The Automotive Blog

As britain is going through The Big Freeze maintaining vehicles becomes more important  to ensure that everything is working correctly. Employers don’t need stranded vehicles in cold wintery conditions because of issues such as flat batteries. Similarly in winter weather it’s vital to ensure that their vehicles are in top condition, regularly checking the condition of brakes and tyres can prevent accidents in icy conditions. There are a numberof  products on the market that assist through the winter.

If a company driver is stranded because the battery will not start the vehicle or simply batteries need charging to avoid them not working Check out these links to help fix battery issues

• SOS Battery Booster restores Flat Batteries starting a battery from cold or dead.
• Midtronics Battery Tester confirms a vehicle’s battery efficiency.
• Battery Charging prolongs the life of a battery by keeping it fully charged at all times

To ensure your workforce are driving a safe vehicle in wintery conditions, tyres and brakes should be legal.

• Brake Testing with BrakeCheck the brake tester for commercial vehicles .
• Tyre Pressure Monitoring to ensure your tyres are the correct vehicle PSI

• For Brake Testing try BrakeCheck the Brake Testing device for commercial vehicles
• For flat batteries use SOS Battery Booster. This product can start heavy plant engines up to 1500HP which have been stationary for long periods, in extreme weather conditions and without batteries.
• Tyre Pressure Monitoring is simple to assess with PressurePro.

aide automotive are always trying to offer the best equipment on the market. Battery Boosters are offered from many suppliers, but will they do the job?

The SOS Battery Booster is a high performance booster that will start engines when cold and dead flat.

In the winter conditions batteries are push to their limits, extra draw from lights and heaters means that batteries could easily drop below the necessary voltage to start the vehicle, resulting breakdowns, late deliveries and expensive call outs.

aide automotive offer 12 & 24 volt battery boosters with a range of amps specifications.

Click on battery boosters for more info.

This article is helpfull for braking information, taken from the ROSPA Safety Area.

1. The scale of the truck accident problem
Every year 14,500 – 16,000 large goods vehicles are involved in crashes in the UK

2. Safety Advice
The advice provided in the Highway Code recommends that drivers give large goods vehicles (LGV) more room in which to stop. The issue is how much room do they need?

3. Experimental Demonstration
The braking distance of a range of vehicle types was compared both at 30 and 45 mph. This illustrated that LGVs can need up to three times the distance in which to stop when compared to a car.

The general principle of heavier vehicles needing more room to stop was supported in subsequent test conducted at the Army’s driver training facility at Leconfield.

4. Braking theory & practice
Since the combined tyre footprint of a multi-axle LGV is proportionate to its weight the overall braking performance between vehicles should also be proportionate. But this is not so. If both the car and the laden articulated combination had both braked from 30mph, the lorry would still have been travelling at more than 20mph when the car had stopped. The question was why truck braking systems were so relatively ineffective.

5. Vehicle Design and Construction

a) Type approval
All vehicle types have to at least satisfy European Standards. They tend to be determined through compromise and trade-off between vested interests and result in an adequate rather than optimum standard.

b) Braking performance
Type approval sets minimum standards of retardation rather than required stopping distances. This enables manufacturers to design braking systems that meet a common standard of adequacy rather than a higher standard.

The braking systems on cars and motorcycles have improved in step with the other performance factors. The braking performance of LGV’s is subject to the following factors that can eat away at their effectiveness.

c) Hydraulic vs air brake systems
Cars use hydraulic braking systems but the pneumatic systems on LGV’s creates an unavoidable time delay between brake pedal application and the transfer of air pressure to the brake units.

d) Drum vs disc brake systems
The favoured drums on LGV’s, while suitable at lower speeds tend to fade and become less effective under sustained heavy braking.

e) Brake balancing
Truck braking force is also balanced between axle groups and between the tractor and trailer unit by a series of valves, the settings can be manually adjusted and may not create optimum performance .

f) Electronic braking systems
Electronic braking systems, currently being fitted to some Volvo and Mercedes Benz trucks, ensures optimum braking force in all situations and conditions.

g) Tyres
Different tyre compounds are chosen for different purposes. A soft compound tyre reduces skid risk but increases wear. The heat levels generated in compounds may increase pollution due to rubber deposits and carbon black and, because of increased drag, causes reduced fuel economy. A hard compound tyre will last longer, enhance fuel economy, but provide less grip and causes more damage to the road surface. The general-purpose tyre will optimise durability and adhesion. There is also a cost penalty and issues of environmental and operational effectiveness.

h) Driver behaviour
Lorry drivers are often blamed for travelling too close to other vehicles. Video footage of both motorway driving behaviour and crashes makes it clear that drivers may:

• not be aware of the facts
• not believe them
• be convinced it won’t ever happen to them
• simply not care

These issues remain a challenge for road safety experts to deal with.

