The Automotive Blog

With more than 2 million extra caravan holidays predicted in the UK this year, TyreSafe is reminding caravanners to make sure all of their tyres are safe for travel before taking to the road.

Caravans left standing throughout the year can develop flatspots or suffer from exposure to UV rays which may lead to handling issues or premature failure. Additionally, tyre pressures should be checked not only on the caravan, but also on the towing vehicle and adjusted accordingly to take account of the extra load.

Drivers who set off on under-inflated tyres, greatly increase the risk of suffering from rapid tyre deflation and a potentially serious accident.

Drivers who do not meet these legal requirements not only increase the risk of being involved in an accident, but can also incur fines of up to £2,500 and three penalty points per illegal tyre.

aide automotive  promote tyre safety and recommend the PressurePro LIVE tyre pressure monitoring device.

Diagnostic tools are now a must for any commercial vehicle operator or repairer. Break-downs are an extremely costly exercise for operators in terms of time, call outs and delayed customer deliveries. In the current economic climate a truck diagnostic tool can only save a company money as it wastes no time in identifiying the problem. These devices immediately home in on the problem allowing immediate action to be taken. Why outsource repairs such as dash board warning light clearing and ECU code clearing from expensive dealers or expert diagnostic repairers when for a small investment this can be covered in house.

The Launch X-431 Vehicle Diagnostic tool is already the best selling scan tool in the world and rapidly becoming the tool of choice for all workshops

aide automotive has range of automotive products

Launch X431

Also by charging your batteries on a frequent basis prolongs their life span.

By following this advice you can avoid the cost of call out fees aand or replacement batteries!

aide automotive recommends the Midtronics Battery Tester which can be used on any type of vehicle from cars, to light or heavy commercial vehicles or motorcycles. A battery tester details the health and functionality of the battery. It identifies the efficiency and reports on the state of charge, voltage and capacity. All Midtronic battery testers have the option to print a hard copy report and can be recorded with the service sheet.

It is a common myth that a vehicle recharges a battery while driving, however this is not true, it merely replaces the lost capacity used. A battery needs to be recharged fully to avoid breakdowns. Modern trucks power a lot of electrical items such as TV’s, microwaves and kettles while static. This will drain the battery and not replace the capacity so recharging is essential if the full life of a battery is to be maintained!

Midtronics Battery Tester suitable for any vehicle.

With fuel theft on the increase companies need to prevent thieves from siphoning and skimming fuel from their company vehicles. 

aide automotive has a range of popular anti-fuel theft devices so it’s decided to add another great device to it’s extensive range. The Hercules Floating Ball is a new anti-syphoning device that not only acts as a misfuelling device but also prevents fuel spillages. All in all it saves an organisation money in terms of the cost of potential stolen fuel, replacement fuel and fuel spillages 

Using the TrailerCheck II With Code Reader

Before plugging the Code Reader in to the trailers ECU, make sure the Trailer & Code Reader are powered down. This reduces attempted incorrect cable connections and of powering incorrect circuits.
Included in the kit are 3 Connectors:
1 – Wabco & Knorr Bremese
2 – Haldex Modular
3 – Haldex Modal

ECU Connection

Check the ECU connector on the trailer casing, this connector can be found damaged and corroded, if so do not attempt to plug the associated cable link as you could cause damage.

Once connected to the ECU, power up the trailer by pressing the RED ISO CAN Line button of the TrailerCheck operator panel. Make sure all connections are good and turn on the Code Reader, scroll to the required menu e.g. Haldex. Then scroll by pressing the right or left arrow buttons to the required info, e.g. Read Fault Codes.

You can now read ACTIVE fault codes & a description, for further codes scroll forward.

Once an active fault code has been removed this will move into the Stored Fault Code.

Within a Haldex system codes must be fixed before further codes are viewed.

Haldex systems show 5 codes at a time in the stored or active code areas.

Once all codes have been reviewed and also recorded, exit and scroll to clear fault codes. Then clear all codes.

Return to Stored codes to check ECU memory is clear.

Once completed turn off the Code Reader and TrailerCheck before you remove the ECU cable from the trailer.

Charging The TrailerCheck

To mains charge again first connect the charger to the TrailerCheck and then plug into the mains. The charger is a three stage device, green will first be lit briefly to indicate battery sate, red will indicate batteries are receiving charge, orange indicates almost charged and green indicates fully charged and then trickle charging if left connected.

To use the accessory power for a lead light etc, remove the lead from the lid of the case and then CLOSE THE CASE and clip shut to switch the TrailerCheck off. Then put the 4 pin plug into the case socket and use the cigar lighter socket adaptor for any accessories. (Not included in standard case).

If the case emits a double bleeping sound when in operation or closed the batteries are low and the TrailerCheck requires recharging!

Trailer Cables

TrailerCheck has 3 cables connected to the inner case, you can identify each cable by…

Cable with the clamp – This is the ISO ABS / EBS cable

Black cable with no white front face – This is the main lighting circuit cable

Black cable with a white face – This is the secondary cable

Contact aide automotive for further info.

Battery Testers is a great way to check the efficency of a vehicle.  Testing batteries is easy with a Midtronics Battery tester. this product has been on the market now for a number of years and some garages have had a great life span out of their product however we’re as these products age some repairs are needed.

For repairs on a Midtronics battery contact aide automotive.

Click Midtronics Battery tester for more information on this product

Repairs to Midtronics Battery Testers

aide automotive the supplier of this product has received excellent feedback from clients investing in this product

Lee Lock addresses a fairly widespread problem in a simple but ingenious way. As fleet managers are increasingly encouraged to reduce costs, the modest one-off price for the Lee Lock is an attractive solution.

Lee Lock addresses a fairly widespread health and safety problem in a simple but ingenious way. As fleet managers are becoming increasingly concerned with the potential long-term costs of health and safety risks, the modest one-off price for the Lee Lock is an attractive solution. 

Pallet Truck Lock

Pallet Truck Lock

Pallet Truck Lock Reduces Damage and prevents Health And Safety Risks to a Driver.

Contact aide automotive to see how Lee Lock can improve a business health & safety.

Just Car Clinics needed a  diagnostic tool for their garage so they purchased the Launch X431 from aide automotive.  They couldn’t be more happy with what diagnostics has done for their business. Mick Green from Just Car Clinics said

We purchased a diagnostic tool on 7th January 2010. It has been a real money spinner and should have paid for itself by the end of March. Purchase price £2500. We have charged £2142 a month for two months, giving a gross profit of £1792

The Launch X-431  has a blend of features and benefits it provides is simply un-matched at the price. The Launch X-431 is already the best selling scan tool in the world and rapidly becoming the tool of choice for all workshops

aide automotive has a range of automotive products

Lee Lock the Ultimate Pallet Truck Lock  

Many transport companies require a pallet truck to manoeuvre goods on customer premises; with this the operator has major concerns! Two major concerns are: Will the pallet truck damage the goods in transit? Or Will the pallet truck damage the curtains on the truck? Lee Lock is designed to lock the pallet truck in place at all times, hence reducing any chance of the truck slamming into other pallets, slashing the curtain side and as the pallet truck slots into the lock there’s no chance of any back injury from lifting. Matthew Burke stated “Lee Lock addresses a fairly widespread problem in a simple but ingenious way. As fleet managers are increasingly encouraged to reduce costs, the modest one-off price for the Lee Lock is an attractive solution”.

More from Matthew Burke on +44 (0)115 845 6471 or click on aide automotive ltd