Clutch & transmission 36 www.aftermarketonline.net JUNE 2024 Green light for BIO Belt-in-oil technology is good news for the aftermarket, environment and fuel saving, says power transmission specialist Dayco Largely for the emission reductions and fuel saving benefits they help to achieve, belt-in-oil (BIO) timing drive systems continue to be a favoured solution among vehicle manufacturers (VMs), which is good news for the service and repair sector, as they will become an ever more regular replacement requirement for the long term. Although some might question the validity of the concept, preferring the traditional chain drive solution, the fact that many VMs have long since moved to belt driven timing systems and a growing number are adopting the BIO route, means that the replacement process, driven both by the scheduled service interval and by a repair requirement, will be a more frequent workshop activity. To help ensure the ongoing reliability of these engines Dayco, the company that pioneered the BIO innovation on behalf of VMs such as Ford, PSA and VW, has for some time been highlighting the importance to workshops of carrying out regular maintenance in line with the VMs scheduled service intervals. This is because, apart from the catastrophic consequences that would result from belt failure, belt degradation can also have serious implications to several other components, such as the oil pump and brake system vacuum pump. Dayco national sales manager Steve Carolan said: “The BIO innovation is a fantastic solution that helps these small and efficient engines to deliver incredible levels of power, alongside exceptionally low emissions and excellent fuel economy, primarily because it reduces friction in the drive system by up to 30%. “However, to maintain this level of performance and to continue to operate as the manufacturer designed, they need to be serviced regularly and the condition of the belt assessed.” Carolan said should the belt need to be replaced, as the OE supplier for many BIO applications, “we have replacement kits in the Dayco aftermarket range, and this provides workshops with a genuine revenue opportunity because over the last year, our sales of BIO kits have doubled, which proves there is a growing demand for the parts and means they can directly benefit from the BIO revolution”. Following evolutionary developments at the OE level, Dayco has superseded its original replacement kits for the 1.2 petrol engine used in many PSA applications, such as the C-Elysee, C3, DS3 and Expert, and the 1.2 diesel engine for models including C3, C3 Picasso, C4 Cactus, 208, 2008, 308 and 3008, previously KBIO07 and KBIO08, with KBIO14 and KBIO15 respectively. Alongside the revenue-earning benefits that the growth in BIO applications provides, Dayco remains active with the workshop, delivering technical messages, ongoing training and general support, all of which helps to promote sales and reduce the risk of returns and unnecessary warranty claims. “Part of this process is to react effectively when problems appear, quickly diagnose why they are occurring and then highlight the issues to workshops and technicians, so they are able to follow the correct fitting procedure to replace them successfully, which will increase customer satisfaction and avoid unnecessary warranty claims back to the factor,” Carolan said. “A perfect example is the two-stage tensioning process that must be carried out when replacing the timing belt on the 1.6 and 2.0-litre HDI engines that are widely used by Fiat, Ford, PSA and Vauxhall, in many of their popular models in both passenger car and light commercial vehicle applications. Although the consequences of not following the procedure may not be immediate, because both units are of an interference design, the effect of a subsequent belt failure is likely to be catastrophic to the engine.” Another topical example concerns oval crankshaft sprockets, which also require specific belt tensioning requirements that if not followed, can end up stripping teeth from the timing belt for example. “What these examples demonstrate is that even a scheduled service requirement on comparatively common engines requires technicians to follow a specific procedure, not apply a general rule.” Carolan also reminded workshops of the realities of the EV revolution. “Although the industry needs to be ready and react to a growing demand for EV specific replacement parts, the reality is that the vast majority of the vehicles that will enter the independent workshop for the next decade will have an internal combustion engine, whether petrol or diesel. “This means that workshops need to keep up to speed with the current technology and be in a position to tackle the immediate needs of motorists. “This is not to say the industry should be complacent and ignore the upcoming developments in the market and take advantage of the opportunities they present. However, foregoing training and learning more about the best practice service and repair requirements of ICE powered vehicles, which are still becoming ever more complicated, in The BIO innovation is a fantastic solution that helps small and efficient engines
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjQ0NzM=