- and they loved the ride! - TAT - The Automotive Technician

August 2008 Issue No 4
Wire & Gas delegates
jump on the train
- and they loved the ride!
• The Volkswagen Golf
which insisted on locking
the driver out?
• There’s nothing worse than
blocked passages, even on a
BMW E36
•Part One of Checking the
Pulse - a detailed feature on
testing the charging system of
vehicles
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APPLY ON PAGE 23

August 2008 Issue No 4
Wire & Gas delegates
jump on the train
- and they loved the ride!
• The Volkswagen Golf
which insisted on locking
the driver out?
• There’s nothing worse than
blocked passages, even on a
BMW E36
•Part One of Checking the
Pulse - a detailed feature on
testing the charging system of
vehicles
Sign up now for:
12 months subscription to TaT
which includes six magazines
mailed to your postal address
Access to illustrated
solutions on line
Problem solving service
Subscription price $115
...but this issue only, last of the
opening special price $99
APPLY ON PAGE 23

Being a non-technical person,
or rather someone who knows
nothing about motorcars,
I find it fascinating editing
the technical material in this
magazine. For all I know, most
of the articles could be about
space science or brain surgery.
What’s obvious, even to me, is
that we are in a very advanced
technical age.
Having said that, it seems a
little odd to me that we still find
a large number of technicians
who have almost ignored the
oldest and most widely used
technology of them all, the
humble computer.
These same people will happily
read this highly technical
magazine - and understand
it - and they will readily buy
a sophisticated scan tool or
oscilloscope because they just
can’t do without it.
Yet, the tool that is capable
of giving them access to the
The team
Publisher
The Automotive Technician
Pty Ltd
ABN 27 121 589 802
PO Box 101
GYMEA NSW 2227
1 Cleg Street
ARTARMON NSW 2064
Ph 1300 828 000
Fax 1300 828 100
tat@tat.net.au
Editor in chief
Ken Newton
knewton@tat.net.au
07 5591 6274
Fax 07 5591 8172
0438 569 517
Technical editor
Jeff Smit
jsmit@tat.net.au
1300 828 000
Technical research
Deyan Barrie
dbarrie@tat.net.au
02 9476 6277
Technical advisers
Jack Stepanian
Nick Murphy
nmurphy@tat.net.au
Wayne Broady
www.broadyauto.com.au
biggest network of technical
data and problem solving, is
still regarded as that thing the
kids use at home for playing
games or meeting their mates
on Facebook.
If there’s a computer in the
workshop where they work,
it’s really only used by the
casual who comes in a couple
of days a week to punch in the
financials for the accountant.
Considering the power of the
computer to link to anywhere
in the world, it is a mystery to
me why such a low budget item
should be so ignored.
Why isn’t there a computer
on every workshop bench,
permanently plugged into the
internet, with perhaps TaT as
their default home page.
Imagine the scene. A customer
brings in a car with a weird,
if not time consuming fault.
Maybe the TaT team has the
solution. Or you need more
Editorial contributors
Hayley Windsor
Ashley Teitzel
International correspondents
Julian Hentze - USA
Andrew Kavanagh - Europe
Copy proofing
Bron Robinson
Advertising inquiries
Vicky Murphy
vmurphy@tat.net.au
0419 284 246
Design Templates
Allan Green
CEO Design
ceodesigns@bigpond.com
Graphic Design
Russell Jones Graphic Design
rjdesign2@aapt.net.au
Printing
Bones Print Solutions
128 Cope Street
WATERLOO NSW 2017
bonesps@optusnet.com.au
Affiliated associations
VASA
secretary@vasa.org.au
Do you know what this is?
If not, go to Page 7
information on what a fault
code means - GOOGLE
IT. Whoops, don’t have a
computer handy.
“Great, I’ll go home tonight,
kick the kids off the computer
and see if I can find the
information.” The customer will
be most impressed, I think not.
Technicians, it’s time to think
about the time-zone you are
currently in, and make sure you
have the tools to cope with the
information age.
The computer is now old hat.
It’s the cheapest major tool you
could have in your workshop,
but absolutely invaluable for
looking up urgent information,
solving problems by either
finding them on the TaT
website, or sending an urgent
TaT Assist TaT Space
TaT Train TaT’s a Fact
Tips for Tat
are all registered trade names
of The Automotive Technician
Pty Ltd.
The Automotive Technician Pty
Ltd publishes technical advice
and actual case studies for the
purpose of educating technicians.
These advices are given in good
faith, and are based on actual
workshop repairs. No guarantee
is given, nor any liability accepted
in respect to any published
advice.
The Automotive Technician Pty
Ltd is not responsible for the
accuracy of any information
contained in material submitted
by third parties and published
in this magazine and accepts
no liability in relation to such
materials or their content.
Newsworthy articles or comments
are welcomed, and should be
submitted to the Editor in chief.
All material appearing in The
Automotive Technician is
copyright. Reproduction in whole
or in part is illegal without prior
written consent from the Editor
in chief.
All advertisers agree to indemnify
the publisher for all damages
or liabilities arising from their
published or unpublished
material.
“help” to our tech team.
In the meantime, for those
who are used to going on the
internet to look for information,
TaT is planning a new links
service to direct technicians
to website resources dealing
with all manner of vehicle
technology.
We will check links for their
authenticity and accuracy
before we provide them.
So if you have stumbled across
any interesting websites which
might prove useful to your
fellow technicians, please
send them in to us, and we will
assess them and make them
available to all.
See you on line.
CONTENTS
KN
Don’t get spooked by
vehicle technology 4 - 5 - 6
RRA Levy Changes 6
Hybrids - the aftermarket of
the future 7 - 8 - 9
TaT on the web 10
Global Goss 11
Street Cred - with Hayley 12
The Sheriff - on shonky work 14
TaT’s a Fact 15 - 16
Check the Pulse 17 - 18 -19 - 20
You said it 20
Murphy’s Law - ABS 21
LED light problems 22 - 23
Top tools 24
Hy there - Hybrids 26
Mystery of the Drifting Ground 27
Who needs petrol - LPG story 28 - 29
The last word - Mark Mitchell 30
The Automotive Technician 3

