One reason why some garages have been known to side step sensor servicing and replacement during the MOT is because of lack of experience of handling this kind of product. And it has to be said that some vehicle manufacturers have earned themselves more of a reputation in this respect that others. According to tyresensors.com, many people consider Renault TPMS sensors to be more hassle than they are worth. However it needn’t be so.
According to Commission directive 2010/48/EU (which is dated 5 July 2010) and “Adapting to technical progress Directive 2009/40/EC” of the European Parliament and of the council on roadworthiness tests for motor vehicles and their trailers, tyre pressure monitoring systems will become part of the MOT from 1 January. That’s the analysis of the law TPMS supplier tyresensors.com recently shared with Tyres & Accessories.
MAM has been appointed as the preferred supplier of garage management systems to the Bosch Car Service network. MAM has developed a bespoke version of its innovative Autowork Online solution which Bosch will be recommending to its network of garages. Autowork Online controls all aspects of daily activity including: diary bookings and parts ordering; quotations, job cards and invoices; SMS or e-mail service, MoT reminders and an integrated parts catalogue.
Snap-on Equipment has recently introduced new entry-level tyre changers and wheel balancers, which it believes will help workshops access greater wheel service revenue. Available under the Hofmann and John Bean brands, Snap-on offers offer a two-year warranty on the machines, which it says are “robustly built”. Installation and training are also provided as standard. Chris Behan, general manager, Snap-on Equipment, comments: “Our new entry-level tyre changers and wheel balancers are ideal for workshops seeking to expand their business into the tyre market, without compromising on quality or technology.”
When Clampco UK was founded in 2001, the company largely focused upon the supply of exhaust clamps and fittings to the exhaust and tyre fast fit sector. The firm was well received and its customer base grew to some 2,000 garages within a few years, yet during this period signs of decline in the exhaust market as a whole became apparent to Clampco. As Clampco managing director Stuart Hubble shares, it was clear the company’s only option for growth lay in diversifying and enlarging the product range on offer. With this in mind, Clampco focused its energies on investigating what other everyday items could be sold through its existing customer base. Two of the first additions to this wider range were tyre repair consumables and wheel balance weights – this was, notes Hubble, a “natural progression” from tyres and exhausts. Subsequently, Clampco added items covering the full spectrum of workshop requirements, including hygiene and safety products plus workshop cleaning products such mops, buckets and brushes. In addition to this, a full range of fast fit garage related tools such as impact wrenches and torque wrenches were added to the Clampco line-up.
Motor Codes Ltd is the self-regulatory body to oversee standards in the car and garage sector, set up by the SMMT. Motor Codes relies on feedback from customers to rate various aspects of the service they have received from participating garages across the UK. In October, 1,822 service or repair customers completed surveys and the results are encouraging, particularly in view of recent negative publicity in some parts of the press.
Garage equipment specialists the Trade Group has launched a new range of Trademaster scissor lifts. These have been specially selected to provide a wide range of choices for Class IV, VII and V light MOT installations as well as general service work. They permit the most effective use of garage workshop floor area by allowing the minimum permissible overall bay width to be used.
As the Asian region’s car parc continues to swell in the wake of economic recovery, the demand for aftermarket products and services is also said to be increasing. GfK Asia, which conducts retail audits in the automotive aftermarket in major Asian cities like Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Manila and Seoul, recently looked into the relationship between car “populations” in these cities relative to the number tyre servicing garages and compared the saturation levels in differing economies. While each tyre servicing garage in developing cities such as Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Jakarta and Manila serviced an average of 2250 vehicles, this figure is almost halved, at 1172:1 in a “developed” city such as Seoul. The Malaysian figure is almost four times the 674:1 average ratio GfK published in April 2009.
Parts supplier XPart has suggested that motorists should choose their garage carefully when taking their car for a pre-winter service. “Garages have a duty of care towards their customers to complete maintenance and repair work with a good level of skill, within an agreed timeline and at a reasonable cost,” comments Barry Smith, UK sales manager, XPart. The catalyst for these suggestions was a damning report in Which? magazine earlier in the year that pointed towards a general lack of rigour in carrying out checks and repairs on the public’s cars.
Continuing this October’s Tyre Safety Month, TyreSafe is publicising the thoughts of two “Wheel Heroes”; emergency service professionals who explain why they are supporting tyre safety month. The duo is a fire fighter who will “never forget a fatal minibus crash involving a youth soccer team” and a policeman “who attended an accident where a young nurse lost her life due to an under-inflated tyre”.
Today the axe fell on UK state spending, with some of the largest cuts in public service budgets in decades. But how will the small, medium and large scale business of the tyre industry be affected? The validity of concerns that some public service fleets are considering altering tyre fitment policies to incorporate changes at 1.6mm rather than 3mmt tread depths have yet to be confirmed. One might think that – quite apart from the clear safety benefits and the cost implications that road traffic injuries bring to public coffers – that the revenues MOT fees bring in may lead the government to reconsider recent talk of doubling the length between MOTs and therefore halving the test fee income. There has been no confirmation of that yet either, but there is some good news when it comes to the taxes businesses have to pay.
Snap-on Equipment has introduced two new ‘lever-less’ semi-automatic tyre changers under the Hofmann and John Bean brands for the gentle and user-friendly mounting and demounting of run-flat and ultra high performance (UHP) tyres.
This October’s tyre safety month has received a significant boost after the Highways Agency announced that it is backing the campaign month for the first time. Ginny Clarke, director of network services for the Highways Agency, said: “The Highways Agency is pleased to be backing TyreSafe as they launch this year’s tyre safety month. The simple 20p test is an essential part of preparing for your journey. By checking that tyres are still in good condition, drivers are helping to avoid accidents, and the risk of delays to their journey as a result.”
Compared to the 2007 edition of Brityrex, ECI International says that the number of visitors rose by 5 per cent at the 2010 show earlier this month. Exhibitors at the UK tyre trade show told ECI that the show had been a success, with many reporting excellent sales and new business opportunities from the three-day exhibition at the Manchester Central convention centre. Representatives from diverse companies such as Point S, Apaseal and Kings Road Tyres were among those voicing their appreciation for the event.
Workshops looking to increase service bay efficiency can now view the latest Hunter RX40 wheel alignment lift console, following installation of the equipment by Pro-Align’s at its Northamptonshire headquarters. The latest addition to Pro-Align’s range of advanced wheel alignment equipment features automatic tyre inflation and remote locking of turn plates and slip plates, saving technicians from walking up to five extra laps around the vehicle. Wheel alignment measurements readings can now be delivered in as little as two minutes, according to the garage equipment supplier, significantly increasing productivity and vehicle throughput.
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