People ask me what made the difference this year when I went from being a Top Technician finalist to a Top Technician winner, and my answer is my process. I have worked hard since last year’s final, refining my process, and learning from my mistakes and it thankfully paid off this year. This article highlights the importance of a great process not only in Top Technician, but also in everyday working life, and how a fault, which at first may seem overwhelming, can be simplified and confidently fixed.

The week after winning Top Technician, a 2016 Ford Ranger was booked in for me to have a look at from another garage. The garage’s complaint was that multiple warning lights were present on the dashboard along with multiple warning messages, the power steering was heavy and the indicators and windscreen washers didn’t work from their respective stalks.

As with every job, the first step of my process is to interview the customer and gather as much information as possible. When I questioned the garage owner, he said they had just completed fitting a galvanised chassis. He explained that the vehicle had been fully stripped and rebuilt in the process, and since the rebuild, warning lights, messages and other complaints were now present. The next step was to confirm the fault. Upon starting the vehicle to bring it into my bay, the complaint was verified. The engine management, traction control, anti-lock brake and airbag warning lights were illuminated along with multiple different messages, one of which was a steering assist malfunction warning (see fig. 1).

Complete picture
I then carried out a global scan of the vehicle to get a complete picture of what faults were present and also to see what modules were or were not talking to the scan tool (see fig. 2).

Straight away we could see that multiple modules could not communicate with the power steering control module (PSCM) and restraints control module (RCM). It was also noted that there was a communication issue between the body control module (BCM) and the steering column control module (SCCM).

 As the instrument panel cluster (IPC) communicated and reported stored fault codes, I knew it was more than likely a historic fault code which wasn’t related to the issues present. Attempting to communicate directly to the PSCM, SCCM and RCM with the scan tool all returned a ‘no communication’ message, so we knew we were dealing with hard faults that were currently present. Following my process, I decided the next step was to do some research on this particular vehicle using Ford ETIS which is Fords online information portal. This allows me to access wiring diagrams, connector locations and anything and everything related to the vehicle in question. As many a clever man has said, “if you don’t know how it works how can you fix it?”

 Thinking of possible causes, I decided to study the wiring for the PSCM and RCM, how the indicators and windscreen washers work and a network topology to allow me to see how all the modules communicate to each other and the diagnostic scan tool.
 It was found that the steering column module controlled the indicators and washers and sent the message to the BCM to activate them. As the SCCM wasn’t communicating it now made perfect sense why those functions were not operating. Next, I found that all three modules worked on the high speed can data bus and all were powered by fuses. All the related information and diagrams were printed out and taken to the vehicle so that a test plan could be drawn up and executed.

Plans within plans
Before writing up my plan, I made a visual inspection of wiring under the bonnet and underneath the vehicle. Having had a major overhaul, something as simple as there being a connector left unplugged could cause some of if not all the faults present with this vehicle. Everything looked ok, so I laid out my wiring diagrams and proceeded to write a plan. My plan was to test the fuse for each of the modules to see if it gave me direction, then if all was ok I would look at the communication wiring and how the modules at fault linked into each other and the rest of the vehicle.

All three fuses tested fine so it was onto seeing if there was a common link. Looking through the topology, I found a page which had the PSCM and RCM joined by two connectors. This is where technical information is a must, as dealing with a fault like this it can be very easy to dive in full speed. I don’t want to go straight to a module, for example the RCM, and remove half the interior of the vehicle to find all is ok there and have to spend time reassembling everything! I speak from experience here, and I am sure some of you reading can relate to this.

Diagnostic direction
ETIS showed one connector inside the nearside front wheel arch and the other in the location of the bulkhead of the vehicle. This meant I could test the network without removing anything, saving time and gaining diagnostic direction. I inspected visually to see which of the two connectors was the easiest to access and it was the connector in the nearside wheel arch. Visually the connector looked correct and looked to be correctly latched.  However, I decided to double check and upon squeezing the two sides together and audible click was heard meaning the connector was open (see fig. 3).

 I then decided to scan the vehicle again to see if this had made any change and every module now communicated and it was also noted the dashboard warning lights had disappeared. I cleared all the faults codes in the vehicle. None returned, and the dashboard now had no messages or warning lights illuminated. The final checks proved the steering assistance now worked correctly and the indicators and washers operated completing the fix.

In the end then a fairly simple fix once it was established how the system worked and where everything was located but without the correct information and a well polished process this job could have taken a very different, and perhaps longer, turn.

By Darren Darling

The JLM Diesel Intake Extreme Clean Toolkit Pro is always to hand in my workshop. The first vehicle we tested it on at the pre-launch stage was a Seat Leon with severely sticking turbo vanes that were causing instant limp mode due to turbo over boost.
    
The owner had tried a leading brand of turbo cleaner via the intake but the problem was still there. After data logging we could see there was a major issue. Two hours later and using the Diesel Intake Extreme Clean Toolkit Pro there was no limp mode and normal boost logs. We also tested four vehicles with sticky turbo vanes that were data logged before and after the treatment. On three of them the boost levels came back into spec and out of limp mode.
    
The other vehicle required a new turbo as it was past the point of no return. Sticking turbo vanes are a common problem on modern vehicles due to a build-up of carbon. Since then we have saved dozens of cars from the scrapyard including a taxi that had failed the new smoke test with the same results despite being fully serviced with a new DPF filter. After treating it with the kit it passed the retest.
    
With regards to DPFs, the most common misconception is that a DPF showing as faulty is faulty when more often than not it isn’t. It doesn’t require a clean or worst still a replacement which can cost a lot of money. For example, I was asked to clean the DPF on a Ford Transit and replace a faulty temperature sensor. Upon inspection the DPF was clean and the faulty sensor was actually a broken wire so no parts were needed. It can be tempting to blame the DPF when in fact it is a symptom of another problem.
    
We use the full range of JLM DPF products and one in particular; the Professional Cleaning Toolkit is a real hero product. You can clean a DPF in two hours without removing it. A mechanic who has been turning DPF business away or outsourcing it can keep the DPF business in house thanks to this world class kit.
    
Many of the DPF doctors in our network choose JLM’s DPF cleaning products because they are effective and because the low temperatures during cleaning make them much safer than cleaning at high temperatures.
    
The JLM Diesel Extreme Clean is a product that’s used daily in our workshop and we’re seeing the same great results with the petrol product, JLM Petrol Extreme Clean. It’s the answer to late model cars and engines with severe build up and blocking problems in different parts of the fuel system. These contaminants are tough and not easily dissolved with regular fuel additives. The JLM blend comprises multiple super power additives packaged into a highly concentrated 500ml shot for one tank treatment.
    
Delivering fantastic customer service is an obsession of mine. This means there’s no wriggle room when it comes to the products I use in my workshop. I can only use world class products that have been designed, developed and manufactured for the professional motor mechanic; products that work on the most challenging vehicles – vehicles that have often been misdiagnosed elsewhere so it entails starting from scratch. With JLM Lubricants I have a powerful ally.

By Gareth Banks CAE AMIMI

I like to think I have some good experience under my belt in various aspects of the industry, from working as an apprentice in 2002 in a little backstreet garage to working in a bodyshop to being a breakdown mechanic to where I am now.
    
I have probably learned more in my last three or four years than at any point in my career, especially when I get to work with (i.e. pester) Martyn, our mobile master technician. One of the things I’ve learned from Martyn is the importance of doing things correctly and also the importance of servicing correctly. I’ve found to be a good mechanic you almost certainly need to be a perfectionist, or at least vaguely resemble one. This doesn’t mean working superficially for hours on one small job though, checking the tightness of one nut constantly. No, it simply means doing things the right way, putting a smear of grease on a fuel filter seal. It means not just replacing a clutch when there is also a DMF hiding in there too.
    
I still service cars even though my main job title is MOT Tester. I did like my previous job as service technician, but that being said it is one if the dirtiest jobs in a garage. You can be as careful as can be, yet still go home stinking of Shell’s finest.
    
Anyway, coming back to the point – servicing. We are back with our friends at Bob’s Autos to look at the importance of servicing and the implications of not doing a job right.

One lady owner
One day at that garage, in a place you’ve never heard of, a car comes in for a full service. There is also a warning lamp on the dash. The customer (a lovely old lady) explains that it’s only been 3,000 miles since last service. Before he starts, Fred – Bob’s main man, plugs his scanner into the car in the hope that the car will magically tell him what’s wrong. Sure enough a p0522 fault code is present; ‘low oil pressure’. Both Fred and Bob are scratching their heads.
    
“Delete the fault code and carry on with the service” says Bob.  Reluctantly, Fred continues after hearing his boss’ forceful advice. With the lights check complete, a battery check, coolant check and his brake fluid check done, he raises the car up, drops the engine oil and moves to the oil filter itself (paper element type). The cap is a little tight coming off (one of those you think may have broken when it cracks loose), half the filter comes out, with the other half still stuck at the bottom of the housing, all sodden and saturated, broken into pieces in its own dirty oil.  With a few swear words uttered under his breath Fred turns to his boss and simply says “well this hasn’t been changed in a month of Sundays has it?”
    
But like the customer said when she brought the car in, it was only done a few thousand miles ago, supposedly. Fred doesn’t actually remember the car. He was away with the family when it was done. This only leaves one man – the culprit. Bob knows he didn’t replace one of the most vital parts during the service, but he won’t ever say anything. He knows he caused all this trouble, starving that poor little engine of its oil. You wouldn’t starve a human of water would you? Well, Bob might, if the water cost a few quid.
    
It’s a real shame that people like Bob exist. I’ve seen many cars in my 17 years of working in this industry come to me with similar issues, and you can just tell that some talentless, cheap cretin like Bob had their hands on the car you’re working on. All we can do is rectify their cock-ups and hope that the customer has more trust and faith in you than the last place they went, thus keeping your client base up, keeping people talking about how much they trust you as people. As a garage, do not be a Bob. Bob sucks!

When this 2010 Vauxhall Insignia arrived at our workshop recently, we were asked the common question: “How much to clean my DPF?” As always, we informed the customer the first thing we needed to do was to undertake an assessment, so we could determine why the car was having DPF problems and what was required to fix it. This assessment is much more than a fault code read, often perceived as a ‘diagnostic check’ and this highlights the difference. The fault codes present on the car were ‘P2453 DPF Pressure Sensor A Circuit Range Performance’ and ‘P2458 Mass Air Flow Sensor Performance’.
    
Opening the bonnet, we were not surprised to see a new MAF sensor and a new DPF pressure sensor. This is frustrating as the owner has paid for these unnecessary parts to be fitted on the basis that ‘the computer said they were faulty’.
    
Looking at the DPF pressure sensor fault first, the ECU was reporting a circuit range fault. This may look like a faulty sensor but is in fact caused by excessive DPF pressure. The pressure is measured by the sensor. The signal is sent back to the ECU as a voltage so the excess pressure causes an excess voltage signal and in turn the ECU reports what it can see. The DPF back pressure was in excess of 150MB at idle indicating we must clean the DPF after addressing the cause of the problem.
    
Moving on to the MAF performance fault. Again, the ECU only reports what it sees as incorrect; in this case incorrect air flow. This is obvious when analysing live serial data so our next step was testing the intake system for leaks to confirm our suspicions. As you can see there was a significant leak from an intercooler pipe. We found a cause for both issues. The split pipe would have initially caused the MAF fault but in turn would lead to the DPF pressure sensor fault due to the excessive soot being produced with the major boost leak.
    
After consulting the customer, we repaired the car, replacing the intercooler pipe. Root cause now taken care of we had the easy part – cleaning the DPF. Our weapon of choice for DPF cleaning is always the JLM Lubricants’ Clean & Flush. With the step one chemical we left it to soak for a few minutes. After running the engine for a few minutes, we flushed the DPF out with the step two JLM DPF flush.

After the clean we had a healthy 6MB of back pressure in the DPF and the pressure sensor fault was cleared. An extended road test confirmed the fix.

Let’s face it, it’s a problem. It’s a problem that has existed for too many years. In fact, the solution to this day eludes so many intelligent garage owners. It’s the perennial problem. What is this enigma? What’s one of the most common questions I hear on our front-of-house training courses? Quite simply the question I’ve been hearing for decades is this: “How do we charge for diagnostics?”
    
To add insult to injury the cause of this problem is another question. It’s a question your front of house team will hear every single day from your prospective clients. It goes a little like this: “How much does it cost to…” turn a MIL light out, diagnose my DPF fault, solve a lack of power, diagnose a non-start, etc. It’s endless, the question keeps on coming and you definitely need to answer it. Why is answering this so important to your business? Let’s take a look.
    
While we’re talking about questions I’ve got one for you. Do you charge for all of your diagnostic time? If not, How much income do you lose to time not charged? If the answer immediately sprang to your lips then well done for having a monitoring system in place. If not then you might be surprised by the size of the problem.
    
I’ll err on the side of caution with my estimate but, if you have a workshop with four technicians and two of them lost half an hour a day to non-charged ‘diagnosis time’ (assuming your labour rate was £65 per hour) then that would be costing you £14,950 a year.
    
As a side note, it blows my mind to think how much revenue has been lost to this problem over the years across our industry.
    
Now, I’m sure if we’re honest with each other and we documented all the ways that this time disappears from your bottom line then you’d agree the problem is probably larger.
    
The BIG question is would you like to fix it? Of course you would, and here’s how.
    
Before we get to the answer let’s consider what our endgame is. From my point of view it’s simply this; The solution needs to be fair. Fair to the garage owner, fair to the customer and fair to the technician. What does ‘fair’ look like? I’d consider fair to be:

The vehicle battery has for many years ceased to simply be a chemical storage device. Instead, it has turned into a critical integrated component within the electronics network. It is also increasingly responsible for the total electromotive force in electric vehicles. I will comment on this development later. Despite this, it remains little understood or respected by many techs. I will begin with some interesting technical facts, provided by Yuasa, our battery partners here in the UK.

Many independent battery manufacturers limit the critical internal components to reduce cost, as well as to maximise profit and range application. Typical configurations include smaller cell capacity and increasing the electrolyte strength to artificially meet CCA ratings.
Reducing lead content reduces reliability, specification, and lifecycle. The electrolyte has a direct effect on performance and lifespan. Increasing electrolyte strength to artificially meet capacity specifications will increase internal corrosion.

The end of life is directly affected by the number of start cycles over time, this is the defining feature of 2/3/4/5-year battery construction. The battery begins its decline immediately following manufacture. The initial formatting drives impurities off the plates, as a result the peak CCA performance should be achieved. The peak performance period (lifespan) depends on its warranty specification. The final phase is a rapid decline in output and eventual failure. The correct action is to replace the battery before the final decay period, it often appears to perform normally during this period.

Hands up, who checks batteries at the point of delivery? If they are below 12.4v send them back. Six cells at 2.12v produce a voltage differential of 12.72 fully charged. At 0°C a battery has 66% available capacity. Excessive heat can also have a negative effect on battery performance and accelerate failure and end of life due to plate corrosion, an increased in self discharge, and increased electrolyte loading. A 10°C rise in temperature will increase the self-discharge rate from 0.1v to 0.2v per month.10°C equals a 60-month battery life. 25°C equals a 36-month battery life.

Plate sulphation is normal during battery discharge. When both plates are coated with lead sulphate, or when the plate voltage falls below 12.4v, prompt recharge will displace the lead sulphate. The battery will normally recover and perform normally. However, if allowed to stand it will crystalize and harden.

The death zone of a battery rendering it unrecoverable is SG at 1.04, cell voltage at 1.9v, total battery voltage at 11.3v.
Recovery is marginal from a SG at 1.02, and a battery voltage at 12.3v. Acid stratification accelerates failure and can occur due to cold weather and short drive cycles. The separation of acid has the effect of increasing the open circuit voltage while reducing the CCA performance. Superficial testing may show a healthy fully charged battery.

Conventional flooded batteries should be maintained within 5% of its fully charged state if premature cell failure is to be avoided. Meanwhile, AGM batteries can operate normally with a 50% cycle rate.

24v systems and vehicles using two batteries require that both the CCA and OCV be in balance. This is also a critical factor with electric vehicles using lithium batteries, as cell differential will lead to differential cell charge and overheating.  
Stop/Start vehicles will be fitted with either an enhanced flooded (EFB) or absorbent glass matt (AGM) batteries. Key differences with EFB & AGM are:

The vehicle repair world can be hugely satisfying one day and an absolute pain in the backside the next. The challenges we now face as techs are getting harder and more detailed thanks to the electronic minefield of modern cars.
    
There have been a few instances in the workshop where we have had to admit to the customer that we just aren’t sure yet what is wrong with their car. It is mostly met with understanding as we explain the complexities, but on the odd occasion it can cause the customer to become annoyed.
    
Last week we had a BMW 1 Series come in. The customer had been elsewhere to get the fault codes read as the car kept going into limp mode. It had shown a fault linked to the crankshaft sensor. They requested that we changed the sensor and check the wiring.
    
The crankshaft sensor is under all the air intake manifold and isn’t the easiest of jobs. Wiring was all deemed to be ok and a new crankshaft sensor fitted. The car drove great, then a week later same problem reoccurred.
    
So, it came back, again, and the car was hooked up to a diagnostic computer and faults relating to a pressure sensor and the catalytic convertor came up. As we deal with a lot of older and classic cars we aren’t trained in electronic fault diagnosis. It is not only frustrating for us to not be able to help the customer but also for the customer who keeps having to bring the car to a garage and not be able to get the fault rectified.
    
That is the way car repair is now heading. It is a lot more computer-based with a lot less instinct and hands-on work. Hours can be lost testing all the wiring and sensors on a car. It is hard sometimes to justify a bill when you have been unable to locate the problem. As car problem fixers, mechanics pride themselves on being able to hand a vehicle that came in broken and goes away running perfectly. That is why we do this job - to become heroes in the eyes of the customers. The BMW owner is now fed up with the car. It has been to different garages and specialists who have been unable to completely fix the problem and they have fallen out of love with the car.
    
In my experience if an issue isn’t easy to fix we have to be completely honest with the customer, I often explain that we don’t have the up-to-date software that would give us the definitive answer. We then recommend a reputable specialist that would be better suited. As a business owner I am here to fix cars but I am not about to pretend we are something we are not. I know how capable the staff are and what our limitations are. Yes, it is frustrating turning work away but it is also important to be completely upfront with the customer.

There are already over 620,000 battery electric, plug-in hybrid or conventional hybrid vehicles on UK roads. This will only rise, with manufacturers set to dramatically increase production of these vehicles over the coming decade.
    
Therefore, it’s surprising many garages still don’t have the skills or tools to safely service them. However, Adam White, Director of Workshop Solutions at Euro Car Parts, says there is plenty of help available that can enable technicians and workshop managers can catch up: “Volvo Cars has just signed a multi-billion-dollar battery deal through to 2025, signalling a strong commitment to electric and hybrid vehicle production. In fact, its battery order is so large, it’s more or less equivalent to the entire global production in 2018. This means by 2025 half of Volvo’s global sales, some 500,000 vehicles, will be fully electric. At the start of this year, Ford announced a $15 billion investment and 40 electrified vehicle models by 2022. BMW Group plans to offer 12 full-electric models by 2025. The list goes on and the point is clear, vehicle manufacturers are investing heavily in hybrid and battery electric vehicle technology and it is time to follow suit.”
    
Adam continues: “The biggest threat to the independent aftermarket is also its greatest opportunity. The greatest risk during this period of transition is that independent workshops slip behind, and customers have no option but to service their vehicles at main dealers. While we see some switched-on garages and younger technicians getting involved with hybrid and EV training, we have a significant amount of data showing a serious industry-wide deficiency in hybrid and EV knowledge and skills.
    
