Archive

Author Archive

Car & Van 12 Volt Battery Tester – Parasitic Current Drain Test

July 6th, 2019 Comments off

Current Drain Tester – Battery Diagnostics

aide automotive MOT & Car Garage Workshop Equipment

The Current Drain Tester has been specifically designed to assist a technician with a Battery Parasitic Current Drain test. The purpose of the test is to assess and analyse the level of parasitic current drain from a vehicles’ battery during its shutdown and sleep periods. The Vehicle Battery Current Drain Tester is manufactured in the UK using quality IEC61010 components and offers durable performance for the vehicle workshop environment.

A test box that has mounted banana plugs and sockets enabling you to make quick, reliable and repeatable connections to a multimeter, oscilloscope and test leads. The box also contains a fast acting 15A 600V ‘meter saver’ fuse for continual protection of your test instrument and a switchable 15A automotive link fuse enabling a quick check on first connection and the ability to disconnect your instrument without disturbing the vehicles’ electrical system.

Included
A set of 1m black and red banana plug leads (longer lengths available).
A set of black and a red 36A 1000V large jaw crocodile clips.

So why & How….

Analysing the status of a vehicles’ battery is a common procedure to assess the engine start-up function and also determine the working health of the charging system. Battery diagnostics enables accurate fault finding and helps identify a potential component failure (e.g starter motor or alternator). If the engine start-up and charging system are tested and both deemed fully functional, yet the engine start-up issues continue then investigation into battery Parasitic Current Drain is the next step.

Parasitic Current Drain can be defined as any electrical device that draws electric current when the ignition key is turned off. As technology installed in new vehicles continues to develop, the demand on power required from the vehicles battery also increases. The understanding and diagnosis of Parasitic Current Drain is a basic task that can be made overly difficult with the use of insufficient or poor test equipment. Vehicle technology is likely to continue to advance and the Current Drain Tester Kit will ensure technicians are able to perform Parasitic Current Drain tests across all vehicles with improved speed and accuracy.

Voltage drop values are commonly measured with an Automotive Digital Multimeter and Parasitic Current Drain is commonly monitored on an Oscilloscope. A Low Amp Current Clamp can monitor the various stages of the vehicle shutdown period, where all on-board computers carry out functions that ensure working-operation of the vehicle when the driver returns.

Parasitic Current Drain testing relies on capturing current readings whilst accurately simulating the designated working environment of the vehicle.

Benefits Of The Current Drain Tester Kit

Link fuse offers testing versatility – Quickly and safely take a reading with added protection from a large current. Offers the capability to remove the test instrument by switching IN the 15A fuse and perform other multimeter tasks without the risk of disturbing the vehicles’ battery connection or inadvertently waking up the vehicles’ system as it performs the system shutdown.

Provides a reliable method of testing – Better alternative to the ineffective traditional troubleshooting method of circuit fuse removal testing. This type of intrusive testing could increase parasitic drain as disconnecting a memory supply (fuse) and reconnecting will wake the on-board computer, distorting any readings you may have captured.
Inline fast acting fuse to protect the Multimeter or Oscilloscope being used for test.

Uses IEC-610101 certified components and housed in a non-conductive sealed box for technician safety.

Contact aide automotive to purchase  – 0115 8456471

 

Car Battery Tester

12 Volt Car Current Drain Tester – Battery Diagnostics

Truck Potentiometer Tester For Brake Calipers

June 25th, 2019 Comments off

Commercial Vehicle Brake Caliper Tester

The tester is used to check the potentiometers (wear indicators) in brake calipers and for the determination of the wear of the brake disc and brake pads.

The practice of checking a potentiometer for faults and replacement could save a commercial vehicle operator thousands instead of complete caliper replacements!!

The reported practise of replacing a complete calipers rather than testing and replacing a potentiometer is in the past if you own an aide automotive Potentiometer Tester.

The procedure for checking the potentiometer can be carried out with the caliper installed on the vehicle or with the caliper removed, simply connect the supplied correct cable to the brake potentiometer, power the tester and choose which type you are testing, MAN / Mercedes 3 Wire Gold DAF / Mercedes 2 Wire Scania / Iveco / Mercedes 3 Wire Silver

The display will show the voltage, pad wear percentage & bar graph.

To set a new potentiometer simply wind the potentiometer until the display show 0 %, done!!

To test a potentiometer, wind the potentiometer until about 2.75 volts, this will show low pads warning and then to 100% for failure warning. SIMPLE!!

So start testing & replacing potentiometers to save money today!!

