The Automotive Blog

As fuel prices increase so does the cases of fuel theft, as it’s value increases it becomes even more of a commodity for thieves looking to syphon fuel from an engine.

Matthew Burke of aide automotive says that enquiries for his fuel theft device increase when the price of fuel increases too. In a recent interview with contractandleasing.com he tells of the demand for fuel theft devices.  He also explains about the problems organisations face when they’re targeted by thieves wanting to siphon fuel from fleets of vehicles.

In a question and answer session with the website, Matthew Burke says the following

Q: Fuel prices rose again January with additional fuel duty and VAT increase piled on. Do you think this will lead to an increase in fuel siphoning?

A: Every time fuel prices rise our enquiry ratio rises with it and ultimately anti-siphon device orders. A common phrase of “we had diesel siphoned last night” is included in most enquiries. With fuel price rises operators see how much fuel siphoning is hurting the financial side of the business and a small outlay could save thousands in the long run. Fuel siphoning is here to stay in the UK with more incidents reported every month. New reports of fuel station bunkers being hit by the thieves shows that by protecting one sector another is targeted, this is also the case if a transport yard has been targeted and then fitted anti-siphoning devices as the next local transport business is usual hit by siphoning

To read the full interview click interview with fuel theft device interview or click aide automotive to find out more on the full range of products that the company offers.

Fuel theft device to prevent thieves siphoning fuel from a vehicle

Tyre pressure monitoring of fleets of vehicles improves safety and saves cash.

TyreSafe is currently reminding organisations that running car and vans on their correct tyre pressure can optimise safety, cut CO2 emissions and fuel consumption as well as resulting  in longer tyre life.

TyreSafe chairman, Stuart Jackson, comments: Reduced fuel bills are possible by simply making sure tyres are inflated to the correct pressure, so at a time when every penny counts for many motorists, just a few extra minutes taking these simple steps can pay real dividends.”

It is a fact that under inflated tyres cause higher fuel consumption. The tyres have an increased rolling resistance, which means that the engine has to work harder and more fuel is used, making the car less economical. Calculations from one TyreSafe member show that when tyres are under-inflated by just 20 percent or around 6psi, 3 percent more fuel is used.

Jackson adds: “Vehicle safety is always paramount, but making sure tyres are correctly inflated has the very attractive benefit of reduced fuel bills, which is especially important in tough economic times. Motorists needn’t be throwing money away just by making a few straight forward tyre pressure checks.”

A recent TyreSafe survey showed that an astonishing 36% of vehicles were found to be driving with tyres considered to be dangerous as they were under-inflated by more than 8psi.

To monitor your tyres on a regular basis, try a product such as Pressurepro or Air Alert  and you too could start saving on your fuel consumption

Tyre pressure monitor to avoid underinflated tyres

Many people misfuel their diesel cars with petrol, it’s a common occurance with an estimated 150,000 people misfuelling each year.  Puting petrol in a diesel car is an expensive mistake to rectify. However by a small investment in a simple device such as Diesel Key, you can prevent the problem quite easily.

Diesel Key is a simple device that is easy to install. It acts as a simple replacement for the filler cap. Simply unscrew and replace with Diesel Key. Then if you try and put a petrol nozzle in the device it won’t fit and you’ll be unable to put petrol in the vehicle. Simple and effective!

Diesel Key - prevents misfuelling a diesel car with petrol

There’s a new fuel theft device on the market that has the added bonus of preventing diesel spillage.

With ever increasing fuel prices, fuel theft becomes more common as fuel becomes a valuable commodity. There are many fuel theft devices on the market to give organisations the opportunity to prevent diesel theft from their fleet of vehicles. The new TP Spill Valve not only deters against the siphoning of fuel but also prevents diesel spillage. 

TP Spill Valve is a retro fit valve for the TP Anti Syph product range to stop diesel spillages. Easy to fit and ideal as an environmental proactive measurement, this simple step will make roads safer for all users. With Corporate Responsibility being top of most organisations’ agendas, this retro fit Spill Valve device gives businesses the chance to comply. Diesel spillage is a dangerous problem to all road users. Diesel spills can be as slippery as black ice and a potential hazard in particular to motorcyclists; just a few litres can cause a potentially lethal accident. Causing such a spillage can result in a  £5,000 fine, along with six points on your licence is the penalty for UK Spillages. You may also be liable for the costs of cleaning up the spill and repairing the road surface with your insurance premiums being affected. The worst case scenario can be a charge of corporate manslaughter.

Vist aide automotive to find out more

With the big freeze forecast to continue into January it is essential to check EBS/ABS braking systems are in full working order with diagnostic tools!

TrailerCheck II is the next generation of trailer diagnostic tools by quickly determining the electrical integrity of an EBS/ ABS braking system on a commercial trailer. Using a tractor unit to carry out a trailer test is not as effective as the TrailerCheck as the tractor unit is not guaranteed to be a 100% working unit. TrailerCheck eliminates the indecision and confirms the trailer’s fault.

aide automotive supplies a number of automotive products for commercial businesses.  Matthew Burke the business owner says

TrailerCheck has been a popular product of ours for a number of years.  We introduced this new version of this product earlier this year and it’s already proving to be a best seller for us.  This newer version  includes a radio remote hand set for walk round activation of the lighting system. The hand set will communicate with a trailer’s ECU, reading and clearing ABS fault codes on Wabco, Knorr Bremse and Haldex systems.  TrailerCheck II helps eliminate fault finding by reading the ECU codes to determine where the fault lies. Being able to clear historic codes is ideal within a service and inspection, knowing a system is clear and then reviewing to see what faults the ECU has recorded is beneficial

TrailerCheck II, a cost effective trailer diagnostic tool

As electronic systems become a given on commercial vehicles, and modern trucks become far more sophisticated so does the development of diagnostic tools for trucks. These new diagnostic tools need to be capable of reliable inspection and troubleshooting for trucks.