“Many garages do not see the required investment in training or equipment as worthwhile, believing there to be very few of these vehicles on the road. White suggests the numbers tell a different story. Industry predictions suggest a short-sighted approach to the hybrid and EV market may be damaging to workshops in the long term.”
    
While optimistic about the aftermarket’s ability to adapt, Adam cautions workshops to approach the opportunity with the right frame of mind and an awareness of the dangers involved with high-voltage systems: “While the risks of working with hybrid and EV vehicles can be safely mitigated, much like conventional vehicles, safety training is critical. For those wishing to test the waters, technicians can be taught how to make the vehicle safe, without the more intensive training on servicing the actual high voltage system. This means if a workshop has one or two technicians who can isolate the vehicle, the rest of the team can safely work on other systems like steering and suspension or air conditioning.
    
“Many workshops are turning away hybrid vehicles, even when the problem is unrelated to the high-voltage system. While this approach may be sustainable now, we’re at the turning point. Even if workshops aren’t willing to completely commit, having a few staff qualified to make the vehicle safe opens other servicing opportunities. Those who start working on hybrid and electric vehicles now will be ahead of the curve, gaining customers, experience and a reputation for the work. It could be a make or break difference in the coming decade.”


Training
Commenting on training available, Adam says: “Auto Education Academy, Euro Car Parts’ dedicated training platform, offers several appropriate courses, including GED 13 – an IMI Level 2 Award in Hybrid Electric Vehicle Operation and Maintenance. The course teaches technicians how to maintain and repair hybrid vehicles but not the hybrid or electric powertrain itself. Technicians learn about the dangers of high-voltage systems and the differences between HEV, PHEV, EREV and EV. It also covers the various approaches used by manufactures to power down the high-voltage system and the safety equipment required.
    
“For those looking to repair and replace hybrid vehicle parts, a more detailed and comprehensive course is required. GED 14 is an IMI Level 3 Award in Hybrid Vehicle System Repair and Replacement, giving technicians the skills and knowledge to effectively service and repair EV and hybrid systems. This course lays the foundation for further advanced training. Both courses can be booked through Auto Education Academy.
    
“It’s free to join, and repairers can login to their own skills portal to view the content of more than 75 different courses. Users can also assess their strengths and identify weaknesses in nine key areas; petrol engines, diesel engines, engine management and emissions, vehicle electronics, air-conditioning, brakes, powertrain, tyres, steering and suspension, as well as hybrid and electrical cars. Results are automatically added to an interactive skills diagram; which technicians can compare with the national average to gauge where they stand.
    
“Users can see for themselves the serious hybrid and EV knowledge deficiency that exists within the UK. Anyone can go online and complete the skills overview; it’s a great way to understand your personal strengths and weaknesses. It can be a useful tool for managers looking to assess the core competencies of their staff or potential new hires. The data we have suggests knowledge about hybrid and electric vehicles lags far behind other core areas, a growing concern we hope to change.”
    
Accessible online or over the phone, it provides fast responses to troubleshooting, repair, diagnostics and technical information queries on any vehicle, from any manufacturer.
    
Workshop Solutions offers four safety equipment packages for workshops working with electrified vehicles. Workshop Pack, Vehicle Safety Pack, Personnel Safety Pack, Safety Tools Pack. There is also a Hybrid Master Safety Pack (£1,099), which includes all four of the above.
    
“I can understand the trepidation and hesitation we are seeing across the aftermarket,” concludes Adam. “Repairers are focused on looking after their current clients and building a business around what they know. However, things are changing, and we have a widening gap between vehicle technology and skills within the aftermarket. We need to address this shortfall and capitalise on the opportunity hybrid and electric vehicles present to the independent aftermarket.”
    
The growth in electric and hybrid vehicles is having an impact on many systems that mechanics are, or at least think they are, familiar with. As the segment grows, techs may find they need to re-learn even more than ever before.
    
Dr Liz Dixon, Global Technology Director of the Shrieve Group, a supplier of synthetic speciality refrigeration lubricants, comments: “Polyalkylene glycols (PAGs) are the lubricant of choice for hybrid and electric vehicle air con. The hybrid/electric vehicle market is growing rapidly and driving up use of electric air-conditioning compressors, and environmental legislation is leading equipment manufacturers to use more environmentally friendly refrigerants.”
    
European directive 2006/40/EC fully came into effect in 2017. It stipulates that air conditioning systems in motor vehicles type-approved after 1 January 2011 may not be filled with fluorinated greenhouse gases with a global warming potential (GWP) higher than 150. Compliance with this directive led to the development and adoption of R1234yf, which has a GWP of 1.0. In addition to this, R1234yf has a low ozone depletion potential (ODP). Developed to be a drop-in replacement for R134a refrigerants, R1234yf is now the industry standard for new vehicles and r134a is being phased out.”
    
It’s not all good news though. “Unfortunately,” says Dr Dixon, “the R1234yf chemical structure that ensures a low GWP can also cause issues with refrigerant stability. To counter this, the right lubricant is vital for long-term operation. So, how do you select this lubricant? Fundamentally it boils down to chemistry.
  
“R1234yf’s molecular structure causes a high level of chemical reactivity. The lubricant must have the correct stability properties to counteract the refrigerant’s inherent reactivity, in addition to appropriate miscibility properties with this new refrigerant type. In this regard, PAG lubricants have the most preferential properties. Electrical systems require further considerations of the lubricant’s conductive tendencies:

“The reason many PAG-based solutions have exhibited such electrical properties is because of how they are formulated and processed. If these PAGs are processed under more stringent conditions to achieve higher levels of purity, you get less contaminants, and a resultant lubricant that is perfectly safe for use in hybrid and electric compressor systems.”


Two in one
On the engine side, for the increasing number of hybrid vehicles, LIQUI MOLY has produced a new additive. David Kaiser, who heads the R&D department at LIQUI MOLY comments: “Strictly speaking, the Hybrid Additive is itself a hybrid, because it combines two properties. It stabilizes the fuel quality and it cleans the injection system. In hybrid vehicles, the electric motor is the main drive. Meanwhile, the combustion motor works only as an assistant. This engine is mostly only used for short periods. This results in two problems.
    
"First, the fuel remains in the tank for longer and ages more, compared to vehicles powered exclusively by a diesel or petrol engine. The second problem is deposits in the injection tract because of the irregular short-term use. The Hybrid Additive keeps the petrol quality stable, protects against deposits in the injection system and removes existing deposits. It therefore solves both problems. The LIQUI MOLY Hybrid Additive is only for hybrid vehicles with a petrol engine.”

Picture this: You’ve a mildly grumpy client stood at your front desk. We’ll call him Mr Brown.  He has been a happy customer for many years, you’ve serviced his vehicles regularly and all has been good in the world.
    
Unfortunately, today is Mr Brown’s third visit to your counter for the same problem. He’s understandably becoming irritated by the fact that your technicians aren’t able to identify the reason behind the intermittent loss of power with his VW Golf, and he’s starting to doubt the competency of your business.
    
It’s a common problem, so your garage should have a robust solution. If not, then you could lose Mr Brown's custom. See this happen too often and it will put a major dent in your bottom line. Nobody wants that.
    
Is there a solution to the intermittent fault dilemma?  In many instances yes. You just need to apply the right routine. With the right routine, tools and information you’ll dramatically increase your chances of finding the fault in the first go. Apart from keeping Mr Brown happy, your techs will enjoy the buzz of early diagnostic success. The big question is what needs to change in your garage to improve your chances of nailing these elusive faults? A look at Mr Brown’s vehicle will show a pattern that you can use in your garage.
    
Mr Brown’s Golf has been experiencing a sudden loss of power. It makes him pull over to the kerb. Stopping and starting can make the problem disappear and not occur again the same day.
    
The vehicle has been scanned and road-tested on both visits. A fault code relating to rail pressure deviation has been recovered in both instances, but no fault was found on the multiple road tests completed. What can you do to get to the root cause of this problematic situation? Just use this routine:


1: Thorough grilling at front desk
We find the following statement usually has a client bending over backwards to help: “Sir – It would be great to speak, if you have a few minutes, so that I can find out some specific details of the fault on your vehicle. We often find that a few minutes of your time now will often help us find the issue and could save you money on the cost of your diagnostic evaluation.”
    
All you have to do now is ask the right questions to ascertain a point at which something changes on the vehicle and the details around that, as well as some specifics as to when the fault occurs.
    
In this instance further questioning revealed that the problem normally occurs around a mile or so from Mr Brown’s home, after he’s started his journey in the morning and occasionally on his way home.
    
Armed with this information, you give Mr Brown a courtesy vehicle so that you can carry out the tests the next day.


2: Where did I put that silver bullet?
We’re already one step closer compared with previous visits, and have a constantly recurring fault code for high-pressure control deviation. Initially, it’s worth making this the focus of our diagnosis. For starters you could take a look in ELSA (where the VAG group keep their silver bullets) for any known issues in their service bulletin archives.

You find one relating to a known mechanical fault for the high-pressure pump wear resulting in constantly low pressure, but nothing for an intermittent fault such as yours. To be on the safe side you inspect the known issues and find the connection between the camshaft and the high-pressure pump to be in good order.


3: Desk diagnostics -Where the magic happens
It’s in stage 3 where the magic begins. You need to make an exhaustive list of the reasons that could raise this fault code:
A Restricted supply to in-tank pump
B Faulty in-tank pump
C Power/ground supply fault to pump
D Faulty low-pressure fuel pump control module
E Restriction between the low-pressure and high-pressure pump
F Faulty high-pressure pump
G Faulty high-pressure control valve
H Power/ground supply fault to high-pressure control valve
I Faulty high-pressure sensor
J Faulty wiring to the high-pressure sensor
K Faulty injector/s
L ECU power or grounds
M ECU software
N ECU hardware

One fault with 14 possible causes? There’s only one thing for it:


4: Testing, testing, testing - It’s all about priorities
There’s a straightforward reason why this vehicle hasn’t been diagnosed on the earlier visits. Quite simply, the right tests have not been completed at the right time. That’s all about to change.
    
You need to decide how best to test the possibilities. This is how I would prioritise:

A Fit fuel flow tester in low-pressure supply
B Scope CH1 WPS 500x pressure transducer pre-fuel filter
D Scope CH2 WPS 500x pressure transducer post-fuel filter
C Scope CH3 in tank pump 20Khz PWM positive supply from low pressure pump control module
D Scope CH4 ground in tank pump ground
E Scope CH5 in tank pump current
F Scope CH6 high-pressure rail sensor signal
G Scope CH7 high-pressure control valve +
H Scope CH8 high-pressure control valve –

The objective is to carry out as many tests as possible in unison. I’ll also be able to road test the vehicle and stand a VERY good chance of diagnosing this problem the first time the fault rears its head.

5: Diagnostic sniper
Diagnosis is all about ruling out what’s good. Do that methodically and the problem will reveal itself like an enormous arrow descending from the sky: “THE FAULT IS HERE.” This is exactly what will happen when you road test this Golf.
    
You’ve set up your tests and set off on your test drive, complete with assistant. You’ve been driving for around 10 minutes and just as Mr Brown predicted the vehicle loses power and you’re forced to pull over. This is great news. Let’s take a look at the clues:

With a focus on technical challenges and potential cost with diagnostic equipment and servicing, I think we should explore the technology that drives the need for specialist tools in both service and repair. I’m going to look at Euro 6 generation 2 diesel emission systems.

I’m convinced that the more technology manufacturers throw at improving diesel combustion, the more problems they introduce. As usual, my knowledge is based on Volkswagen-Audi Group design. Engine design innovation is now closely following that of gasoline direct injection, alike to that of the EN888.


MDB concept
The VAG MDB concept engine design is a world based modular system. This allows for a more flexible production with regional variation based on local emission standards. The three basic modules are the intake systems, a central engine core based on the EN288, and the exhaust or emission module.

The EN288 engine has 3-cylinder and 4-cylinder options with EU4/EU5/EU6 compliance. It is a cast iron block, alloy with the 3-cylinder variant, with and without balance shafts, crossflow alloy cylinder head with variable valve timing. A fully mapped and integrated coolant pump ensures maximum thermal efficiency.

It important to understand that there are significant differences between the 2.0/1.6/1.4 3-cylinder and 4-cylinder design concepts, so various comments across the range of options will not reflect every variant.

The 4-cylinder head has an offset valve layout. This introduces turbulence within the combustion chamber. The 3-cylinder valve layout is a conventional layout with swirl flaps in the intake module. Intake valve variation allows for a delay of intake valve closure (IVC) with a reduction of cylinder pressure during compression, reducing temperature and NOx. The control variator utilises oil pressure, with a backup accumulator to adjust IVO/IVC.


Emission control module
The emission control module is without doubt the most radical evolution. High pressure EGR is introduced via a valve directly from the exhaust manifold to the inlet, with the single aim of heating the 3way Euro 5 catalyst, or 4way Euro 6 catalyst when the engine is cold (see fig 1.)
Low pressure exhaust gas passes via the EGR cooler, catalyst and particulate filter into the exhaust system. During NOx reduction strategies, exhaust gas is re-circulated aided by the EGR control valve and exhaust venturi or brake as it is referred to. This device partially closes the downstream exhaust circuit increasing upstream exhaust gas pressure by 30-40mb. This helps self-cleaning of the cooler and allows for AdBlue to be injected post cat pre DPF. Mixing is aided by the turbo. This also provides for the wideband NOx sensor to monitor NOx content before it enters the catalyst and particulate filter.

The exhaust brake also increases the upstream exhaust gas volume through the cooler, aiding self-cleaning. In addition, the emission control module has the task of reducing ammonia NH3.

Fuel delivery pressures have increased to 2000bar with delivery phases from 3/5/6 events depending on the operating profile. Additional combustion monitoring is achieved via a pressure sensor built in a heater plug. The sensor data helps the PCM calculate fuel quantity, timing and EGR values.

There is also a feature I have supported for some time, relating to how the DPF is subject to regeneration or replacement based on saturation levels.

Catalytic reduction
4-way catalytic reduction, co, hc, NOx, nh3. is based on principles of absorption followed by reduction (see fig 2). This is assisted with noble metals; platinum, palladium, and rhodium. An additional ingredient, namely barium, is used to assist in NOx reduction. Barium also helps absorb sulphur requiring periodic de-sulphation. The PCM performs this process every 600mls by ensuring exhaust gas temperature around 600-650°C. This should take 15-20 minutes.

The location of the cat and SCR has required copper zeolite to assist with higher operating temperatures. The additive injector is water-cooled to help protest both the nozzle and electrical circuit. The exact control of injector timing and additive quantity is a precise value based on the specific vehicle ID. To test the 5bar delivery pressure and two-way control valve in the additive tank module requires OEM software. Additive delivered into a calibration flask must meet exacting min-max values.

We have also conducted tests on the variation in quality of adblue. I recommend either a SG test or refractometer ensuring 32.5% ratio of active agent and de-ionised water. We have seen large variations in agent quality. It should have little or no odour. Please note; a strong smell of ammonia should not be present.

Performance
I’m not insensitive to the improvements that diesel vehicles have attained. It’s just that they don’t perform as intended under actual road conditions. We find SCR additive consumption is often excessive requiring premature refill. Additive injector crystallisation and EGR cooler blockages are commonplace as well.

Be careful when interpreting DTCs suggesting a blocked DPF. It can often be the cooler that is blocked,  restricting gas flow and affecting the algorithms for AMM, gas temperature, and DPF pressure. This will of course directly affect regeneration strategies.
Returning to my initial opening thoughts, is it clear that the fiscal life of a vehicle, especially diesels, could be ended by the cost of a single repair. The future will I believe move very quickly within certain demographics to PCPs and rental rather than ownership. This is just what the manufacturers want.

This means that in a shrinking market is even more vital to understand and invest in the latest evolutions.

I am a bit of an ‘old-skool’ mechanic, I enjoy working on vehicles that are mechanical and do not depend on computer wizardry to move. I regularly work on 1960s Porsches in all their air-cooled simplicity.
    
Just last week though, a friend asked if I could service their 2017 Audi Q5. We arranged a date and off I went to pick this car up. This is a hugely impressive vehicle with every piece of technology you could ever want. Confidently, I got it up on the lift and started checking it; brakes, suspension, exhaust. I also let the oil out. Everything was going accordingly to plan at this point.
    
I always make sure that when a car is still within its manufacturer warranty that I use genuine parts and oils, for me it protects the customer on any issues.
    
For a car that was only two years old everything was as it should be. Unfortunately, this is when the headache started. I screwed in the new sump plug and lowered the car ready to put the oil in, but wait, no dipstick! Manufacturers now don’t include a dipstick. Is it weight-saving gone mad or a great idea from someone who doesn’t work on cars? Following this unhappy discovery, I researched and found out the quantity it should have, put that in and then checked the on-board computer. What a palaver.
    
Next came the replacement fuel filter. The price of the thing was enough to put me off but I found the location, now at this point I had spoken to a friend who is more in tune with modern cars and stated that to replace the fuel filter you the needed to plug it in to a computer and prime it! The fuel filter replacement was then put on hold for another day when I could have the car back.
    
Next on my list was to reset the service light, this too needed specialist diagnostic equipment for Audi vehicles. It wasn’t going well, I could sense it was going to be one of those days.
    
Defeated by the technology of today, I decided to contact the owner and get the car back until I could call in a favour from a friend who had spent tens of thousands on diagnostic equipment.
    
The icing on the cake to my disastrous and unproductive day was the service record. I normally relish the challenge of getting my service stamp within the lines and making sure that it is readable. It is a skill that takes much practice to master. Imagine my horror while sifting through the car’s endless manuals only to discover that there is no service book. It turns out that it’s all online now. I’m not sure I’m ready to put my service stamp into retirement just yet.
    
Alas, the Audi will be returning to the workshop in the next couple of days. Sadly, I won’t need any tools to finish its service – just a computer.

As we move towards through summer, motorists are dropping the dial across the spectrum on their climate control systems.
    
According to Adam White, Workshop Solutions Director at Euro Car Parts, repairers can make the most of the opportunity if they are properly equipped: “The key to profitability is offering the right services and performing them efficiently, in terms of both time and cost. By those measures, air conditioning is one of the most profitable service areas a workshop can be involved in – given the right expertise and equipment. Unfortunately, air con work is sometimes overlooked by garages who fail to see the potential profits it could bring to their business. With summer here, there are lucrative opportunities for those who are prepared.
  
“Air con is a key growth area for UK garages. A lot of customers that visit a workshop have some form of issue with their air con system and the average job takes just five minutes. It’s easy to see why air conditioning remains one of the most profitable services that workshops can offer. If you want to make the most of the summer rush, now is the perfect time of year to invest in quality equipment.”
    
As many workshops will know, automotive air conditioning systems use one of two specific gas types; either R134A or 1234YF. Adam observed: “Perhaps the most important decision for a workshop is whether to use a dual gas or double single gas setup. This will likely be dictated by the size of the business or the amount of air con servicing undertaken. The primary advantage of a dual gas machine is that you only require one unit to cater for both R134A and 1234YF, meaning less occupied space and reduce costs. The alternative is two separate machines, one for each gas. Having two machines is more expensive but it allows you to service two vehicles at once and offers greater opportunity for revenue-generation.
  
“Workshops should ideally have the capability to cover both 1234yf and R134a systems. We aim to support the independent aftermarket in any way we can. Our latest Workshop Solutions brochure outlines the profitability of air con servicing and is well worth a read. New machines only require a hands-on time of around five minutes, with the total air-con service time taking between 45 minutes to an hour. This effectively gives you an additional pair of hands in the workshop – an hour of labour that can be used and charged elsewhere.”
    
