The Automotive Blog

The Old Mechanical Brake Tester Tapley Now Retired As DVSA Say A Print Out Required

For almost 100 years Tapley brake testers have been the market leading portable brake testing equipment.

Results of Tapley Brake meter tests have been accepted as evidence of braking efficiency in Courts of Law throughout the world.

But now it seems the Tapley Brake Tester may well be retired in the UK, recent guidance from the DVSA now says a brake test must be printed for inspection records.

Decelerometers have moved on significantly from the old mechanical brake testers such as Tapley Decelerometer. Being electronic BrakeCheck has a much higher accuracy and additional information such as average deceleration, a left/right pull measurement, speed at braking and stopping distance. All tests are time and date stamped.

Contact aide automotive to discuss the recent DVSA brake testing guidance and BrakeCheck. – Call 0115 8456471

MOT Tapley Brake Meter

DVSA Recommend 4 Brake Tests Per Year!!

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.”

BrakeCheck is a portable brake tester that works from the principle of measuring deceleration or Brake Efficiency, BrakeCheck has been proved to be a good indication of brake performance and cost effective for any workshop. Over 15,000 BrakeCheck’s have been purchased since it’s introduction in January 2003, and is now a standard tool for any vehicle workshop.

In addition to BrakeCheck Standard which is marketed towards Car, Van Truck and Bus / Coaches, BrakeCheck For Truck &Trailers is ideal for trailer operating companies.

aide automotive also recommend the use of an Infra Red Thermometer to check individual wheels via temperature. This in conjunction with a decelerometer print out would be the perfect 3 times a year brake test for any commercial vehicle.

To discuss how BrakeCheck or the Brake Testing Equipment works or to review pricing please call us on 0115 8456471.

Brake Tester Using Brake Efficiency to Report On Truck Brakes

More & More Commercial Vehicle Operators Purchase BrakeCheck To Complete Their Inspection Sheets.

Roger Jackson of Ensign Bus said “We have now purchased Bowmonk BrakeCheck for all our depots and find it a valuable addition to our workshops. To have the ability to carryout positive testing and to record actual results on an inspection sheet is very beneficial.”

Decelerometers have moved on significantly from the old mechanical brake testers such as Tapley Decelerometer. Being electronic there is a much higher accuracy and additional information such as average deceleration, a left/right pull measurement, speed at braking and stopping distance. All tests are time and date stamped.

BrakeCheck has been proven to be an excellent inspection sheet Bowmonk brake tester for all commercial vehicles, over 14000 testers sold since 2002. With many operators using the BrakeCheck to conduct a VOSA accepted brake test on every inspection.

BrakeCheck Truck & Trailer will brake test tractor units, rigid trucks and also incorporates a 99 test memory on the service, hand and trailer brake test, a total of 297 tests. The trailer brake test feature enables repairers and internal maintenance workshops to conduct an inspection sheet brake test of a commercial trailer.

Brake Tester Using Brake Efficiency to Report On Truck Brakes

Transport Operator’s annual Brake Testing feature in Truck & Bus Product Focus went out on 6th Of March this year.

With three Brake Testing Product adverts added by aide automotive, the email focus is am ideal marketing platform for transport related products.

Truck & Bus Product Focus is live and online for a full 12 months. Now having an 11,500 email database compared to 7,500 when we launched. Truck & Bus Product Focus is achieving an average open rate of 22.3%. The average for business to business is 5%-15%.
Our average click thru rate to company websites is 107 clicks per entry, which again is above average for business to business.

aide automotive advertised the BrakeCheck portable brake tester, approved by VOSA for many vehicles; in the commercial sector VOSA accept BrakeCheck for testing all commercial type vehicles on every inspection.

Also advertised under the focus as the EBS/ABS Sensor Master. Easy truck & trailer brake faults repaired with this excellent cost effective tester.

Finally Trailer Brake Testing using the TrailerCheck product range, testing of the ABS or EBS CAN Lines of a trailer.

You can see the Product Focus by clicking on Brake Testers.

Contact aide automotive to review and price any of our brake testing products.

Brake Tester Using Brake Efficiency to Report On Truck Brakes

How to Use A Decelerometer For Trailer Brake Tests

Trailer maintenance requires to be as professional as truck maintenance, Carrying out a inspection brake test on trailer doe not mean an expensive Roller Brake Test.

Research has concluded that using a product like BrakeCheck to test trailers brakes is beneficial but will not indicate a below par efficiency on a particular wheel or brake, although using an Infra Red Thermometer as well will increase your awareness of a faulty brake or a low efficiency brake.

VOSA’s Mark Pattison has stated “A decelerometer is not the ideal method to test the braking of a vehicle and trailer combination. However it is of some use. You are correct that the checking of individual wheels would not show up in a test result. The way to use a decelerometer is to first test the drawing vehicle on its own. Then connect the trailer and the deceleration rate should be similar i.e. the trailer is doing its fair share of work. This is not an exact science but would be enough to give you confidence the trailer brakes were working.”

This system is ideal for commercial operations to improve maintenance records for trailers and increase awareness of a trailers brake performance between the annual roller brake tests. Offering a print out of the combination tractor and trailer performance with brake temperatures will improve quality procedures and health & safety paper work. It is often said in today’s age paper work to protect directors and managers from the corporate manslaughter or health and safety law is essential.
aide automotive have designed an inspection sheet for trailers using the BrakeCheck and thermometer, if you require a copy email info@aideautomotive.com with subject heading Trailer Inspection Sheet.

aide automotive also recommend to test the pressure on brake chambers, this will increase your past rate for trailer parking brakes.