Jack Stepanian
“Strength
comes from
unity and
sharing
information.”
Grant Hand
“Accumulated
knowledge is
critical.”
It was the pep talk
techncians needed
to have. The three
keynote speakers voted
the most popular at June’s
2008 Wire & Gas Training
Convention and Trade
Show, pulled no punches
about how hard the future
in vehicle repair might
be, but they saw it more
as a future full of opportunies, provided
technicians were prepared to stay
connected through training and sharing of
knowledge.
At a time in history when far too
many technicians in the aftermarket
repair industry are worried about their
competition, vehicles with lower failure
rates than ever and technology which is
rolling in faster than their ability to absorb
it, these three wise men laid it on the line.
Technology gurus Jack Stepanian
(electronics) and Grant Hand (climate
control) saw nothing but opportunity
in the changing technology of motor
vehicles, provided technicians didn’t
stop accumulating knowledge. The
audience was told not to get ‘spooked’ by
technology.
“Too many technicians have low self
esteem. Give yourselves some credit,
“Love what you do
and you’ll never work
another day in your
life.”
Don’t get
spooked by
vehicle
technology
you have more information stored in your
heads than you think,” said Grant.
“There are no new systems (in AC
particularly), just application of old
systems,” he added.
“Yes, there’ll be change, but most will be
evolutionary changes - which are easy.
It’s the revolutionary changes which are
difficult.
Wayne Gardner
“Sophisticated tools, like
scan tools may be essential,
but they don’t do anything
oher than identify the area of
fault. Technicians still need
to understand what’s going
on,” added Grant.
“Source the information.
There’s a room full of
experts next door (the Trade
Show). Spend every minute there talking
with them. Don’t waste an opportunity to
find out things,”
Keynote speaker, motorcycle racing
legend Wayne Gardner, implored the
packed Wire & Gas audience, “Never give
up, particularly when times are tough.”
The over-riding theme of Wire & Gas was
the importance of sharing of information
and training, and delegates got plenty of
that.
The Convention saw the debut of The
Automotive Technician training team.
The relatively new technical information
company fielded four of the ten trainers
who took over one of the massive
pavilions of the Gold Coast Convention
Centre.
Gil Sher
Nick Murphy
The Automotive Technician 4

Jeff Smit
According to Jack Stepanian, technicians
needed just a few vital things, apart from
knowledge, to continue in their job.
“You need circuit diagrams to identify why
a code came up, a digital multimeter, an
oscilloscope and a scan tool - use them all.
Don’t forget to keep the customer
informed.
“As for the test light? Chuck it in the bin,”
Jack added.
The Wire & Gas Training Convention
helped establish TaT’s credibility as a
training resource centre.
Including the AC licence assessment
training, the convention fielded eleven of
Australia’s top trainers.
The delegates embraced them all with
enthusiasm. But Wire & Gas broadened
the scope of training this year, by allowing
TaT to present training on ABS systems,
hybrid cars and workshop business
management. This was quite a radical
departure from the traditional AC and
electrical training.
But as TaT technical director Jeff Smit
says, “it acknowledged that most
workshops these days need to be multiskilled.
Workshops doing just AC will find
it hard to survive.”
Grant Hand’s call for technicians to raise
their own self esteem could not have come
at a better time for Jeff Smit’s training
session, called ‘The Equation’.
His theory is that technicians need to stop
equating the time spent on a customer’s
car with the value of the job and the
ultimate size of the repair bill.
He has outlawed caculations of hourly
The TaT booth at the Wire
& Gas Training
Convention, with
Directors Deyan Barrie
and Jeff Smit, receiving
a participation certificate
from VASA president
Mark Padwick.
rates to customer invoices in his own
workshop, with great results.
Delegates were told to return to their
workshops and use a new equation, called
the KEC - Knowledge, Experience and
Confidence = Your Value.
In costing a job, Jeff considers the
customer’s requirements, the complexity
of repairs, the repair options, the level
of training required by the technician on
the job and, last but not least, the selling
technique.
His theory is that a better informed
customer is a customer more likely to
appreciate the cost of repairs, and get the
job done properly, instead of cheaply.
“In invoicing, labour has to be seen as a
value, not related to time. These days, the
diagnostics of a job may take considerably
longer than the job itself. Invoices must
break up the diagnostic descriptions to
show how much effort and training has
been expended to get the car back on the
road,” explained Jeff.
The hybrid training session, conducted by
Gil Sher, opened many eyes, not just to
the technology, but the opportunities this
type of vehicle will present to enterprising
technicians.
The Automotive Technician 5

As covered in many of the features TaT will
be running on hybrids, becoming a repair
technician is not for the faint hearted.
In the wrong hands, hybrids could kill with their
powerful electrics, and many of their systems
could leave a technician with egg on face as
he stands there scratching his head, trying to
figure out how to start, or stop, or shut down
the system.
Nick Murphy covered ABS in his Wire & Gas
presentation, and part of this is
covered in this edition of Murphy’s
Law.
Jack Stepanian, electronics guru,
was at his entertaining best at his
training session, which covered the
fundamentals of electrical/electronic
testing.
Jack is a regular contributor to this
magazine. He’s on page 27.
“Today’s course was an insight into
where we are heading and what
problems we face. As a small business
the biggest challenge in the future is
information. Thank you for the day, it
has given me the fire to forge ahead
and build my business the way it should
be.” David Eastwood, who attended the
TaT training session at CoolDrive in
Melbourne in July.
The round-Australia training sessions, in
which Jeff Smit presents a mix of topics
ranging from basic electrics to diagnostics
and case studies, has received rave
reviews from participants.
The sessions, arranged by CoolDrive
Distribution and presented by VASA and
TaT, are also used as a recruiting drive for
VASA, whose members receive substantial
discounts for these training sessions.
“I refer to your article “Did an ugly duckling
really bring Mitsubishi down” in your April
edition, where the TaT team nominated the
380 for the Ugly Oscars.
For an otherwise great technical
magazine, you made no mention of the
technical excellence and build quality of
the 380, which will go down in Australia’s
automotive history as a great locally built
vehicle, which was primarily the victim of
changing conditions in the industry.
To judge the 380 on your perceived
parameters of what merely ‘looks good’,
does seem a tad whimsical! I know
beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but to
summarily dismiss any vehicle based on
something so frivolous, is pretty pathetic.
The Automotive Technician 6
The remaining workshops in the current
series are:
23 August Adelaide, Manhattan Motel
Contact:
Daryl Brougham 08 8347 1155
4 October Townsville
CoolDrive Garbutt
Contact:
Gary Powell 07 4755 2111
You said it!
For my part, I thought it was clean and
contemporary, and at least a match for our
other home grown Aussie cars.
In September last year, along with a group
of impartial motoring enthusiasts from the
Great Lakes Historic Automobile Club,
Forster, we were guests of Mitsubishi for a
tour of their Tonsley Park production facility
where the 380 was built.
By this time, the writing was on the wall,
but the enthusiasm, dedication and pride
of those involved at all levels of production
at Tonsley Park, was inspiring. Tom Phillips
would have been very proud!
As an active member of an historic car
club, I have a real affinity with many older
vehicles, especially those of the 50s, 60s
and 70s, and have driven your other ‘Ugly
Oscar’ nominations.
The Holden Torana ‘Misfire’ is indeed a
worthy candidate, and Wikipedia certainly
got it right with the Morris Marina.
TaT is developing other training programs
and is in discussion with OEMs and
wholesalers for other training sessions,
covering a variety of topics.
“There is a realisation right now that
continuous training is an essential element
of the automotive business, especially in
the aftermarket, where access to the car
maker’s technical data is limited,” said TaT
training coordinator Jeff Smit.
But the classic Leyland P76 deserved
better, especially in the V8 model. At the
time, I also visited the Leyland production
line at Zetland, where the P76 was being
built.
The company was on its last legs, and
morale was very low. Despite this,and the
terrible quality control standards ‘The Car
of the Year’, managed to lurch into the
dispatch area. To my mind, this was not
the case at Mitsubishi, and I believe that
the last days build off the production line,
was a matter of great pride for all involved.
On your next visit to the National Motor
Museum at Birdwood, drop by and have a
look at a truly great Aussie built car.
And hey, it looks so good you won’t
even have to lift the bonnet, to have a
peak at the real car that lies beneath!”
Brian Payne
(We were only quoting the motoring press Brian,
but your point is taken. And we’ll do a story on the
Birdwood Museum one day as well. Thanks for a great
letter - Ed)

