September 2021

SEPTEMBER 2021 AFTERMARKET 43 www.aftermarketonline.net “Again, though it is an upsell, it is one that the customer should embrace - if the need for it is properly explained - and the result is happier customers.” He added: “Remember, though most people think of lighting in terms of headlight bulbs, there are other opportunities in terms of positional lights,interior lights, licence plate lighting, side mirror lights, trunk lighting and fog lights. It is undoubtedly worth checking all the lights on a vehicle, to see where else there might be opportunity to upsell because again, the effect of an upgraded product can be quite dramatic.” LED retrofit To LED retrofit or not to LED retrofit - that is the question, and this was Richard’s answer: “There are an increasing number of LED Retrofit options available to motorists as a possible upsell - but it pays to do your research before offering LED as a potential upgrade. There are quite a lot of products on the market, but they can differ wildly in terms of reliability, performance and overall safety - both in terms of the scope and quality of light emittted as well as in terms of operation. Look for something that is a proven quality item - such as the Philips Ultinon Pro6000 available for the German market only, which recently has been homolgated for specific, tested car models for driving on public roads in Germany. Richard concluded: “It is also important to bear in mind that LED retrofit lighting is not road-legal in the UK, so is currently only suitable for off-road use and that MOT stations are instructed to fail any car using an LED Retrofit. Therefore, it is very much a case, even though there is some quality product on the market, of “Caveat Emptor” in the UK.” Paramount importance HELLA UK’s Senior Head of Marketing and Communications, Helen Goldingay commented: “It is very easy to think of vehicle lighting as meaning just headlights and rear lights, but, although they are of paramount importance to both driver and public safety, lighting is a far broader and varied subject, of which HELLA is in the vanguard. This fact is demonstrated by its many long-term relationships with vehicle manufacturers around the world and the pioneering concepts it has brought to market through these collaborations. These include LED, Matrix LED and HD Matrix LED with laser high beam, as well as the introduction of organic light-emitting diode (OLED) technology into rear combination lamps, for example. She continued: “Perhaps from an aftermarket perspective, many of these developments may seem rather irrelevant, but when you consider the growing trend for LED replacement headlight bulbs, that’s not the case. In fact, it is an area that from a legislative standpoint, the industry needs to be aware of. Although it is possible and indeed sometimes beneficial for motorists to fit upgrade bulbs, such as HELLA’s Lifetime, Design or Performance models, they must comply to ECE R37 regulation. Only bulbs with an ‘E’ mark – which stipulates that they comply to the global standard, followed by a number that identifies the country where the authorisation was granted – are legal.” Quick and reliable “Headlight technology has improved so much that it is now nigh-on impossible for the human eye to judge a headlight pattern and assess whether that headlight is in the correct position,” said MAHA UK Sales Manager Nick Austin, “but there is a product in MAHA UK’s arsenal that can do the job on the technician’s behalf.” He continued: “The MAHA MLT 3000 is a digital headlight alignment tester, which can produce quick and reliable testing and results. At OE level, VAG has approved the use of the MLT 3000 in its dealerships, such is the confidence it has in the equipment. Nick continued: “I am aware of some workshops that continue to use a 30-year-old headlight tester, mounted to the MOT bay, but that simply won’t do the job anymore – the lens won’t be capable of measuring the new matrix LED bulbs. On the MLT 3000, though, via camera technology, the electronic software can make the decision whether a headlight, irrespective of how many LEDs are present, is aligned correctly or not. It removes the possibility of human error from how people interpret what they’re seeing.” Inspection Lighting does not just mean headlights – it also means lights that you work with. Henry Bisson, Marketing Manager at Ring Automotive observed: “As the nation returns to normal, garages are set to become busier, increasing demand for time-saving lighting tools such as fast-charge, cordless and rechargeable inspection lamps. “Ring recently launched the rechargeable and cordless MAGflex Slim Fast Charge LED Inspection Lamp and MAGflex PRO Fast Charge Inspection Lamp. From flat, the lamps take only one hour to fully recharge, giving three hours operating time. The real benefit though is how quickly it is to top up. Last year, Ring also launched the MAGflex Utility Inspection Lamp popular with technicians thanks to its unique flexibility to get super bright light in the right places.” Right: MAHA MLT 3000 digital headlight alignment tester working in conjuction with a tablet Left: Ring’s MAGflex Utility Inspection Lamp in use