly sales team on email: sales@team.ie

PAINTING DRYING SYSTEM FROM KARKRAFT AND P R REILLY

GYS 3 Torch System – Always ready for welding Steel, Aluminium or MIG Brazing

K

arkraft and P R Reilly are delighted to welcome a new Paint Drying system to their extensive bodyshop solutions. The FY-3DH Dryer is made from aluminium alloy and has 304 grade bright stainless steel reflectors.

The aluminium frame is set on casters which will allow free movement within a spray booth or sanding room.

The Lamp is set on a hydraulic lifter and has 360o rotation. The system is equipped with shortwave infrared double layer halogen lamps that specifically designed for curing body paint and has a good distribution of heat to cure effectively with gentle light intensity. The FY-3DH has also been designed with both an Automatic Distance Sensor & Automatic Temperature Sensor.

For more information contact the Karkraft sales team on 028 9085 5555 or email: sales@karkraft.co.uk

check out the website: www.garagetrader.co.uk

K

arkraft continue to keep independent workshops and bodyshops competitive in today’s market. GYS, one of Europe’s largest manufactures of bodyshop welding equipment, have launched a new Multitorch MIG welding machine with Brazing capability.

The GYS Multi-Torch MIG Welding Machine is a single-phase welder featuring a three-torch system. It is designed to be set up simultaneously for brazing, steel and aluminium via a spool gun. It offers GYS synergic control for optimal wire speed selection and will accommodate 1kg, 5kg and 15kg wire reels. The GYS car body MIG range also includes single torch machines suitable for brazing and pulse MIG machines.

For more information contact the Karkraft sales team on 028 9085 5555 or email sales@karkraft.co.uk garageTRADER - 53

GT

TRAINING

CUSTOMER CARE

Customer care – can you afford

not to look after your customer’s needs?

By Janet Forbes of Riverpark Training

T

he pressures in the highly competitive automotive industry have been well documented in recent years. Margins are tight, competition is high, customers seem more demanding and yet the industry strives for more profitability.

All businesses, both large and small, struggle with finding the ‘Goose that lays the Golden egg’ in this respect, yet many businesses are prepared to ignore the critical area of customer care.

Other industries such as tourism and hospitality see customer care and training of staff in customer care as a critical activity in their business that is directly linked to their financial performance, yet we in the automotive sector are only just waking up to the opportunities for profit that engaging in such activities will give us. We would all agree that other industries and indeed other nations are streaks ahead of us with regard to customer care, but many within the industry ask themselves ‘So what’?

Walker is a consulting firm

specialising in ‘customer intelligence’, they commissioned a report entitled Customer 2020 which specifically looked at customer service in relation to: expectations of customers by 2020, the need for companies to adapt or fail and the implications for businesses and customer service professionals.

Customer 2020 states: ‘The customer of 2020 will be more informed and in charge of the experience they receive. They will expect companies to know their individual needs and personalise the experience. Immediate resolution will not be fast enough as customers will expect companies to proactively address their current and future needs. As customer expectations shift, companies are forced to adapt.

Enlightened by what the future has in store, many companies are already laying the foundation for 2020.

Others are stuck in a historical view of customer experience management and will fall behind if they don’t react soon.’

Most of us in the industry will

recognise that customers are already behaving in this way, larger concerns such as motor vehicle manufacturers, national motor vehicle retailers and national accident repair groups have embraced and accepted the worth of customer care and are actively developing their businesses accordingly. Small to medium sized businesses have some way to go and many in fact do not think this will affect their business. The reality is that it will affect your business through loss of repeat business, bad publicity, and a possible reduction in revenue associated with poor management of your customers.

So where do you start? Perhaps the best place to start is recognition that customers will not tolerate poor service and an honest assessment of the state of customer care in your

business. What do your customers actually think of your business? What could you do better? How could you change your processes to be more customer focused? Sometimes the eyes of another can see issues that perhaps you or your staff are blinkered to. These individuals or companies can complete an assessment of facilities, staff interaction with customers, customer views and will help you implement a development plan suited to you and your business.

