March 2018

www.aftermarketonline.net MARCH 2018 AFTERMARKET 3 CONTENTS BUSINESS 8 Big issue: Recruitment 12 Adam Bernstein: Employers in the firing line 14 Neil Pattemore: So far, so good TECHNICAL 16 Barnaby Donohew: All the things you could do 18 John Batten: Creating diagnostic superheroes 20 Frank Massey: Ignite your interest in ignition 22 Ian Gillgrass: The good and the great 24 Peter Coombes: EVs and hybrid – Part three 26 Shaun Miller: Don't let diagnostics be a ‘drain’ IN FOCUS 28 Top Technician/Top Garage 2018 30 Ignition 34 Vehicle electronics and engine management 38 Bearings 42 Turbos PLUS... 13 NOCO 45 Competition: Autoelectro 46 General products 50 Garage visit: CCM 52 Case Study: Hannah Gordon 54 Editor’s Log: Klarius 56 Training: Volvo Training Centre 60 Training 62 Autotech Recruit: Temporary is contemporary 64 Recruitment 66 Teabreak TOP UP YOURSELVES Editor | Alex Wells alex@aftermarket.co.uk | +44 (0) 1732 370 345 Sales Manager | Claire Hodder claire@aftermarket.co.uk | +44 (0) 1732 370 349 Contributors John Batten | Adam Bernstein | Peter Coombes | Barnaby Donohew | Ian Gillgrass | Frank Massey | Shaun Miller | Neil Pattemore Commercial Director | Ryan Fuller ryan.fuller@dfamedia.co.uk | +44 (0) 1732 370 340 Operations Administrator | Chelsea Moss chelsea.moss@dfamedia.co.uk | +44 (0) 1732 370 340 Finance Manager | Clare Jackson clare.jackson@dfamedia.co.uk | +44 (0) 1732 370 340 Publishing Director | Ian Atkinson ian.atkinson@dfamedia.co.uk | +44 (0) 1732 370 340 Published by | DFA Media Ltd 192 High Street, Tonbridge, Kent, TN9 1BE 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 2018. Alex Wells, Editor Average net circulation July 2016 to June 2017 23,577 I t’s all go here, as Top Technician and Top Garage race ahead. Top Technician round one will be finishing on 28 February, but Top Garage is running through until April. Have you registered? You’ll be missing out if you don’t. Turn to page 28 to find out the latest. Following the Top Technician/Top Garage thread, we have a special technical article from 2017 Top Technician runner up Shaun Miller. Pop your head into pages 26-27 to see why diagnostics shouldn’t drain you. Speaking of drains, this industry has been suffering a bit of a brain drain over the years as we lost good people, while failing to pick up enough new recruits. On pages 8-11 we look at what could be done to stem the flow and get some fresh blood in. Tourniquet anyone? Staff eh? It’s a problem when you don’t have them, and a problem when you do. On page 12 Adam Bernstein takes us through what changes to employment tribunal rules might mean to you. It’s not all bad news, as we find on pages14-15 where Neil Pattemore shows where things are going the right way for once, well for now. If you had a little money, Barnaby Donohew can show you how to spend it best on your business. Don’t believe us? Then read pages 16-17. Ian Gillgrass wants to show you how to invest in yourself and staff more broadly to become better diagnostic technicians. That’s on pages 22-23. Escalating the process to a whole new level, John Batten is on pages 18-19 creating diagnostic superheroes, while Frank Massey gets fired up about ignition on pages 20-21. While all this is going on, Peter Coombes dishes up part four of his series on EV and hybrid technologies on pages 24-25. Exhausted? You’ll get your second wind when you turn to pages 54-55 to find out about our visit to the Klarius factory in Cheadle. If that’s not enough for you, we also took a look at the shiny new Volvo training centre in Daventry. Head to pages 56-57 for that. It’s very Swedish… We also visited the Surrey/Sussex-based CCM garage this month to see what 2010 Top Technician winner Stuart White has been up to – you can see that on pages 50-51. We speak to another female mechanic leading the charge for greater inclusivity in the industry. You’ll find that on pages 52-53. We also have all the latest on ignition, vehicle electronics and engine management, bearings and turbos, and all the usual refinements. Enjoy! Alex Wells Editor aftermarketmagazine @aftermarket01