Hybrids - the aftermarket
repair niche of the future
By Craig Van Batenburg, Leading hybrid trainer, USA
Getting into hybrid vehicle repair is
really no different to getting into
anything else in life or career. The
formula is simple, the technology is not so
simple. You need education, a new level
of safety precautions, new equipment and
some good old trial-and-error.
Hybrid repair poses some big but not
insurmountable obstacles.
The high voltage (HV) in hybrids is a
serious consideration in terms of personal
safety, but it has been blown out of
proportion. In reality, petrol tank removal
and repair still pose the biggest threat to
personal safety.
If manufacturers had taken half as many
precautions in the service procedures and
redundant features of the gasoline storage
system as they have in the high voltage
storage systems of hybrids, many of the
fires, injuries and deaths we have seen
with petrol tanks might have been avoided.
So what do you need to know before
working on a hybrid?
You have to know how to shut down the
hybrid HV system for simple service. And
you have to know how to de-power the HV
system for service and repairs.
You should also own a CAT III-certified
digital volt ohm meter (DVOM) and a pair
of 1,000 volt rubber protective gloves rated
class O.
Currently, a factory scan tool is needed
in many hybrid service cases. However,
aftermarket scan tools are improving and
many now have hybrid capability.
I strongly urge
all workshops
to obtain as
much up-to-date
information
on hybrids as
possible, and
to send their
technicians to
some form of
hybrid training.
Talk to your staff and see who wants to be
the hybrid expert. Pick someone who is
knowledgeable in electrical
systems, loves to learn, and sees
a good future in this industry. Then set
that person loose to learn as much about
hybrid systems as possible. It will pay off in
the future, as hybrids are not going away.
Since safety is such a big concern in
dealing with hybrids, it might be helpful
if I related how I once salvaged some
valuable parts from a hybrid that had
been in a bad accident. A recycling yard
had a 2004 Toyota Prius. After sustaining
extensive front-end damage in a collision,
the Prius had been written off.
The recycling yard owner was literally
afraid to touch it. He had heard too many
stories about electrocutions, fires and
explosions. This hybrid was his first one.
I don’t blame him for being afraid.
I proposed a deal whereby I would train
two of his employees on hybrid safety for
free and he would give me some of the
parts from the wrecked vehicle.
The car was in a puddle and couldn’t
easily be moved.
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Rule number one - don’t work on
hybrids in puddles.
The car was dragged a few feet to safer
ground. I had my 1,000-volt rubber gloves
and a DVOM ready. With tools and my
digital camera in hand, we set out to
render it safe to work on, which meant, in
this case, removing the HV NiMH battery.
After looking at the front-end damage,
it was clear why this Prius was deemed
unrepairable. Then I noticed that the
inverter had been ripped out, apparently
by an unsuspecting tow truck driver, and
placed in the back seat.
It takes a minute or more for the capacitors
to lose their stored energy. This keeps
the high voltage contained within the HV
battery pack, similar to the way that race
car fuel tanks use sponge-like devices to
keep the fuel within the tank.
Taking no chances, I put on the rubber
gloves so I could remove the large orange
service plug, but before I could do that,
And we took other precautions, such as
getting out the DVOM every time we had
to disconnect an orange cable.
Once an orange wire on a hybrid has been
dislodged, a series of events takes place
in milliseconds. A set of contactors (think
of these as relays that must work every
time) go to their normally open positions,
and three large and dangerous capacitors
discharge.
I needed a jumper pack, as this car had
no hatch key, only a transmitter and the
12-volt battery, which was dead. After the
hatch was opened, we had access to the
HV battery.
To be extra careful, we disconnected the
12-volt battery, even though it was dead.
Once we had disconnected the HV cables,
we were ready to remove the battery itself.
The removal was successful - no sparks.
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The Automotive Technician 8

High voltage battery pack with an output of 201.6 volts.
Two banks in parallel, with each bank containing 28 modules of 7.2 volts.
Each module contains six cells of 1.2 volts each.
After that, we used electrical tape to
isolate and tape up any dangling orange
wire leads. Two of us then carried the
HV battery pack to the storage room
where it would sit until it was sold. If these
NiMH batteries sit for too long, they will
discharge, and, after a period of months,
may not be saleable due to degraded cells.
To extend storage life, store in a cool
place, air conditioned if possible.
You should know that NiMH batteries need
a lot of cooling to survive. If a customer of
yours has a hybrid in need of body work,
make sure the body shop doesn’t “roast”
these batteries in its paint oven. Insist that
the hybrid be the last paint job of the day,
so it can dry overnight or keep the paint
booth below 140 deg F.
In the next issue we will cover a few
workshop stories about servicing hybrids.
In the mean time, if you want to learn more
about hybrids, check these sites:
www.hybridcars.com
www.insightcentral.net
www.auto-careers.org
Distributors of Automotive Air Conditioning, Electrical and Cooling System Components
we’ve got it covered
cooldrive.com.au
The Automotive Technician 9