Adam continued: “Autoclimate’s products cover most of the UK market and it offers a support service that can fix 72% of the issues workshops encounter over the phone, minimising downtime. For the remaining problems, the company has 18 dedicated air con repair specialists committed to performing on-site repairs within three working days. For peace-of-mind, all its air con machines are eligible for a five-year warranty package with included annual servicing.”
    
Adam concluded: “Whether you are considering investing in your workshop’s first air con machine or a seasoned veteran looking to upgrade, make sure that you evaluate the market to find one that best suits your requirements. The Workshop Solutions brochure is a great source of information and advice on how to maximise workshop profitability. The latest issue provides interesting insights into air-conditioning, including comparisons of popular models and useful finance examples.”

A chance to share your opinions, they said. Write an article if you feel so strongly about it, they said. Why did I choose one of the biggest titles in the automotive industry to write it for? Aim high, they said. How do I get myself into these situations? By taking the bait, they said.
    
Writing is not my main occupation. I’m a tech like you. So, if you're reading this at work, in the time it took me to write that first paragraph, you have probably already carried out a full four-wheel alignment, or completed a MOT, or maybe got your hands on one of those hybrids, wearing your class 0 -1000v insulated gloves of course. Now I have your attention, you may have worked out that this article will be about hybrids. More to the point, whether or not technicians in workshops up and down the country are properly clued up on hybrids, or not as the case may be.
    
The IMI are currently pursuing their idea for it to become mandatory to hold a hybrid qualification in order to service and repair hybrid vehicles. I believe this is the best way forward, not just because I already have my qualification, but simply because I believe it can save your life or a colleague’s life. At the very least, start by doing some sort of hybrid awareness course, especially if it's offered to you on a plate by your company.
    
I would love one day to regularly have five or six EVs in our car park, with maybe a charging port out there too. In the meantime, I'll just have to make do with the one or two a week that roll ever so quietly into the workshop.

Theoretical scenario
I would like to run just a theoretical scenario by you... One day, in a small town that you won’t have heard of, a hybrid arrives at Bob’s Motors. The eponymous Bob eagerly awaits the arrival of his potential new customer, as does Fred, who is Bob’s chief mechanic, albeit more reluctantly. As Mr Smith walks into the reception, Fred's teabreak is mysteriously over and he slopes off. If there is any chance of being asked a technical question about a hybrid, Fred always hides. Bob however can’t believe his luck. He's heard in the pub you can charge whatever you want for working on these vehicles! Mr Smith wants a service on his car, and Bob prices the smart-dressed-man at £399, a random figure he plucked from nowhere. Mr Smith is over the moon as he was quoted a few more quid from his main dealer. The following day Fred walks into work. His first job is to service that stunning battery-powered machine that came in for a price on a service the previous day. With a big lump in his throat he cautiously takes the key from Bob, and then simply hands them back, exclaiming "I don’t know what I’m doing with this Bob, I've heard the can kill you if you don’t know what you’re doing."
    
Bob’s reply: "You'll be ok, just don’t touch the thick bright orange cables.” Ok, I’ll stop this little story here as I couldn’t think of an ending that wasn't too graphic.

Effort
After speaking to a few good lads in the industry, what I find is that many are still scared at the thought of working on them. Fair enough if you haven’t had any relevant training on the subject, you may be worried. However, if make the effort to learn about hybrid and electric vehicles you will prosper. After all they are the future, whether we like it or not. But what do I know? I just work with cars.

Have you ever wondered why it is that some technicians have an aptitude for complex diagnosis? You know the type of tech I mean. They take the seemingly unfixable, dive headlong into diagnostic battle and emerge triumphant time and time again.
    
Not only that, but they’ll often do so in a time that makes other techs look on in awe! What’s their secret? And more importantly, can you emulate their success? Well, I’ve got some great news for you. You can, and knowing what to do is easy.  All that’s required is that you look to the past. History is a great teacher.
    
I turned 50 this year, and one of the few benefits of increasing age is the ability to spot patterns, and patterns of actions that when followed culminate in your success. Patterns for success surround us, but sometimes you can be a little too caught up in the urgency of the now to spot them.
    
I’ll show you the patterns great technicians use to triumph in the world of technical diagnosis, and how you can do the same. It’ll be your blueprint for success.
    
You’ll like the blueprint. You’ll appreciate its simplicity, recognise the logic, and in all probability nod along as you read, agreeing with the steps that need to be followed.
    
Here’s the deal though: You’ll need to implement it. Knowing the blueprint is easy, but knowing what to do doesn’t get the job done. It’s all in the implementation, and that starts with you taking small steps to achieve positive changes each day. Don’t forget one of my favourite sayings: “Progress NOT perfection.”
    
I’m as much a fan of the latest technical gadget as the next man. I also love “cool” test techniques, but I’ve noticed that myopic focus on these can often be to the detriment of the long-term technical success of a technician. I’m not saying that you shouldn’t explore “shiny” elements in our craft, but you’ll find huge benefits in building a solid foundation that can be executed on every diagnosis. What do you need to “do well” then? Just these five steps.

Step one – Systemise to win
There’s always a right and not so right way to attack any given fault. One fundamental element is to have a defined system that all technicians use.  Without a rigorous system to follow, your diagnosis could be doomed before you start. Here’s an outline of our diagnostic system that just works;

1 – Thorough questioning of customer, establish change point
2 – Confirm and experience fault with customer
3 – Visual inspection for obvious issues
4 – Retreive fault codes, and gather data on what’s required to raise them
5 – Inspect serial data. Note what looks wrong
6 – Research technical bulletins and any technical information required for accurate testing.
7 – Document what’s wrong and possible causes
8 – Form plan and prioritise relevant tests
9 – Carry out tests and draw conclusions
10 – Bypass test to prove the conclusion where applicable
11 – Repair as required.
12 – Carry out postfix operations i.e. component coding.
13 – Carry out tests to confirm repair

Use our process and you’ll definitely be putting your best foot forward.

Step two – Sound electrical knowledge
Now you know what a great process looks like the next part of your blueprint is your understanding of automotive electrics. How quickly you can decide what to test, what tool to use, and what the answer should be is an essential skill that pays huge dividends once learnt. Key elements include:

1 – Becoming comfortable with relationship between volts, amps and ohms
2 – Using voltage drop to accurately find circuit faults
3 – Series and parallel circuit diagnosis
4 – Interpretation and use of wiring diagrams
5 – Fundamental mechantronics test knowledge

Armed with these, you’ll be able to find wiring faults, diagnose sensor and actuator circuits as well as build entry-level bypass tests to confirm your theories. These are skills you’ll use on the majority of diagnostic repairs. Learn these and you’ll reap the rewards for your entire career.

Step three – Oscilloscopes; One tool to rule them all
A little dramatic I know, but understanding how to use an oscilloscope competently is a game changer. It will bring to life all that has been learned in Step two (auto electrics), and when used skilfully will display this in a way that can confirm or deny faults in vehicle circuits, sensors and actuators.
    
As an example, take just one quick connection (less than a minute on most petrol cars) to the switched side of a manifold injector and you’ll know;

1 – That power supply to the injector is not open circuit
2 – The ECU has control of the injector and is commanding fuel delivery
3 – Time taken for fuel delivery to commence (injector opening)
4 – Integrity of injector ground circuit
5 – Time takes for fuel delivery to cease (injector closing)

Add some additional test points for injector power supply, current and rail pressure (another couple of minutes) and you’ll confirm the integrity of the positive supply to the injector, the injector winding, and a great test for a quick look to ensure the injector is delivering fuel once open. Like I said - It really is one tool to rule them all!

Step four - Generic systems knowledge
With steps one through three in place you’ll now have the foundation knowledge to explore vehicle systems. This can be a little intimidating as there are so many systems and so much to see, which is why we advise attacking this in bite-size chunks. Your goal here is to become familiar with generic items that broadly apply to a wide cross-section of vehicles. While there’s no substitute for formal training, taking a few minutes on a regular basis to self teach is invaluable. Here’s some things for you to try:

1 – Pick one system to start with. E.g. petrol engine management
2 – Select a book or watch a video for some foundation learning
3 – Focus on one part of a system. E.g. Loads sensors
4 – Inspect serial data for MAF and MAP sensors across various load and speed ranges
5 – Scope MAF and MAP sensors across load and speed ranges
6 – Record your results and repeat on different vehicles on the same components
7 – Repeat points one through six on different components

Do this on a range of vehicles and systems and you’ll become incredibly familiar with what good looks like, as well as raising many questions that we’ll answer when you attend our training.

Step five – Manufacturer information and tooling
There’s one final piece to this part of the puzzle and that’s using the using the best information and serial tools.
    
While I understand that generic information and tooling has its place, I also have too many real-world examples where my blood pressure would have been dramatically raised were it not for O.E. information and diagnostic tooling. My advice here is straightforward;

1 – Select one manufacturer initially
2 – Become intimately familiar with their information system
3 – Learn to use their wiring diagrams
4 – Explore their technical service bulletins
5 – Use their repair procedures
6 – Substitute a generic serial tool for the O.E. tool for a month
7 – Explore all the serial tool has to offer

We’ve been training technicians like you to use this equipment for many years. It’s had too much of an impact for those that have grasped the nettle for you not to give it a go.
    
You now know what it takes to begin the road to technical success. All you need to do is start. Taking regular steps, and before you know it you’ll have not only reduced your stress but your time to a first time fix as well.

I want to discuss diesel servicing from a totally different direction, compared with the usual angle. Let’s also start from a different angle, compared with the usual view. Consider this; Servicing is a failure prevention strategy.  Conducted in accordance with the operating environment there should theoretically be no failures. Please note my careful choice of words, operating environment. Manufacturers always have and are still marketing their vehicles with inappropriate servicing regimes.

The political focus is one based on a relatively short warranty period and tailored to business or lease company requirements. In my opinion, service intervals should reflect the operating environment rather than fixed values such as time or distance.
The very activities established as suitable by the VMs fall woefully short of actual requirements. Vehicle owners are, I believe, misled by a whole group of agencies with regards to vehicle ownership and responsibilities.

I also think the possibility of cradle-to-grave ownership is closer than we like to acknowledge. You rent or lease a vehicle over a two-to-three year period with all maintenance inclusive. At the end of the rental period the vehicle is exchanged with a consecutive end to end contract. No responsibilities for repair or servicing.

With this in mind, how should we approach diesel servicing given the problems with premature component failure and excessive emission issues?

Detailed knowledge
Let’s assume we have a new customer. Our first responsibility is to understand how they operate the vehicle and their aspirations and value of operating and investing in what is the Holy Grail, i.e. reliability.

Detailed knowledge of driving style, traffic environment, driving distance, fuel quality, should have a direct influence on how servicing should be applied. This would be a unique profile for this customer.

I guess it’s just human nature to want to take a peek behind the door that says ‘Private, Members Only’. What could be so special, and what are we missing out on? It’s with that in mind that I’m writing this article. In the next four minutes I’ll reveal what goes on behind the scenes in the Top Technician technical tests, and what it takes to diagnose a vehicle in 20 minutes. You’re going to love it!

I first became involved with Top Technician as a judge in 2008, I was hooked from the start as it epitomised everything I loved about the industry. Watching dedicated technicians work progressively through each technical test was a thing of beauty. Not knowing who would win, as so few points separate most entrants, would keep me on a knife edge throughout the day.

Here’s the deal though; While this is a competition, the skills used to win are exactly the same skills that need to be displayed in your workshop every day. These skills ensure your diagnosis happens in a timely manner, and you can bill all of your diagnostic time. Not only that; Anyone considering taking a Diagnostic Technician or Master Technician assessment needs to display the same skillset. There’s a blueprint for diagnostic success, and if your follow it then you’ll progress in leaps and bounds.

What’s in a technical task?
There are a few core skills that a technician should possess, so each technical task is designed so that a competitor can display the following:

The one thing you can guarantee in life is that you will have to wait nervously for your car to go through its MOT, unless you are lucky enough to get a new car every three years.
    
I am not a qualified MOT tester but I know what I am looking for on a check-over.  After I have checked my car over with a fine-tooth comb, there is always that nail-biting wait to see if it has passed.
    
The Driving and Vehicles Standards Agency (DVSA) recently released figures that went through the main causes of cars failing their MOTs. In 2017 alone, 7.3 million cars failed their MOT. Going through the top 10 there certainly aren’t major faults with the cars. What is there looks more like the result of poor maintenance by the owner.
    
From the top 10 reasons to refuse a MOT certificate, four were to do with bulbs or headlight aim, two were to do with defective wipers and there was also a common reason of no washer fluid present and insufficient tyre tread depth. The only reasons in the top 10 that customers wouldn’t really be able to identify would be poor brake performance and a broken coil spring.

Simple maintenance
As much as I don’t want to do myself out of a job, it’s shocking how many people don’t do simple maintenance checks on their cars. Blown bulbs are a big one. When I tell a customer that their bulb is gone they often had no idea, even if it was a dipped beam headlight bulb. With modern cars there is now often a message that pops up to alert the driver to a blown bulb, which should help people realise.
    
With modern car technology progressing at rampant speed I think people are unsure as to whether they can lift the bonnet up, unsure as to where the washer fluid goes or how they change a bulb with all that plastic covering the engine bay. Maybe as a nation we have got lazy with simple and basic checks of our vehicles. Instead we are relying on a yearly test to check that the car we are transporting family and friends in is going to remain road legal in that time. This is a dangerous approach.

Reminder
It is obviously great to tie in a service and MOT together and does make sense as the owner    normally only has to be without the car for a day. I aim to keep both six months apart. I inform customers when the MOT is due with a gentle reminder then get a service booked in six months down the line to make sure that the car is still roadworthy and free from trouble.
    
It is so important a yearly schedule is kept to MOT cars. On the other hand, in May 2018 the government brought in the rule that cars over 40 years old don’t require an MOT. The less I say about that the better…

I have had a few weeks to reflect on an incredible Autoinform Live technical weekend in Cork Ireland. This took place at the premises of J&S Automotive on Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 April. My first thoughts, thanks, and appreciation must go to our hosts, the guest presenters, delegates, and contributing organisations which made this event possible.
Specifically focusing on our hosts, J&S Automotive were so accommodating, words alone would not do their contribution justice. To dismantle their warehouse, provide catering and the most impressive quality support and welcome was really going above and beyond.

Sharing knowledge
Following the two days, I have become reflective about the way technicians approach training worldwide. I have been involved in the motor I industry for well over 50 years, with around 35 years providing training. I have and still travel the globe meeting and sharing knowledge. Please note the sharing expression, as I feel privileged to have met so many dedicated technicians from a variety of backgrounds. I have witnessed over the years great change in attitude and commitment from independent technicians and garage owners.

I also have noted a big discrepancy in commitment from some UK I dependants which contrast with overseas counterparts.
There is I believe a complacency in attitude to the future challenges. One recent illustration comes to mind. While in Australia last October, an individual from Perth heard on the kangaroo vine that a series of seminars was taking place in Sydney. So he could attend, he closed his business on Wednesday night with 24 hours notice, booked a eight hour flight and joined the event for the Saturday and Sunday.

Meanwhile, a little near home, I have had cancellations from delegates unwilling to travel 10-15 miles due to unforeseen last-minute changes. I hope they are reading this!

Threats and challenges
So where does this leave our industry and what are the immediate threats and challenges? In my view, these can be summed up as ignorance, arrogance, complacency, and the biggest of all; technical and political evolution.

I don’t share the euphoria of hybrid, battery, or autonomous vehicles, however I do accept the impact these will have in the short-lived near-future. In my opinion two evolutionary changes will have a long lasting influence. These are hydrogen cell technology, and cradle-to-grave vehicle utilisation. Why own a vehicle when for a relatively small affordable rental you could use and return the vehicle in exchange for a new model after two years. No depreciation, no maintenance, no trade in. As for the other aforementioned technologies, less wear, less maintenance, less reliance on the independent garage sector.

Back to boots on the ground: The technical evolution has quite literally been breath-taking. This has in the short term presented incredible opportunities for aggressive technical minded business owners and technicians. With opportunity comes challenge, investment and training. Complex vehicle systems require a comprehensive sound knowledge and infrastructure to provide a competitive service against the dealership network. Many garages out there are currently servicing and repairing systems without adequate knowledge or technical hardware to comply with original build spec requirements. Please do not take that comment as a cheap swipe without redress but a genuine helpful comment in realisation by how much this industry has changed. In comparison with other less technical trades, controlled by rigorous legislation we have been left to our own devices so far.

Confident system diagnosis
I was among the presenters at Autoinform Live. Obviously what I have just gone through is a very broad analysis, so for my segment I concentrated on more specific area. With this in mind, my presentation at the event focused on using available technology to combat the ever increasing difficulties in confident systems diagnosis. In particular, I focused on engine efficiency, pumping losses, and very accurate assent of valve piston relationship using a pressure transducer while the engine is running. I then expanded on cylinder balance using g vibration analysis.

Succeeding
If you are running a business, you will doubtlessly be interested in getting into the next era, but this may require some adaptation on your part. You also need to put yourself in the correct area. Like the dinosaurs before us, there is an extinction zone out there and the asteroid will hit our I industry sooner than you might like or think. If you are in the 10 mile radius training mindset then you really do need to lift you focus on the horizon or possibly to those businesses you resent or admire who are succeeding in your area. If you are one of those success stories then you already know me and are attending Autoinform events or something similar.

In my last editorial in the March issue of Aftermarket, I discussed that the time was running out for MOT testers to complete their Annual Training and Annual Assessment. This needed to be completed by the deadline of 31 March this year (2019).
    
The deadline has now passed and hopefully all MOT testers completed the training and Annual Assessment on time and are now ready for some down time to digest the topics that the DVSA have advised for the next 12 months.
    
Many MOT testers left last year’s Annual Training and Annual Assessment until the last few weeks of March, or even the last few hours before the deadline. Those who didn’t complete will need to contact the DVSA, complete the Annual Assessment and also facing the DVSA Vehicle Inspector ‘observation test’ all of which could take considerable time away from MOT testing with the result being a reduced income.
    
If it is necessary to request a demonstration MOT test,  call the DVSA on 0300 123 9000.

Requirements
This year (1 April 2019 to 31 March 2020), why not complete the Annual Training and Assessment early, even though you might have just completed the previous year’s requirement. It could all been done by Christmas – yes will we be fast approaching that time of year soon – reducing the stress of the ordeal.
    
An MOT tester is required to complete a minimum of 16 hours training in a five year period. Each year an MOT tester must complete at least three hours of training associated with the DVSA prescribed syllabus as indicated below.
    
The DVSA MOT tester Annual Training can be delivered in various forms. These include, but are not limited to, in-house, book form, electronic (e-learning) or face-to-face. There are a number of training providers in the industry that provide such services. MOT tester Annual Training must be recorded as follows:

I have long accepted that nothing stands still for long in this industry. Just when you think you have a grasp of the subject something is sure to upset it. Nothing illustrates this more than powertrain diagnostics. Initially this was called fuel injection, and later became engine management. Now I’m afraid it’s even more complex.
I find myself fortunate to have been there at the beginning; Bosch l Jetronic, a 25 pin ECU with if I recall correctly, only 13 pins occupied. No serial diagnostics, no specific tools. So why was I fortunate? Consider my reflection on diagnostics back in the late 1970s and see if they are still applicable today.

Firstly, you had to understand what the system had to achieve, what components it had at its disposal, what role they played and how they interacted within that system.

