June 2021

www.aftermarketonline.net JUNE 2021 AFTERMARKET 3 CONTENTS BUSINESS 8 Big issue: Self-driving cars 12 Tina Drayson: Measure your business 14 Airtex: A breath of fresh Airtex 16 Carl Davis: Legion of doom? 18 Graham Clark: Recruitment tool 20 EAG: Two years and counting TOP TECHNICIAN/TOP GARAGE 22 One step closer TECHNICAL 26 Snap-on: FlexRay 28 VLS: Additive advantage 30 Frank Massey: Common rail diesel 32 Kalimex: The Legends lowdown IN FOCUS 34 Clutch and transmission 36 Case study: Clutch replacement 38 Garage management systems 40 Diagnostic tools PLUS... 44 General products/Competition 46 Coronavirus round-up 50 Garage visit: SW Autotech 52 EVs and hybrids 54 Training update 56 Recruitment 58 Teabreak VACCINATE OR VACILLATE? Editor | Alex Wells alex@aftermarket.co.uk | +44 (0) 1732 370 345 Contributors Graham Clark | Damien Coleman | Carl Davis | Tina Drayson Alistair Mason | Frank Massey | Mike Schlup Sales Manager | Daniella Gavin Daniella@aftermarket.co.uk | +44 (0) 1732 370 349 Managing Director | Ryan Fuller ryan.fuller@dfamedia.co.uk | +44 (0) 1732 370 340 Operations Manager | Ewa Hodden ewa.hodden@dfamedia.co.uk | +44 (0) 1732 370 340 Project Liaison Manager | Emma Floyd emma.floyd@dfamedia.co.uk | +44 (0) 1732 370 340 Finance Manager | Caren Brown caren.brown@dfamedia.co.uk | +44 (0) 1732 370 340 Chief Executive | Ian Atkinson ian.atkinson@dfamedia.co.uk | +44 (0) 1732 370 340 Published by | DFA Media Ltd 192 High Street, Tonbridge, Kent, TN9 1BE Alex Wells, Editor Average net circulation July 2019 to June 2020 23,616 aftermarketmagazine @aftermarket01 ISSN 2516-9149 Aftermarket is published 10 times a year and is sent free of charge to applicants meeting the publisher’s criteria. All others may subscribe at £60 per anum, £120 Europe and £150 rest of the world. While every care is taken to provide accurate information, the publisher cannot accept responsibility for any errors or ommisions, no matter how caused. All rights reserved. No part of the publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior consent of the publisher. The views of contributors do not necessarily represent the views of the publisher. Copyright: DFA MEDIA LTD 2021. A nother month goes by, and restrictions have eased a little more. I’m not expecting to go out anywhere soon though, and after sitting looking at the same wall for nine hours a day for the last 15 months, I think I’m forgetting how to actually talk to people in real-life anyway. I imagine this might me more widespread than anyone would like to admit. I wonder how this will affect front-of-house staff in garages, both in terms of their own emotional state, and dealing with customers who are just as fragile? It’s easier to hide your feelings with your head under a bonnet, than when you actually need to converse with the customers. One to think about. During the production of this issue, I actually had my first jab. It’s not that I’m prone to Hypochondria, but I must confess that just after my seamless, all-but- painless experience, I spent the rest of the day expecting…something? Maybe a sudden Hulk-out? You know, turning green, getting crazy, probably anticipated by the baleful declaration “you won’t like me when I’m vaccinated…” None of this happened of course, heck my arm didn’t even hurt. That said, by the evening I had developed the mother of all 24-hour man-flus. Please, no sympathy. In that I kept looking at my arm to see if it had turned a shade of emerald, a self-driving car would have been handy that day. Fortunately for me, the government recently announced it would allow vehicles with Automated Lane Keeping Systems (ALKS) on UK roads from later in the year. Is this a good thing? Is the sector ready? In Big Issue on pages 8-11, we ask these questions and more. What about the rest of the issue? On pages 12-13, we hear from Garage Inspector Graduate Tina Drayson, who explains how understanding your KPIs can really help your business grow. Next up is an interview with Sam Robinson from First Brands, who explains the re-launch of Airtex into the UK aftermarket. That is on pages 14-15. We also speak to Tony Bhogal about two years of EAG. That is on pages 20-21. On page 18, Graham Clark is back, discussing how Investors in People can be a brilliant recruitment tool. Back on page 16, Carl Davis from SCS is considering the dangers of Legionellosis lurking in water systems. On the technical front, Damien Coleman from Snap-on is on the third part of his look at communication networks on pages 26-27. This month, the topic is FlexRay. Frank Massey is here as always on page 30-31, this time looking at issues around common rail diesel. On page 28, VLS talk about the importance of using only high-quality additives. Lastly, Mike Schlup from Kalimex takes a different tack this issue on pages 32-33, where he discusses JLM Lubricants’ sponsorship of the Legends championship. If you like what you read, there is a handy tie-in competition on page 44, where you have the chance to win a pair of VIP tickets to a race of your choice. Beyond that, we have a garage visit with SW Autotech in Yeovil, features on clutch and transmission, garage management systems and diagnostic tools, as well as all the regulars like EVs and hybrids, the Coronavirus round-up, and of course the latest update on Top Technician and Top Garage. We are moving into round two on both now, so turn to page 22 to find out more.