...this is the
front page of
the website
TaT on the WEB
The technical information
in this magazine is just
the tip of the iceberg.
The full value of a
Subscription is found on
the TaT website. This is
where you interact with
your fellow technicians,
and where the solutions
just don’t stop coming.
Select a vehicle
make to find all
the problems
we’ve solved on
that model
... want help
with a problem?
Easy. Just fill in
the Assist form
and press the
submit button.
... looking for a
technical story, but
can’t remember
what issue? Here’s
the online index.
...want to sell some
surplus stuff, share an
idea, discuss a problem
with your fellow techs
... chat away.
...hundreds of
solutions - just
click on the
problem code,
and...
...bingo!
The Automotive Technician 10

Julian Hentze, our man in Georgia, USA, now thinks
he’s a racing car driver. We would have preferred a
pic of Jules at speed. Maybe the camera was faulty.
the global goss
You know, I have tried to understand
Nascar and have spent quite a few
weekends in front of the idiot box to
understand its nuances.
Like all motor sport, it has its ups and
downs, its heroes and hard core followers.
But just recently, I really got into it.
You see, this little known Tasmanian finally
got to drive in the series. Tipped as an
Australian who is a ‘street circuit specialist’
he was getting a run in the ‘Little Debbie’
Ford Fusion.
Now my new mates have been teaching
me about Nascar. Crafty manoeuvres
like drafting, high and low passes, team
dynamics and stuff like that, but when I
arrived in my Pirtek Shirt, my Russell Ingall
signed baseball cap (when he drove for
the right colour) and my last six pack of
VB, they were curious. They wanted to
know about this little known Australian who
was racing.
Marcus Ambros (Australian V8 Supercar
veteran) got to second place before
being punted off the course when he got
hit from behind, and finished in the pits.
Disappointing result, although this was
when my new mates got to hear about
a conspiracy involving another great
Australian, Phar Lap.
But I digress. Technology is fantastic and
what better way to demonstrate that than
with the music revolution created by the
Apple Corporation. They made accessing
music and downloading music so easy that
it is now common place. But how will this
influence what happens in your workshop?
You would not believe what I am about
to tell you. What if you purchased an
ECU or control module that had not been
programmed yet, but you needed the info.
It was after hours and the local dealership
was closed?
What if there was an error in the
programming code in the ECU that needed
to be rectified. What if there was a website
that allowed you access to ECU repairs
that could be downloaded and plugged
into the ECU and recode it using the right
scan tool.
What if the manufacturer found a more
efficient way to make the ECU work and
all you had to download was the update?
Well, it’s here, and it’s called ‘flash’
programming.
It works just like an iPod. You go to the
designated manufacturer’s website and
enter the vehicle’s VIN number. It identifies
the vehicle and either gives you a list of
the required updates or you can select the
program you want, pay for it (or subscribe
to a service) and download it and update
the ECU.
A statistic going around here is that some
45% of new vehicle repairs are flash
reprogramming. Here’s also something
to ponder though. If you have a hard time
charging customers for diagnostic time,
what about this - a high end 2008 BMW
has 168 different modules and would take
six hours of downloading flashes if needed
to replace or repair. Now how would you
charge for that?
Aussie sporting
abroad - Andrew
in a sentimental
mood
Andrew Kavanagh, our
man in Antwerp, Belgium
As I pen
these words
bitter sweet
emotion
is running
through my
veins.
Never have
I imagined
that I would
follow the
Tour De
France so
passionately. Watching an Aussie boy
get so close to winning the world’s most
prestigious and famous bike race has been
a rollercoaster for two weeks.
Unfortunately my back pocket is a little
lighter after making many brave wagers
with friends and colleagues, all based on
brave patriotic intentions. Congratulations
to Cadel Evans (pic above) coming
second, for the second year in a row. What
a fantastic effort and something of which
he and Australia should be very proud.
Did you know the Belgians have adopted
Robbie McEwen, the Aussie cyclist
who appears on TV speaking the local
language (Flemish), and they love him,
with bars and cafes dedicated to his name!
How is it Australia, a nation of 20 million,
get themselves etched into the minds of
sports lovers all over the world?
This year has seen a record number of
Australians compete in the PGA, the
English Premier League. This month we
saw Aussie boy Andrew Bogut penning a
$72 million contract for five years in the
NBA and Casey Stoner running a strong
second overall in the MotoGP.
With the Olympics, many pundits are
tipping a top five finish for little ole
Australia. Quite amazing when you think
about how young we are as nation, how
small we are (in population) and how large
we are in character.
Living abroad brings with it a great deal of
emotions, mostly homesickness and with it
also comes a great deal of pride in saying
you’re from one of the luckiest countries in
the world, with some of the most beautiful
places, people and wildlife in the world.
Missing the industry that has evolved so
much since my departure in 2005 has
not been easy to cope with. I left behind
many friends, colleagues and associates.
Many of them have gone on to greater
things within the industry and for that I’m
proud. Proud to be part of the automotive
industry in Australia and also proud to be
an Aussie!
If any of you care to keep in touch feel free
to drop me a message:
andrewk@cpsproducts.be
The Automotive Technician 11