Begin the process to a more focused, customer care-based business and you will indeed find your ‘Goose that lays the golden egg’ in relation to increased revenue and profitability. You simply cannot afford to ignore customer care; your business depends on it! ■

Customer Care facts Brands in the UK are currently losing nearly £15bn annually due to poor customer service. Harris/ClickSoftware Survey 65% of 1,000 consumers surveyed said they’ve cut ties with a brand over a single poor customer service experience. 2014 Parature State of Multichannel Customer Service Survey More than two-thirds of 2,000 consumers who encountered a customer service/customer experience issue on a brand’s website left the site or visited a competitor. 2014 IBM Digital Customer Experience Report 71% of those who experience positive social care experience are likely to recommend that brand to others, compared to just 19% of customers that do not receive a response. NM Incite Social Care Survey The revenue impact from a 10 percentage point improvement in a company’s customer experience score can translate into more than $1bn. Forrester Business Impact of Customer Experience By 2020, the customer will manage 85% of the relationship with an enterprise without interacting with a human. Gartner Research

Customer Care Consultancy and Services @ Riverpark Training and Development Riverpark, Blackwater Road, Mallusk, Antrim BT36 4TZ www.riverparktraining.com Tel No: 028 9034 2300 Email: janet@riverparktraining.com 54 - garageTRADER

check out the website: www.garagetrader.co.uk

TRAINING GT NEWS

Motor industry chief calls for 70% pay increase for apprentices T

he leader of the motor industry professional body, IMI, is calling on employers to consider increasing the starting salary for apprentices by more than 70% to compete with academic career paths.

Steve Nash, CEO of the Institute for the Motor Industry, will explain that return on investment research demonstrates that most companies could increase starting salaries from the legal minimum set by Government of £2.73 to £4.73 per hour without loss of profitability.

Set to address senior business figures this week, at the IMI Annual dinner in Central London, Steve Nash explains the changing landscape in academic and vocational education means the motor industry will need to place a premium on its apprenticeships if it is to succeed in attracting the best young talent.

Steve Nash said: “The industry is telling us they struggle to attract the highest quality school leavers into training that they need to help them overcome the technological challenges they face over the next decade. This demand cannot be met while the industry continues to pay apprentices the legal minimum of £2.73 per hour across the board.”

“The education system is now totally geared up to keep young people in school until they’re 18 and push them toward university. Meanwhile, young people no longer have access to careers advisors who might send them down a vocational route since the service was reorganised in 2012. This puts industry at a disadvantage.”

“The pool of available young people to go into apprenticeships is set to shrink dramatically despite the election promises we’ve heard from all the parties. Industry must take action independently.”

To offset arguments against raising pay on economic grounds, the IMI has produced evidence to show the motor industry can easily cope with a £2 per hour uplift in the starting salary for apprentices.

Using an econometric model developed by Dr Paul Spear, in a government funded study, the IMI calculates the return on employer investment from a well recruited and productive apprentice, with a starting salary of £4.73, will still be on average 130% on sold hours alone. ■

IMI takes lead on sales accreditation T

he IMI has launched a new accreditation for automotive sales personnel.

IMI Sales Accreditation will act as the professional standard for vehicle sales, sitting alongside IMI’s existing Customer Service Accreditation as the IMI leads a new drive to improve public perceptions of the industry.

Early adopters of the new Sales Accreditation route include Mercedes-Benz and Vauxhall, who have already begun to reap rewards of staff that have completed the training and assessment. With a number of other manufacturers and large dealership groups also in discussion with the IMI about Sales and Customer Services Accreditation routes, as many as 5,000 registrations are expected in the coming months.

The new accreditation is available at two levels, Sales Executive and Senior Sales Executive. To be successful, employees need to demonstrate competence in the areas of communication, product and technical knowledge, objection handling, complaints, and business processes. The higher Senior Sales Executive level requires additional competence in the areas of workload management, warranty, coaching and supervision.

All individuals who are successful achievers of IMI Accreditations are placed on the public facing Professional Register – a searchable database of over 40,000 industry professionals who can prove their skills, knowledge, competence and sign up to an ethical code of conduct. ■ check out the website: www.garagetrader.co.uk

Andy Cummins from Dromore is rewarded with a Porsche Driving Experience after becoming one of just nine tyre fitters to graduate from the Michelin Tyre Academy.