The next challenge was measurement values; what to expect under a variety of conditions, and what equipment was required to access this information. This all seems so straightforward now, but in those days it was a little like Columbus sailing across the ocean. He knew it was wet, he needed a boat, he knew which way west was, despite this being blasphemy in the eyes of the Pope, and so set off without a clue as to what was out there.

Hardly a logical diagnostic process, however I was writing the rule book and did understand the meaning of the words test don’t guess. So, what’s changed that undermines these basic principles?

Acessibility
With even the most basic of vehicles now relying on a level of technology that makes accessibility almost impossible, OE manufacturers totally forbid any intrusion within the wiring loom and I am sure this explains the why design and manufacture precludes access as a high priority. However, we are brave, and have the Starship Enterprise at our disposal for our journey of discovery.
The problem is one of integration. Systems don’t function in isolation any more, and Columbus now has to map the Americas and Australia at the same time. In order to conduct an accurate assessment of a function it must be in its natural environment and be observed when functioning normally.

Complexity
This is not restricted to a physical state. It also includes software, algorithms, and predictive response, correction or adaptive action. Systems now change their mode of operation based on environmental influences, affected by a very wide range of changing influences. Cylinder select or dynamic stability comes to mind. The driver selects an option from a long list of choices, engine, transmission, and chassis. I used to say that for a function to occur it must have a command followed by response. In today’s world,  the command may be a software decision followed by a constantly changing response, stratified and homogenous fuelling, infinitely changing camshaft timing and variable valve lift to name a few.

Test options
Manufacturers are driven by non-intrusive process dictated by guided diagnostics. Pre-determined test plans more often or not end with a pass or fail result, foregoing any data reveal.  Is this due to a control of process and cost, or a mistrust in their techs? Actual evaluation of circuits, voltage, current or complex profile is getting ever more difficult. Attachment of gauges in order to measure pressure and flow is often restricted by sealed transit hoses or internal ducting within castings. Serial data has become so much, more powerful and trustworthy, however it does not and will not replace the functions available from an oscilloscope. Specialist mechanical tools and assembly techniques prohibit casual examination, due to cost or the ever more common single fitment parts.

Data extraction
This may lie in a multitude of directions; Physical extraction, camshaft timing, fuel quantity per stroke via the serial port or fuel pressure rise time via the scope. We are forced to monitor not just a physical value, but not how the PCM is adjusting or adapting a value. How do we know the parameters of operation when VMs are removing more and more data in favour of the pass-fail flags from a software automated test profile?

SENT
Rieve gauche, no not a walk along the Left Bank, but a completely new protocol for data and diagnostic transmission. SENT has been developed specifically for automotive applications, rather than being a black-market hooky copy from other engineering developments. SENT stands for single edge nibble transmission, and is a uni-directional out-only data line to the PCM. SENT is essentially a serial interface, used predominantly with throttle position, air mass and temperatures. The basic unit of time is the tick, with a minimum data unit nibble. 0Data transmission speeds over fast or slow channels, where bitrate can also vary: 1xtick= 3us. In essence it is very similar to a single channel can transmission, where the function includes synchronisation, calibration, CRC and checksum.
How am I to challenge the authenticity of data? For example, sensor error may come from power or ground discrepancies, range error, environment influences, calibration error or simply a genuine condition fault. Its design is of course intended to provide an autonomous diagnostic platform via the serial port, excluding any assessment by the techs.

Full circle
What does this mean for the industry? I suspect it will go full circle back to the 1970s, when part swapping was the norm for Christopher Columbus frauds.

The automotive aftermarket can always use a boost, and there is nothing quite like a motor show to get anyone – everyone – to talk about our industry.
    
Yes, there’s a world of difference between repairing vehicles and the spangly glitz of the super-rich posing beside the very latest in super-expensive automotive ‘art’. Yet, for every single billionaire there are quite literally tens of thousands of vehicle users.
    
We have a new automotive industry-specific word – electrification. Not the type of thing that is used to power trains but rather the addition of a tail pipe emission free’ energy source to compliment or even replace the internal combustion engine. The context? The Geneva Motor Show. Indeed, at almost every motor show if one did not have electricity/global warming/ecology associated with each new vehicle reveal, it simply wasn’t news. To see the ‘on the spot’ news coverage from the show could have left us thinking that anything with a piston engine of any sort is utterly irrelevant. However that is not the case.

Zero emission
‘Zero emissions’ has a very specific meaning when it is measuring what comes out of an exhaust pipe. If there is no exhaust pipe, or all it does is eject water, the vehicle is officially described as ‘zero emission’. Forget the fact that energy storage system raw materials are mined all over the world, processed all over the world, built into energy storage packs, fitted to vehicles which are  exported all over the world. Forget the energy used to make a single kWh. Even ‘free’ energy sources need machines to exploit it, which of course require energy to produce.     
    
The automotive sector all over the world is under attack, and is vulnerable: It is a statement of fact, not a complaint. Some – not all – vehicle manufacturers have abused emission testing, to the point the general public don’t quite know who can be trusted. Governments all over the world see a significant opportunity to not merely fend off lobbyist pressure but actively court it, in the name of ‘saving the planet’.  Empty gestures and half formed policies abound.
    
Rightly or wrongly, the automotive sector is in quite a fix. OEMs in Europe face from this year paying €95 for each gramme of CO2 for each car built over a fleet average limit (95 grammes of CO2 per km). This is not a one-off, but part of an international rolling vehicle emission reduction policy. More emission cuts will come, and well before 2030.
    
As Governments complete this social engineering, new forms of user taxation will take place in the none too distant future to recover revenue lost from reduced direct sales of fossil fuels (petrol, diesel, LPG or LNG).

Who wasn’t there?
Just in case anyone missed it, even without Brexit the global economy is on the downward slope into recession. The automotive sales slump in China has triggered cutbacks in number of vehicle manufacturers, ranging from ‘let’s keep the lights on for now’ (Ford) through to ‘let’s take action to downsize in an orderly fashion’ (almost everyone else).
    
In the case of Europe, conforming to the new WLPT emission test combined with the utterly chaotic roll-out of Real Driving Emissions (RDE) has caused vehicle supply issues and unwelcome additional costs due to the convulsion caused by
re-homologating existing vehicles to the new test methods. As a result some manufacturers chose to spend limited promotion budgets in more effective ways. This meant paying for expensive stand space at a motor show was not a priority. As a result, JLR, Ford, Volvo and Hyundai were not present.
    
So, our online friends pushed out countless stories about ‘electric’ and ‘lack of support’. In the moment. So, what really went on?

Most significant
Why is Volkswagen’s MQB Evo platform delayed? To make way for its MEB platform, as the Group spends its way out of trouble. However, this is where it gets interesting. MEB is engineered as an ‘electrified’ platform, ranging from pure EV through to hybrid drive and PHEV. The MQB Evo platform has a raft of hybrid drive technology ranging from 48V ‘mild’ to more potent hybrid powertrains. However, after the scandal of emission test rigging, along with a steady stream of further negative revelations, the upshot is ‘electricity’ has to eclipse all chat of fossil fuel burning powertrains, if only for PR.
    
The Volkswagen brand had the ID.buggy concept, a pretty pointless homage to Beetle- based dune buggies, on view alongside previously shown I.D concepts. Politely, the I.D series lack definition which is surprising given they have been rolled out for quite a few years, leaving rather too much to the imagination. The same could be said of the Skoda Vizion iV concept, another MEB platform car.
    
The star was the Seat el-Born, which had real cut lines, real doors, real trim. It mattered little that the model on display was as much a ‘model’ as the Volkswagen and Skoda versions, because this was real. Seat is used as the lead division for each of the smaller volume platforms, and
el-Born latterly made history as the birth of a volume EV from VWG. A shot in the dark? Time will tell and the odds are stacked against success, but as a premieres go there are few as significant. The fuss? From MEB, MQB Evo to MLB Evo right across VWG, hybrid drive is going to appear like a rash by 2021 – and it’s already underway.
    
Geneva is a showcase for smaller companies, many of which take expensive cars, add expensive procedures with the result looking like an aftermarket catalogue on drugs. Carbon fibre? Why yes, we’ll add that to a two tonne SUV and pretend it does anything but look pointlessly terrible. Yes, there’s still big money with no sense of taste.
    
Rolls-Royce effectively had an exquisite line-up on the opposite side of the hall to parent BMW. They offer LEDs which can be implanted to the headliner to give a starry night from the comfort of the car interior. But what’s this? The BMW 8 series, a glorious car exactly and precisely produced at the absolutely wrong time, is available with headliner LEDs configured to the favourite constellation of the purchaser. BMW really should take care not to dilute its premier brand, nor boost sales to match Bentley with a probably ruinous effect on residuals. Luxury is not all about shifting metal.
    
Meanwhile Aurus had the ‘large’ car on display as used by President Vladimir Putin (5.7 tonnes with armour) along with the ‘small’ car (2.7 tonnes without armour). So far, this project has cost more than £80 million, with a limited production of the ‘large’ car at 10 units and the ‘small’ car to be made in a limited series of around 500 units. In other words, handmade, almost every aspect uniquely engineered. An interesting discussion quickly demonstrated that Aurus have better connection to super luxury than some very old brands.
    
This year we had not one but two land mark events. Peugeot revealed the new 208, which will underpin many more PSA vehicles including the next generation Vauxhall Corsa. This has a 50 kWh pure EV powertrain as well as internal combustion engine powertrains – PSA already meet the new fleet average CO2 target, to the point they can sell carbon credits to those manufacturers who can’t meet the target. What will be the highest volume selling powertrain – EV or internal combustion engine?
    
The answer was to be found at Renault with the unveiling of Clio V, powered by petrol, diesel and a mild hybrid drive options. The pure EV role was filled by the Zoe. The immediate death of the petrol and diesel internal combustion engine has been somewhat exaggerated.
    
Amid some fanfare, the EU have managed to get another trade deal in place, with Japan. This means Japan-based vehicle manufacturers no longer have to pay steep tariffs to get non-EU built vehicles inside Europe. The deal has an impact on the UK, which has the biggest concentration of Japan-headquartered vehicle manufacturing plants, but Brexit had almost no effect on the decisions. All of the UK based car plants need stable tax regimes and clear incentives to ensure continued investment, and the EU-Japan trade deal has made those pre-requisites irrelevant. The Honda Urban EV prototype was apparently near production quality, in the sense it was not at all. Another plastic model which did little to define the concept first seen more than two years ago.

Geneva finds its feet
In 2018 the show reached a low point, the prelude to termination, In 2019 it arose gloriously as a design-led event, where the Swiss fascination for automobiles mixed perfectly with staging the best design show anywhere in the world. Shifting metal in bulk is no longer its primary task. Oh, and yes, the internal combustion engine will continue to exist, and will continue to get cleaner. That, ladies and gentlemen, means adaption – and success – for the aftermarket instead of oblivion.  

Everything has a point at which it needs replacing, and new research from Ring Automotive says  xenon HIDs should be replaced every three years.

Garage businesses will be able to help improve safety for their customers and increase revenue by advising drivers to go for replacement according to Ring Automotive, who are behind the findings.
Ring’s research  indicates  that while xenon HID headlamps may still illuminate and appear white, after three years the light output will have dropped significantly – potentially below legal limits. In tests done in its  beam laboratories, Ring found that the overall lumens light output from four-year-old HID bulbs had dropped by around 17.5% compared to equivalent new xenon HID bulbs – taking them below the legal limits for light output for HID bulbs as set out in ECE Reg 99. The lux output at the brightest point of the beam had dropped by around 59.5% when comparing the old bulb with the equivalent new xenon HID.

Lumens are used to measure the overall output of a bulb, and this measurement takes into account all the light emitted across the entire beam. Lux is used to measure the light output at the brightest point – or hotspot – of the bulb. This is the point at which the light is focused to give optimum visibility when driving.

Opportunity
Carl Harrison, Xenon HID Product Manager at Ring commented: “When a customer is in for a MOT and service, it’s the ideal opportunity to discuss xenon HID bulbs and replacement. We’ve tested the light output of new versus four-year-old bulbs, and can see a significant drop in light output, and based on this and other tests, we are advising technicians to recommend replacing xenon HID bulbs every three years.”

Apart from the safety angle, there is chance to make some money too says Carl: “It’s a value-added service that provides an opportunity for garages, who can offer bulb replacement, and improves driving conditions for their customers. The driver may not have noticed the reduction in visibility as the change will have been gradual, meaning that advice from professionals is even more necessary to ensure optimal driving conditions.”

Around 10% of the UK car parc has xenon HID bulbs fitted, and these vehicles offer a profitable prospect for independent garages: “These bulbs need to be installed by trained technician, and must always be replaced in pairs,“ says Carl, “as if they are not, the colour output of the bulbs will be mismatched. With a higher cost per bulb and more time-consuming fit, there is a clear opportunity for garages to profit, while still offering better value and service than main dealers.
 
“There’s a perception that xenon HIDs must be fitted by a main dealer. This is not the case, and we want to ensure that independent garages don’t miss out on fitting xenon HIDs. There’s even an opportunity to upsell to brighter and whiter options. These upgrade bulbs put more light on the road than standard HIDs, or produce a whiter light for an even more high spec look and a match to LED daytime running lamps. As these bulbs will last for three years, this extra investment can be worthwhile for drivers that want the best in their vehicle.”

Ring offers a range of xenon HID bulbs, including popular references D3 and D4, plus the newer D5 reference, as well as brighter and whiter upgrade options. For more details about xenon HIDs, plus fitting advice, visit www.ringautomotive.com/webapps/refit-hids/

If you’ve read my technical articles previously then you’ll know that the endgame for our technical training is straightforward. Quite simply our goal is to develop technicians so that they use a repeatable process, carry out root-cause analysis, diagnose the vehicle first time in a timely manner, and ensure that it does not return for the same fault.
    
Tick the box on those five points more often than not and you’ll have a happy technician, a happy boss, and a satisfied customer. For this to be a regular occurrence though the right elements need to be in place.

Essential components?
So what’s required? Obviously a skilled technician, and the right information are essential ingredients, but what about tooling? Can you get by with a scan tool, multimeter, and a copy of Autodata (other technical references are available)? Or is an oscilloscope an essential tool? In this article we’ll take a look how to diagnose a misfire, and whether a scope plays a pivotal part or not.

Line up your ducks
The offending vehicle in this instance is a 4 cylinder 1.8 petrol Vauxhall Insignia, although this procedure could apply to any similar petrol vehicle. To say it’s sick would be an understatement. It’s only running on three cylinders, and quite honestly sounds a little sorry for itself. A couple of questions spring immediately to mind. Which cylinder is it? And what’s the overarching cause? Normally a problem like this will be attributed to a mechanical issue, fuelling issue, or ignition related fault. Our purpose at the outset is to quickly identify which of those areas deserves our attention, and to do that we need to carry out some initial high-level tests.
    
Before we get into what’s causing the problem I like to identify which cylinder is causing the issue. Once I’ve identified that I’ll then drill down to find out why.
    
You’ve quite a few options on how to achieve this, although my favourite wherever possible is to carry out a cylinder balance test. This is done using a serial tool to deactivate an injector whilst idling and monitor the RPM drop. If there’s no change in rpm for a given cylinder then you’ve found your culprit. On this vehicle, it was identified that cylinder 4 was having little input, and that’s where our focus should be.
    
Now we know the offending cylinder you’ve three areas to test. On a personal level, I’ll choose a quick mechanical integrity test but the question is: “What’s the quickest way to achieve this? Understanding what cranking speed sounds like on a good car is a benefit, and I’ll normally use a scope to support this with a relative compression test. Using a current clamp (figure 1) to identify a poorly sealing cylinder is a quick test that can give immediate diagnostic direction, but in this case we can see that current draw is equal across all cylinders, and as cranking sounded normal I decided that my time would be better spent looking elsewhere.

Next steps
With a quick mechanical integrity check undertaken my gaze turned to ignition. Ignition related misfires are commonplace and there are a number of ways to complete this part of the diagnosis. I could dive in with a scope although I’ll normally look at spark performance with a gap check first, and drill down a little deeper with an oscilloscope if it fails that test.
    
Figure 2 shows the tool typically used for such a test. The secondary ignition output from all coils was good and equal across all cylinders. If this had not been the case then a scope would have been used to identify why, but in this instance a quick output test showed that all was well and the scope would not be required.
    
With our previous tests all but eliminating ignition and mechanical faults, it was time to take a look at fuelling faults. The problem on this particular vehicle meant that the cause would be isolated to one cylinder, this made the probability that it’d be a fuel supply issue to the rail less likely. With this in mind it makes sense to use a scope and carry out comparative checks on individual cylinders looking for anomalies that could be caused by a fuelling fault. Access to primary and secondary ignition was less than ideal due to the coil pack configuration so the ignition profile could not be used for fuelling evaluation.
    
Injector supply, ECU control and circuit current were inspected across all cylinders and while there were small differences nothing was conclusive, until we took a look at rail pressure using the Pico WPS500x pressure transducer. Using this it was plain to see that upon injector number 4 being commanded to open and deliver fuel that there was little drop in rail pressure compared to the other cylinders. This definitely warranted further inspection so the injectors were removed and  a flow test was completed in our test bench. Number 4 injector was found to be delivering significantly less fuel than expected. Bingo, we’d found our misfire.

To scope or not to scope?
Effective and efficient diagnosis is all about using the right tool, for the right test, at the correct point in your diagnostic routine, and as this vehicle has shown the oscilloscope plays a critical part in serving up the answers that whilst possible via other methods are often more time consuming to obtain.
    
If an oscilloscope isn’t playing a major part in your day to day diagnosis then there’s no time like the present to blow the dust from it and start seeing the benefits that this amazing tool will bring to your workshop.

Picking up from my topic and opinions on autonomous vehicle control last month I think it reasonable to explore the very technology our safety is to be placed.

When considering the most challenging aspect of autonomous vehicle control, we must look to steering and stability correction. My references are limited to the Volkswagen Group, however most manufacturers now share similar drivetrain and chassis technology.

Steering assist
These systems have evolved over many years in what I term modular development. Steering assist is such a system. Steering assist is directly proportional to driver input force, the steering torque sensor g269 detects rotation, the steering angle sensor g85 provides angle and rotation acceleration.

Responding to this data the control module j500 calculates the required assistance from the power steering assist motor v187. When parking, a low or zero vehicle speed combined with a rapid steering input provides maximum assistance. During driving additional data relating to environmental conditions, urban or motorway, modifies the appropriate assistance.
One of the first problems to overcome was return to neutral or zero steering angle. This is activated with a reduction in force on the torsion bar, whereby the rate of return is also a function of environmental influences. The dual steering angle sensor is comprised of a LED and photo electric diode.

The steering torque sensor operates on the magnetic resistance principle. Failure results in a gradual reduction in assistance. The asynchronous brushless motor provides up to 4nm of assistance. Once again emphasis should be directed to programming and adaptive correction via e serial platform.

Stability & proximity
When introducing vehicle stability dynamics, even more data is required: An accelerometer as well as yaw and  pitch sensors will complement existing input requirements. Enhanced and shared functionality with ABS enables the braking system to support vehicle control through corners by applying a control force through the rear brakes.

We now need to consider the vehicle proximity control system; the system employs an ultrasonic sensor to monitor and determine the environment. However, this interim system has several critical shortcomings, especially due to its narrow detection field and inaccurate position calculation regarding other vehicles and obstacles. The next modular enhancement introduces side or blind spot monitoring or side assist. This system also has limitations with range and vector limitations. Although operating on a high speed can network, it operates on a master slave principle, for example; slave units only transmit data and diagnostics on demand from the master module.