street cred
with Hayley Windsor in London
My flatmate left for
a trip to Ibiza with
his luggage in a
Sainsbury’s supermarket bag.
This is not just because Ibiza is
one of the least classy places
to holiday, but because Easyjet
is now charging passengers an
additional fee for all checked-in
baggage.
to claim they cannot afford to
be green in a severe economic
climate. The Carbon Trust,
a government funded body
that advises firms on carbon
emission reduction, is currently
launching the world’s first
accreditation scheme for
organisations that actively
reduce their carbon emissions,
rather than relying on offsets.
Flight companies around the
world are hiking up ticket
prices, increasing baggage
fees and fuel surcharges and
even, as claimed in The Metro
last week, flying an average
of 3mph slower to reduce fuel
consumption.
The Ibiza example doesn’t
nearly reflect the pressures
faced by an international
public concerned about the
implications of carbon emission
trading schemes and uncertain
about future oil supplies.
If the Emissions Trading
Scheme wasn’t enough to
get your head around, behold
the Carbon Trust. It’s based
on the presumption that it is
unacceptable for businesses
Confused? Me too. And then
there’s the all-consuming
question ‘what does this do to
the price of petrol?’
Truckies from London to
Australia are striking in protest.
Everyone is worried about
rising household costs.
And if fuel prices keep going
up – in London, 56 cents
above the record set last
week – and tension escalates
over relationships with key
producing countries, where
does that leave the cardependent
cities of the world.
The case for reducing carbon
emissions is valid, if not vital,
and I think most reasonable
people agree, but no-one
seems clear about the correct
course of action and the impact
of any solution on our standard
of living.
I don’t have the answer, just
amusing, Cambridge-inspired
images of new-age (or is that
stone-age) taxi drivers punting
down the River Thames and
rowing down the Gold Coast
canals with suit-clad clients
who are ‘offsetting’ their living
costs.
And if we all can’t dance our
doubts away on islands like
Ibiza, we have to deal with it.
I don’t see cars being mothballed
any time soon.
So to the technicians reading
this, my considered advice is,
don’t stop training, keep up
your skills because if you are
not rattling around with pistons
and gear boxes, you are likely
to be pulling on your high
voltage gloves and keeping
electric and hybrid cars on the
road. You’ll need training to
keep up with that technology,
make no mistake.
YES!, we
have no
bananas
– or data
or wiring
diagrams
Now that a large number of
subscribers have joined our
ranks, it was inevitable that we
would be asked for a wiring
diagram, or some data which
could help a technician solve a
problem.
SORRY – but we don’t sell
data.
TaT’s mission is to research
and find practical solutions for
vehicle problems, to impart
knowledge about repairs,
systems, tools and technology
and run training programs.
Why don’t we sell wiring
diagrams?
The Automotive Technician 12
It’s not our business. Those
technicians or workshops who
subscribe to the providers of
data, know what it costs.
Some companies we know
pay well over $1,000 a year
for access to data, including
wiring diagrams. According to
them, it’s worth every cent, and
this access is as necessary to
running the business as having
a telephone on the desk.
TaT technical experts say
that buying data and wiring
diagrams is really no different
to buying parts.
Legitimate data is not cheap,
so technicians need to think
more about charging out data
access on invoices, just as
charges are made for parts
purchased on the customer’s
behalf.
TaT could not afford to
provide data for its very low
subscription, currently $99 a
year.
The MTA is an employer’s association
for businesses in the motor industry
and currently has over 6,000 Members
across New South Wales
find out more..
mtansw.com.au
training.mtansw.com.au
journal.mtansw.com.au

Remember, the major causes of Fuel Pump Failure are:
- Misdiagnosis of the vehicle’s problem
- Rust, corrosion or other contamination within the fuel tank/delivery
system
- Clogged or partially blocked Fuel Strainer / Fuel Filter
- Faulty on-vehicle wiring
‘It could save you Money & Time’
The step by step visual check list chart shown below will graphically
demonstrates what symptom to look for when first removing the
failed pump from the fuel system.
Failure to observe & fix the problem before replacing the pump will
result in premature pump failure, hence voiding all warranty terms &
conditions.
#2
Warranty...
All ACA Fuel Pumps are guaranteed to be free from defects in
materials, components and workmanship, when correctly installed in
the appropriate model, vehicle, operating under normal conditions for
the vehicle, for a period of 2 years/ 40,000km warranty from the date
of fitment.
All ACA products have serialisation markings cross-referenced to a
computerised database.
Warranty will be voided where the product in question has been
tampered with,
Warranty does not include faulty fitment, damaged caused by
contaminated fuel, or non fitment of the new strainer/ filter (in tank
pumps only).
Warranty will also be void if the tank has not been removed, washed
thoroughly and inspected for defects.
It is also a condition of this warranty that the ACA product is to be
installed in accordance with the published instruction sheet and or
with the original equipment manufacturer workshop manuals and or
procedures.
All pumps returned for warranty will be subjected to a full technical
inspection by a qualified ACA technician to determine the cause of
failure and will be accepted for credit based on this report.
Remember to practice caution, due care must be taken.
Always refer to the manufacturer’s service & technical handbooks
before removal or installation of any fuel or electrical components.
Copyright © 2007 Enforced ABN 78 003 653 183
The Automotive Technician 13

The Sheriff says:
Stop blaming genuine parts -
try dodgy workmanship
Fearless sheriff Ashley Teitzel,
who rides the range west of
Toowoomba, is sick of genuine
parts manufacturers being strung
up by lynch mobs when the real
villains are service technicians
who don’t know their bum from
their elbow about diagnosing
problems, and even less about
fixing them professionally.
The AC system
had been
serviced, but it landed back in a
VASA workshop.
The diagnosis was ‘low
refrigerant’.
The coach company’s technician
phoned his management to tell
The sheriff reckons more than
90% of blame for refrigerant
leakage through equipment
failure should be sheeted home
to poor workmanship, not faulty
components.
them the news, but his manager,
in his wisdom, said that since the
system had just been serviced
by the dealership, it must have
received the incorrect gas
charge.
A.D.R.
APPROVED
A.D.R.
APPROVED
Many VASA and other
professional workshops get a
great deal of their business from
‘re-works’ of poor workmanship.
That might be good for business,
but it doesn’t say a lot for
customer confidence in any
workshops.
Once a good technician tries to
explain the technologies of why
components fail, or why they are
not working efficiently, they find
that the DIY customers, and far
too many dealership workshops,
become quite defensive, even
hostile.
Too many people shop around
for low cost options to failures,
almost forcing some workshops
to be stupidly competitive.
All of these attitudes lead to
– guess what? Refrigerant
emissions.
Take this prime example. A
coach had just been out of
a dealership workshop for a
week.
“So just re-charge it,” was the
instruction.
Blind Freddy could see there
was bad leakage on the unloader
valves, which was causing loss
of refrigerant to the system.
The leakage was directly below
the service ports, proving
conclusively that the technician
wasn’t even looking where he
was going.
Was he licenced? One can only
wonder. He certainly wasn’t
experienced. Perhaps he had
a Cert II, and if that’s the case,
it poses the question about the
qualifications necesssary for this
valuable piece of paper.
The Automotive Technician 14

