Aftermarket March 2023

MARCH 2023 AFTERMARKET 29 that means that something’s got to give. As a fall-back, Siemens have built a state-of-the-art locomotive factory in Goole, East Yorkshire, and I am thinking of following John Candy’s footsteps, a.k.a Planes, Trains and Automobiles, although obviously I will have to swap the order, and find someone to be Steve Martin. Informative The first challenge I would like to share is quite up-to-date a Ford Focus 1.6 EcoBoost. Problem one; I did not get the opportunity to speak directly with the vehicle owner, so only had third-hand basic information. I was told the battery required a boost start, with the main fault relating to windscreen wiper failure. Problem two; The battery had been charged prior to my involvement. I would have preferred to evaluate the battery prior to charging. My tool kit included a Midtronics conductance tester. The initial voltage read 12.4v. The value of conductance testing is the ability to predict internal cell condition. This is based on entering specific parameters, i.e. cold cranking amps (CCA) and temperature. An algorithm then applies a specific current, across the plates, approximately 1.5 amps switched digitally. The test reported a failed battery condition, with a replacement battery required. While awaiting delivery, I brought the vehicle into the workshop to conduct some basic observations with the windscreen wipers. The workshop does have good access to technical data (E3), so I checked the wiper fuse, which was ok. I then conducted some simple voltage test with a dmm at the wiper motor, no change of state was noted. Out of interest, I re-checked the battery voltage. Although less than 30 minutes had passed from my original check, the voltage had dropped to 9.6v. I suspended all further testing until I had replaced the battery. Luckily, I was able to fit a temporary slave battery allowing a continuance in my repair task. With the slave battery fitted, I repeated my voltage test at the offside motor as accessibility was unrestricted. The motor was active and operating normally. This confirmed my knowledge of potential problems within network control systems when low voltage and battery failure occurs. Non-essential functions often cease operating in favour of basic motion survivability. The key to this repair was focusing on basic system requirements, with fix and go principles. It is worth mentioning that when testing batteries, do not take it for granted that the correct battery is fitted, and set your test parameters to the correct specification required. This can be established using the Yuasa dial up tool. Next issue: Several repairs in the life of a reborn vehicle tech.