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NEWS 6 AFTERMARKET NOVEMBER 2021 www.aftermarketonline.net MP opens new RMI Academy The fourth RMI Academy of Automotive Skills training site in Lincoln was officially opened recently by local MP Karl McCartney. This new facility is part of the RMI’s aim of addressing the skills shortage in the automotive industry by providing affordable training for garages on a more local basis. RMI Director Stuart James commented: “As the 2030 ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars approaches, the lack of technicians skilled in hybrid and electric vehicle repair is one of the biggest threats to this plan. We would like to thank Mr McCartney for supporting our efforts in this step forward to provide the skills needed for technicians in the local community to repair the growing number of hybrid and electric vehicles on our roads.” MP for Lincoln Karl McCartney added: “I am absolutely delighted to see a new training centre for automotive technicians opening within my constituency, offering as it does a wonderful opportunity for young people in our community to learn skills that will support them for the rest of their lives. By partnering a fantastic long-standing local firm with a dedicated expert professional body, to focus on Hybrid and EV vehicle training, this particular centre also puts Lincoln at the cutting edge of technology. This will offer a double-whammy of opportunity for trainees and the sector as a whole, at a time when only around 5% of technicians in the UK are currently qualified to work on these vehicles.” The new training site joins established facilities in Runcorn, Winchester and Southam, where a range of MOT and technical training courses are available. For more information visit RMItrainingAcademy .co.uk 18.4% of classic cars aged over 40 years old failed MOT tests over the last year, despite no legal obligation for owners to have one carried out. Data obtained from the DVSA via a Freedom of Information request by BookMyGarage.com showed 121,204 classic cars aged over 40 years old voluntarily had a MOT test between January 2019 and June 2021. Marques with no recorded failures included Bentley, Wolseley, Saab, Peugeot, Opel, Toyota and TVR. Since May 2018, cars aged over 40 years old, classed by the DVLA as historic vehicles, have been exempt from MOT tests and road tax. However, failure to keep a car in roadworthy condition can result in a fine of up to £2,500 and three penalty points. According to the figures, 1970s cars are three times as likely to fail than those from the 1950s. In 2020, just 41,000 historic vehicles were tested, down 32% on 2019. Jessica Potts, Head of Marketing at BookMyGarage.com, commented: “Our advice to classic car owners who aren’t mechanically inclined is to get a voluntary MOT test or vehicle health check carried out annually by a qualified garage for peace of mind. That way, drivers avoid risking fines and penalty points, or even causing an accident.” BookMyGarage.com has launched a tool to compare the MOT pass rates of any classic make and model which can be found at: https://bookmygarage.com/blog/classic- cars-mot-fails/ One in five classics fail MOT Mannol product cleared The Verification of Lubricant Specifications (VLS) has given a clean bill of health to a Mannol engine oil, following an investigation. VLS received a complaint regarding Mannol Longlife 5w30 504/507 Engine Oil in September 2020, alleging that no current additive pack existed in the marketplace that could meet all of the OEM claims made on the product. During the investigation, VLS determined that the product did receive an official approval from VW on 8 June 2019 against its standard 504 00/507 00. In line with the VLS marketing claims procedure, VLS asked the Named Party to provide the Candidate Data Pack and a letter of support from their additive company supporting all of the marketing claims made on the product, including VW 505 01 and the other manufacturer claims, which fell short of formal OEM approvals. The Named Party provided a re-blend approval to the formulation from their technology provider along with a copy of the Candidate Data Pack. VLS then worked with the Named Party to rationalise the number of claims made on the technical data sheet to reflect the official Volkswagen approval obtained, the marketing claims supported by the technology re-blend approval and the Candidate Data Pack validating the ACEA claims made. VLS undertook a six-month review of the case and concluded that the product was in continued compliance at this stage. Consequently, the complaint has been met and the case resolved. David Wright, Company Secretary at VLS said: “In this case, we have demonstrated that VLS will investigate products that are not in compliance and work with the Named Party to ensure that valid changes are made. By working with the sector in this way, we can resolve non-compliant products in an independent and impartial manner and support companies to compete on a more equitable basis in a highly competitive marketplace.” www.ukla-vls.org.uk