It is of note that the vehicle now relies on no less than 13 control modules, with predictive position algorithms. Later evolution will include optical, video, ultrasound, infrared and laser. Optical lane assist which is mounted on the windscreen requires considerable coding and calibration, notwithstanding windshield replacement, so much for off-site repairers.

Calibration & correction
Calibration requires determination of the camera orientation, the exact installed location, the height at which the camera is installed and three orientation measurements. This is an electronic function as no mechanical adjustment is provided. Therefore any change in tyre, wheel diameter or suspension repair or modification will invalidate this system accuracy, including fault memory errors.

We now move into the era of de-coupling direct driver steering input. This system allows computer correction of steering angle. For example, with a loss of driver control, ESP can introduce a counter steer input to regain control. This system is intended to maintain the maximum static traction between the road surface and tyre. Should this be insufficient to maintain a safe curve radius, the ABS can be employed to help recover the vehicle attitude.

The system can carry out actual steering angle correction while the driver maintains a different steering wheel input, such as on snow, ice, or on flooded road surface conditions. In order to facilitate this function, a mechanical flexi-coupling is mounted in the upper steering column. The outer has 100 teeth, with the inner posessing 102. They can rotate together as one with direct driver input command or can rotate at a different angle disengaging driver direct input control.

In effect this system still complies with statutory requirements as having still a de-facto fail-safe mechanical connection between driver and steering mechanism. Therefore is still level 0 status, in terms of autonomy.

At this point we are a million miles from even level 2 or 3 autonomous control. Level 3 allows for the driver to release physical contact with vehicle controls yet remain available and alert in case of system failure. Please make your own mind up. However, I’m not for turning!

Advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) have gone from a nice-to-have to a legal requirement in a relatively short space of time.

It is a huge market and it is growing, so more and more cars coming through the door have these systems. This means that if garages don’t have the knowledge, training and equipment required to calibrate ADAS systems correctly, they could be ruling themselves out of business entirely.

The future, today
ADAS is the word, and it is the future, today. Robin Huish, Managing Director of Hickleys agrees: “ADAS was an increasing topic of conversation throughout 2018, continues to be in 2019 and this sure to continue  in the coming years. The level of ADAS systems being installed on new cars is increasing rapidly but that doesn’t mean this is something you can consider for the future; ADAS systems fitted to vehicles regularly coming into the independent garage need repair and calibration now.
“If you want to offer a complete service to your customers you need to consider equipping your workshops and assembling the knowledge to deal with ADAS as soon as possible. One thing is for sure these systems are not going to go away and the demand for service and calibration will rapidly increase.”

Camera and Radar
Robin breaks down the opportunity: “ADAS systems are developed to improve safety and lead to better driving. Safety features are designed to avoid collisions and accidents by offering technologies that alert the driver to potential problems, or to avoid collisions by implementing safeguards and in some cases taking over control of the vehicle.
“Broadly the market splits into two sectors, Camera and Radar. The equipment required to work with both systems varies. Camera was first to impact the independent market in a big way, with a front-facing camera fitted to a windscreen. When a windscreen is replaced the camera requires recalibration. Most windscreen replacement companies now are able to carry out this task with carefully chosen diagnostic scan tools and calibration hardware. This has now become a major part of their income stream. Recently the ability to offer mobile calibration equipment has again increased the opportunity for mobile diagnostic specialists to carry out these tasks. Of course, windscreen replacement is just one market sector that needs ADAS equipment. Crash repairers, diagnostic specialists, independent garages, fast fits and fleet workshops will all face the need to repair front and rear camera systems.

“Radar is the fastest expanding area, firstly using front and rear detection but now covering the whole surrounding area of the car including blind spots, pedestrian detection, traffic signal information and emergency braking. The equipment required for radar calibration is similar to camera, again using carefully selected diagnostic scan tools and various radar attachments and accessories. This can be an expansion of the camera equipment using the same basic equipment and stand. Again for the mobile specialist, the equipment is easily transported.”

Forward-thinking
How does a garage incorporate ADAS into their business? “ADAS calibrations are usually around £150 to £250,” says Robin, “and diagnostic repairs where an ADAS system has failed adds many hundreds of pounds of revenue to a forward-thinking garage.”
What about kit? “There is a range of equipment available from diagnostic suppliers such as Bosch, Texa and Hickleys’ exclusive brand RCCT. With prices from only £4,995 joining the ADAS boom is surprisingly easy with repayments from as little as £27 per week.”

Robin says think before you leap though: “One word of warning is to carefully select your equipment and speak to a specialist that doesn’t represent just one brand. Get an
on-site demonstration and review the options considering all aspects of the market, consider carefully your chosen diagnostic tool as well. ADAS information varies dramatically from tool to tool and some manufacturers are locking down their software so it can only be used with their hardware. This is fine if they cover everything but what happens if they fall behind, do you buy it all again from another supplier?”

Choice
As with many areas, independents need to be strong and fight their corner: “Despite recent comments – generally from the those affiliated to the vehicle manufacturers or bodies closely associated – discouraging independents from recalibrating ADAS systems,” says Neil Hilton, Head of Business Development for Hella Gutmann Solutions (HGS), “the fact remains that vehicles fitted with the technology are entering workshops daily. As a result, the sector needs to make a choice and either embrace it or ignore the opportunities it provides.”

Legislation has its part to play: “Since 2016, to qualify for a 5 star Euro NCAP safety rating, the VMs have to fit their vehicles with, as a minimum requirement, autonomous emergency braking and lane departure warning. These are both complex systems that, following any intervention that affects their set-up, require specialist recalibration equipment to reset the cameras or radars on which the vehicle relies for its ADAS operation.”
Neil continues: “This naturally includes accident damage and windscreen replacement, but it also encompasses general service and repair work, such as adjustment to the vehicle’s tracking or wheel alignment, as well as coil spring or steering component replacement. In short, anything that affects the vehicle’s geometry, because it is through this datum that ADAS functions are calibrated and then operate.”

Commenting on the HGS offering, Neil says: “Clearly, VMs and their associates, do not want the independent sector to have any interaction with these systems, so unless independents are simply willing to cede the business back to the dealer, there has to be an aftermarket solution, which is what HGS has been championing for more than five years. HGS is the market leader for ADAS technology in the aftermarket and offers a comprehensive multi-brand solution, covering more than 92% of the UK’s ADAS equipped car parc. The company has become renowned for its knowledge and expertise on this complicated subject, with multiple high profile businesses, including Thatcham Research, the motor insurers’ automotive research centre and Autoglass in the UK and Europe, CESVI in France and AIG Insurance Group, using the Hella Gutmann Solutions CSC (Camera and Sensor Calibration) tool to establish the standards the sector should be meeting in regards to ADAS recalibration. Therefore, providing an independent goes through the correct procedure in terms of setting-up the equipment that comes with the CSC tool – an operation that once learned takes only 20 minutes or so – it can undertake ADAS recalibration with complete confidence and to the same standard as the dealer.”
    
Another issue for VMs  is the quality of the parts used in any pre-recalibration repair as they  prefer the use of their genuine parts programmes, installed by an affiliated dealer.
“From an aftermarket perspective however,” Neil concludes, “provided the independent uses replacement components of comparable quality to the OE part, which are installed following the correct procedure, the repair will conform with Block Exemption regulations and the recalibration will be valid, so allowing the independent to compete with the dealer in an open and fair market.”

Marketing can be hard to grasp, even for the most experienced business operator. This made it an ideal topic for Andy Savva to cover as part of his 2019 training course schedule. Andy's one-day Marketing Essentials course provides an overview of what marketing actually is, looks at key approaches and how to apply them to a garage business.
    
Aftermarket sat in on a sold-out session held in Crawley in February. In front of a packed room, filled with garages owners and staff, Andy dispelled some myths and misconceptions surrounding the discipline: "Marketing is one of the most misunderstood functions found in business. Whatever the reasons for any negative image that marketing may have, it is essential to realise that marketing is vital to ensure the survival and growth of any business. Marketing cannot be ignored and needs to be a part of the culture of any successful organisation.
    
"Marketing affects everyone. We are all consumers. Most businesses depend on marketing to provide an understanding of the marketplace, to ensure their products and services satisfy the needs of customers, and that they are competing effectively."
    
Despite running great businesses, Andy has found that garage owners often struggle when it comes to marketing: "Understanding customers and anticipating their requirements is a core theme of effective marketing, yet this is somewhat difficult for garages to fully get to grips with. So too is understanding general market trends and developments that may affect both customers views and the activities of businesses in the aftermarket repair sector. You must also be aware that a business does not have the marketplace to itself. There are always direct competitors, new entrants and indirect challengers.”
    
Andy added: "Marketing should concern everybody in a business as it sets the context in which sales can take place. Whatever your role, you play a part in setting that context."

Interaction
As Andy got into the meat of the marketing matter, he led the delegates through what marketing is, and how they need to approach it and enact effective marketing within their businesses. Even the most experienced business owners and managers can get a little confused when asked to distinguish between marketing, advertising and sales. After asking attendees to pick where they would plant the marketing flag, with a few near misses along the way, Andy went through the specifics:
    
"Marketing is a systematic approach aimed at bringing buyers and sellers together for the benefit of both. Many people confuse selling and advertising with marketing but they are not the same. Marketing is about promoting goods and services that both satisfy customers and also bring profits to the business.
     
"Selling is the interaction that takes place on a personal level with potential customers. Marketing on the other hand is aimed at generating those potential customers in the first place. Many people confuse selling and advertising with marketing but they are not the same. Advertising is part of the marketing function, but never the other way around."
    
For marketing to succeed, there needs to  be a goal and a way of achieving it, which Andy went on to cover: "Any marketing campaign needs to have a clear focus and this is why it is so important to make the right choices. Will the business compete across the entire market, or only certain parts? It is also a good idea to ensure all employees know the strategies being adopted, so that everyone works together to achieve the same goals." Andy then asked a question of the group: "Do you know what your garage business is trying to achieve and how it is trying to achieve it? In most cases the answer is no."
    
The goal influences the method, and vice versa. From this point, Andy covered the classic four Ps of marketing – product, price, place and promotion – and went from there to the more recent extended marketing mix, incorporating people, process and physical evidence. Beyond this he laid out transactional marketing, which is sales-focused, and relationship marketing, which takes a much broader view including customer service, and quality presentation and results.
    
Next he took on the thorny issue of branding as part of the marketing strategy, and why a strong brand is so important for recognition, financial value, motivation and loyalty. All of that was just the pre-lunch session. After lunch, Andy went into even greater detail on areas such as the marketing triangle, SMART objectives and SWOT analysis. It's heady stuff, but Andy made it approachable and applicable to the sector.

Inspirational
Those in attendance found a lot to take away from the day. Dani Comber from Thrussington Garage in East Goscote, near Leicester said: "I find Andy really inspirational. I think he's brilliant. He can come and work at our garage." Commenting on what she was learning about marketing from the day, Dani said it showed the gap between what they were doing at present, and what they should be doing: "I find it demotivating and motivating at the same time. You want to do everything, you've got the intention to do it, but you've not done it. On the other hand you are motivated because you see what you can do."
    
Elisa Bramall from Scantec Automotive from Hailsham, East Sussex said: "I have attended several training courses with Andy. I only have good things to say about him of course. His passion being the main thing, and that he says it how it is. No beating around the bush. A lot of his values we stand by as well, i.e use of OE parts, tools and genuine equipment. When you attend his training courses, it aligns with what we want to achieve. With all of his experience, if you think you know it all you certainly don't."
    
Tina Drayson, Operations Manager at CCM Garage, based in West Sussex and Surrey said: "I have done Andy's financial course before. It is phenomenal. I have learned so much from it. It has certainly changed the way we are doing our business. I am hoping that today with the marketing essentials will give us even more direction going forward."
    
Terry Roberts, owner at  Witham Motor Company in Witham, Essex said: "I have just become a RAC approved garage in the last few weeks, so I am looking at changing my brand. I am really enjoying it. I am learning a lot and have picked up a lot of things."
    
Commenting on what he was getting from the course, Billy from  Beacon Hill Garage in Hindhead, Surrey said: "It just hammers home that if your standards slip, and your marketing as well, and you take your eye off the ball, things will go wrong. I will be going back to give a few people a kick up the backside to bring standards back up. "
    
Brothers Mahesh Vekaria and Pravin Patel own a garage each in Harrow. Mahesh, owner of Cardoc said: "What have I learned from Andy today so far? It has refocused and re-energised my enthusiasm for marketing. We do a fair bit of marketing, but coming today, you see a different angle to it."
    
Pravin, proprietor at Harrow Service Centre, observed: "Today has been interesting. I have learned a lot. In a sense we already do a bit of marketing, but to understand what it really does mean and the ways we are doing it – is it right or wrong? – is really useful. It is something to implement when we go back to work."
    
In that the pair are brothers and are based just half a mile apart, Aftermarket was curious as to who would get back and implement new marketing initiatives first. "I would say that I would," said Mahesh. Pravin agreed: "Yes  he would, definitely, having said that, he looks after my marketing for my garage as well. So he has double the work really."

Information
Edward Cockhill of Uckfield Motor Services in Uckfield East Sussex observed: "It is quite an eye-opener. I saw marketing as just advertising, whereas it is really the whole perception of my company. There is a lot of cogs that are going to be turning when I get home. "
    
Peter Bedford of GT One Ltd in Chertsey, Surrey said: "We are an independent Porsche specialist. Our business is in need of a bit of a review in its marketing ideas, and we are looking to freshen it up. I have come along to see another angle of it. Some things I think I know and we have applied. Some I know and we have not applied, so you need a kick up the backside. Some things are brand new. On the whole it is brilliant."
    
Cieran Larkin from Larkin Automotive in Dublin commented: "It is good to get marketing training from a professional who has been in the garage business as opposed to someone who is dealing with generic marketing. Andy's experience is brilliant in that way."
    
Nick Robinson from Marchwoods in Folkestone had been to Andy's courses previously and was back for more: "I came to Andy's events last year for garage financial understanding and customer excellence. They were real eye-openers so I have come back for another one. I was badgering him earlier to see what is coming up next. I will be at that one as well!"
    
Meanwhile, for Edward from Swanley Garage in Swanley, it was his first time: "This is the first one I have been to. It is really good. It is about getting all the information and having the guts to go out and do it. We are all guilty of not doing marketing properly, it is about taking that jump to rebrand yourself or say right we are not doing that any more, or we are not doing cut price work, or we are not going to let the customers bargain with us any more, and seeing where it takes you."

As we reach March, 2019 is well and truly underway. In fact by the time you read this one third of the year will have whizzed by never to be seen again. Now, I’m not one for New Year’s Resolutions (they’re so last year), but I am the type of chap that likes constant progress when it comes to developing a technician’s career.
    
There’s so much to be said for small steps taken everyday that on first look appear don’t appear to make a difference, but when gazed back upon over a 12 month period have a staggering affect on your capability to diagnose a vehicle first time, in a timely manner.

Pitter-patter of tiny feet
Small steps are all well and good but where do you start? After all, you don’t know what you don’t know, and you’d like to start your journey to diagnostic success off on the right foot. In this instance I’d start with the end in mind and reverse engineer the outcome you desire. It’s a logical process that works, and can be replicated time and time again in your diagnostic routine.
    
Your ‘end in mind’ in this instance is a vehicle where the fault no longer exists, that won’t appear back across the threshold of your workshop anytime soon. But how do you guarantee that?

One test to rule them all
I love nothing more than when the delegates working through our training programs have a technical epiphany. This happens at many points on their path of learning, but none more than with bypass testing.
    
Bypass testing is step nine in Johnny’s diagnostic circle of love (our 15 step routine), and often the key element in the first time fix. The good news for you is that it doesn’t require mythical creatures to forge their magical powers into an object that only one technician can possess. It’s something that every tech can learn, and become a diagnostic wizard.

What is bypass testing?
Quite simply it’s fixing the vehicle before you fix the vehicle. Let me explain.
    
Wouldn’t it be great if you suspected that a Mass Air Flow sensor was at fault and you could prove that you were right before you fitted a new part, or spoke to the owner of the vehicle. If you could do that then the positive effect it would have on you and the business you work for would blow you away.
    
Picture this: Your customer has reported that the vehicle is low on power. You’ve diligently questioned them, experienced the problem with them on a road test, and the bought the vehicle into the workshop.
    
You’ve pulled codes and found none present, followed by taking a look through serial data to hunt for diagnostic clues. It doesn’t take you long to identify that the MAF sensor frequency looks a little low at 1.5 Khz and your fuel trim data is incorrect and making a positive corrections. You’ve seen a bunch of these before and know that 1.85 Khz is a suitable value for this vehicle.
    
You’re keen to prove that the serial data is leading you in the right direction so confirm the sensor output with your oscilloscope. The oscilloscope frequency mirrors that of the serial tool and your starting to get that warm fuzzy feeling that an you’re onto something.

Steady the buffs
You’ve been close to success before though, only to be thwarted in the final moments so you’re keen not to be caught out twice. You know that documenting the reasons that the MAF output could be incorrect is the way to go, and duly make a list of tests required to confirm your theories.

To save money and raise efficiency, the DVSA has turned to automation. They no longer need an army of Vehicle Examiners wandering from MOT bay to MOT bay. Instead they are collecting data all the time.
    
Let’s say I am the boss and my business is low on revenue. I beat up the manager and he in turn influences the tester to fail everything coming through the door. The customer is now stuck with no MOT and I have some simple high yield repairs.
    
Here’s where it gets interesting. The DVSA computer is monitoring individual tester behaviour and looking at averages. The pattern is really easy for a computer at the DVSA to see because it’s just not possible that lots of cars fail on the same items every day.  The DVSA’s fix is to target garages where data shows they are hunting for work and send in a VE to crosscheck. He needs only to wait nearby until our tester issues his favourite fails and then arrive to retest the car.
    
We all, as testers, now have access to our TQI. Lots of testers that I speak to have the sentiment that this data is all rubbish but, here is the rub. The DVSA have a team of very capable data processors looking at this data and writing algorithms that alert them to trends that need investigation.

Take my example of one of my longest-serving testers and allow the DVSA computer to tell me every car that he has tested in the last two weeks of November for the last seven years and add in that we only want to know about cars tested after 4:30pm. We find only one car; a Y reg (2001) BMW 320i convertible, always tested after 5pm with a longest test time of thirty-two minutes and shortest of twenty-seven. Guess what, it’s my guy’s brother-in-law’s car!
    
For me the horror is that the car has never failed an MOT. It’s also never been in the workshop for any repairs. It looks absolutely dogged out and is on around 180,000 miles. Worst still my guy has never once even advised anything on this car. The VE would assume  Barry’s guy is prepared to let things slide at the end of the day, so maybe he plans to visit me after 5pm on a Thursday.

Conflicting vehicle locations
This is a fun story from a close and trusted friend. My guy is at a DVSA IVA check and overhears a conversation by a couple of Vehicle Examiners. It goes like this; VE no.1 is suspicious of an MOT bay offering fraudulent MOT tests. He parks down the road from an MOT bay in Kent and checks which vehicle is logged on and being tested. He takes the registration number of the vehicle in question and calls the DVLA, identifies himself and asks if the vehicle has been seen on the DVLA camera system anywhere in the last half hour. The car was last seen on the M25 twelve minutes ago near Watford in Hertfordshire over 70 miles away.
  
So, our VE is in Kent and the car is in Hertfordshire. If this works today in a manual sense how long will it be before computers can do this to every single test? Talk about an easy way to stop fraudulent MOTs, just using computers that the government already own.

All my recent writing has involved modern cars and techniques, but this month I have decided to write about my main passion of classic cars. The classic car market is huge and people are now seeing a lot of classic cars as an investment.
    
