The Automotive Blog

Tyre Pressure Monitoring will be a compulsory feature of any new car from 2012. European legislation states that new cars will be fitted with tyre pressure monitoring systems (TPMS). With many modern vehicles already being fitted with them it’s surprising that more people aren’t using tyre pressure monitors on their vehicles.

Kwik Fit’s 2008 Annual Tyre Pressure Review found just over 46 per cent of cars tested had at least one tyre underinflated. If this ratio is applied to the number of UK registrations, a staggering 12.46 million cars could be running on the roads like this, using £1.5 billion pounds of extra fuel and creating literally thousands of extra tons of carbon emissions. That 30 per cent extra tyre wear also means that an unnecessary 108,000 tyres each year have to be manufactured and disposed of too.

By using a tyre pressure monitor like PressurePro you’d be greatly reducing the chances of a blow out, increasing the efficent running of your vehicle and expanding the lifespan of a tyre

Tyre Pressure Monitoring

Brake Testing should form part of vehicle maintenance routine, however VOSA are reporting that Van fleets are ignoring the need for regular maintenance checks and disregarding mechanical failures. They claim that this is a greater problem with vans than with heavy goods or PSV operators.

Over 50% of the 21,000 roadside checks VOSA conducted on vans throughout 2009 uncovered mechanical defects, compared to 24% of HGVs and 15% of PSVs. The most common issue was faulty brakes.

In addition, almost half (45%) of vans fail their MoT compared to 34% of HGVs and 24% of PSVs.

Graham Owen, VOSA area manager says fleets would be held criminally responsible for unroadworthy vehicles or drivers as VOSA has the authority and responsibility to remove them from the road. He insists that vans should follow the same good practice as HGVs, as laid out in the ‘O’ licence on preventative maintenance. In particular making it the driver’s responsibility to do a daily walk-round of the vehicle to ensure it is in a roadworthy condition, and keeping records to demonstrate this

Don’t rely on the MoT – it’s the worst standard you can apply,” Owen warned. “It is the minimum standard of a vehicle that has ticked the boxes at a moment in time. You want your standard to be higher so that over the period between inspection – whether that’s 12 weeks, six months or a year – you never fall below the compliance line.”

These checks could include regular brake testing with products such as Brake Check.

Visit aide automotive for a full list of automotive products

BrakeCheck. Make brake Testing part of your routine vehicle checks

AdBlue is an example of such an additive. The liquid is mixed with the exhaust fumes as they leave the engine. A great method of reducing emissions however a business needs to be sure that this process is working effectively all the time to ensure compliance with the European Union rules.

An Optical Refractometer is the solution. It measures the refraction of a liquid, in other words it ensures the right level of AdBlue is being used and checks the contamination with other liquids such as brake fluid or antifreeze!! The Optical Refractometer is an easy hand held device that is portable and easy to use

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The easiest way to prevent any prohibitions from VOSA however serious is to consider regular Brake Testing and Tyre Pressure Monitoring. By using a Brake Tester like BrakeCheck you can demonstrate that you’ve been testing on a regular basis. Similarly a Tyre Pressure Monitor such as PressurePro allows you to check you have the correct tyre pressure for your vehicle.

One Staffordshire firm recently discovered the consequences of not regularly maintaining their vehicles. Stoke-on-Trent firm, Dime Metal Services had its licence revoked from 7 August, and its boss disqualified from applying for a new licence for 15 months.

The operator has had its O-licence revoked after a Deputy Traffic Commissioner (DTC) described their vehicles as a “significant danger to other road users” due to lack of maintenance and regular testing of brakes and tyres. West Midlands Deputy Traffic Commissioner Roger Seymour said the company had shown an “almost total disregard of the law and obligations of operator licensing”.

VOSA inspectors carried out maintenance investigations into the company and identified eight prohibitions – three of which were S-marked – were imposed on the firm. They are related to “very serious” brake and tyre issues.

The DTC summarised “Looking at the evidence overall, I find that this operator has failed to discharge his responsibilities and undertakings to maintain his vehicles in a roadworthy condition to the point where the continued use of his vehicles constituted a significant danger to other road users.”

Check out aide automotive for our full product range.

Brake Tester

Trailer Check will soon have the ability to read Electronic Brake Systems.  Coming soon from aide automotive this new version of TrailerCheck will not only look at ABS diagnostics but also consider EBS diagnostics too.

Trailer Check is already a popular product and an ideal cost effective test gauge to quickly determine the electrical integrity of a braking system.  This new version just takes it a step further to ensure that the EBS codec reader is working correctly too.

Check out the aide automotive website later this year for the new version or visit it to find out more about all the other automotive products that we supply

Kuehne and Nagal  have purchased 1,000 Air Alert devices to implement tyre pressure monitoring on the vehicles they use for their Waitrose contract. Jas Sittre, Fleet Manager stated “We originally trialled the device to review improved fuel economy, we did see a small improvement but found the major benefits to be alerts to slow punctures and loss of pressure, this device will save down time and stop potential blow outs”. The product has had such an impact on this contract that they’re now looking to roll it out across their other contracts!

AirAlert is a cost saving device that helps eliminate the guesswork out of determining the correct tyre pressure. This device is simple to install directly onto your tyres and sends a reactive warning, by blinking when a loss of PSI occurs (4PSI for cars & 8 PSI for commercial vehicles), so just walking up to the vehicle will highlight an under inflated tyre.

Matt Burke, sales director of aide automotive the suppliers of Air Alert says “Checking tyre pressure on a regular basis is an important health and safety procedure.  Not only does it give peace of mind knowing that your tyres are inflated properly for optimum performance and handling it also assists in lowering maintenance costs, reducing fuel use and saving tyre tread. The life of your tyre is extended due to less tread wear and protects and saves the tyre casing, reducing the chance of blowouts.”

Tyre Pressure Monitor Air Alert

As this week marks the 10th annual National Camping and Caravanning Week (29 May – 4 June 2010). TyreSafe has recognised the importance of caravan tyre safety by launching a new section on its website dedicated to this topic. The idea being to give avid caravanners technical tips and information aimed at keeping caravan owners safe and legal on the roads.

The popularity of camping and caravanning has grown massively in recent years and many of those new to caravanning may not appreciate the high demands placed on their caravan’s tyres,” explains Stuart Jackson, chairman, TyreSafe. “Making sure your caravan’s tyres are in a good condition, correctly inflated and not overloaded is a vital factor in staying safe on the road. The new caravan section on our website is designed to clearly explain these key issues and provide some practical tips and advice that owners can follow with ease, helping to ensure their holiday journeys pass off without incident.”

aide automotive has two products that help with tyre pressure monitoring and are ideal for caravans motorhomes and cars.  Air Alert and PressurePro are two slightly different systems that aid motorists in ensuring they have the correct tyre pressure for their vehicle.

Air Alert - Tyre Pressure Monitor Device

PressurePro - Tyre Pressure Monitor

 Battery testing commercial vehicles should be part of the routine of  a vehicle maintenance programme. Using a Battery Charger to demonstrate efficiency of a battery can give an indication of when the battery is due to expire. Replacing tyres and brakes are often part of a maintenance programme but batteries often aren’t.   Battery testers allows an organisation to plan and prepare for the replacement of vehicle’s batteries.Midtronics Battery Testers can be used on any type of vehicle, from cars, motorcycles to light or heavy commercials and can provide a print out for your records

A Midtronics Battery Tester is the most modern, cost effective and easy to use tester. The unique technology makes testing of discharged batteries possible.

Midtronics - tests a battery's efficency

aide automotive supplies a number of automotive products

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aide automotive has a range of automotive products

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