Co Down tyre fitter graduates from Michelin Academy

D

own tyre fitter Andy Cummins has graduated from Michelin’s new in-house academy after a year spent studying tyre technology and the business of delivering a top tyre fitting service.

Employed by A One Tyres, Dromore, 29-year-old Andy is one of nine technicians to successfully complete the course that included online study, time spent in specialist workshops at the Michelin centre in Stoke-on Trent, a visit to observe tyres being manufactured at the Michelin factory in Dundee and tyre test days at Silverstone race track.

“I had no idea how technical the process of making tyres is before I saw it for myself or that more than 200 materials are used in each tyre,” Andy said.

He qualified to take the course thanks to A One Tyres being amongst a small group of Irish and UK tyre retailers recognised as a Michelin Certified Centre. ■

garageTRADER - 55

GT

TRAINING

RIVERPARK

Northern Ireland Apprentice Challenge 2015 The 2015 Northern Ireland Apprentice Challenge was held at Riverpark Training during March 2015. This was three individual competitions including Light Vehicle, Autobody Repair and Vehicle Refinishing.

Light Vehicle was contested by Southern Regional College, Belfast MET and North West Regional College.

The competitors were tested on vehicle electrics, wheel alignment, gearbox faults, removal and diagnosing brakes, timing belt replacement and ABS faults, all within a 6 hour time frame

Technical support and judging was also supplied by all 3 colleges taking part and this was then scrutinised by Riverpark Training staff. As all three winners of this challenge have also entered the national competition “SkillAuto� this provided valuable competition experience to these young apprentices who now hopefully have the taste for bettering themselves and taking on the rest of the UK.

Winners in this section were:

BRONZE: WILLIAM DOHERTY

Silver: John Hyndes

Gold: Eoin McCluster

Prises of a Snap-On battery 3/8 drive wrench, Snap-On Flank Drive spanners and a Fluke Multi-meter were presented by Bill Jones World Skills Sector Lead.

Autobody Repair was contested by Riverpark Training, North West Regional College and Southern Regional College. All competitors were tested on panel alignment, welding to AOM009 standards, removal and replacement of a welded section and panel repairs using both fillers and metal finishing techniques. Judges for this section were Matthew Quinn (World Skills Bronze), Frazer Minskip (World Skills Training Manager), Paul Harrison (North West Regional College) and all overseen

by Frank McNally (Transport Training Services) and Andrew McDonald (SkillAuto Bronze) 56 - garageTRADER

BRONZE: Jonathan mossgrove N.West regional college check out the website: www.garagetrader.co.uk

TRAININGGT

RIVERPARK

Prizes of a Snap-On panel beating set, an ESAB welding helmet and a Blue point socket set were presented by Bill Jones (World Skills Sector Lead)

Silver: Darren Foster

Gold: Andrew Gault

Vehicle Refinishing was contested by North West Regional College, Transport Training Services, Southern Regional College and Riverpark Training.

This was the final competition and the most closely contested, by 3pm it was impossible to distinguish between who would win. Competitors had to carry out a wet on wet process to a new panel, complete a sealing task, colour match correctly and polish out a run on a black panel. Judges were Uel Murphy (North West Regional College), Mark Mooney (Technical Rep Karkraft), Russell Jacobs (Sata UK) and overseen by Jonathan Lloyd (World Skills Bronze)

Prises of a Sata 5000, a Devilbiss Pro and a 3M primer gun were presented by Bill Jones (World Skills Sector Lead)

Bronze: Tyler McCrum

Silver: Antanias Baltmiskis

Gold: Josh Alexander

Riverpark Training will be working closely with all these winners who have also entered the national competition “SkillAuto�. It is anticipated that a joined up approach from all colleges and training providers throughout Northern Ireland is now needed to help our young apprentices demonstrate the high skill level that is in the motor industry of N.I. check out the website: www.garagetrader.co.uk

garageTRADER - 57

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TRAINING

RIVERPARK

Riverpark Training Awards Night This is now the 7th Awards ceremony held at Riverpark and this one was particularly well attended by both apprentices and parents. Colin Hagan presented the evening and paid particular emphasis on apprentices personal achievements. There were awards for “Most Improved”, “Apprentice of the Year” and “Outstanding Achievement” in each section. Awards were presented by Frazer Minskip (World Skills Training Manager Autobody Repair).