VVWGO99432
VOLKSWAGEN GOLF
1999
4 cylinder
Fault description
The end section that clips onto
the barrel end and slides into
the switching mechanism was
broken.
Depending on how and where
it brakes determines whether
it goes far enough to pivot the
switching section to lock or
unlock.
Customer complaint
Central locking problems.
Problem summary
Doors only lock from the
driver’s door and only unlock
from the passenger’s door.
Diagnostic sequence
Extracted fault codes 01358-
door control module (pass/side)
01358-internal switch (driver’s
door) 00929-locking module
(front pass/side).
Inspected and noticed the door
lock mechanisms did not feel
right when the key was turned.
To remove barrel assembly,
the securing screw must be
removed first.
Fault solution
This part is available as a kit in
some models but in this case
we had to get compete new
barrel assemblies.
We opted to swap the internals
as well to keep the keys
original.
It can take more that one set of
hands to put it together.
Refitted the door locks to the
vehicle, cleared codes and
tested operation.
Now the doors lock and unlock
and the power windows also
work from both doors
Recommended time
Labour time was 1.5 hours,
taking into account research
time, location of parts and
actual time spent fixing the
problem.
Removed both of the door key
barrels and inspected.
TaT Subscribers who wish
to change their password to
something they can more
easily remember, can do it
on the TaT website.
Just follow the link once
you sign in to the exclusive
Subscriber area of the
website.
If you have any problems
with your access, please
phone: 1300 828 000
New Zealand Subscribers are
best to email their requests
to: tat@tat.net.au
The Automotive Technician 15

BMW3696421
BMW E36
1996
4 Cylinders
Customer complaint
No interior heat.
Problem summary
No interior heat - dual zone
system.
Only a small amount of warm
air from left side.
Diagnostic sequence
Checked all fuses and battery
connections.
Hooked up scan tool and
checked for any fault codes.
No fault codes present.
Tested the operation of the
dual electric heater taps.
Signal is getting to the two
motors but no coolant
flow evident through the
taps.
TaT would like to honour
senior technicians by
making sure that their
knowledge, accumulated
over many years, does not
become lost to the industry.
These technicians are
usually very modest people,
so if you know of someone
in that category, please let
us know so that we can get
in touch and talk with them.
Fault description
Removed the heater tap
assembly and inspected.
Found both outlets had
internally collapsed and
blocked the passages.
Fault solution
New heater tap assembly fitted
and rechecked operation.
Hooked up scan tool and
checked the left and right outlet
temperatures.
Recommended time
Labour time was 2.5 hours,
taking into account research
time, location of parts and
actual time spent fixing the
problem.
TaT is all about
sharing of information
between technicians.
There are many very
clever and innovative
technicians who have
developed short cuts
and tricks which
would really help their
fellow technicians.
Don’t think of other
technicians as your
competition. They
are your associates,
in a very specialised
and highly technical
industry.
Share your great ideas
with them through
TaT. Email:
jsmit@tat.net.au
The Automotive Technician 16
Technical solutions, just like this one, are being added daily to the database on the website,
accessible only by TaT subscribers and VASA member workshops.
www.tat.net.au

Check the Pulse
ars have pulses – just
like us. Cars have a
heart – just like us, only
it’s called an alternator.
Like us, if the pulse rate is too
high or too low, it can lead to
serious complications, even
death. Testing the charging
system is not only important
to resolve issues of undercharging
or over-charging, but
also critical when base-lining a
vehicle.
Charging voltage is
far too important to
overlook.
Obviously, it’s important
because the alternator
provides the charging voltage
(V) and charging current (I)
to operate all electrical and
electronic circuits while the
engine is running. At the same
time, the alternator must have
enough power left over to keep
the battery charged.
Think about it and you’ll realise
that the battery doesn’t provide
any electrical power to operate
the vehicle while the engine
is running as long as the
alternator is doing its job.
There are only two roles for
the battery while the engine is
running:
1. To provide a voltage
reference point to assist the
alternator in maintaining the
correct charging voltage for a
given ambient air temperature
2. To allow itself to be
recharged.
Should the alternator fail to
produce the electrical power
required, the battery has to
step up and relieve the car’s
electrical shortage, powering
the ignition and fuel systems
until the car can reach a
workshop.
These days, the car can’t
be driven very far on battery
power before there is a
complete electrical failure.
But there’s more to the story.
Properly monitoring alternator
output becomes a very
important parameter to ensure
a car’s overall electrical and
driveability performance.
Unfortunately, not enough
attention is paid to this when
diagnosing electrical and
driveability problems.
Many times it is assumed
the charging voltage is within
proper limits because the
charge indicator on the dash
is not ON and there’s no DTC
for the charging system. Some
techs seem to think that the
maximum current a alternator
produces indicates everything
they need to know about the
charging system. Both are
wrong. See Figure 1.
The components for the
charging system are shown
connected together. The
alternator and battery are
drawn to look like their actual
appearance rather than as
traditional schematic symbols.
On the left is an ‘All Vehicle
Electrical Loads’ box, which
is sufficient for the purposes
of this article to represent the
entire electrical system as it
receives electrical power from
the alternator/battery (B+)
and ground (B-). The basis
of understanding electrical
systems is Ohm’s Law, where
“V” is voltage in volts, “I” is
current in amps and R” is
resistance in ohms.
So, V = I x R.
As we explore charging
voltage (V) and charging
current (I) issues, it’s crucial to
understand what the charging
voltage is and how it can be
anticipated to vary under
changing driving conditions.
It’s also important to
understand charging current
and how to correctly test
the charging ‘I’ apart from
charging ‘V’. We must test
charging voltage and charging
current separately. They are
not the same parameter, but
two distinct tests of charging
system performance. Testing
one, either charging voltage
or charging current, does not
verify the other.
All tests should point to
whether or not the charging
system is functioning properly
in the shortest possible time
with no errors in diagnosis.
Basic voltage
concepts
Alternator testing can be
performed on the car without
the need for expensive test
equipment.
Start the engine and do some
voltage and current checks
to determine if the charging
system is okay. All that’s
needed is a few minutes and
a suitable digital testing device
together with current clamp
capable of reading from 1.0-
200 DC amps.
Before testing, however, the
charging system basics need
to be reviewed by asking some
pertinent questions. This will
give an opportunity to evaluate
your knowledge. Note that
some questions focus on
charging voltage (V in volts)
and others focus on charging
current (I in amps). Don’t get
charging voltage and charging
current issues confused in the
following seven questions:
The Automotive Technician 17

