February 2010 Issue No 13 www.tat.net.au Oz Top Gear’s top mechanic $115 gives you: • 12 months subscription to TaT • Six magazines mailed to your postal address • Access to illustrated solutions on line • Problem solving service APPLY ON PAGE 29 more of these YOU than you can SAID poke a scan IT! tool at! Photo by Hans Lignell • The ABS warning on this • Cold starts pointed to fuel pressure ‘s a fact Landcruiser was really under problems in this Mazda 6. problem solving the pump. HANATECH TECHNOLOGY Hanatech - Australia’s number one selling scan tools are proud to announce the arrival of their new 2009 P1 models Internal multi gateway; all CAN protocols are accessed by simply using one connector. New bright screen models read in direct sunlight or under dimly lit conditions. Stylish, rugged with legendary reliability and warranty Hanatech is famous for. Two years included updates and updating via the Internet is a breeze. Just simply plug and click to access software updates. 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New Generation Scan Tools Call 02 9905 8055 www.hanatech.com.au for your nearest national distributor As our chief trainer Jeff Smit keeps What a fantastic notion that was, and with Ken Newton saying ‘nobody can know it all any this was one of the big ideas which more’. became part of the TaT philosophy, mainly because both Jeff Smit and any of us still persist Having been involved with a few auto It doesn’t take a Rhodes scholar to Deyan Barrie, the TaT technical with this ancient New conventions and training workshops quickly figure out that with all these team, headed up the AAAE in the Year’s resolution ritual in my time, I am regularly amazed new computer controlled systems early days. ofM promising ourselves to make that, year after year, you see the in the average family sedan, plus changes to our lives. same faces in front of the trainers. hybrids and electric cars about to flood the market, some extra training So if we now have you thinking about At a guess, 99% of those resolutions I’ve reached the conclusion and knowledge is going to be your own future in the industry, why that the world is equally divided are in the dustbin next day. That’s necessary if technicians are going to don’t you put this magazine aside for between those who appreciate the also part of the ritual. stay in the game. a few minutes and make a new set of value of training, and those who New Year’s resolutions. First allocate Regardless of whether we carry the believe they don’t need it. That need for knowledge is the an annual sum of money which resolution through to the end, the premise that drove the establishment you can afford to direct to training concept is supposed to be an annual I also know that once a technician of this magazine and our online help reflection on self improvement. I yourself and/or your technical staff. makes the big decision to and training programs. We arrived exclude from this story our Top Gear Then pack as many training events spend hundreds of dollars on the market at the right time, and mechanic featured in the cover story. (including registration, travel and into your year that you can possibly Hamish Allen is one of the 1% who it is inspiring to see the number of accommodation) to attend something attend. actually follows through with his New technicians who are enthusiastically as big and dynamic as the Wire Year resolution – read it on Page 4. tapping into our resources, and & Gas Convention, they usually sharing information with each other. Wire & Gas would be a must (there’s Working closely with many become addicted to training and a story in this issue). Watch out technicians and workshop owners conventions in the future. That’s why As a by-product of TaT, what we for the TaT training program when since this magazine first began we keep seeing the same faces – are really doing is establishing a it appears on our website, check in February 2008 has given our they wouldn’t miss it for quids. formidable database of experts out the other training opportunities technical team a good insight into in all fields of auto repair. The old through your wholesalers, including the state of readiness of most In case you haven’t noticed, the auto Australian Association of Automotive Bosch which runs excellent courses. technicians to face the problems that world is changing rapidly. Every area Electricians (AAAE), which merged will be wheeled into their repair bays of the modern vehicle is changing, with VASA, had this great idea years this year. and fast. ago, to ask