Visit the aide automotive Ltd website for more information on Commercial Vehicle Brake Caliper Tester

 

HGV Caliper Tester

Truck Potentiometer Tester For Brake Calipers

Do You Know What Brake Testing You Should Be Doing?

June 19th, 2019 Comments off
Since April 2014 the DVSA have been recommending commercial vehicles undertake 4 brake tests per year!

This is a recommendation based on the DVSA’s guidance paper.

So as this is a recommendation, what is the law? Is the law is one RBT as a MOT per year?

Well it is if the DVSA is a guidance paper, or is it?

If the guidance set out by the DVSA isn’t followed and the operator is inspected by the DVSA or addressed by a traffic commissioner. The guidance set out by the DVSA is used as the standard an operator should meet, does this now make it law?
Well the operator has to make this call; do you follow the guidance or not? Keeping a fleet roadworthy and safe must be a high priority for any management team, after all the with laws around corporate manslaughter all risks need to be seriously considered.
Many operators have moved with the guidance but still 5 years has passed with some commercial vehicle operators still unaware of the law and guidance.

So, regarding commercial vehicle brake testing, the guidance states:

Document :Guide to maintaining road worthiness
Commercial goods and passenger carrying vehicles (Revised 2014)

Section 5: Safety inspection and repair facilities

Extract –
“Therefore, it is normally expected that the vehicle or trailer should complete at least three successful brake efficiency tests spread throughout year in addition to the annual MOT test.”

An operator can take the decision to carry out brake tests using roller brake tests or a decelerometer.

As the consequences of non-compliance with the required standards can be very severe and include prohibition, fines or prosecution, operators are advised to ensure that they are familiar with all the changes within the DVSA guidance.

Following The Bath Tipper Incident Inquiry, HGV Brake Testing is Essential!!

The inquiry showed the Bath tipper truck to have been poorly maintained which resulted when tested to have a very poor brake efficiency.
aide automotive recommend the use of roller brake testers and decelerometers within a 12-month maintenance and testing policy.

Also, the use of an Infra-Red Temperature Gun, Infra-Red Temperature guns are an excellent way of individual brake testing of wheel disks or drums to determine brake activation. With the ease of just pointing the Infra-Red Light at the wheel hub from the outer edge of a trailer or truck and without removing wheels, an infra-Red Temp Gun can indicate if a wheel is not braking efficiently as compared to the other wheels on the vehicle.

aide automotive market a range of Brake Testing, Servicing & Diagnostic Tools for commercial vehicle workshops.

With the Bowmonk BrakeCheck Portable Decelerometer Printer kit, a workshop can meet the 3 additional required brake tests with minimum fuss. For Trailer Servicing & Diagnostics, aide offer a complete Trailer Electrical (ABS Light & EBS CAN Line Test), Light and Air Brake Tester with Diagnostics interface for Trailer ECU Code Reading / Clearing and management data viewing. EBS/ABS Sensor Master testing can be conducted with the Sensor Master, while Battery Diagnostics Tests with a Midtronics MDX Battery Tester.
aide automotive offer a range of products to help with DVSA Guide To Roadworthiness. Contact us via our website www.aideautomotive.com
HGV DVSA Truck Brake Tester

 

Brake Tester, Diagnostics, Battery Testers

aide auto Market Truck & Trailer Workshop Test Tools

Commercial Vehicle Brake Testing Up To Standard?

