Start-Stop providing new opportunities to workshops

Groupauto, the UK’s largest trading group, is keen to highlight the fact that the market is changing and the dominance of basic lead-acid battery technology will soon begin to decline. The automotive battery is becoming a much more technical component and with the increasing amount of electrical equipment fitted to even the most basic of vehicles, the demands placed on it are much greater than ever.

Standard equipment levels on most modern cars now include air conditioning, electric windows, heated seats, powerful car audio, heated windscreens and sat nav, and under the bonnet the revolution has continued with the arrival of electric steering, water pumps and oil pumps. More significant than this however, is the onset of emission related technology, none with a greater impact than micro hybrid or Start-Stop technology. This alone has revolutionised battery technology and means that a standard lead-acid battery will simply not do the job.

New technology & challenges

The battery is no longer just an ancillary component with red and black lead connections: it is now an integral part of the vehicle’s ECU and engine management system. Its location is also no longer necessarily easy to access at the front of the engine compartment and many vehicles have more than one battery fitted.     Therefore, it is imperative that technicians have the correct training to allow them to safely undertake battery replacement and do so on a cost-effective basis for the consumer. Also, as the number of potential faults in a Start-Stop system is greater than a traditional system, so without training they simply would not know where to start.

 From the perspective of the wholesaler, batteries are becoming a far more technical sale and those without an understanding of the new technology may lose the opportunity to make the sale or worse still, specify an unsuitable battery for the installation, with the unpalatable consequences that can result. For the workshop, the matter is made worse by popular consumer perception that says that the garage is trying to rip them off and charge them more for doing less. This is further complicated by the fact that of the little that the consumer knows about what’s under the bonnet, they ‘know’ that to change a battery is a simple job!

Therefore, workshop managers need to have a full understanding of the issues themselves in order to clearly and coherently explain the reason why Start-Stop systems were developed, the different battery types, the importance of fitting the correct battery and general battery information. With this information, all of which is covered in the G-Xpert course ‘Start-Stop plus Charging’, they are equipped to not only do the work, but also explain the associated cost of the work.

The technology used in lead-acid and AGM batteries is very different and so are their performance characteristics. Lead-acid batteries can be very powerful over a short burst, but don’t like to be discharged to any great extent and doing so will have a detrimental effect on their lifespan. AGM batteries, however, are altogether more robust and do not suffer from deep discharge damage as they are designed to withstand considerable fluctuations in their state of charge. Integral to a Start-Stop system is the fact that the battery is only charged when it really needs to be, which is one of the reasons it can deliver reductions in fuel consumption and lower emissions.

Training and opportunities

To enable the independent workshop to keep pace with the franchised dealer and undertake AGM battery service and repair work, Groupauto has invested in its G-Xpert technical training initiative to include a module that concentrates on Start-Stop systems and charging. Delivered by Frank Massey of ADS and Steve Carter of eXponentia, two of the industry’s most respected trainers, it allows technicians to grasp the implications, responsibilities and requirements of servicing these vehicles and gain the skills necessary to deliver high quality technical work. With this level of competence, technicians can handle AGM battery work with confidence.

The lead-acid battery is certainly not dead yet, so there is still obviously a need for batteries utilising traditional technology. This is good news for workshops that need a price sensitive product, however, if they wish to focus on price without any thought to developing technology and the new generation of product – and the knowledge needed to sell it – they run a serious risk of losing the first opportunity in a long-time to return a sensible profit on a product that has long been traded as a commodity. Therefore, Groupauto says it is important for workshops to pick a strategic battery partner, one that is future proof in terms of technology and knowledge. After all, the market is changing from being solely price driven to expertise driven.