its members if they had a There are many opportunities. Most Without detracting from the many speciality that they could share with are nights or weekends, so you are dedicated technicians who attend With each new wave of vehicles their fellow technicians. not throwing away work time. training and hone their skills at every comes a new wave of post-warranty problems for the aftermarket opportunity, we have to say that there They had a Merc specialist in Consider this your investment in your technician. The reality is that those are still too many people living in the Bendigo, an air conditioning wizard in own future. Other professionals do it, past, simply trusting that their years who think they can rely on their Brisbane, and a ECU guru in Perth… why not you. of experience will get them through. experience are deluding themselves. the list goes on. The team Contents Publisher International correspondents The zany Top Gear mechanic ……… 4,5 The Automotive Technician Pty Ltd Julian Hentze - Georgia USA •TaT Assist •TaT Chat •TaT Train Fantasy or future …………………… 5 •TaT’s a Fact •Tips for TaT ABN 27 121 589 802 Hayley Windsor - Peru Subaru ABS problem ……………… 7 - are all registered trade names of Volvo goes electric ………………… 7 1 Cleg Street Reader ARTARMON NSW 2064 Bron Robinson The Automotive Technician Pty Ltd. What is a job worth ………………… 8 The Automotive Technician Pty Ltd Concept - Twizy ZE …………………… 9 [email protected] Advertising inquiries publishes technical advice and A car with a screw loose …………… 11 Ph 1300 828 000 Jeff Smit actual case studies for the Fax 1300 828 100 Ford factory LP ……………………… 12 [email protected] purpose of educating technicians. Letter from America ………………… 15 Editor in chief Ph 02 9966 8600 These advices are given in good Ken Newton Wire & Gas registrations ………………15 faith, and are based on actual [email protected] Graphic design workshop repairs. No guarantee is It all begins with the battery ………… 15 0438 569 517 Russell Jones given, nor any liability accepted in Tat’s a facts ……………………… 16, 17 Fax 07 5591 8172 Russell Jones Graphic Design respect to any published advice. Top Tools - Durst charger ……………… 18 07 5532 2840 0408 123 287 Technical editor [email protected] The Automotive Technician Pty Ltd Top Tools - Projecta Intelli-Charge ….… 19 Jeff Smit is not responsible for the accuracy Charging extra for knowledge ………… 21 [email protected] of any information contained in 1300 828 000 Original TaT design standard New year - new cars ………………… 22 material submitted by third parties Allan Green It only takes a pinched wire ………… 22 Technical research CEO Design and published in this magazine and Street Cred - the Tuk-Tuk …………… 23 Deyan Barrie [email protected] accepts no liability in relation to [email protected] such materials or their content. Tat’s Interesting ……………………… 25 02 9476 6277 Printing Newsworthy articles or comments Murphy’s Law on training …………… 26 Technical advisers Immij NSW are welcomed, and should be Poor servicing to blame …………… 26 Jack Stepanian 3/12 Mars Road, submitted to the editor in chief. The last word - Stuart Charity ………… 30 Lane Cove Nick Murphy NSW 2066 All material appearing in The [email protected] Automotive Technician is copyright. The Automotive Technician is a member of www.immij.com.au the Circulations Audit Board. CAB Audited Reproduction in whole or in part is as at September 2009 - 9524 average net Wayne Broady distribution per issue. illegal without prior written consent Average copies mailed by post office or www.broadyauto.com.au Affiliated associations from the editor in chief. mailing house less returns - 7079 per issue. Gil Sher VASA (Automotive Air Conditioning, [email protected] Electrical & Cooling Technicians of All advertisers agree to indemnify Australasia) the publisher for all damages or Garry Reid [email protected] liabilities arising from their published [email protected] or unpublished material. The Automotive Technician 3 – the zany mechanic behind Top Gear stunts lateral thinkers. Hamish is very the production company which adopted his own annual challenge different. had put out the call for hosts of – a New Year’s resolution which the Australian show. He wasn’t he continues to adopt with gusto His customers, those who’ve interested in being a host, but every year. Most of us make entrusted him with their faulty reckoned he had a stack of resolutions and forget them next cars over many years, will interesting ideas which might be day. Hamish carries his through to Hamish vouch that he is a wizard of a useful for the show.