Recently I set about scouring eBay and Gumtree for a restoration project or ‘barn find’ as people like to classify anything that has stood unused for a length of time. The reason for the project is that it is my Dad’s 70th birthday was just before Christmas and what better present than a dusty and rusty old MGB GT? The British classic is top of my shopping list. Dad used to have a white MGB GT and I have always wanted an affordable classic so I have come to the conclusion that the MGB fits the bill perfectly.

Bargin
Luckily I have found the perfect car. A lot of money can be lost due to poor bodywork issues. Welding is definitely not my forte, but luckily this particular MGB is solid underneath. That said, the interior needs a good clean and some repair and the engine requires a good service and tune up. The previous owner hadn’t used the car for over seven years but the little 1.8 litre engine ignited just fine. Admittedly it was running slightly lumpily, but it was drivable and solid for well under £1,000. In my eyes it was an absolute bargain.
    
As I write this I haven’t yet unveiled the car to Dad but I have ordered the parts catalogues with a view to what this ‘blank canvas’ can become. I am keen on a Sebring kit and Minilites. While getting a complete respray, the exterior paint is as dull as a wet February day. However, I keep having to remember that it is a present and not my car. I will certainly push what I think is best for the car.

Connection
Over the years I have restored and re-commissioned plenty of vehicles. It is something I thoroughly enjoy doing and means you can really implement simple engineering techniques such as turning the mixture screw on a carburettor. I always feel that when a classic car comes in for work that the owner has a closer connection with this vehicle rather than their everyday one. I enjoy communicating with the owner in how they would like to restore the car, cars such as the iconic British Mini and MGB can be customised without losing their vintage style. Parts are so plentiful for most classics that there isn’t that time delay when restoring.

Escapism
The MGB GT I have purchased comes with a thorough and plentiful file full of receipts mounting up to tens of thousands of pounds, and this certainly is not uncommon. Classic cars are a great chance for escapism in this modern world where an OBD port is the most commonly used part of the car. Instead I get to  enjoy being able to tune an engine with just a flat head screwdriver.

Well it’s that time of year again when the MOT tester must complete their Annual Training and Annual Assessment and the time is running out quickly. The cut off for this year is 31 March; As in the end of the month. Any MOT testers not completing the Annual Training and Annual Assessment will be automatically suspended from carrying out vehicle MOT tests.
    
Once suspended, becoming re-approved will mean that the MOT tester will have to carry out a demonstration MOT test observed by a DVSA representative as well as completing the previous year’s Annual Training and Annual Assessment anyway. Not to mention the loss of garage revenue that may accompany the loss of an MOT tester.
    
The DVSA have highlighted that the following require a demonstration test:

Having witnessed the growth of passive driver assist systems and the intent to move towards fully autonomous vehicle control, my topic this month is to raise both thought and debate towards the implications. My first intention is to separate assistance from autonomy.

I fully support assistance as it provides a safer environment for the driver to concentrate on vehicle control. Many of these systems have been available for a very long time, including possibly the very first, power steering and power windows.

ABS to power steering
Anti-lock braking systems (ABS) are, I think, an excellent example where drivers may be misled as to the safety improvements. However, the laws of physics still apply, and the co-efficient of friction and kinetic energy will always dictate the retardation distance and vector. Obvious enhancements to ABS work as a fully integrated system, including dynamic chassis stability.
Early variants simply monitored the wheel speed sensor frequency, reducing the engine throttle angle to reduce torque through the driving wheels when a significant differential existed. Recent additions now include variable geometry anti-roll bar and adjustable rate shock absorber damping with self- levelling.

Evolving in parallel with these systems, and this is where there is an arguable transition from passive to active or automatous control, is the steering system. The introduction of power steering does have great advantages in reducing driver fatigue and improving mechanical response to steering wheel input. The next evolution was variable rate steering assist, whereby the assistance is proportional to steering angle and road speed. with the evolution of brushless motors and highly accurate position sensor technology, steering systems now offer corrective suggestion to the driver via a subtle torsion bar within the upper steering column. Should the driver resist this small force the system will disengage leaving the driver fully in control.
I am choosing to ignore for the moment fully autonomous steering control as it embodies a whole array of additional control input requirements.  This allows me to focus on some of the more peripheral driver support systems which I do fully endorse. Matrix vehicle lighting control is possibly one of the best safety improvements. This enables full beam lighting always, yet avoiding oncoming vehicle light stray. Smart cruise control is also especially useful on motorways in uniform traffic conditions.

Compliance
The next group of driver assist starts to cross the boundaries of assistance, this is due to the introduction of long- range transmitters and receptors, lane divergence, and vehicle proximity awareness. This technology does of course lend itself to other previously mentioned systems.  

There should be a very sobering pause at this point.  To maintain system integrity and accuracy from the above systems a little thought should be given to the almost non- existent function called calibration.it is critical. If you fully consider the implications of everyday servicing and repairs that affect these systems, compliance is the responsibility of the repairer. This means you.
This is the point where I cannot avoid the transition towards full driverless autonomous control. Due to several critical considerations, technical compliance, political compliance, legal compliance, and public acceptance, it is to be rolled out in five steps over several years. Ford recently suggested it could be implemented by 2021, with level zero full human control, to level five where the human has no input responsibility.

What of the globe’s biggest commerce giant’s? Intel has just purchased an Israeli autonomy tech company for $15 billion. Google has spent a modest $30m, and Facebook is in it too. All hellbent on convincing us of the benefits in total vehicle automation. Given their past and current dishonesty, self-interest, and responsibility avoidance you can bet it all going to be a financial beartrap.
 However, my personal feelings are more complex. Humans has evolved over many thousands of years by overcoming and controlling a multitude of challenges. It has enabled our brain and cognitive functions to develop to incredible levels. Imagine then, being trapped in an autonomous container with absolutely no functional requirement. What will you do by way of brain stimulation or choices. I accept traffic jams are worst than toothache, but driving is a socially shared experience. Think of the simple activities that release endorphins, such as cycling and walking. Why? because of the brain stimulation and cognitive responses, a form of achievement.

If you must have total autonomy for your travel requirements, then public transport is available now. My acid test for the techno maniacs out there is, given that the technology is currently available and has been proven over several years, would you choose to fly in an aircraft with no pilot? Remember that even in autopilot there are teams of humans constantly monitoring the flight path and technical systems.

Credibility
I’m not ignorant of the accident statistics that give credibility to automation, if that was the true motivation, then smoking and alcohol would be banned tomorrow as they kill and maim an awful lot more.

It has been suggested that our home environment would be improved as our car could drop us off and then park its self in a less congested place, so if you live in central London your car could end up in a South Downs village. On a more sinister note, if an autonomous vehicle faced with an inevitable collision from a oncoming car, would it mount the pavement and choose the mother with a pram as the better survivable outcome for its occupants?

The very best qualities of life always come back to interaction, be it with other people, pets or machines, what next? When do machines decide we are the redundant component? Disagree, or debate, but don’t accuse me of not embracing technology, I have spent my life trying to master it.

Here is an extract from the sixth edition of the Testing Guide:

 “E3 Ongoing Requirements: Testers should access their Test Quality Information (TQI) Reports via the MOT Testing Service (MTS), to compare their personal performance with the national averages. This is relevant to the tester as it is an ongoing requirement of authorisation.”
    
Let’s explore what the DVSA want to achieve. The DVSA need to be accountable to Government for ensuring the MOT Scheme is well run and managed. They themselves cannot be in all places at all times, so by running a TQI comparison they are able to gain a structured insight on the performance of each and every MOT tester. They can then compare each individual MOT tester’s results against the national average and can use this system to identify any anomalies.  In essence, the DVSA need this information to prove they are managing the scheme and to identify where any weaknesses might be found.

Insider information
How can the DVSA use the information? As MOT testing stations we previously had this data available via an earlier version of the VTS software along with a scoring system. Now just because we don’t see the scoring system please do not think for one moment that the DVSA cannot see your scores.
    
When a DVSA Vehicle Examiner (VE) is sat down the road from your garage, he is able to look at the TQI of each tester and arrive at your reception area armed with what could be termed ‘insider information’, although the information that the DVSA can see is the same information you can access via your TQI.
    
Worse still if your TQI percentages are consistently too far from the national  average, a computer at the DVSA could alert your local DVSA office and create the need for a Vehicle Examiner to visit your garage unannounced.

Review and manage  
The DVSA have given us all the ability to be armed against any weaknesses in our TQI and via the new directive are actually forcing us to review and manage our own TQI. Let’s not forget the DVSA need to have a well-run scheme, so by forcing us to review and manage the TQI they are keeping themselves in good shape too.
    
How often should you check your TQI? Let’s make this simple you should check it every month. What should you do with your TQI? Each tester (not your employer or AE) should check their own TQI each month. Once you have your TQI report, you should check your own averages against the national averages. If all of your TQI is close to the national average then you have very little to be concerned about, and the DVSA will also have no concerns here.
    
Importantly, in order to remain compliant you should have a record of checking your TQI and be able to produce that record to the DVSA on demand. If you have checked, all is good, and you have documented this check, then well done.
    
What if your TQI is bad? Two things can happen here:

1. You are a BAD tester and you probably get found out, or...
2. You are a GOOD tester with bad TQI who needs to put things right.

The DVSA want us all to work to a quality management scheme (QMS). The DVSA want to see that we all manage our VTS correctly. They expect us to do this by continually checking and measuring ourselves against a set of standards. Now the DVSA are not silly and they know that there will be shortcomings and things that go wrong. In fact, they expect just that, and even encourage it. What the DVSA want is for all of our checking to be recorded, then they want us to find things that are wrong and record them. More importantly they want us to put those things right and record when they have been corrected.
    
Returning to our bad TQI, it is safe to say that the DVSA will want to know that we have identified the issue and recorded that problem, then we need to supply a solution and document that solutions outcome.
    
Finding a valid reason for your TQI differences is often down to unique circumstances, some real-world examples that come to mind are:

Here is an extract from the sixth edition of the Testing Guide:
“E3 Ongoing Requirements: Testers should access their Test Quality Information (TQI) Reports via the MOT Testing Service (MTS), to compare their personal performance with the national averages. This is relevant to the tester as it is an ongoing requirement of authorisation.”
    
Let’s explore what the DVSA want to achieve. The DVSA need to be accountable to Government for ensuring the MOT Scheme is well run and managed. They themselves cannot be in all places at all times, so by running a TQI comparison they are able to gain a structured insight on the performance of each and every MOT tester. They can then compare each individual MOT tester’s results against the national average and can use this system to identify any anomalies.  In essence, the DVSA need this information to prove they are managing the scheme and to identify where any weaknesses might be found.

Insider information
How can the DVSA use the information? As MOT testing stations we previously had this data available via an earlier version of the VTS software along with a scoring system. Now just because we don’t see the scoring system please do not think for one moment that the DVSA cannot see your scores.
    
When a DVSA Vehicle Examiner (VE) is sat down the road from your garage, he is able to look at the TQI of each tester and arrive at your reception area armed with what could be termed ‘insider information’, although the information that the DVSA can see is the same information you can access via your TQI.
    
Worse still if your TQI percentages are consistently too far from the national  average, a computer at the DVSA could alert your local DVSA office and create the need for a Vehicle Examiner to visit your garage unannounced.

Review and manage  
The DVSA have given us all the ability to be armed against any weaknesses in our TQI and via the new directive are actually forcing us to review and manage our own TQI. Let’s not forget the DVSA need to have a well-run scheme, so by forcing us to review and manage the TQI they are keeping themselves in good shape too.
    How often should you check your TQI? Let’s make this simple you should check it every month. What should you do with your TQI? Each tester (not your employer or AE) should check their own TQI each month. Once you have your TQI report, you should check your own averages against the national averages. If all of your TQI is close to the national average then you have very little to be concerned about, and the DVSA will also have no concerns here.
    Importantly, in order to remain compliant you should have a record of checking your TQI and be able to produce that record to the DVSA on demand. If you have checked, all is good, and you have documented this check, then well done.
    What if your TQI is bad? Two things can happen here:
1. You are a BAD tester and you probably get found out, or...

2. You are a GOOD tester with bad TQI who needs to put things right.

The DVSA want us all to work to a quality management scheme (QMS). The DVSA want to see that we all manage our VTS correctly. They expect us to do this by continually checking and measuring ourselves against a set of standards. Now the DVSA are not silly and they know that there will be shortcomings and things that go wrong. In fact, they expect just that, and even encourage it. What the DVSA want is for all of our checking to be recorded, then they want us to find things that are wrong and record them. More importantly they want us to put those things right and record when they have been corrected.
    
Returning to our bad TQI, it is safe to say that the DVSA will want to know that we have identified the issue and recorded that problem, then we need to supply a solution and document that solutions outcome.
    
Finding a valid reason for your TQI differences is often down to unique circumstances, some real-world examples that come to mind are:

Having just spent three weeks touring New South Wales, while delivering two training events, firstly in Sydney then Canberra I thought it would be interesting to compare how our two different, but also similar markets operate.

The visit began several months ago with an invitation from a good friend Bob Whyms, Australia’s prominent Porsche specialist in Sydney. The offer comes as part of a training group called Australian Aftermarket Service Dealer Network (AASDN). This is a group of totally independent service and repair independents across the whole of Australia.

 It was formed from disillusioned members from the Bosch Aftermarket Service Dealership Network, or BASDN. Around 70% agreed to form AASDN with the view of promoting mutual support and training across the whole of the continent. Members pay a subscription to a fund that provides venues and trainers across the continent. My understanding is they number about four per season.

Mutual respect
It is important to understand the incredible geographical constraints yet obvious bond they share for their independence and mutual respect. If I may reflect on our very own Autoinform event in Harrogate in November, where I am sure all attendees would recognise the same sentiments from the AASDN group.

I was also privileged to visit several businesses in both Sydney and en-route to Canberra. The BWA Porsche specialist host and first training venue, based in the western suburbs, provides genuine expertise in depth from Bob and now also his son Craig. This ranges from servicing to performance upgrades.

BWA provide a parts service across Australia importing directly from Germany. They also provide a comprehensive machine shop service, which supports their engine remanufacture and performance business. Bob and I had fun reflecting on Bosch D Jetronic and other early evolutions of fuel injection, grumpy old men and all that!

I was then treated to a visit to a highly respected Mercedes tuning expert close to the airport. Then finally, a very talented young technician specialising in DPF cleaning. The focus on training included ignition diagnostic technique, common rail and direct gasoline injection.

It was both a pleasure and privilege to share the enthusiasm from the entire audience, their knowledge and interaction was mutually appreciated.

In a far too brief visit to Dubbo, my good friend Paul gave me an insight into the more remote reaches of the trade. I was equally impressed with the dedication and superb workshop facilities. I also experienced several near-misses from kangaroos!

Special mention
I should give special mention to  my incredible visit to the Bathurst 1000 race. It is an institution among fans and an incredible two-mile hill town circuit, constructed from urban roads. AASDN host a VIP lounge for their members.  Imagine that at Silverstone! It only takes commitment and support with a little cash.

One week down, heavy rain and in the good company of Alan, a diesel shop owner, we travelled down the coast, whale watching in Huskisson Bay. Then onto Canberra, via AASDN committee member Alan. Despite having just lost his home and all his possessions from a bush fire, Alan remarkably still provided accommodation in his temporary rental home.
Our hosts in Canberra, Derek and Ros, operate a large high-end diesel specialist shop. The second training event was a mirror image of Sydney, supported by a second incredible array of AASDN members. Incredible not just for their knowledge and confidence but their interaction over the three days.

The evenings from both events was spent socialising in steak houses chatting over mutual challenges. From my experience the vehicle market share was quite diverse, lots of Asian cars, and a remarkable number of VWs. It was a surprise to learn that that both Ford and Holden have ceased production in Australia due to a lack of competitive pricing. I was told of a delegate who attended the Canberra event who heard of my visit two days before the Friday start, purchased a flight, closed his workshop and travelled from Perth to attend. It is a 3,000km journey. To put that into some local UK context, I once had a conversation with a parts distributor in Kent several years ago, when a training event had to be relocated from Canterbury college to Ashford, 17.5 miles away. He cancelled the whole event without asking the delegates. The reason? He said, “they won’t travel that far.”
I see little differences between our two cultures. I find the same dedication and passion. Sadly for the UK, they seem to have more of it.

The focus of my article this month is how to swing the scales in your favour for 2019, turn good into great, great into brilliant, or brilliant into OMG technically this year we’ve nailed it!
    
Read on and I’ll share our secrets of the garages we work with, and how they reduce their diagnostic time whilst increasing their first-time fix.
    
Have you ever thought: “Is there a recipe for technical success?” Equally, have you also asked yourself, “Why is it that some garages can fix vehicles others can’t?”
    
These questions are worth pondering. In fact, they’re questions that if you’re serious about your first-time fix rate (in a timely manner) are worth getting to the bottom of. I’ve discovered the answers, and the great news is, that almost anyone with the will to achieve this, can. How come I’m so confident? Well, I’ve been guiding technicians through the maze that is career development for longer than I care to remember, and enjoyed watching hundreds of them achieve success.

Are you successful?
what makes a great technician and what is success? While I could produce an endless list of the specific attributes and skills that a super tech would possess that might be considered a prerequisite for success,
I think the answer is more straightforward and can be summarised in three points regardless of their technical level.

All my recent writing has involved modern cars and techniques, but this month I have decided to write about my main passion of classic cars. The classic car market is huge and people are now seeing a lot of classic cars as an investment.

All my recent writing has involved modern cars and techniques, but this month I have decided to write about my main passion of classic cars. The classic car market is huge and people are now seeing a lot of classic cars as an investment.

Recently I set about scouring eBay and Gumtree for a restoration project or ‘barn find’ as people like to classify anything that has stood unused for a length of time. The reason for the project is that it is my Dad’s 70th birthday was just before Christmas and what better present than a dusty and rusty old MGB GT? The British classic is top of my shopping list. Dad used to have a white MGB GT and I have always wanted an affordable classic so I have come to the conclusion that the MGB fits the bill perfectly.

Luckily I have found the perfect car. A lot of money can be lost due to poor bodywork issues. Welding is definitely not my forte, but luckily this particular MGB is solid underneath. That said, the interior needs a good clean and some repair and the engine requires a good service and tune up. The previous owner hadn’t used the car for over seven years but the little 1.8 litre engine ignited just fine. Admittedly it was running slightly lumpily, but it was drivable and solid for well under £1,000. In my eyes it was an absolute bargain.

As I write this I haven’t yet unveiled the car to Dad but I have ordered the parts catalogues with a view to what this ‘blank canvas’ can become. I am keen on a Sebring kit and Minilites. While getting a complete respray, the exterior paint is as dull as a wet February day. However, I keep having to remember that it is a present and not my car. I will certainly push what I think is best for the car.

Connection
Over the years I have restored and re-commissioned plenty of vehicles.  It is something I thoroughly enjoy doing and means you can really implement simple engineering techniques such as turning the mixture screw on a carburettor. I always feel that when a classic car comes in for work that the owner has a closer connection with this vehicle rather than their everyday one. I enjoy communicating with the owner in how they would like to restore the car, cars such as the iconic British Mini and MGB can be customised without losing their vintage style. Parts are so plentiful for most classics that there isn’t that time delay when restoring.
    
The MGB GT I have purchased comes with a thorough and plentiful file full of receipts mounting up to tens of thousands of pounds, and this certainly is not uncommon. Classic cars are a great chance for escapism in this modern world where an OBD port is the most commonly used part of the car. Instead I get to  enjoy being able to tune an engine with just a flat head screwdriver.