May 18th, 2018 Comments off

Brake performance testing should be a key part of your maintenance

The Governments Moving On Blog recently posted the below press.
Brake performance testing should be a key part of your maintenance regime that needs to happen at every safety inspection.
And, if you find any braking performance problems while the vehicle or trailer is in use, you’ll need to get a measured brake efficiency test before you use the vehicle again.
For most of you, this is standard practice and shows that you’re committed to running your fleet compliantly and protecting other road users.
Tragic consequences
But unfortunately some licence holders don’t meet the minimum standards and the consequences can be devastating.
In 2015, DVSA examiners investigated a road traffic incident involving a 32-tonne tipper vehicle. Four people, including a four-year-old girl, were killed when the vehicle’s brakes failed on a steep hill.
Our investigation found the operator’s brake testing was far below the required standards. The company’s approach to brake testing was nowhere near thorough enough, and on 5 out of 13 safety inspection records, the brake test section had been left blank.
In the other records, the comments were too limited for anyone to understand what they meant.
Successful court convictions
Two individuals from the company were each convicted of four counts of manslaughter at Bristol Crown Court.
The company director was sentenced to 7 years and 6 months in prison and the mechanic was sentenced to 5 years and 3 months in prison.
The Traffic Commissioner revoked the company’s operator’s licence and both the company and its director were disqualified from holding or obtaining another operator’s licence for two years.
Even if nothing this catastrophic happens, our vehicle examiners  will still take your vehicle off the road and can issue you with a fixed penalty if they find dangerous problems with your brakes. This could lead to an investigation and referral to the Traffic Commissioner.
Following best practice
You should carry out routine safety inspections of your vehicles on a regular basis. Annex 4 of the Guide to Maintaining Roadworthiness provides tips for you to work out how often a vehicle needs to be inspected.
A braking test needs to form a part of each safety inspection. If possible, you should always brake test a vehicle or trailer laden. You should also use a calibrated roller brake tester (RBT) to measure:
?    individual brake performance
?    overall braking efficiency
You should undertake brake testing with the vehicle or trailer laden in order to get meaningful results. If this test shows the brakes aren’t working properly, then the vehicle or trailer isn’t roadworthy.
You could also use an approved and calibrated decelerometer to measure overall brake efficiency if you’re testing vehicles without trailers.
And you should always try and obtain a printout of the brake test from either the RBT or decelerometer and make sure it’s attached to the safety inspection record. If you can’t get a printout, the inspector should record the results on the safety inspection report instead.
If you can’t carry out a brake test during a safety inspection, the vehicle’s braking performance must be assessed using a road test.
This needs to be carried out under controlled and safe conditions. The safety inspection record should also say that the brake performance was assessed by a road test.
You can use an Electronic Braking Performance Monitoring System (EBPMS) to assess trailer braking performance using data collected while the vehicle is in use.
aide automotive market decelerometer brake testers for commercial vehicles, the Bowmonk BrakeCheck is a known quality product for the UK’s truck, bus & coach market as well as around the world.
The latest addition to the BrakeCheck range is the BrakeCheck GEO, with a built in GPS receiver this decelerometer will provide a GPS location to each brake test.
Contact aide automotive on 0115 8456471 or email info@aideautomotive.com
Truck Brake Tester

BrakeCheck Decelerometer Price Offers

Bowmonk BrakeCheck + GPS

April 30th, 2018 Comments off

Portable Brake Tester Now Incorporates GPS Data

The Bowmonk BrakeCheck is probably the best known portable MOT & Commercial Vehicle Brake Tester around.

With over 20,000 brake testers sold, the Bownonk BrakeCheck is a valuable tool for many transport / haulage workshops and MOT stations in he UK & around the world.

With this and to increase the products quality we can now release a new addition to the BrakeCheck family of products – BrakeCheck Geo

BrakeCheck Geo includes a built-in GPS receiver. When combined with the optional wireless printer, BrakeCheck Geo includes the latitude and longitude of the brake test finish point on the receipt, thereby providing a record of the brake test location.
The GPS facility can be turned on or off by the user as required and an indicator LED shows the GPS status. If the GPS facility is enabled, the unit will not conduct a brake test until a GPS fix has been obtained.
Decelerometer testing of commercial vehicles can now be proven further with this device, GPS location and time & date will 100% prove a test has taken place.
BrakeCheck Geo stores 99 Service Brake Tests & 99 Hand Brake tests within its memory capacity.
With a price of £499.00 + vat the Bowmonk BrakeCheck Geo is still a cost effective brake test for commercial vehicle inspection sheet tests.
Contact aide automotive for sales support, purchasing or just to have a chat!!

 

 

BrakeCheck Bowmonk

Bowmonk GPS added to Brake Tester

Vehicle Truck, Bus, Coach Winter Battery Test

April 26th, 2018 Comments off

Truck Bus, Coach Winter Battery Test
Cold Weather Means Vehicle Battery Tests More Beneficial
Cold weather is especially hard on Car, Van, Truck, Bus & Coach batteries.

According to AAA’s Automotive Research Center, at 0°F, a car’s battery loses about 60 percent of its strength, during cold temperatures starting an engine can take up to twice as much current as needed under normal conditions.

Cold weather inhibits the chemical reaction necessary to make a battery work, which is often the reason you may have trouble starting a vehicle on a cold winter morning! Cold weather together with a lack of vehicle usage, especially over the festive period, every year leads to high numbers of assistance call outs.

During the cold winter months, the last thing is a breakdown due to vehicle battery problems. A vehicle battery’s ability to charge is also reduced in the cold weather.