Question 1: Which of the
following two options is the
better way to test a vehicle’s
charging system?
(1) Test charging voltage (V)
(2) Test charging current (I)
Question 2: What effect does
high ambient temperature have
on alternator output voltage (V)?
Question 3: What effect does
low ambient temperature have
on alternator output voltage (V)?
Question 4: What effect
does high electrical load have
on alternator output voltage
(V)?
Question 5: What effect
does high electrical load have
on alternator output current (I)?
Question 6: What effect
does low electrical load have
on alternator output voltage
(V)?
Question 7: What effect does
low electrical load have on
alternator output current (I)?
That doesn’t make it any
less helpful in understanding
the essential electrical
relationships.
Test the alternator by
monitoring the output voltage
under all operating conditions
of the vehicle’s electrical
system. If the electrical loads
are drawing their normal load
current and the alternator
output voltage is within the
proper range the alternator is
doing its job. You have verified
that the correct charging
voltage is present and all
vehicle electrical loads are
receiving the proper current
by their correct operation.
The actual total current the
alternator is producing is not
the issue. The real issue is
the charging voltage. If the
electrical loads work and the
charging voltage is within
acceptable limits, the current
has to be there if the loads are
operating properly.
It’s Ohm’s Law, and George
Simon Ohm knew what he was
talking about when he came up
with V = I x R.
Answer 6: Low electrical
load decreases alternator
current, which allows alternator
output voltage to rise to the set
point determined by the voltage
regulator.
Answer 7: Low electrical
load on a alternator lowers
alternator output current and
alternator heat decreases.
Testing ‘V’
See Figure 2. The general
idea is to measure the charging
voltage at the battery terminals
as shown.
If a little lower, say 12.45V,
the battery is less than fully
charged, but proceed anyway.
This high reading, 12.91, with
the engine off, is the effect of a
recent, and temporary, surface
charge.
2. Start the engine and run
it at 1,500 rpm. Note the
charging voltage as read at
the battery terminals. This is
the initial value of charging
Got you thinking? Good.
Answers that
Make Practical
Sense
Answer 1: Testing the
charging voltage (V) is the
best way to verify the condition
of the alternator and the
charging system. It’s important
to differentiate between
voltage and current tests
when discussing alternators
and testing charging systems.
Voltage follows current, not
the other way around. To have
alternator current, there must
be alternator voltage. Without
voltage there is no current.
Current can’t flow if there is no
voltage to push/pull electrons
through the circuit. Charging
current can’t be found in a
dead (0.0V) alternator. That’s
why the focus must first be
on the charging voltage when
testing the system.
Yeah, we
know. You’ve
been seeing
this graphic
representation
of Ohm’s Law
ever since high school.
The Automotive Technician 18
Answer 2: High ambient
temperatures lower alternator
output voltage (V) because the
battery charges easily when
warm. If the charging voltage
did not decrease, the battery
would be severely damaged
from overcharging and
overheating. The only reason
the charging voltage changes
with temperature is to meet
the battery’s charging needs,
which decrease as ambient
temperature rises.
Answer 3: The opposite
applies at low ambient
temperatures. Batteries don’t
charge very well when cold, so
the charging voltage rises in
cold weather to compensate.
Answer 4: High electrical
load lowers alternator output
voltage. It’s just like placing a
load on a battery and watching
battery voltage decrease. If the
electrical load is very heavy,
charging voltage may be lower
than normal, which indicates
weak output that will result in
an undercharged battery.
Answer 5: High electrical
load increases alternator
output current and alternator
heat increases.
The battery terminals provide
more convenient connection
points than trying to attach test
leads to the alternator.
Once the DMM is connected,
load the charging system by
turning ON selected electrical
loads, then see how low the
charging voltage drops with
each load. If the alternator’s
strong, it’ll maintain sufficient
output voltage under the
vehicle’s full electrical load.
Next, take the load off the
alternator by turning all
electricals OFF and let the
output voltage find its normal
high charging voltage limit
to make sure the voltage
regulator is doing its job.
The following steps will help
you evaluate good or bad
charging system voltage:
1. Connect DMM test leads to
the battery terminals. Battery
standing voltage is the first
reading obtained. It should be
very close to 12.66V. It may
be slightly higher in the range
of 12.80 to 13.00 volts if the
engine has been running in
the last few hours because of
normal positive surface charge.
voltage. It should be in the
range of 13.80 to 14.80
volts depending on ambient
temperature. It will be near the
upper limit of 14.80V in colder
weather and near the lower
limit 13.80V in hotter weather.
The actual charging voltage
value will be somewhere in
between this upper and lower
limit in moderate ambient air
temperature. If you checked
five cars of identical make and
model at the same time you
might find the charging voltage
to be different by a few tenths
of a volt. The important thing is
it should be within the one-volt
range mentioned.
A new alternator had just been
intalled in this car, and got this
nice 14.36V, high reading at
idle.
If the charging voltage isn’t
between 13.80 to 14.80, it’s
likely that a problem is present,
so continue testing for the
complete picture.

