• Diagnostics & MOT – a combined approach to vehicle Testing
• Portman Asset Finance specialise in providing finance for Garage Equipment and Recovery Vehicles
• Twin VANOS on BMW M52, M54, M56
• A major revision from VOSA sparks free survey offer for MOT upgrades!

Diagnostics & MOT – a combined approach to vehicle Testing

We are all aware of the numerous electronic systems fitted to today’s motor vehicles, all of which require periodic checking for reported and present faults. The modern workshop is therefore often equipped with several diagnostic machines, which, at time of purchasing, purport to do everything the garage needs. In practice, however, they rarely deliver, and none of these tools are designed to earn customer confidence and sell repair work.

Actia Muller’s Multi-Diag is claimed to be the exception to the rule: “a simple, easy-to-use software package with a great front end, making vehicle interrogation a relative pleasure”.

Pick and Choose

With innovative features such as Automatic Vehicle Identification, or the equally fast ‘Pick & Choose vehicle set up, the user is immediately faced with a simple pictorial question and answer process. Reset service indicator: choose Maintenance Reset – OK – and it is done. Electronic brakes: choose Brakes – Open Calipers – and it is done. Test entire vehicle systems: choose Express Diag – and in around 3 minutes, a complete report is produced.

Actia Muller claim that apart from speed and ease of use, where this unit really scores is in its unique reporting ability, designed to communicate On Board Diagnostic messages to the customer in a saleable format. “If you don’t tell, you can’t sell”, says Simon Stone, General Manager. “And Multi-Diag’s reporting facility is perfect to clearly explain faults to the customer, with no need for the hard sell. By presenting him or her with a report to confirm, for example, the air-conditioning ECU has a present fault, workshop time and parts to fix the problem are easily sold, thanks to the simplicity of Multi-Diag’s reports.”

Maximised Sales Potential

MD Pocket is the latest arrival in Actia’s multi-make diagnostic range, boasting the same user-friendly software which defines the Multi-Diag brand. With its fast operation and mobility, it is designed to work hand-in-hand with existing Test equipment, reporting any additional vehicle issues over and above those tested during the MOT.

This ensures workshops maximise the sales potential of every vehicle coming for compulsory annual inspection. Along with ‘side-slip’ to rapidly assess tracking, and ‘shock absorber tester’ which uniquely checks that shocks are performing to specification, Multi-Diag completes the loop in terms of optimising the revenue potential of the workshop and providing enhanced customer service.

Profit Opportunity

“Actia Muller’s philosophy revolves around testing the whole vehicle – whether it has been presented for regular service, MOT, body or fast-fit work,” confirms Simon. “When you only see a vehicle once a year it is important, not only for customer awareness, but also as a welcome additional turnover and profit opportunity, to report all aspects of the vehicle’s condition including ECU or OBD data.”

Customer Information

“To illustrate this potential, if we consider an MOT station Testing just eight vehicles on average per day, nearly 2500 vehicles will pass through the workshop per year. If just 10% of these are sold 2 hours work at a labour rate of a mere £50 per hour, an additional revenue of almost £25,000 can be generated per year – not including any profit made on parts. Therefore, although a Class IV MOT Test Ttation is in its own right a profitable operation, it is important not to be complacent with either additional revenue streams or with customer information and satisfaction which can be generated as an advisory to the vehicle owner, by the use of additional testing equipment”

 MOT Workshop Magazine

Portman Asset Finance specialise in providing finance for Garage Equipment and Recovery Vehicles.

They can finance anything from a torque wrench to a full MOT Test Centre including building works.

If you have any customers that require finance or if you require finance yourself, they would be delighted to hear from you.

They contacted us recently to to briefly tell us how they work.

• Rates from 3.1%.
• They can finance all equipment types.
• They can send a Portman representative to sign up every finance agreement in person.
• They typically approve finance within 6 hours. This is obviously far quicker than a conventional high street bank.
• They can arrange finance for new start and established businesses. They can approve pretty much all businesses for finance.
• No security required; the equipment is the security.

If anybody currently owes you money they can finance the outstanding debt to retrieve your money quickly and easily.

In addition to the above, they can also advance cash against your future Credit and Debit Card Sales.

For further information and an instant quote, please call 0844 800 88 25.

 MOT Workshop Magazine

Twin VANOS on BMW M52, M54, M56

BMW have introduced a Twin VANOS system (Variable Valve Control) on the 6 cylinder twin camshaft petrol, chain driven engine. VANOS units are fitted to both inlet and exhaust camshafts and must be re-set to align with the camshafts when setting the engine timing after Cam chain replacement. (Laser Part No. 4641)

The essential set includes set-up bracket to time camshafts, 2 chain tensioner locking pins, secondary sprocket, VANOS checking and primary chain pre-tension tools. Laser’s original timing kit for locking the twin camshafts is also required (Part No 3112).

Applications: BMW 528i, X5, E46, Z3, Z4, 325, 525 with M52, M54 and M56 engines.

Prices will vary on this product, so check out your local Motor Factor via our website/stockists page: www.lasertools.co.uk

 MOT Workshop Magazine

A major revision from VOSA sparks free survey offer for MOT upgrades!

VOSA have made a major revision to the ‘Requirements for Authorisation for Vehicle Test Stations’, this will mean that from November 2009, many existing MOT Class IV stations that would have been ineligible because of test garage size etc, will now be able to upgrade their premises to ‘One Person Testing’ or full ATL standard.

The Trade Group who claim to be the UK’s foremost experts in MOT and ATL installations, have been alerted by this good news for many existing MOT stations and garages and is offering ‘free survey reports’, without obligation, to any existing Class IV MOT stations, to see if they are now able to take advantage of this important revision to the regulations and make this a potentially lucrative upgrade for their business.

Trade Group’s Terry Bullworthy (right) explained, “Our unique nationwide network of locally based, highly trained, technical sales force and engineering team, are contacting potential customers with the positive news and offering Trade Group’s complete package of support, with free planning and installation, a full range of top quality, high specification MOT equipment, at flexible prices to suit customers budgets, good rates of finance,

subject to status and all backed up with a strong, ongoing technical service support package. We believe we can help lots of MOT stations who probably thought they wouldn’t be eligible to upgrade!”

MOT Workshop Magazine

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