Charge and test is the recommendation for all garages while service or MOT-ing vehicles this winter.

Charging batteries will replace the lost capacity that modern day gadgets use, a vehicles recharging circuit will only replace the lost capacity through driving. Sat navs, mobiles phones and DVDs for example could slowly discharge a battery and cause a flat battery breakdown.

aide automotive have been marketing the Midtronics Battery Tester for over 10 years, with some great customer response over this period the Midtronics range offer ease of use and accurate diagnose compared to other cheaper models.

aide automotive have a range of new and used Midtronics Testers, with some used testers in perfect condition offering a good saving from a new tester.

To equip a workshop with a excellent tester before the winter hits and keep vehicles on the road contact use by clicking on Midtronics Battery Tester and ask for pricing and specification of 12 volt Battery Testers or 24 Volt System Testers.

 

CV Winter Battery Tester

Midtronics MDX 655P 24 Volt Truck/Bus/Coach Battery Tester

Bus & Coach DASH Cameras

March 29th, 2018 Comments off

Salmonds DASH Cam Repeat Business Totals 15 Cameras

Salmond’s provides Coach Hire for all occasions, located in central Scotland and primarily provide coach hire in West Lothian, Edinburgh and Glasgow as well as the rest of the UK.

With a modern and flexible fleet of coaches. Salmonds also have many wheelchair accessible vehicles, with the whole fleet maintained to the highest standards.

With over 15 DASH Cams purchased from aide automotive, Salmond Coaches believe a Dash Cam is a valuable aide to a vehicles security and efficiency.
T90 – 1CH DASH CAMERA – unmatched video quality, the T90 Dash Camera with 1CH Built-in GPS & uses the very latest Sony Sensor technology. This little camera packs a punch with the Sony IMX 322 Sensor intergrated Smart Power Control for parking mode, so even easier installation, which is sure to worry other well know brands of dash cameras out there.

The T90 dash camera offers the following features:

  • Wifi enabled, for connecting to your smart phone – Apple & Android
  • Unit comes with a 16 gig sd card, but can take up to a massive 512 GB!
  • Full HD – 1920 x 1080p (30fps)
  • Sony IMX 322 Sensor
  • Built In Low Voltage Cut Off Function
  • Built In Dual Band GPS ( GPS + Glonass)
  • 21 Language support
  • Multi booting System – ACC-On-Off
  • AE (Auto Exposure)
  • Dual OS – Android&IOS – PC Viewer: Windows & Mac
Commercial Vehicle Incident Camera

Coach Company Salmonds DASH Cam Repeat Business Totals 15 Cameras

Electric & Hybrid Car Safety Tools

March 23rd, 2018 Comments off

aide’s Hybrid & Electric Car Tool Kits Wins Nationwide Order

With the emergence of Hybrid & Electric vehicles on UK roads, the need to service & maintain via franchise and after market garages is now upon us.

With the growth in environmental awareness, the use of electric and hybrid vehicles (E&HVs) is increasing. The recovery, repair, and maintenance of these vehicles outside the manufacturers and franchised dealership networks is increasing.

People in the motor vehicle repair and recovery industry are now more likely to come across E&HVs and as a result need to be aware of the additional hazards they may be exposed to when working with these vehicles. They may also need to develop a wider range of skills and knowledge and have access to specialist tools and equipment in order to be able to work safely.
Voltages present in E&HVs are significantly higher (currently up to 650 Volts direct current (dc)) than those used in other vehicles (12/24 Volts dc). In dry conditions, accidental contact with parts that are live at voltages above 110 Volts dc can be fatal. For E&HVs dc voltages between 60 and 1500 Volts are referred to as ‘high voltage’. This terminology is used in this guidance although high voltage is defined differently in other industry sectors.
Battery systems may contain chemicals that can be harmful if released. They also store significant amounts of energy that can give rise to explosion if not dealt with correctly.
There are substantial differences in the designs of E&HVs from different manufacturers. Having information specific to the manufacturer and the vehicle being worked on is important in identifying what actions are necessary to work safely.
With this aide automotive have introduced a stater Hybrid / Electric Car Safe to Service Tool Kit to help garages acquire the correct SAFE tools.
A nationwide garage service network has introduced a service plan for Hybrid / Electric Cars and hence purchased 320 Hybrid / Electric Car Safety Tool Kits.
Additional skills and training will be necessary to allow people to work safely with E&HVs,
Contact aide automotive to enquire about the Hybrid / Electric Car Safety Tool Kits today!
Electric & Hybrid Car Safety Tools