Most Improved Autobody Repair: Matthew Quigley (Wrights ARC Carryduff)

2015 Autobody Repair Apprentice of the Year: Jonathan Cousins

2015 Apprentice of the Year Vehicle Refinishing Mark Hughes

2015 Outstanding Award Autobody Repair: James Crawford

58 - garageTRADER

check out the website: www.garagetrader.co.uk

TRAININGGT

RIVERPARK

Training courses for the Republic of Ireland A

new initiative is currently being rolled out for technicians in the ROI. Riverpark Training would be keen to engage with bodyshops who want to get more out of their productives. We are currently providing bespoke training courses that can match individual bodyshop needs. As the industry changes so does the technology and the turn-around customers now expect. Riverpark Training is keen to up-skill existing technicians or newly qualified technicians to reduce bodyshop costs and increase profitability. Our courses include: • Four Wheel Alignment • Aluminium Repair • Plastic Repair • Colour Matching • Vehicle presentation and Polishing • MIG Brazing • MAG welding to AOM009 Standard • Senior Panel ATA • Senior Paint ATA • Senior MET ATA If you are interested in any of the above courses please contact us on (048) 90342400 or email riverparktraining@btconnect.com.

2015 Outstanding Achievement Award Vehicle Refinishing: Aaron Kernohan

www.riverparktraining.com Riverpark Training and Development Ltc Unit 1, Riverpark, Blackwater Road, Mallusk, Co. Antrim

NOW ACCEPTING APPRENTICE APPLICATIONS

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garageTRADER - 59

GT TTS

TRAINING

Need Staff? – Grow your Own!

T

here is a degree of optimism surrounding the N.Ireland economy with marginal growth predicted in all areas. Fuel prices are at the lowest level in years and a favourable budget has just been announced.

Car sales are increasing, meaning more pre-delivery inspections (PDI) and more used cars needed checked pre-sale. The Motor Industry has started to turn the corner.

With this upsurge in work have you got the right staff levels to meet the demand?

This is a perfect time to consider employing an apprentice. A young, enthusiastic person with energy and a willingness to learn is the perfect addition to your staff. If you wait any longer you will be turning work away,

60 - garageTRADER

This is a perfect time to consider employing an apprentice. A young, enthusiastic person with energy and a willingness to learn is the perfect addition to your staff. If you wait any longer you will be turning work away, but recruit an apprentice this year and you’ll be well placed for a rise in your workload over the next 3-4 years. but recruit an apprentice this year and you’ll be well placed for a rise in your workload over the next 3-4 years.

So what will an apprentice do for your business? First you have to recognise that they are on a learning

journey and they don’t know it all on the first day so the work they do for you has to be a blend of what they are competent to perform and challenging enough for them to learn the next stage.

In Year 1 your apprentice will assist with the housekeeping of the workshop and in the initial weeks of their employment carry out some preparation tasks eg drain oil, remove wheels. As they progress they will remove and refit brakes, change filters and oil and eventually be able to carry out service work. This will free your technicians up to carry out higher value work and make their labour hours more productive.

In year 2 your trainee will now be much more useful carrying out

repairs and be able to remove and replace most faulty components and regular wear items. The apprentice now is starting to show a difference to your bottom line By year 3 the apprentice will be diagnosing faults and repairing these and have a much more detailed knowledge of suspension, steering, engine management and electrical systems.

Into year 4 and you can expect your apprentice to be able to carry out 80-90% of the standard work that your garage performs leaving them to learn more about much more complicated fault finding and solutions.

In an ideal world a large dealership or independent garage should

check out the website: www.garagetrader.co.uk

TRAINING GT TTS

Mixing the younger trainees with older staff adds diversity to your workforce and particularly in a technological age young people can add expertise in social media and ICT that perhaps your older staff can’t.

Ultimately if you go to the recruitment market and try to employ a fully qualified technician, it may be difficult to attract the right person at the salary level you intend.

Recruiting and training a young person allows you to grow your own workforce and mould them into the type of staff member you need at a relatively low cost.

have a mixed workforce with senior technicians and some specialist knowledge. In the middle there should very capable technicians but without the additional specialist courses. And below this, your apprentices. Ideally you may have more than one at different stages in their training who can work alongside both your senior technicians and other staff and learn a wide range of skills from different people.

