The Automotive Blog

With the number of vehicles on the road today it’s not surprising to know that it’s now common to find more people having the misfortune of misfuelling their diesel cars.

The misfuelling of Diesel cars is not only a misfortunate event but also a costly one, often not covered by your insurance company.

Misfuelling your Diesel car doesn’t just mean that you need to have your fuel tank emptied – it can be much worse than that.  In the worst case scenario you could find yourself replacing nearly the entire fuelling system of your vehicle as certain parts can end up getting damaged beyond repair.

Misfuelling now affects nearly 150,000 people a year – imagine how costly the repair of 150,000 car engines is!  You might wonder why so many people put the wrong fuel in their car.  The simple fact is that it’s an easy mistake to make, and can happen after only a single moment of a lapse In concentration.

Thankfully, Diesel car owners will now be pleased to know that there are now a number of products on the market to help prevent you putting petrol into your Diesel car.  The main reason behind misfuelling is that the petrol nozzle is much smaller than the diesel nozzle, and so fits easily into the neck of the fuel tank.

Some devices on the market just act as a visual or audible warning when the fuel cap is opened, where as others actual fit on top of the fuel neck and actually prevent the petrol fuel nozzle from being inserted into the vehicle.

If you own a diesel car and don’t yet have a misfuelling device then I would highly recommend it.  We all think that misfuelling is something that happens to someone else, but in reality it could happen to anyone – even you.

One of the biggest causes of car insurance claims could soon be a thing of the past thanks to a handy new device that prevents drivers from putting unleaded petrol into a diesel car.

It is thought that around 150,000 put unleaded fuel into a diesel car each year, and this leads to a number of car insurance claims, many of which ar turned down and seen as negligence on the part of the driver.  This can then lead to costly repair bills for the car owner.
However, a small innovative piece of kit known as Diesel Guard™ can help prevent these unfortunate mishaps.

Diesel Guard™ is a smart little gadget that will remind you at the pumps that your vehicle runs on diesel fuel. On opening the fuel flap there is an audible warning advising that this vehicle runs on diesel. The device’s volume is such that you cannot ignore it, even on a noisy forecourt! DieselGuard also has a small button to terminate the message once acknowledged.

Diesel Guard™ attaches to the inside of your fuel flap with just a high strength sticky pad.

With the high cost and inconvenience of a diesel engine being filled with petrol, this device will cut out the risk of expensive repair costs and vehicle downtime.

The inspiration came from an unfortunate experience when, on a dark and rainy evening, the innovator grabbed the wrong pump when he went to fill up his car.

It was night and the weather was bad, I couldn’t see much. I wasn’t really thinking about what I was doing and I picked up the wrong pump. I just wasn’t paying attention. I suddenly realised that it must happened to thousands of drivers every day and decided there was a need for some kind of warning device.

In today’s society there is a bigger need than ever for this kind of device. People are so busy, always rushing around. It’s very easy to make a mistake like filling up with the wrong fuel.

If you’re consistently forgetful then a Diesel Guard™ device is well worth the investment.  The stern, audible warning from the device will ensure that you never put the wrong fuel in your car again and save you from both embarrasment on the forecourt and the cost of the repair bill that follows.

For more information on the DieselGuard product, visit the Aide Automotive web site.

Testing batteries of any vehicle is a great start to confirm vehicle efficiency. With increased battery technology testing batteries is now a scientific test. Using a multi meter is an unreliable test, and also with testing comes proving.

Our testers can provide a print out for your customer or records. Midtronics Battery Testers can be used on any type of vehicle, from cars, motorcycles to light or heavy commercials.

Critical parts like tyres and brakes can always be replaced before they fail, but what about a battery? Using a Midtronics battery tester, it will be possible to identify the efficiency of a battery at service or replacement level and the customer can be quickly advised of the current status of the battery and its future functionality. All data can be detailed on an optional   infra red printer or downloaded to a PC.

A Midtronics battery tester is the most up to date and cost effective and easy to use tester. The unique technology makes testing of discharged batteries possible, and once tested, a hard copy print out is available for the customer.

Midtronics test method allows battery testing and diagnostic charging to be safer, fast, simple and able to be performed in front of the customer. Each battery test takes just 7 seconds.
Midtronics Battery Testers will provide an increased level of service, increase     battery revenue and efficient battery management for the workshop. Each tester is supplied with 2 years warranty.