In a previous topic I expanded on the availability of focused test tools for independents. It’s not often that we see a technical breakthrough which has real application potential, but there was a breakthrough recently when Pico introduced a new NVH kit. It has come just in time, as noise, vibration and harshness is a challenge that’s not getting any easier, so what is it?

You must first start by accepting that the motor vehicle is a series of mechanical systems in permanent conflict. There are components travelling in different directions, subject to acceleration, deceleration, changing direction, and of considerable mass differential.

What I have just described there is the internal combustion engine. adding chassis and body systems to the mix. I think you will agree the problem we have is in identifying noise and vibration.

 The difference between noise and vibration is based on frequency and amplitude. Noise is a single event with a diminishing synodal pattern. It looks like a trumpet. Vibration however has a repetitive frequency and amplitude. Both of which will change with speed and a whole host of influences, resonance, beating, and mass differential are just some.  

So why has it become more difficult for us techs to bend our ear and diagnose an issue with confidence? The answer is due to the technical innovations of today’s vehicles. These include the dual mass flywheel, active engine mounts, cylinder cancellation, Audi anc system, infinite computer control of chassis dynamics, and the most obvious of all-  lack of accessibility.

Let’s begin with the basics. As we have seen, Vibration is classified by frequency and amplitude. A large mass will by nature have a lower frequency and a greater mass, while  a small mass will present the exact opposite. Two or more mass that converge with the same frequency combine their mass value increasing the amplitude. This is called resonance. Mass that have a similar but close frequency differential, within say 10hz, cause beating; “wo, wo, wo, wo.” An example of this would be a worn wheel bearing.
Vibration has three elements: Cause, transfer path, and respondent. In almost all cases we experience the respondent. Let’s think about the vibrating ash tray, wedged with paper to stop the noise! Vibration also falls into three other simple categories, vibration we feel, vibration we see, and vibration we hear. We humans can only hear noise between 25hz/22,000hz.

The next consideration is how many events per rotation frequency is experienced these are called, first, second, third, orders etc.
Now let’s do some simple maths. It’s getting interesting now isn’t it? We must convert everything into frequency, the unit is hertz, or cycles per second. For simplicity, a four-cylinder engine revolving at 3000rpm, in top gear 1:1, differential ratio 4:1.
3000/60=50hz divided by final drive ratio 4:1=12.5hz.

Therefore crankshaft vibration will be @50hz and tyres, rim, brake disc, and drive shafts will be at 12.5hz. So, you will now appreciate is a simple matter of separating the various operating frequencies.

Well not quite, but by now I’m hoping you view vibration in a more clinical way and not just based on experience or opinion. Vibration can have different direction or vectors, something tyre fitters more often or not get wrong.

Bring on the technology. The kit which can have an infinite flexibility of accessory options, uses a three-dimensional accelerometer, for vector differential, measuring mass, and a microphone recording sound, together with 1+3 channel interfaces, and bnc connection leads. The engine speed data is collected via the serial port with a drew tech mongoose serial interface. This can also be achieved optically if preferred. The accelerometer has a magnetic base and is directional sensitive, fore/aft, vertical, and lateral. Its initial position should be on the driver’s seat frame. After all that’s where the complaints start! The microphone could be positioned close to a known noise source or in the cabin.

Navigating through the software wizard is straightforward, you will need to select number of cylinders and configuration, in line, opposed, v config, and direction of mounting. You will then need to establish the various gear and final drive ratios, with tyre size data.

The software will then gather data over an infinite timeframe and scaling which is of course adjustable. The most challenging aspect in my opinion is control of the style of driving technique, speed, gearing, direction, braking and the influence of the road surface. The vehicle may have selectable drivetrain and suspension options, which will affect the potential effects of noise and vibration.

Did you remember not to omit the obvious or obscure effects? Has the vehicle been modified in any way whatsoever? Wheel size, spring rates, power output, etc, etc. Record your driving technique and environmental influences into the microphone. After all it is recording sound, all sound!

There are several options in the display menu, from bar chart, frequency, and 3D. you will quickly establish exactly which one of three vehicle systems the problem originates based on visual evidence. Engine, transmission or tyres.
You can then reposition the sensors to further locate the position of the source. Vibration will increase in amplitude, as will noise the closer you are to the source. This is due to the reduction in the length of the transfer path, and any devices that may absorb it.  
I can confidently monitor discrete combustion anomalies based on the transfer of mass energy from the pistons to crankshaft orders, simplifying connectivity issues with coil on plug multi-cylinder engines. I could show you images from a test I conducted recently, but a simple static image does not fully demonstrate the effects of vibration.

Electric vehicle technology means both opportunity for garages and technicians but also necessitates investment, especially in technicians and equipment as businesses have a ‘duty of care’ to look after the technician while servicing and repairing electric vehicles.
    
Who here is old enough to remember when the supposedly deadly airbag was introduced on mainstream production vehicles during the 1990s? Nearly everyone around during this era was nervous of the technology and the highly dangerous components, such as the airbag deployment device, that were encountered by technicians. Today airbag technology is encountered by the workshop technician on a daily basis, and every modern vehicle has some form of supplementary restraint system (SRS) fitted to the vehicle. The dangers first feared by the technician are now treated as part of the daily routine. It will probably be a similar scenario as more and more high voltage electric vehicles are seen both on the road and in vehicle workshops for service and repair around the UK.
    
Treat the vehicle technology with care, educate the technician, gain confidence with the technology and the fear typically reduces. Most vehicles (hybrid and pure electric) fitted with this high voltage technology are inherently safe, reliable and safe to work on providing a few rules are adhered to such as ‘don’t stick metal objects in places where high voltage exists.’
    
Many of the vehicle manufacturers will highlight the potential dangers by placing various warning signs on the hazardous components that have a risk of electrocution, corrosive, fire and magnetism.

Training
Many of the training providers around the UK are now providing training courses on the technology, most will provide an industry recognised qualification or certification by a recognised awarding organisation such ABC Awards, City & Guilds or The Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI). The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has developed guidelines for the recovery, repair, and maintenance of these vehicles both for independent workshops and franchised dealership networks which is available to view at http://www.hse.gov.uk/mvr/topics/electric-hybrid.htm
    
The HSE website can also provide some useful information that can supplement the information provided on specific High Voltage Vehicle training/qualification courses. The workshop should have the applicable policies in place and ensure that the necessary risk assessment procedures are in place to prevent injuries and fatalities. They should also inform the applicable insurance organisation(s) that they are working on these types of vehicles.
    
It should be noted as with all the present vehicle technology that the vehicle’s control unit will closely monitor the high voltage system and in nearly all cases of a fault being detected, the vehicle system will store an applicable diagnostic trouble code (DTC) and default to a safe running mode or even shut the high voltage system down, disabling the vehicle. The control unit will also illuminate a malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) to indicate the fault to the driver of the vehicle.

Correct
It is therefore imperative that the vehicle workshop has the correct test equipment to be able to access the vehicle systems necessary to retrieve the information to correctly repair the vehicle. Only with dedicated equipment will a workshop be able to facilitate the diagnosis and repair of the vehicle. This also includes the necessary personal protective equipment (PPE) and necessary dedicated hand tools such as a multimeter, insulation tester, insulated tools and the necessary workshop equipment to both repair the vehicle and warn individuals of the potential risk to the exposure of electrocution through high voltage vehicles (i.e. insulated safety equipment, signs and barriers).
    
Hybrid vehicles have been fitted with high voltage batteries since the late 1990s such as the Honda Insight/Accord or the Toyota Prius (now in its fourth generation). The high voltage technology has been seen for many years, its only over the last few years that we have seen that technology being used more widely on vehicles that our customers drive on a daily basis.

Safety steps
To enable a technician to disable the high voltage system to be able to work near/on the high voltage components they should always follow the vehicle manufacturers repair instructions however this can also be seen as ‘seven steps’ to disable the vehicle’s high voltage system. Step 1 to Step 3 are indicated in this article with the remainder in the next article.

Step 1. Ensure others are aware of the potential high voltage/risk: The technician should ensure that others in their workplace are aware of the potential dangers of a vehicle with high voltage in the workshop. The technician has a duty of care to highlight the potential risks and hazards. The technician should perform this task by highlighting to others of the potential danger, indicating that the vehicles’ high voltage system is either ‘active’ or disabled. This can be achieved by applying warning signs on the vehicle along with their name and contact details such as a mobile phone number. The technician should walk around the vehicle to check to ensure there is no obvious damage, liquids or other risks that could harm others. The technician should at the same time begin/follow a risk assessment identifies the potential hazards (HSE indicate that a business that employs five staff and above needs this to be documented). The technician should place additional signs and barriers to enable the vehicle is cordoned off and ensure that others are protected as far as possible from the risk.

Step 2. Switch off the ignition switch/remove the key from the vehicle (3-5 metres away): Hybrid vehicles typically use a vehicle security system that no longer requires the vehicles key (or key fob) to be inserted into a lock assembly to switch the ‘ignition on’ or make the vehicle ready to drive. Many vehicles now have keyless technology so as long as the key is in the vicinity of the vehicle the vehicle ‘could’ become alive. A simple solution is to remove the key (or key fob) at least three metres from the vehicle so that the vehicle does not recognise the key and there is no fear on the vehicle energy unit (engine or high voltage battery system) becoming live. As an example it has been seen that a technician drains the engine oil on a vehicle during a service and the engine starts, the consequences of such an action can be enormous. This scenario could also occur if the vehicle is fitted with a Stop/Start system that is active.

Step 3. Disconnect the low voltage battery:  Vehicles, at present, will still have a low voltage (12 volt) ancillary battery to operate conventional systems such as driver and passenger control systems i.e. instruments, comfort and audio. The low voltage system will also typically control and monitor the high voltage system. Therefore, if the low voltage battery were to become discharged then the vehicle will display the signs of a flat battery and the technician will have to connect their ‘battery booster’ to the low voltage battery in order to wake up the high voltage system.
    
On NO account should the technician access the high voltage battery to connect any booster/charging equipment. The low voltage battery is typically re-charged with a component called the DC to DC converter. This is normally located near to the invertor/electric motor. Note that a battery (low or high voltage) can only store direct current (DC) and to propel the vehicle requires this DC to be inverted into AC to turn the electric motor through a component referred to as the ‘inverter.’ Late vehicles could be seen as no longer fitted with a low voltage battery, vehicle manufacturers are looking to increase the driving range of the vehicle through weight reduction. A low voltage battery typically weighs around 12Kg. The lithium battery will provide both the low
voltage and the high voltage energy required to energise the vehicle.
    Voltages present in hybrid and electric are significantly higher (up to 650 Volts-DC)) than those used in other vehicles (12/24 Volts DC) we commonly see on the road network. In dry conditions, accidental contact with parts that are live at voltages above 50 Volts DC can be fatal. If wet conditions are encountered, then this voltage can become significantly reduced. These vehicles remain inherently safe but as vehicle workshops can be high risk the workshop should always have a trained/qualified first aid person on site. High voltage will also apply to the various equipment that has been used for many years in this environment.
    
The high voltage output is controlled by the low voltage system with the use of ‘contactors’ or large relays. These relays can be seen as large mechanical switches and due to the large currents, that pass through the contacts can be prone to faults such as welding closed. The vehicle low voltage system will typically check the function of these relays during the start-up procedure and if a fault is detected the system will normally produce a DTC applicable to the fault.

Further information
Further information on high voltage vehicle components and their operation will be contained in the next of the articles in this series, along with the next steps in the disconnection process. The reading of these articles will increase a technician’s knowledge of high voltage and the various vehicle systems, but a technician should always ensure that they have the ability to work on these vehicle types competently prior to work commencing.

Arguably the world’s largest and most successful aftermarket show was recently held in Frankfurt – Automechanika.
    
If you didn’t go, you missed something very impressive, but there will be various reports about what was there and details of specific exhibitors and their latest product or service in this most noble magazine.
    
However, although I spent most of a week at this exhibition, what intrigued me was not just the enormous variety of exhibitors, with their corresponding products, services and new ideas, but the wider question of why it is so successful and why so many visitors – over 130,000 this year - attend this bi-annual show out of their busy schedules. Most importantly, well over two thirds of these are senior business managers or business owners with 96% stating that they were “very satisfied’”with their visit to the show. Doesn’t this start to tell you something very important?
    
It starts to show why exhibitions are so important, especially at this moment in the history of the aftermarket, and why it is increasingly important to attend this type of show. Let me explain.

Evolution
For over a century the aftermarket has continuously evolved and primarily provides consumers with competitive choices about the diagnosis, service and maintenance of the vehicles – generating healthy competition and impressive innovation along the way. If evidence was ever needed as to how important this is, then Automechanika shows this in abundance. Whole halls (several on three levels) exhibit specific sectors of the aftermarket and the Automechanika organisers help the visitor by keeping all similar products or services in a dedicated area or hall. Believe me, this really helps when planning what you want to see and how to find it, but equally reflects the needs of the visitors who plan their visits almost like a military operation. However, there were some important differences with this year’s show as there was an interesting dichotomy. For the first time, there was a significant retrospective view with older (classic) vehicles in a dedicated hall and at other stands around the show. This was to illustrate that growing skills gap in what is a lucrative and resurgent market, but was also clearly based on the B2B opportunities that servicing and maintaining these cars can create.
    
From the opposite perspective, there was much evidence of new technologies and the rapid revolution that is taking place towards the garage of the future. Perhaps these two elements summarise nicely the question of why so many senior people go to this show – it enables them to understand the threats and opportunities in relation to their businesses and equally, flowing from this, where and when investment in their businesses should take place. This leads into how their businesses can remain competitive, which can be a combination of exploiting new digital technologies to create higher workshop efficiencies, implementing improved tools and equipment or understanding how improved work methods using internet and cloud based solutions can reduce the costs.

Competition
On the other side of the equation is the wider competition issue of how to remain in the position to offer competitive choices to the consumer, as the ability to remain competitive could be under severe threat from changes to the vehicle design, access conditions and new competitors entering the market.
    
Automechanika represents the epitome of the aftermarket’s success, but is viewed by the vehicle manufacturers as a rich opportunity to encroach into the aftermarket sector and ‘take back’ what they consider should be rightfully theirs.
    
As I have written about before, this is part of the connected car and allows the vehicle manufacturer to control all remote access to the vehicle. You may consider that this is not your problem, as you repair vehicles when they come into your workshop, but what is happening now is that the start of this repair process starts with vehicle manufacturers’ applications embedded in the vehicle, monitoring what faults or service requirements are needed and then proposing via the in-vehicle display a location and price where the service or repair can be conducted – the driver just clicks  the icon and ‘voila’, the appointment is made at the nearest main dealer. You can’t compete if you can’t make a competitive offer as you don’t know what is needed and cannot contact the driver at the time the vehicle manufacturers are making their proposal.

Access
So, the aftermarket is evolving, but in a way that may not be obvious until it is too late. Independent service providers can manage their businesses to remain competitive with each other, but there is a distortion with which they cannot compete and with a competitor who wants to control the whole aftermarket value chain and its corresponding profit margins. Without being able to communicate with the vehicle, access its data and use the in-vehicle interface to communicate with the driver, all independent service providers (workshops, parts suppliers, data publishers – i.e. the complete aftermarket value chain) will be unable to offer competing offers, as they will not be able to pre-diagnose the vehicle and identify the parts or technical information required before the vehicle comes into the workshop.
    
This remote access can reduce workshop costs by 50% and the corresponding competitiveness of any service you may wish to provide.
    
This is not a ‘let market forces rule’ scenario, but is a real threat to the ability of the whole aftermarket to continue to offer consumers competitive choices and is an excellent example of the ‘primary market’ being able to dominate the ‘secondary market’ – a similar situation to the famous Microsoft Explorer case, where once you had made your choice of a PC, the only choice for an internet search engine was from Microsoft. To address the problem of monopolistic control in the aftermarket, we need the same support from the legislator as they enacted with Microsoft – ensure that there is the ability to implement a competitive choice and let the consumer choose.
    
Only if legislation supports this basic principle of undistorted competition, will the Aftermarket be able to continue to do what it does best – make innovative, competitive and appealing offers to vehicle owners as well as putting on a great show – in every sense of the word.
xenconsultancy.com

In my line of work I meet a lot of great garage owners. Dedicated men and women,  all committed to repairing their clients’ vehicles to a high standard. They’re intelligent, hard working and persistent people many of which have been in business a good few years.
    
With all of this in their favour you would imagine that they would be spending their free time pondering the length of their next yacht, or whether they should winter in the Alps or Rockies? Unfortunately this is often not the case, and it’s not uncommon to be asked “How can I increase the financial success of my business?”
    
We all know that an unfeasibly large income doesn’t buy you happiness, far from it. But I do know this. A healthy business is a profitable business, and a profitable business not only buys you less stress, it buys you choices and options on how you spend your days.  Would you like more options? If so read on.
    
Back to that question. “How can my business be more financially successful?”
    
‘More’ is a dangerous word and it’s often not attained. A better question would be “What is the maximum revenue, profit and personal income that my business can generate in its current form?”
    
It is something that a lot of business owners haven’t contemplated. But you really should. Only when you know this, can you decide if your current business is performing at it’s best, and is the vehicle to get you to where you need be financially.
    
The good news is you don’t need to be an accountant to calculate your maximum net labour revenue. Just using the available hours to sell your labour rate and the number of technicians your employ will get you a long way in the right direction. Take an average hourly rate of £55. It could probably be higher but we’ll come to that in due course. This will yield a maximum net income of £422,000 a year from labour sales with four technicians. If your garage is reaching that level of income (£105,000 per tech) at that labour rate, then you should give yourself a rather large pat on the back. Nice one! Not reaching that? That’s incredibly common. In fact if your garage has a net labour revenue of around 54% of your maximum, then you’ll not be alone as that’s the average for a business when we start to work with them on our business development programme.
    
Why so low? Why are business owners leaving £50,000 per technician on the table? There are a plethora of reasons but I find the most common answer is one of focus. They’re just focusing on the wrong things.
    
It’s natural. In fact it’s perfectly understandable why a garage owner focuses on the technical aspect of their business. You know that if you don’t fix the cars in a timely manner to a high standard that your income will suffer and your customers won’t return. So of course you’re interested in technical tools and the latest workshop wizardry that’ll enable you to complete a job that you couldn’t without it, or the same job in less time. But let’s be honest (we’re friends after all) is this laser-like focus healthy? Are you too focused on the next tool, the next gadget, the next BIG THING to the cost of your business? All too often I find that a garage owner is and it’s costing you.

If you’re not measuring it…
All that is required is a change of focus. The success of your business is in the data, and if you would like to claw back that £50k per technician (or at least a large chunk of it) then learning how to measure the right data and use it to your advantage is essential. After all: If you’re not measuring it, you can’t improve it.
 
So, you want to increase your income and profit, what should you be measuring? Here are a couple of metrics to get you started.

With or without Brexit, EU regulations surrounding emissions are playing an important part in pushing aftermarket requirements for
the correct emissions parts being fitted.
    
Mark Blinston, Commercial Director at BM Catalysts commented: “Emissions are a hot topic for discussion at the moment for many media outlets and manufacturers. All efforts are geared towards reducing emissions, as well as preventing the sale and fitting of catalytic converters and DPFs to vehicles that haven’t been approved to meet the relevant Euro Levels.
    