To discuss trailer brake testing further call aide automotive on 0115 8456471.

Brake Testing In Ireland

Irish Sales Of BrakeCheck Soar As Truck Inspections Brake Tests

Ireland Brake Tester Sales Soar!!

Since 2011 Irish Operators have been advised to carry out regular brake testing when inspecting a commercial vehicle.

Now two years on we have seen the word passed round and with a high amount of interest we supplied over 20 BrakeCheck Printer Kits to Ireland in December 2013.

BrakeCheck has been proven to be an excellent inspection sheet brake tester for all commercial vehicles with over 11000 testers sold since 2002. With many commercial operators and repairers using the BrakeCheck to conduct a VOSA accepted brake test on every inspection, BrakeCheck is the number 1 decelerometer on the market today!

Richard Lee Compliant and Enforcement Manager of the DOE in Northern Ireland has recently accepted the use of a decelerometer for heavy goods inspection sheet brake testing. Richard states “I can confirm that a decelerometer may be adequate for checking brake efficiency on some vehicles especially if it is linked to a printer and a record of the brake test can be recorded. This would be consistent with our Guide to Maintaining Roadworthiness which has a section (5) detailing safety inspection and repair facilities.”

The DOE are now advising commercial vehicle operators, commercial repairers and in house workshops to complete regular inspection sheet brake test, The BrakeCheck is the tester! BrakeCheck will conduct a Service, Secondary & parking brake test with ease and store in its memory for later printing via PC or portable printer.

Simple and quick to use review this product further at www.brake-tester.co.uk

Brake Tester

BrakeCheck approval by National Express

National Express is ordering the BrakeCheck system following a successful demonstration at its Walsall depot. Nick Sorrill, head of quality assurance, explains: “National Express takes every step to ensure our duty of care policy and high safety standards are constantly adhered to. To this end, there is no exception or compromise where our bus and coach Brake Testing programme is concerned.

“For those brake tests carried out where there is no rolling road available or on the rare occasion they break down, we must have confidence that we have a viable alternative for providing an accurate recording of the service, secondary and hand brake. After some research into what products were available to achieve this we found BrakeCheck to be the one.

“BrakeCheck proved to be 100 per cent accurate when compared to a previous test on our roller brake tester. This and the fact that BrakeCheck is VOSA-approved sealed the deal for us. Consequently, we are now rolling them out to our other depots across the bus and coach businesses.”

Brake Tester Using Brake Efficiency to Report On Truck Brakes

aide automotives Brake Efficiency Tester BrakeCheck is the ideal way to test vehicle brakes.

VOSA are continually advising operators, commercial repairers and in house workshops to complete regular inspection sheet brake test.

Being electronic there is a much higher accuracy and additional information such as average deceleration, a left/right pull measurement, speed at braking and stopping distance. All tests are time and date stamped.

BrakeCheck can be used and is accepted by VOSA for many vehicles, in the commercial sector VOSA approve BrakeCheck for testing all commercial type vehicles on every inspection. Within the MOT centre this device is used as back up to the roller tester but used in principal on 4×4 vehicles.

Gary Moir of MSK Waste said ” Using a Brake Efficiceny Tester such as a BrakeCheck has saved this company hundreds of pounds as taking vehicles to rollers testers for an inspection brake test is unecessary.”

Contact aide automotive for a Brake Efficiency Tester question by clicking on BRAKE EFFICIENCY 

Brake Tester Uisng Brake Efficiency to Report On Truck Brakes

TrailerCheck’s Code Talk Trailer Diagnostics Concudes with the Addtion of WABCO EBS

aide automotive are pleased to confirm the addition of Wabco EBS to our excellent Commercial Trailer Diagnostic Tester TrailerCheck & Code Talk.

TrailerCheck’s ECU diagnostics Reader has now the option of reading and clearing codes on the following systems: Haldex, Wabco & Knor Bremse Anti Lock Braking Systems and Haldex, Wabco & Knor Bremse Electronic Braking Systems.

Matthew Burke aide automotives Director stated “We have marketed the TrailerCheck for many years, first when we introduced the portable trailer light tester and with years of development added the excellent Code Talk Remote controller for the TrailerCheck & diagnostics code reader / clearer. This product has further developed with a Van version as the ultimate one man trailer service tool. We recently supplied Chatfields Depots with the Van version and with their knowledge to see an investment in latest technology workshop tools, proves to us we have a excellent product and the need to focus on further development of all our products to meet today’s technology.”

You can read more about the Chatfields purchase within the Email Subject “Chatfields Invest in TrailerCheck“.

If you would like to discuss the specifaction of the TrailerCheck product range please do not hesitate to contact us by clicking on aide automoitve ltd.

Trailer Light Tester to test lights and air brakes on a commercial trailer

BrakeCheck 2 Year Warranty!

aide automotive are now pleased to offer a two year warranty on all BrakeCheck’s & Accessories

aide automotive have improved our customer service by increasing the warranty from 1 to 2 years on the BrakeCheck family & accessories!

BrakeCheck is the number one brake tester for commercial vehicle inspections sheets and with over 13,000 testers sold BrakeCheck is now the number one reliable tester on the market.

Matthew Burke Sales Director Said “Since the launch of BrakeCheck in 2001 we have been continually looking at way to improve the tester for reliability and operational, with BrakeCheck Series 2 we now have the over whelming confidence to offer a two year warranty, operationally the BrakeCheck product is at the very top of its product sector and now we feel its top for reliability.”

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.

If you have any questions on why a BrakeCheck is used on commercial vehicles or within the MOT test station please click on Brake Tester to enquire or phone 0115 8456471.