A device which documents when brakes have been checked

VOSA are continually advising operators, commercial repairers and in house workshops to complete regular inspection sheet brake test in their Best Practice Guide to Brake Testing. VOSA state “check brake performance regularly as part of your maintenance procedures. It is also beneficial to test brakes as part of the vehicles preparation for it’s annual test.”

BrakeCheck is a portable battery-powered device that can be used by vehicle workshops, government traffic authorities, testing and inspection stations to test and report on vehicle brake efficiency. BrakeCheck is VOSA & MOT approved.  BrakeCheck provides a hard copy print out that is time and date stamped to prove brakes are checked to the required efficiency.

Paul Winson of Winson Coaches of Loughborough purchased a BrakeCheck from aide automotive more than 5 years ago.

He explained

“BrakeCheck is still a valuable tool for our workshop and has been for many years! We believe that regular brake testing is a must for commercial operators and recording the test with a print out is equally as important as the test itself. We took it upon ourselves to offer a brake test but  VOSA now request a regular proven test for every inspection.”

You can find out more information on BrakeCheck on the Aide Automotive web site.

New Company Vehicle Law came into force in January 09

Not breaking news, but something we felt important enough to blog about to bring it to your attention again.

Individuals responsible for commercial vehicles are now subject to tougher penalties for illegal tyres and faulty brakes. The Health and Safety Offences Act 2008 came into force last month making it easier to enforce the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. Penalties have been raised from a maximum of £5,000 to £20,000.

Increased emphasis on corporate responsibility stresses the need for commercial vehicle owners to carefully manage the safety checks of their vehicles. Particular attention should be paid to regularly checking tyre pressures and brakes.

aide automotive have two products that help manage these two health and safety issues;

Air Alert a proactive solution to warn when tyre pressures are low, as opposed to relying on checking tyres on a regular basis.

BrakeCheck a portable battery-powered device that can be used to test and report on vehicle brake efficiency. BrakeCheck is VOSA & MOT approved.

For more information on either product you can visit the links above, or visit our web site at www.aideautomotive.com

TP Anti Syph is a quality device that helps prevent the theft of fuel from commercial vehicles.

It’s easy to fit , taking no more than a few minutes, and no drilling or glueing is required.. TP Anti Syph can be fitted to all types of tank: bayonet, screw type & bus / coach.

The device is manufactured from a high quality aluminium CNC machined process, enabling us to offer a 3 year guarantee.

The design of the TP Anti Syph also means it can easily be transferred from one vehicle to another in your fleet, meaning that it is re-useable when you upgrade  or change your vehicles.

Aide Automotive supply a range of Anti Fuel Theft Devices,  including the TP Anti Syph.  Visit our web site for further details.

A Necessity for Commercial Vehicle Operators and Repairers

State of the art truck diagnostic tools are becoming a necessity for any commercial vehicle operator or repairer. Vehicle 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 is a great asset for any company as it instantly homes in on the problem allowing immediate action to be taken.

Without diagnostic tools, workshops would be forced to outsource repairs, dash board warning light clearing and ECU code clearing from expensive dealers or expert diagnostic repairers.

aide automotive’s  MULTI coverage truck, trailer and car diagnostic tools for all independent workshops is capable of interrogating the majority of systems on a large number of vehicle brands/models.  Matthew Burke of aide automotive says, “A diagnostic tool is a must for the modern day garage, without a diagnostic tool repairs will be outsourced more and more leaving your fitters and garage redundant, diagnostic is the future of repairing and once trained is not difficult to use and understand. What was once considered a luxury tool is now a necessity to run a productive business.”

Click for more information on Truck Diagnostics

Click for more information on Car Diagnostics

Faulty Or Flat Batteries Are One Of The AA’s Top Reasons For Call Outs

Costly call outs and breakdown fees can be avoided if battery servicing is carried out from these simple steps;

1) Test as regularly as possible to see if batteries need charging,

2) Charge batteries as frequently as possible to keep them healthy, prolonging their life span and avoiding roadside break downs.

Midtronics Battery Testers 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.

“Midtronics test method allows battery testing and diagnostic charging to be safer, faster, simpler and conducted in front of the customer. Each battery test takes just 7 seconds. Midtronics Battery Testers will provide a higher service level, increase battery revenue and efficient battery management for the workshop”, says Matthew Burke of aide automotive

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!

Click for more information on the Midtronics Battery Tester