October 2020

www.aftermarketonline.net OCTOBER 2020 AFTERMARKET 3 CONTENTS BUSINESS 8 Big issue: A bicycle built made for who? 12 Pod life: Podcasts 14 Andy Savva: Coaching essentials 18 100th member for DPF Doctor network TECHNICAL 20 Frank Massey: Non-intrusive diagnostics 22 Karl Weaver: Power of the software update 24 Andrew Marsh: Hydrogen the next revolution? 28 Kalimex: K-Seal IN FOCUS 32 Exhaust system and DPF 34 Timing systems 36 Wipers 38 Batteries and chargers 42 Lighting PLUS... 30 Top Garage 2020/2021 45 Competition: First Line 46 Day in the life: TechMan 48 Coronavirus round-up 52 Training update 56 Recruitment: New appointments 58 Teabreak SIX OF ONE... Editor | Alex Wells alex@aftermarket.co.uk | +44 (0) 1732 370 345 Contributors Ben Anderson | Andrew Marsh | Frank Massey | Andy Savva | Mike Schulp | Karl Weaver Commercial Director | Ryan Fuller ryan.fuller@dfamedia.co.uk | +44 (0) 1732 370 340 Area Sales Manager | Daniella Gavin Daniella@aftermarket.co.uk | +44 (0) 1732 370 349 Operations Manager | Ewa Hodden ewa.hodden@dfamedia.co.uk | +44 (0) 1732 370 340 Project Liaison Manager | Emma Floyd emma.floyd@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 Alex Wells, Editor Average net circulation July 2018 to June 2019 20,019 aftermarketmagazine @aftermarket01 ISSN 2516-9149 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 2020. H alf a dozen of the other. Well, that’s one of the things I thought when the government’s new Rule of Six was introduced in the middle of September. It might not be lockdown, but it does impose a lot of restrictions to daily life. Fortunately, the new rules apply mainly to social situations, not work, so garages and supporting businesses will be unaffected. Does COVID-19 know the difference? Only time will tell. How you present these things counts too. Anyone familiar with the deep lore of (nerd alert!) STAR WARS may know the ‘Rule of Two’ that says baddies the Sith can only ever have two members in its ranks, a master and an apprentice. If there are any more, they very quickly turn on each other, and you end up with an interplanetary Mexican stand-off. Does the government know something we don’t? I guess that’s one problem a garage owner won’t generally have with their apprentices, but with things the way they are, the number of young people businesses can take on is going to be seriously diminished. Over recent months, the IMI has been providing figures on the dropping investment being made in training. On the other hand, when the GCSE results came out at the end of August, the IMI also reported a significant uplift in careers advisors looking into opportunities in the automotive sector, for school leavers. We might be worried about ourselves, but people still believe in us. That says something. Of course, businesses that believe in themselves want to shout about it from the rooftops, and via Top Garage, we have the perfect structure from where you can showcase your brilliance. The competition, which is being blended with 2020’s run as previously explained, starts on Saturday 1 November. Turn to page 30 to find out more. Onto the rest of the issue. The Garage Inspector himself, Andy Savva, is back with another brilliant article, this month asking looking at top techniques to support your team’s development. That is on pages 14-16. On the technical side, Frank Massey continues his look at the benefits of non-intrusive diagnostic techniques. Fire up the Audi and all that. That’s on pages 20-21. Next, 2017 Top Technician winner Karl Weaver is back, looking at how valuable it is to stay on top of software updates. That is on pages 22-23. September also saw a flurry of news stories looking at ongoing reticence by mainstream car buyers when it comes to EVs. In a month that saw Ricardo move one step closer to setting up a hydrogen engine test facility in West Sussex, should we be looking towards hydrogen? If you turn to pages 24-27, Andrew Marsh from EZI-Methods tells us what he thinks. If you add to that a look at K-Seal with Kalimex, features covering timing systems, exhaust system and DPF, batteries and chargers, lighting and wipers and a Day in the Life with Top Technician and Top Garage Sponsors TechMan, then you’ve got a lot to keep you occupied in those quiet moments in the workshop. Of course, with the surge in MOT demand expected about now, you might want to read this issue as soon as possible… Be seeing you!