MARCH/APRIL 2018 FOGGY! "TO WIN, YOU "WHICH SCAN NEED GOOD TOOL IS BEST?" PEOPLE AROUND PULSE WIDTH MODULATION YOU" EXPLAINED www.wynns.uk.com Technology with Vision A GROWING SENSE OF THE FUTURE Smarter vehicles are becoming increasingly sensitive. Many are fitted with intelligent OE sensors and electronics developed by HELLA Rain/Light Sensor for a better, safer drive. Camera Temperature Intelligent Sensor Sensor Battery Sensor Oxygen MAP Sensor Sensor Crash Mid-Range Sensor Long Radar Sensor Oil Level Range Accelerator Sensor Pedal Sensor Sensor Air Mass Wheel Sensor Throttle-position Speed Sensor Sensor MAKE THE CONNECTION Advanced Driver Assist Systems (ADAS) and smarter vehicle technologies demand smarter diagnostic and calibration tools only from Hella Gutmann Solutions. The future is here. The future is HELLA For more information contact Customer Service on 01295 662400 or email [email protected] +12v FIGURE 1 +5v Motor M March/April 2018 R1 Base Collector P4 Industry News Micro controller P6 Automechanika Birmingham Emitter P8 Autotech 2018: Big Day Out comes to Ground Reading P12 Diagnosing faulty engine ECUs P14 Pulse Width Modulation explained DEAR READER P17 Making your web presence work We are all born enthusiastic learners, soaking up new information and evaluating P20 Marketing garages to women how it fits into the system we devise to make sense of the world – it’s in our DNA, to promote survival. Yet, as we get older, setting time aside for learning can prove P22 Autotechnician chats to Carl Fogarty difficult as getting ‘real work’ done in front of us takes priority. P24 Ignition & engine management Yet, we cannot afford to be complacent, the clock is ticking for those who stand still in our industry. Technology forges ahead at breakneck speed and those who P26 Filters: Products & tips don’t make the time to read regularly, attend industry events and training, will struggle to keep up. P32 Diagnostic tools, case studies and a look ahead A lack of support/time/investment in both our business and personal lives can prevent the most hard-working and conscientious among us achieving our full P42 Lubrication: Products, advice and the potential. When it comes down to it, like most things in life, the answer is rather policing of engine oils simple… You need the right attitude, the right tools and the knowledge to use those tools to their full capability. P52 James Dillon ponders ‘Which scan tool is best?’ As GotBoost trainer Andy Crook stated at our last Big Day Out event, inspired by his holiday read ‘What the All Blacks can tell us about the business of life,’ P57 Parts, Tools & Tips Performance = Ability + Behaviour. P62 Dave Massey’s Audi RS3 upgrade He’ll be exploring the psychology of diagnostics at our training event in Reading on Saturday 30th June (page 8) and presenting earlier that month at Automechanika P64 Autodata case study Birmingham (page 6). P66 Ben reveals online finance tools We hope you pick up a few nuggets of valuable information from this issue – if you’d like a particular topic explored, please get in touch. If Saturday 30th June is free in your diary, join us at Reading college to boost your performance, make new contacts and invest in yourself and your future. Enjoy the issue. NICOLA ST CLAIR, EDITOR [email protected] 07904 521 923 NICOLA ST CLAIR EDITOR PAUL DEARING, COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR [email protected] facebook.com/Autotechmagazine 07808 077 611 twitter.com/autotech_mag NATHAN WISE, DIGITAL PRODUCT MANAGER * View and download previous digital issues at [email protected] Autotechnician.co.uk VICKI CULLEN, ADMINISTRATOR [email protected] CONTRIBUTORS: To receive free issues throughout 2018, register by clicking James Dillon, Rob James, Alison Kent, ‘Subscribe’ at www.autotechnician.co.uk Dave Massey, Steph Savill, David Wagstaff Subscription to the printed bi-monthly magazine is free to those who fulfil the publisher’s criteria. UK independent workshops can subscribe at www.autotechnician.co.uk/magazine- subscription-request. Six bi-monthly issues will be published throughout 2018 and will be mailed out free of charge to qualifying readers - you must work in a UK independent workshop, have buying responsibility and reside in the UK. Those who do not meet the qualifying criteria can request to receive a link to the digital issue free of charge or can opt to pay £25 for an annual subscription to receive an issue in the post. All material, unless otherwise stated, is the copyright of Aftermarket Media Solutions Ltd and reproduction in whole or in part of any text, photograph or illustration, without prior written permission of the publishers, is prohibited. While all due care is taken to ensure the content of Autotechnician is accurate, the publishers cannot accept liability for omissions or errors. Any written material or