Conclusion
There is a difference in braking efficiency between vehicle types. Technology has enabled braking efficiencies in excess of 100%. The stopping distance of poorly maintained trucks will undoubtedly be far greater than the values found during the experimental demonstrations. However, a higher level of retardation may not be welcomed by drivers hauling 25 tonnes of steel rods positioned one metre away from their back. They will always obey Newton’s Laws and will want to keep going at the pre braking speed. That in itself causes health and safety problems.

There is though an issue of

a) Public awareness raising for all drivers of motor vehicles
To ensure that adequate and appropriate information is made available to all. This may be through the media and better information in The Highway Code.

b) Research, development and fitment of station sensing and warning devices
The present state of development of vehicle telematic, proximity sensors and similar devices is such that vehicle, speed and situation-specific data could be used to inform and warn drivers of the fact that they were travelling too close to the vehicle ahead.

c) Targeted enforcement activity
In tailgating collisions the offending driver could be prosecuted for dangerous or careless driving. Why not adopt an accident prevention enforcement strategy and prosecute before the inevitable collision?

d) Improved vehicle brake system design and performance standards
Since there appears to be prima-facie evidence to support the case for improved truck braking efficiency, UK Government should press Europe for such improvement.

aide automotive market the BrakeCheck portbale brake tester, ideal for frequent testing on inspections. VOSA also recommend to test brakes every inspection.

Fleet maintenance is crucial in running a safe, efficient and cost effective transport operation. The penalties for your failure to do so, or your failure to the adherence of your Operator License requirements are severe, and can result in the closure of your business.

Drivers and Operators must have a system in place to be able to report promptly any defects or symptoms of defects that could adversely affect the safe operation of their vehicles.

Safety inspections must include those items covered by the appropriate Department for Transport annual test. They should be pre-planned preferably using a time based programme and must be regularly monitored particularly in the early stages. There must be a system to ensure that unroadworthy vehicles are removed from service. Any remedial work carried out arising from safety inspections must be the subject of a written record.

The above text is extracted from the Transports Friend Website.

aide automotive’s products help operators complete vehicle inspections, BrakeCheck is highly accepted by VOSA for inspection sheet brake testing, other products such as TrailerCheck can test and prep a trailer for inspections or MOT.

Brake Light Check is a low cost easy to install device to check brake lights are operational.

By purchasing BrakeCheck organisations will save money on brake testing, see a recent comment from  MSK Waste Management and Recycling

Delivery of BrakeCheck and printer were received the next day following our order.

We have a fleet of 30 HGV vehicles all of which were submitted for voluntary brake checks prior to annual mot at a cost of £61.00 + VAT per vehicle, totalling £1830.00 per annum

We aquired the BrakeCheck and printer from yourselfs for £505.00 + VAT giving MSK a average Annual saving for the 1st year of £1300.00.

Follow this link for more information on BrakeCheck or visit aideautomotive for our full product range

The death of a lorry driver, set alight when a truck overloaded with molten steel slag tipped over, was a “disaster waiting to happen”, a judge has said.

Carl Parsons’ employer, Short Brothers Plant Ltd, admitted breaking health and safety laws and was fined £100,000. Mr Parsons was engulfed in flames when the truck tipped over and the 800C slag ignited diesel spilling from the tank.  The 55-year-old father-of-two from Pontprennau, Cardiff, died two days after the accident in April 2002.

Cardiff Crown Court heard Short Brothers had not done proper health and safety checks on its vehicles at its site at the former Allied Steel and Wire (ASW) works on Rover Way, where Mr Parsons was working. The truck had been modified to carry the scorching hot slag. But the extra weight affected the brakes, which were not tested regularly, the court heard.