aide’s Hybrid & Electric Car Tool Kits Wins Nationwide Order

Portable Brake Tester Designed Specifically For Forklift Trucks

March 9th, 2018 Comments off

Forklift Trucks Brake Testing With BrakeCheck FLT

The BrakeCheck 4 Forklift Trucks (FLT) is our portable brake tester designed specifically for forklift trucks.
The Bowmonk BrakeCheck FLT is a fully self-contained, user-friendly, portable brake tester, which has been developed with a leading forklift truck manufacturer to take account of the slow speed and tilt of forklift truck vehicles. The instrument records the braking efficiency and percentage of braking imbalance in a matter of minutes.
The Bowmonk BrakeCheck FLT determines braking efficiency of both the Service Brake (Foot Brake) and Hand Brake by measuring the rate of deceleration from normal operating speed until the vehicle comes to rest.
The BrakeCheck FLT is the perfect tool to assist with LOLER/PUWER safety inspections.
Designed to be self-compensating, this Fork Lift Truck Brake Meter will indicate on the LED screen when it is positioned level enough to perform a brake test, with a generous tolerance to ensure that this is easy to achieve.
BrakeCheck 4 Forklift Trucks indicates whether the vehicle pulls to the left or right during braking.
Test results can be viewed on the display panel or downloaded to a PC for saving or printing. A printed report can also be produced at the time of testing using the portable infra-red printer.
BrakeCheck 4 Forklift Trucks operates off a rechargeable lithium-ion battery pack and will power-down after a period of inactivity to conserve energy.
Contact aide automotive on 0115 8456471 for questions, prices and training.
BrakeCheck - ForkLift Trucks

Brake Testing Fork Lift Trucks

Agricultural tractor Brake Test would meet the road worthines

March 2nd, 2018 Comments off

Tractors To Require An O Licence

Agricultural tractors “likely” to require an O-licence

aide automotive have recently seen media reports of agricultural vehicles possibly being made to meet better road safety regulations as per commercial vehicles on UK roads.
Commercial Motor published:
Agricultural tractors that carry out commercial haulage will be subject to roadworthiness testing requirements from next year – and are likely to fall under the O-licensing regime.
From 20 May 2018, operators of agricultural tractors capable of travelling more than 40km/h (approximately 25mph), used to carry commercial goods, will be required to undergo a roadworthiness test four years after their registration and every two years thereafter.
In its response to a consultation carried out last year, the DfT also noted that operators of such tractors would likely require an O-licence.
However, the RHA said the changes did not go far enough to address the concerns about competition, and said allowing tractors to carry freight will encourage more to be used for haulage.
“Ideally we would like to see these vehicles banned from moving freight on public roads entirely as their design is not equivalent to well-designed lorries for that task,” said policy director Duncan Buchanan.
“We do not believe that the frequency, four years for the first test then every two years, is justified. It looks very odd for heavy vehicles like these to be tested so infrequently when a 50cc moped is required to be tested every year after three years.”
The FTA’s head of policy and compliance information, James Firth, added: “If it looks like a truck or it’s doing the work of a truck, test it like a truck. Members in areas where agriculture is a primary economy have long raised concerns that agricultural tractor units, and specially developed fast tractors, were competing in the haulage market without being burdened by the same safety standards.”
On the subject of O-licensing, Buchanan added: “If it is the case then operators would need to obtain O-licences from when the vehicle was new. They should also have to comply with the same level of rigour as lorries.”
Vernon Hill, director at Kings Lynn-based Vernon Hill Agricultural Services, supported bringing tractors into the O-licensing regime.
He said: “An agricultural contractor friend of mine who runs lorries and tractors thinks the cost of each is very similar, so if farmers think they are saving money by not using a haulier they may be kidding themselves.
“If they are doing commercial haulage, why shouldn’t they be in scope of O-licensing?”
The weight and speed limits for farm tractors and trailers on UK roads increased in 2015. Tractors are not currently subject to mandatory testing.
If tractors are to fall under the O licence criteria, agricultural workshops and repair engineers will have to look at regular brake testing, one way to test tractor brakes is the BrakeCheck decelerometer.
Easy to use and with hard copy print options, brake testing a agricultural tractor with a BrakeCheck would meet the road worthiness requirement of an O licence.
Contact aide automotive on 0115 8456471 for BrakeCheck pricing and any further information that me be required.
Brake Tester For Farming Tractors

Test Agri Tractor Brakes With BrakeCheck