pictures supplied by contributors are published in good faith and on the understanding they are free from any copyright or other restrictions. Published by: Aftermarket Media Solutions Ltd, 30 Canadian Avenue, Gillingham, Kent ME7 2DW. autotechnician.co.uk 3 The federation has worked alongside the Garage Proposed MOT changes scrapped Equipment Association (GEA) and the Institute of the Proposed changes to the MOT test frequency have been Motor Industry (IMI) to fight the unwelcome legislation scrapped after months of intensive lobbying by the and is part of the ProMOTe campaign being run by automotive aftermarket. the AALG (Automotive Aftermarket Liaison Group) to protect the safety of all road users. The Independent Automotive Aftermarket Federation (IAAF) and other trade bodies highlighted the potential Martin Gray, CEO of Euro Car Parts, comments on the dangers of extending a vehicle's first MOT test from news: “We applaud the Minister’s decision to put road three years to four, arguing this would lead to an safety first. As we highlighted in our consultation to the increase in road accidents as well as an increase in repair government around 17% of cars fail their first MOT on costs for drivers and harmful emissions. their initial attempt, so extending a car’s first MOT to four years could have resulted in an extra 410,000 unsafe The MOT testing frequency has been subject to much cars on the roads and risk higher accident rates. The debate over recent years, but the IAAF’s stance has three-year-for-first MOT system ensures vehicle defects always been that the DVSA’s regulation of the MOT are picked up and remedied quickly, to ensure the process and current testing frequency of 3:1:1 helps to safety of all road users.” make UK roads the safest in Europe. Workshop visit played influential role in ongoing campaign to maintain in-vehicle data access European Parliament’s IMCO committee have approved several key amendments to Vehicle Type-Approval legislation proposals, which include the aftermarket maintaining in-vehicle data access via the OBD port. The approval follows ongoing campaigning from within the industry and also government quarters both at home and abroad, which has collectively championed the rights of the aftermarket in the fight to keep access open to the legislative framework for independent operators, OBD port. followed the publication of the ‘Dalton Report’. West Midlands MEP Daniel Dalton visited an independent Wendy Williamson, IAAF chief executive told garage in Birmingham in 2016. Here, Dalton gained insight Autotechnician, “IMCO’s vote acknowledges the first-hand on how crucial it was that aftermarket access to aftermarket’s right to continue to access RMI information in-vehicle data remains possible. via the OBD port, and we’re confident that this will be endorsed by Parliament in April. Since it was announced that the aftermarket could lose access to the OBD port, the IAAF, in partnership “However, as the legislation is not due to come into with FIGIEFA, has fought against the initial proposals, effect until September 2020, this could mean that arguing that a level playing field should be provided to the VMs may close off access to the OBD port in the ensure consumer freedom of choice when repairing and meantime, which is a concern. maintaining vehicles. Over the last 18 months, the IAAF has held meetings with Dalton and the IMCO committee “The next steps are to find a solution on how to address to put forward the aftermarket perspective as part of this the telematics access to the ‘connected car’ and we are process. now focusing our lobbying efforts on trying to get the EU to recommend that vehicles have a ’standardised Progress has already been made, with over 184 interoperable secure and open-access platform’, amendments being approved by the IMCO, as part of the meaning the VMs would not be able to monitor what forthcoming Type Approval legislation, which relate to the aftermarket do. It is a solution that would allow the diagnostics, repair and maintenance of vehicles. The equal opportunities for the aftermarket and for all other changes, an important step towards improving the service providers in the automotive industry ‘around the car’.” NEWS 4 reduces grip accident probability on wet or snowy Counterfeiting report: Economic roads by 84% and tyre blowout failure accident and safety concerns raised probability is reduced by 86%, compared with tyres with less than 1.6 mm tread depth. Tests carried out According to a recent report by the European Union by the industry showed fake tyres with 1.4mm tread Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) lost tyre sales due to depth and regrooved tyres (doctored to look new counterfeiting in the UK is estimated at £146 million and despite being older tyres with little or none of the lost battery sales at around £9 million.