Sentencing, Judge Gerald Price QC said the accident could have been avoided as Mr Parson’s death happened “following the defendant’s failure to ensure his safety”.

Prosecutor Bryan Thomas described how part of the truck’s rigging was badly maintained and had seized. He said the brakes were capable of working, but to a reduced effect and the chain on the petrol cap had been broken and not replaced.

“The brakes failed as he drove up a slope to release the waste metal. But the truck rolled back and tipped over igniting the truck’s diesel fuel which had escaped through the leaking cap. .

HSE principal inspector Steve Scott said: “This is a most tragic case, and must serve as a warning to all companies engaged in potentially hazardous activities of the need for thorough and robust health and safety measures to protect their employees.”

Your vehicle’s battery is not very demanding, and most often only thought about when it fails. But just a small amount of care and mantainence will help insure it doesn’t let you down when you need it most.
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Lack of battery care and maintenance combined with cold weather has a way of bringing out the borderline batteries that were fine in the summer, but don’t have the power for a cold weather start. And not just winter, battery care and maintenance is a year round requirement. You want to catch a bad battery before it lets you down, usually on one of the coldest days of the year.

Testing and maintaining a battery is fairly simple and only requires a few basic tools.

If you have a car battery, it is highly recommended that you use a good quality Midtronics tester. There are quite a few types of Midtronics testers. The latest MDX with built in printer are much easier to read and I don’t have to stand there trying techncial information.

Analog (needle type) voltmeters are not accurate enough to measure the millivolt differences of a battery’s State-of-Charge or measure the output of the charging system. A battery load tester is optional.

Midtronics tester of the latest up to date technology for testing car batteries or truck 24 volt batteries.

Also charging a battery is highly recomended,  CTek chargers are an ideal solution to keep a battery recharged.

Poorly educated and trained company car drivers are causing thousands of breakdowns a year because they are failing to carry out basic vehicle maintenance and are not fully briefed on the vehicle they are driving.

Company drivers are putting petrol into diesel cars, which can cost up to £6,000 to repair, and plugging so many electronic gadgets into their cars that their vehicles’ batteries run flat.

Such common mistakes, which according to the RAC mean fleet vehicles are off the road for 11,757 days annually, could be avoided if drivers conducted simple maintenance checks and undertook driver training.

The RAC estimates that over 40,000 fleet breakdown call outs could be avoided this way.
The company’s analysis of fleet vehicle breakdowns revealed that 17 out of the top 20 reasons for breakdowns are beacuse drivers fail to carry out simple actions.

The top call out is for punctures, although this has more to do with health and safety policies than poor driver education, as Debbie Floyd, fleet manager for Bauer, explained.

“The days of a young female sales rep trying to change a flat tyre at the side of the road are over,” she said.

“It is part of our driver health and safety policy that a breakdown service must be called to repair a puncture.”

The most common avoidable call out is for flat batteries.

“Fleet vehicles have become like mobile offices with more and more current-hungry gadgets, such as mobile phones, PCs and navigation systems, and drivers seem to think their cars are bottomless pits of energy,” said Elvin Ravenscroft, tactical development manager for RAC.

“Modern batteries are designed for a high discharge of power when starting the car, but not for a constant, steady power flow as in the case of lights or charging mobile equipment.”

Fleet drivers are continuing to mis-fuel their cars in massive numbers.

Diesel contamination now makes up almost a quarter of the top 20 driver-induced faults.

“If a vehicle is misfuelled, the car should not be unlocked and the key should not be put in the ignition.

“Under no circumstances should the engine be started, since it could result in a repair cost of around £200 to have the fuel tank drained and between £3,000 and £6,000 to repair an engine,” said Mr Ravenscroft.

As well as education regarding their vehicles, fleet managers must continue to ensure their drivers improve their road skills.

RAC data revealed that fleet drivers are twice as likely to be involved in a collision as an average motorist.

“If fleet drivers adhered to road rules, took adequate breaks to avoid tiredness or considered undergoing training to improve driving skills, the number of fleet call outs to a collision could be reduced by as much as 50%,” said Mr Ravenscroft.

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.