The ECUs which manage the engine, transmission, braking systems, safety and security systems, are computers that are connected to external peripherals, sensors and actuators. Safe and reliable ECU operation is ensured by effective communication to and from these peripherals.

Vehicle systems and dash information systems are designed to warn the driver of possible problems with any of the ECU monitored systems.

aide automotive offer state of the art diagnostic equipment which enables the easy interaction with these sophisticated systems that exist in every vehicle today. So whatever the make and model of your truck or van, we have the diagnostic tool to diagnose the problem.

Examples of when diagnostic equipment is required on vehicles:

• ABS/EBS systems
• Diesel/engine management
•  Electronic clutch calibration
• Immobiliser
• Engine adjustments
• Body/cab systems
• Dash and instruments
• Air conditioning & climate control
• Auto gearbox
• Safety restraint systems (SRS) and airbags
• Error deletion stored in ECU and service interval reset

aide automotive offers a PC based diagnostic kit, with diagnostic software for installation on either a personal or supplied PC, all truck and trailer cables are supplied in a protective case. aide automotive also offer a cost reduction by offering individual cables rather than the full kit, e.g. if your fleet only have DAF trucks then the DAF cable can be supplied singularly, this could save the user around 800 pounds from the full cable kit!

Like any diagnostic tool software updates are critical in communicating with latest trucks and trailer systems, the aide automotive Truck Diagnostic Kit is supplied with an annual update and an annual subscription.

aide automotive’s Truck Diagnostic Kit is ideal for in house workshops and commercial repairers to apply a diagnostic test and service to most trucks and trailers, cost effective against well known Texa systems, finance can be offered on purchasing the equipment to show a simple equation on a money return business service.

Contact aide automotive if you require an on site demonstration.

Fuel theft from commercial vehicles is a common problem over the festive period. While vehicles are left idle while firms close down for the Christmas Break, they’re an easy target for thieves looking to syphon fuel from the vehicles.  One business who supplies automotive products, aide automotive have experience of this problem. aide automotive owner Matthew Burke says

We always see an increase in sales of our fuel theft devices over the Christmas period. Most companies want to protect their vehicles from thieves looking to syphon off fuel whilst a business is closed down and nobody is on the premises. We have a range of anti-syphon devices that have the perfect solution for this problem

To find out more about our anti-syph devices visit aide automotive

Fuel theft devices to prevent the siphoning of fuel

BatteryCheck

The 3 In One Battery Tester

Battery Testing is a procedure most garages want to have the device to determine the charge and the functionality of the alternator. BatteryCheck is a small and compact high performance electronically controlled plug in battery charger and tester, in addition BatteryCheck can act as a  battery back-up whilst repairing or replacing electronic items within a vehicle.

The neat compact design of this device makes it a handy tool in any MOT Garage or workshop. BatteryCheck’s  3 in 1 functionality means it will test a battery, the charge status and the functionality of the alternator in one simple process. Battery over charging is impossible as the microprocessor controlled technology monitors all functions of the BatteryCheck.

BatteryCheck can be used to test conventional lead-acid, lead-calcium/silver, or sealant type batteries (AGM, MF) as well as maintenance free lead-gel batteries. Able to charge deeply discharged batteries, a reverse polarity protection system is also integrated into the BatteryCheck.

 Find out more at aide automotive

Syphoning fuel from commercial vehicles is a costly problem for many businesses, so it’s essential to find the right fuel theft device. aide automotive were recently approached by  Pullman Fleet Services to see if they had a solution enabling him to protect against fuel theft for their fleet of 400 Carrier and Thermoking refrigerated trailer tanks.

Although at that time there was not a device suitable for these particular vehicles. Pullman Fleet Services had not anticipated a new bespoke fuel anti-siphon device to be designed, manufactured, and delivered to his depot within 25 days! However aide automotive managed just this, through their supplier Truck Protect, its products now offer the most effective protection across a wide range of tanks and neck sizes. Clive Peachy of Pullman Fleet Services says,

The customer service was outstanding with regular director visits to site and I was able to satisfy DHL and Iceland with some superb, market-leading, cost effective ASDs. Seeing five companies working closely together was superb and demonstrates how a collaborative approach to a significant problem can produce quick and highly effective results.

This new product is called Reffer Syph and is available from aide automotive.

Monitor Tyre Pressure on a regular basis to prevent serious accidents caused by blow outs. A recent accident could have been prevented by simple tyre pressure monitoring. Passengers were thrown through windows and doors when a minibus overturned on the M1 following a tyre blow-out last July. The accident resulted in twelve people being taken to hospital, three of which were seriously injured. Three air ambulances were called to the scene of the accident The cause of the accident was witnessed as a blow out from the driver’s side rear tyre, causing the vehicle to overturn. Tyre blow-outs ma be considered unpredictable, but tyre pressure monitors can constantly check tyre pressure and avoid the majority of tyre blow outs. aide automotive has two products that help with tyre pressure monitoring, PressurePro and Air Alert. Visit aide automotive to find out about our range of automotive products

One of aide automotive's tyre pressure monitors