“Vehicles and replacement emission control devices must meet specific standards for exhaust emissions before they can be offered for sale in the European Union. Vehicle emissions are one of a series of performance standards that must be met to achieve Whole Vehicle Type Approval in accordance with EC Directives. In order to achieve type approval on the emissions levels for replacement emission control devices, such as catalytic converters and diesel particulate filters (DPFs), performance and noise levels must be within calculated limits as prescribed by legislation. Replacement catalytic converters and DPFs cannot be approved to a lower Euro level than that of the original vehicle. If the vehicle is Euro 5 then the replacement must be approved to Euro 5 levels. Testing and approving this part to Euro 4 would mean that it cannot be proven to meet emission standards and therefore cannot legally be fitted to any Euro 5 vehicle.”  
    
Mark continued: “Helping to identify the correct products for stockists and garage professionals, the MAM software solution program is set to revolutionise the aftermarket. Used by the majority of distributors, the supply chain software is due to receive a V9 update, which will map the Euro level that a supplier’s part is approved for sale on against a vehicle registration number. Once the change is in place, we’ll start to see the correct catalytic converters and DPFs available matched against the correct vehicles for the first time. Additionally, the Department for Transport (DfT) is also helping to clarify the rules for the UK market, with recent guidelines reiterating the strict requirements for selling catalytic converters and DPFs to the UK market.”
    
But while the correct cataloguing of aftermarket parts is complex and challenging, perhaps the biggest shake up to the emissions market is the recent MOT changes. Mark continued: “The result of an EU directive, new regulations were introduced to the MOT test in May 2018, placing further emphasis on diesel emissions. The regulations require checks to the exhaust for visible smoke production and tampering or removal of the DPF. Any visible sign of alteration to the DPF or smoke of any colour will result in a fail for the vehicle. Prior to these tighter regulations, experts warned that the true figure of vehicles driving without DPFs were in the thousands, leaving many car owners at risk of hefty fines and penalty points.
    
“BM Catalysts acknowledges the need for up to date information on EU levels. As a leading manufacturer in Europe, we recognise we are a big part in meeting these standards, producing superior aftermarket products with the least harm to the environment. Additionally, we have recently produced free educational material on DPFs and the MOT changes to help our customers make informed motoring decisions.”
    
Mark added: “BM Catalysts produce catalytic converters and DPFs to high standards, yet to create a lasting change to the market, it is important that all hands along the supply chain, even the consumer, does their part to make sure they’re complying to regulations. If one link is in this chain proves weak, we all fail.”

I received a phone call from another garage: “We were wondering if you would be interested in looking at an ABS fault for us?”
    
The car in question was a 2011 Honda CR-V, which had been taken as a trade in at a local garage. The fault only occurred after around 50-70 miles of driving, at which point the dash lights up with various warning lights. The vehicle had been prepped and sold to its new owner, who was unaware a fault was present.
    
After only a few days the fault reoccurred and the vehicle returned to the garage. They had scan-checked the vehicle and the fault code ‘14-1- Left Front Wheel Speed Sensor Failure’ was retrieved. On their visual inspection, it was obvious a new ABS sensor had already been fitted to the N/S/F and clearly not fixed the fault. Was this the reason the vehicle had been traded in? They fitted another ABS sensor to the N/S/F and an extended road test was carried out. The fault reoccurred. This is when I received the phone call. The garage now suspected it was a control unit fault. My first job was to carry out a visual inspection for anything that was obviously wrong and had possibly been over looked: correct tyre sizes, tyre pressures, tyre tread and excessive wheel bearing play. All appeared ok. The ABS sensors fitted to this vehicle are termed 'Active' meaning they have integrated electronic and are supplied with a voltage from the ABS control unit to operate. The pulse wheel is integrated into the wheel bearing, which on this vehicle makes it not possible to carry out a visual inspection without stripping the hub.

Endurance testing
With the vehicle scan-checked, all codes recorded and cleared, it was time for the road test. Viewing the live data from all the sensors, they were showing the correct wheel speed readings with no error visible on the N/S/F. The road test was always going to be a long one. Fortunately at around 30 miles, the dash lit up with the ABS light and lights for other associated systems; the fault had occurred. On returning to the workshop, the vehicle was re-scanned, fault code 14-4 ­– Left Front Wheel Speed Sensor Failure was again present. Again using the live data the sensor was still showing the wheel speed the same as the other three, so whatever was causing the fault was either occurring intermittently or there was not enough detail in the scan tool live data graph display to see the fault. It was time to test the wiring and the sensor output signal for any clues.
    
Using the oscilloscope, the voltage supply and the ground wire were tested and were good at the time of test. I connected the test lead to the power supply wire and using the AC voltage set to 1v revealed the sensors square wave signal. Then, rotating the wheel by hand and comparing the sensors output to one of the other ABS Sensors, again all appeared to be ok. A closer look at the signal was required, zooming in on the signal capture to reveal more detail; It became easier to see something was not quite right with the signal generated by the sensor when the wheel was rotated. With the voltage of the signal remaining constant, a good earth wire and the wheel rotated at a constant speed the signal width became smaller, effectively reporting a faster speed at that instant, not consistent with the actual rotational speed of the wheel. It was difficult to see the error, zooming out of the capture to show more time across the screen it could be seen that this appeared in the signal at regular intervals, although not visible all the time because it was such a slight difference. Using the cursors to measure between the irregular output and counting the oscillations, it was clear that it occurred at exactly the same interval every time. It had to be a physical fault on the pulse wheel.
    
This meant a new wheel bearing was required. The vehicle was returned to the garage as they wanted to complete the repair. A new wheel bearing was fitted and extended road testing confirmed the vehicle was now fixed.

I am starting to get the impression that governments and vehicle manufacturers are beginning to panic. Let’s begin by accepting that personal transportation vehicles will not be powered by hydrocarbon fuels for much longer. This statement includes hybrid and battery powered vehicles for the same reason. We are being subject to a whole raft of short term impractical solutions, the latest of which and the subject of this topic is bio-ethanol fuels.

The reason I express this opinion is the true impact on emissions, from production, refinement, and transportation are not included in statistics on their environmental effect. Bio-mass fuel for electricity generation is a perfect example of this. The EU has decreed that emission monitoring of stack emissions need not be published, also excluded are the felling, drying, production and transportation influences.

Political initiative
I will begin with the political initiative, a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, reduction in fossil fuel dependency, alternative fiscal revenue for the farming community, and a reduction in EU farming subsidies. Try not to laugh it’s all true. As third world nations starve, we grow fuel!

Ethanol is a hydrocarbon c2h5oh. Octane 104. The fuel is produced from a fermentation process from fast growing energy crops, sugar cane, wheat, maize, and sometimes bio-degradable waste animal feed and timber. The claim is that due to the renewable factor it has an advantage over fossil fuel. Vehicles can operate with up to 85% bio-content, with no operational disadvantages with high CO2 reduction. I can confirm from my European motorcycle tour this year, that e10 bio-ethanol fuel is widely available.

Considerations
Just before you dash out to join the Green Party, there are some technical considerations the government seems to have overlooked. Bio-ethanol fuel is corrosive, copper, aluminium, plastics and rubber list among its appetite. Just before I forget, there is a critical lubrication service update; this is due to an increase in fuel oil contamination.

I think you’re starting to get the picture, now let’s focus on its combustion problems. It has a unique evaporation envelope around 78ºC. It also requires a significant increase in fuel quantity on cold start, often requiring a pre-heater system, and a much-modified ignition profile. However, on the positive side once efficient combustion is achieved the knock resistance affords a more aggressive ignition angle and increased cylinder pressures.

I am going to focus on Audi who have offered a flexi fuel A4 since 2009! It could operate up e85 with no modification. To my knowledge there are no or very few bi-ethanol vehicles in the UK. You may have noticed warning stickers in the fuel filler cap on most vehicles, expressing non- bio compatibility.

So, back to my point: Why is the uk government considering a pilot trial for e10? Currently all gasoline sold in the uk can have e5 content without any notification at the pumps.

Requirements
Moving on to the technical requirements, the Audi flexi-fuel engine is based on the 2.0 tfsi, with Bosch med 17.1 control. Sequential mapped ignition, with knock control, digital hot film air mass measurement. Fuelling is homogenous direct injection, with port injection on cold start. Intake cam adjustment with avs on the exhaust cam.

Due to low vaporisation when cold, ‘autarkic cold start’ ,the air fuel mixture cannot form the required composition for ignition. Significant modification to con rods and bearings are required to withstand higher cylinder pressure. Modifications to the variable load in- tank pump components and wiring prevent corrosion damage. An additional digital fuel quality sensor is fitted to the
low-pressure fuel line, this enables critical adjustment to thermodynamic fuel properties and ignition maps.
 
Bosch injection control strategy includes injection on intake and compression, with multiple strike on compression when cold, with additional injection pressure of 150 bar. A new aluminium manifold with a port injector is fitted to avoid pre-heaters on cold start.
The point I am trying to make here is not based on a simple pessimistic naivety, but a serious concern that not enough focus is being applied to a long-term strategic solution. Two key prerequisites will have to be recognised, the first is a reconstruction of social order around a coherent public transport system, and the second a recognition that private vehicle transport is a privilege and not an automatic right.

Eden Tyres & Servicing is an independent family business. Having opened its first branch in Derby in 1981, Eden Tyres now operates 15 branches across the Midlands.   
    
As one of the first independent workshops to sign up to Castrol Service, all Eden Tyres sites are now part of the network of independent garages in the UK. Here, we look at how the business has benefitted from the technical and business support offered through The Race Group as a member of the Castrol Service Network.

Introducing Castrol Service
Developed by Castrol Oil, Castrol Service aims to create a nationwide network for the UK’s best independent garages. To be eligible to join the scheme, prospective garages must meet set criteria to ensure consistent standards across all centres. There is no associated cost for being part of the network but there is a requirement for the garage to commit to using Castrol Lubricants for 95% of its service work.
    
Once garages have been accepted into the network they benefit from significant investment from Castrol and The Race Group. There are three levels of co-branding available – basic, bespoke and complete dual branding – to help the garage build its reputation for offering a high-quality, professional service and help them stand out from the competition.

Commitment to quality
Jim Nicholls, Retail Operations Manager of Eden Tyres & Servicing explained: “In such a competitive market, and with so much new technology and changes within the automotive industry itself, you really need to be on top of your game in terms of technical knowledge and service. Having built up a reputation across the Midlands for embracing innovation and the latest automotive technology, it’s important to us that we maintain those high standards. We’ve been a customer of The Race Group for many years and when they told us about the Castrol Service network we knew it would be a winner for us.

“Our association with the Castrol name allows us to naturally attract customers that understand and appreciate the importance of using high quality products. Having the Castrol signage within our workshops really helps when we’re opening new sites in areas where we might not have much brand recognition ourselves.”

As a Castrol Service site, the team of technicians across all Eden Tyres & Servicing sites are able to take advantage of an extensive online training service. Access to this resource allows them to understand the ins and outs of all the products that they are being offered, their benefits and how to deal with potential objections from customers opting for more premium products.

Trusted
With Castrol branded signage, POS displays and workshop clothing staff uniforms, Castrol Service sites are able to capitalise on Castrol’s strong brand awareness amongst consumers to build a trusting relationship with their customers. According to Castrol Service, the endorsement of such a well-known brand means member garages can more effectively communicate the benefits of choosing them to look after their customers’ vehicles.

The Castrol Service Plus network in the UK is driven by The Race Group, a strategic lubricants partner for Castrol. To find out more about The Race Group, part of Certas Energy, visit www.theracegroup.co.uk

As we all get used to the new annual exam and training process the DVSA will need to crank up their focus on our training.  The DVSA can easily enforce the annual exam, as we have seen in the 2017 – 18 year. The requirement to enter your results in order to continue testing is a pretty easy way to keep us all focused.

At the workshop we cover all kinds of vehicles, old, new, big and small but with all these vehicles we need up to date diagnostic equipment to be able locate faults within the electrical system.
    
In the workshop this summer was a 2009 Volkswagen Golf that had an intermittent issue which meant the car would go into limp mode, the cruise control was disabled and the climate control wouldn’t work. Understandably in the weather we were having the lack of air conditioning was a major concern to the customer. No one wants to be without air conditioning in 30Cº.
    
I plugged in the trusty diagnostics reader and came up with four faults. These included turbo boost sensor, manifold pressure, throttle pedal position sensor and ‘fuel system
too rich’.
    
In my experience cars can throw up all kinds of trouble codes even when there is no issue with that part. I wouldn’t say some manufacturers are more troublesome than others but if a light does appear on the dash it’s best to get it checked out as soon as possible.

Issues
I cleared the fault codes and told the customer to see how it drove and if the issues resolved themselves. The customer had the car for just an hour before they called and said that the problem had reoccurred, as much as this is a pain for the customer I always clear the faults and see if it happens again rather than changing unnecessary sensors. I got the Golf back into the workshop and once again plugged the computer in, which brought up one code. This was the throttle position sensor. A quick call to VW and a discussion with their parts people showed that this particular issue can lead to the cruise and climate control not working.
    
Next day delivery on the part means the car came back in the following day. One bolt, two plastic clips and an electrical connection later and the pedal was off. Gone are the days of the throttle cable. The throttle response is now done by a sensor on the pedal which works out how far the pedal is being pushed and tells the engine how to respond. It is clever stuff,  when it works.
    
A pedal replacement on the Golf only takes five minutes and another clear of the fault code before taking the car for a road test. On the test drive cruise and climate control were checked as well as making sure no dash lights had appeared.
    
Modern mechanics have become very computerised. Dash lights appear whether it is indicating an issue with the airbag systems, ABS or engine and diagnostic computers are so important to narrow down what the issue could be. I dislike the reliance that some workshops put on just trusting what appears on the screen of the diagnostics. It is still imperative that mechanics test sensors and look into live data to make sure that unnecessary components are not replaced and the costs put onto the customer, who will have to pay.

Let me begin with the simplest of all overviews: There are four possible causes of combustion failure or malfunction; and please note my refusal to use the word misfire. The word is meaningless without a definitive confirmed diagnosis. The four possible causes are:

Every MOT bay is required to retain and maintain a bunch of mandatory miscellaneous equipment. First let’s get the words from The MOT Testing Guide 6th Edition:

5.6 Miscellaneous equipment

If you have even a passing interest in motorsport, you are probably aware of, and have an opinion regarding the use of hybrid technology in Formula 1 racing. Back in 2009, the use of electric motors was allowed, which enabled the additional electric power to supplement the power produced by the conventional engine.
    
In effect, a Formula 1 car could operate in much the same way as most mass produced hybrid vehicles because electric motor could also function as a generator to charge batteries. During power-off driving (braking and deceleration) the kinetic energy of the moving car and rotating engine drove the generator, which charged the batteries; but the energy transferred from the moving car to drive the generator also helped to slow the vehicle. The stored or recovered electrical energy could then be fed from the battery back to the motor when additional power was required. This system was known as a ‘Kinetic Energy Recovery System’ or KERS; and for the purists who like the sound of a hard working petrol engine, this KERS hybrid technology was OK because the 2.4 litre V8 engine still did most of the work and sounded great.
    
After a bit of a bumpy ride, for 2014 the hybrid F1 hybrid regulations evolved into a more complex set of rules that specified more complex technologies. The energy recovery systems were allowed to deliver a maximum of 12KW (160hp) of power in addition to the power delivered by a 1.6 litre V6 turbo-charged engine; but for 2014 onwards, there were two types of energy recovery systems that had to be used. Both types of energy recovery systems still use a ‘Motor/Generator Unit,’ which unsurprisingly is known as an MGU; but one system is then known as MGU-K (Motor/Generator Unit Kinetic), and the second system is known as MGU-H (Motor/Generator Unit Heat).

MGU-K
The MGU-K system is much the same as the original KERS system used from 2009. The Motor/Generator Unit is usually connected by gears to the engine crankshaft, therefore when the unit functions as a motor and draws electrical energy form the battery, the motor feeds mechanical energy back to the crankshaft to provide additional power and torque (such as for acceleration). During power-off driving, the engine is still connected to the driving wheels; therefore the Kinetic energy of the moving car again rotates the engine and the electric motor, which now functions as a generator to re-charge the battery.
    
The illustration (Fig 1) shows a basic layout for the MGU-K kinetic energy recovery system, but note that for convenience, the motor generator is shown connected directly to the front of the crankshaft but it can be located on one side of the engine beneath the exhaust manifold. The illustration also shows a battery management/electric power controller that regulates the power delivery of the motor and controls the re-charging process when the motor functions as a generator.
    
A lithium-Ion battery pack is usually used to store the electrical energy, although super-capacitors have apparently been experimented with that can accept a re-charge and then discharge electrical energy more quickly than a battery.
However, with the second energy recovery system, the Motor/Generator is driven by the rotation of the engine’s turbocharger , which is driven by the flow of hot exhaust gas (which contains Heat Energy). Therefore the two systems are referred to as MGU-K (for kinetic) and MGU-H (for heat).

MGU-H
The second energy recovery system (MGU-H) also makes use of a Motor/Generator Unit; but instead of being connected to the engine crankshaft, this unit is connected to the engine turbocharger (Fig. 2). As with road vehicle turbocharging, hot exhaust gas from the internal combustion engine drives a turbine that is connected to a compressor that then draws in air and forces it into the engine intake under pressure. But because the engine only produces high volumes of hot exhaust when the engine is under load and the throttle is open sufficiently to allow a higher mass of air to enter the engine, the turbocharger is only effective under higher load driving conditions.
    
With the F1 engines, the turbocharger (which can rotate at speeds in the region of 100,000 RPM or more) is then also connected to the MGU-H Motor/Generator Unit, so as well as forcing air into the engine, the turbocharger also drives the MGU-H and generates additional electrical energy to charge the battery.
    
The clever bit however is the use of the MGU-H to then drive the turbocharger. When the throttle of a turbocharged engine is initially opened to obtain more power (especially after decelerating when the engine might be at low RPM), the turbocharger speed will have reduced to low or almost zero RPM. It therefore takes a brief period for the turbo charger to spin up, but this is then also dependent on the engine responding to the open throttle and then creating higher volumes of exhaust gas to drive the turbocharger. Therefore there is a time lag between opening the throttle and when the turbocharger can actually increase the airflow into the engine to produce increased power and torque; and this inevitably has an effect on how quickly the vehicle accelerates. Because the MGU-H motor/generator is also connected to the turbocharger assembly, it can actually spin-up the turbocharger immediately when additional power is required (which will be before the exhaust gas is able to drive the turbocharger). In effect, the turbocharger also becomes an electrically driven supercharger.

Controlling electrical power and electrical generation
The operation of MGU-H Motor/Generator Unit is again controlled by the battery management/electric power controller, which therefore controls when the MGU-H functions as a turbocharger drive motor and when it functions as a generator. The control unit therefore has a complex task of regulating both the MGU-K and MGU-H motor/generator units so that the additional power provided by the electric motors is within the specified limits imposed by the regulations, and that the additional power is only available for the specified periods during a lap of the circuit.
    
The electronic control system then has one other important control function, which relates to braking. During deceleration and braking, when the MGU-K system is recovering kinetic energy from the moving car to drive the generator, it creates a significant braking effect on the rear wheels. If the driver is also applying the normal brakes at the same time, there will a combined braking force from the brakes and from the MGU-K. Any increase or decrease in the braking force provided by the MGU-K could then alter the total amount of braking force applied to the rear wheels, which could either lead to brake lock up or to a lack of rear braking. The electronic control system for the MGU-K must therefore communicate and influence operation of the braking system, to ensure that the driver remains in overall control of the braking forces.
    
Although the use of hybrid technology in F1 does accelerate the technology learning curve (pardon the pun), one big disadvantage is that use of the turbocharger muffles the exhaust noise, which does tend to upset the purist petrolheads.