Mixing the younger trainees with older staff adds diversity to

your workforce and particularly in a technological age young people can add expertise in social media and ICT that perhaps your older staff can’t.

Ultimately if you go to the recruitment market and try to employ a fully qualified technician, it may be difficult to attract the right person at the salary level you intend. Recruiting and training a young person allows you to grow your own workforce and mould them into the type of staff member you need at a relatively low cost.

DEL funding is here to help. The

only cost to your business is the apprentice’s wages. DEL funding pays for their training at an approved training provider and also offers incentive payments to employers when the apprentice completes their training.

For more information on apprenticeships, contact Transport Training Services (NI) Ltd at 028 9082 5653 or by email at mail@transporttraining.co.uk.

OUTSTANDING SUCCESS AT TTS. All the staff at TTS would like to thank our customers, the apprentices we train and the businesses that employ them for your help.

Recently the ETI (Education and

Training Inspectorate) who are an external body to TTS, carried out a very thorough inspection of our premises and training provision and found “In transportation operations and maintenance, the quality of training provided by Transport Training Services (NI) Limited is outstanding.”

This is a brilliant result and would not be possible without the cooperation of everyone who works with us to develop and train the next generation of technicians for the retail motor industry. We’re looking forward to helping you further and developing more young people for your businesses in the future. ■

www.transport-training.com check out the website: www.garagetrader.co.uk

garageTRADER - 61

t•

t • inthe sea d

ersseat • in riv

Stuart Alexander

inthedrive rs

DRIVERSSEAT e edriv rssea th

GT

In this edition we talk to

Stuart Alexander

National Sales Manager, UK and Republic of Ireland for Car-O-Liner

Tell us about your career so far?

After leaving school in 1984 I joined the Richard Pillmore Accident Repair Centre in York as an Apprentice Panel Technician. The following year I moved to Minster Coachworks as a Panel Technician and stayed there for seven years. In 1992 I became the North East Technical Sales Representative for Car-O-Liner UK in Rugby and in 1998 I was promoted to UK, Northern Regional and Republic of Ireland Sales Manager for the company. Since 2007 my official title is UK and Republic of Ireland National Sales Manager for Car-O-Liner UK.

Did you plan to get involved in this industry?

Yes. I really love cars, welding, metalwork and everything that goes along with it.

What was your biggest 62 - garageTRADER

disappointment?

Never had any big disappointments – I am always positive.

What was the best piece of advice you ever received?

I received two great pieces of advice. ‘Be honest with yourself and you’ll not go far wrong’ which came from my nan and ‘Keep Smiling’, the ethos of my career!

Whom do you most admire?

I had just taken over the sales for the Republic of Ireland in 1995 and I picked up a book at an airport called A Long Way from Penny Apples. I thought it sounded interesting and I soon discovered it was written by Bill Cullen and when I read it quite a few of my customers were mentioned in it. He is an Irish Alan Sugar and I admire Lord Sugar too.

"

I really love cars, welding, metalwork and everything that goes along with it.

"

What is the most difficult aspect of your job?

Keeping all the balls in the air at the same time and keeping Car-O-Liner as the number one in the UK and Ireland.

What is your most effective or personal asset?

restored so that I could do some work on it myself. I’ve nearly bought one a few times!

How do you relax?

I like a spot of horse-racing and am a member of York Racecourse, and my son and I attend York City soccer matches.

Tell us something surprising about yourself I have a passion for modern history – especially the period from the 16th to 19th centuries, as well as the Napoleonic wars, the American Civil War, the Industrial Revolution etc. ■

My enthusiasm – I am passionate about this industry. I am always happy and positive!

You’ve won the lottery.

What car would you rush out and buy?

It would have to be a Mercedes Pagoda, preferably one that needs

"

My enthusiasm (is my most effective or personal asset)... I am passionate about this industry. I am always happy and positive!

"

check out the website: www.garagetrader.co.uk

Check Out our Website...

www.garagetrader.co.uk

For Advertising details please contact: Eileen Wilson on 028 9078 3225 email: eileenwilson@greerpublications.com Gladys Greer on 028 9078 3224 email: gladysgreer@greerpubications.com