If the charging voltage is less
than the standing voltage,
there’s no point in proceeding
further. The alternator is ‘dead’
and the vehicle is running on
battery power.
3. If the charging voltage is
13.80 to 14.80, maintain 1,500
rpm and turn ON and leave ON
the following electrical loads
while watching the decrease in
charging voltage:
• Head lights on high beam
• AC and high speed blower
• Windshield wipers
• Radio
• Rear window demister (the
big one)
When each load is turned
ON, the charging voltage will
decrease as the alternator
delivers current to each load,
and the total load adds up.
The voltage should stay above
13.50 volts with all loads ON
with a healthy charging system
at 1,500 rpm. A reading below
13.50 volts indicates a weak
charging system. Before
ordering any parts, make sure
that the problem isn’t simply
a loose alternator belt, or a
corroded connection in the
wiring.
eventually result, especially
in cold climates. This doesn’t
mean there’s necessarily a
bad alternator, connection or
battery. It’s just an alternator/
charging system that’s doing
all it can, but is being outrun
by demands. Similar makes
and models will consistently
do this, so you know there
is no problem other than an
alternator/charging system
that’s maxed out.
Don’t be surprised to see quite
a few vehicles drop below
13.10V at a stoplight with a
heavy electrical load because
the alternator simply cannot
provide that much electrical
power at idle speed, especially
on smaller cars.
5. Turn OFF all electrical loads
turned ON in Step 3 above.
6. Run the engine at 2,000 rpm
and watch the charging voltage
rise. It should rise no higher
than 15.10V if the weather is
very cold. If the weather is very
hot the voltage may only rise to
about 13.80V.
lower than in cold weather.
Try this procedure on several
vehicles and write down the
readings to learn how the
charging system performs on
different vehicles at different
ambient temperatures. A little
practice makes perfect at
checking charging system
voltage.
Ripple Voltage
Testing the charging system for
‘ripple voltage’ which is a minor
amplitude variation in the DC
charging voltage, is important.
Too much ripple can cause the
ECU to misinterpret sensor
signal voltages, or cause it to
make incorrect calculations
resulting in driveability
problems. Ripple voltage is
often called an AC voltage, but
that’s not correct. It’s actually
a minor amplitude variation
in the DC charging voltage
as a natural result of how the
voltage is produced.
small amount of ripple using
their own internal DC voltage
filter circuit designed for this
purpose.
High ripple content occurs
when one stator winding is
either OPEN or SHORTED,
or one of the diodes in the
alternator’s diode bridge
network fails to pass its
share of electron current.
This reduces the stator signal
to a two-phase signal and
significantly increases the
ripple amplitude variations
since one phase is missing,
which leaves a big gap
between the remaining two
phases.
Figures 5 and 6.
Figures 5 and 6 show the effect
on the ripple pattern when a
positive diode either shorts or
becomes open circuit.
4. Let the engine come down
to idle with all electrical loads
still ON. On most vehicles, this
amount of electrical load on
the alternator at idle rpm will
pull the charging system below
13.10V. If the charging system
can hold above 13.10V, it’s got
one strong alternator.
At idle with all loads on, this
charging system is holding well
at 13.08.
Now apply the brakes to
increase the electrical load
at engine idle. The charging
voltage at this point is what the
battery will get under heavy
electrical load while sitting at a
stoplight. The voltage may fall
to less than 13.10V.
If the voltage drops below
12.66 volts, the battery is
actually discharging in this
situation in order to supply
electrical power to the vehicle
circuits. If the driver does a lot
of stop-and-go driving with all
the loads ON, a flat battery will
How high the actual charging
voltage gets at this point is
determined by the engineers
who designed the vehicle
for a specific OEM battery.
The voltage regulator, which
is temperature sensitive,
determines how high the
charging voltage should be.
Higher in cold weather and
lower in hot weather is the rule.
Vehicle make and model also
is a factor and the reason a
technician should perform this
charging voltage test on every
vehicle being serviced is to
learn what voltage readings to
expect on a given make and
model.
If the charging voltage
continues to rise past 15.20V
the vehicle is overcharging.
The voltage regulator may
be defective or there is a
bad connection between the
alternator and the battery.
Check battery water and add
water if low. Remember to
consider ambient temperature
when evaluating the charging
voltage. In hot weather the
charging voltage should be
Figure 3.
Figure 3 shows the alternator’s
three stator winding
waveforms, 1, 2 and 3,
repeating in rapid succession
to create the DC charging
voltage, at, say, 14.00V DC.
Each independent stator
waveform has a moment
in time when it reaches its
positive peak, while the other
two stator waveforms are either
approaching, or have just
passed, their peak.
Figure 4.
In Figure 4 the resulting ‘ripple
pattern’ is from the overlapping
three-phase stator signal that
presents a fairly smooth DC
voltage (again, at something
like 14.00V DC) with some
slight amplitude variations we
have come to call ‘ripple’.
Low ripple content riding on the
DC charging voltage is good,
and the ECU as well as other
electronic components are
designed to compensate for a
Figures 7 and 8.
Figures 7 and 8 show the effect
when a negative diode shorts
or becomes open circuit.
What to Do?
The Bosch PMS100 is shown
set up to measure AC voltage
and is connected to the
alternator terminals while the
engine is running.
A DMM on its AC voltage range
blocks out DC voltage from the
measurement and is able to
see only amplitude variations
in the DC voltage. The DMM
interprets and indicates the DC
The Automotive Technician 19

voltage variations as AC Volts
since that’s the DMM function
selected. The PMS100 reads
0.030, which is a normal low
reading. The lower the ripple,
the better.
Since AC Volts is selected on
the Bosch PMS100, ‘ripple’
has become known as ‘AC
riding on the DC charging
voltage’ instead of DC voltage
variations, which is what it truly
is. Industry standards tell us
that ripple content should not
exceed 0.30 ‘AC Volts’ for a
sufficiently clean and pure DC
charging voltage.
More than 0.30 AC Volts
may confuse a ECU’s brain
(CPU) and cause pesky
and intermittent driveability
problems. A driveability
problem due to excessive
AC ripple is only solved
by replacing the defective
alternator. There may be
DTCs, or not. It depends on
the amount of ripple present
and how a make or model ECU
responds to ripple.
It’s a learning game —
experience helps.
Don’t forget to check alternator
ripple before you start changing
parts when attempting to repair
a driveability problem.
Part two of ‘Testing the
charging system’ will be
published in the next issue
of TaT when we will go into
testing the current of the
charging system.
This article is a modified
version of an article written
by Vince Fischelli for the
Master Technician magazine in
America.
TaT sincerely thanks Vince
Fischelli for allowing us to
use his content for this article.
Vince is a technical trainer
specialising in electrical and
electronics troubleshooting.
After a great deal of training
in the military, his auto service
experience began at an auto
electrical shop. He then started
his own repair business where
he specialised in the hard
cases others couldn’t solve. He
was also the technical manager
of GM’s ECM remanufacturing
facility in Dallas, Texas USA.
Vince has written numerous
books and electrical/electronics
training programs.
Check out his web site at:
www.veejer.com
Check the Pulse
Thanks to Gary Poot, Home Tune Hills District, Sydney for
these tips on belt tightening and carbon build up.
You said it!
For cost reasons only I have switched to DELCO
88900161Combustion Chamber Cleaner with the same results.
This is the best automotive technical magazine I have come
across. I have already met most of your team over the years
including Jack and Nick and also Wayne when he was still
apprenticed to his father Roley Broady. Very impressive team!
Just some comments to a couple of articles in the June
2008 issue.
Share your time saving tips
with your fellow technicians.
email to : jsmit@tat.net.au
BELT TENSION
I use a Gates tool for checking the tension of “Micro-V”
belts when replacing them. The tool is called KRIKIT
and the part number is Gates 91132 for Micro-V belts
and Gates 91107 for V belts.
The narrow three-rib Micro-V alternator belts have a
habit of slipping if not absolutely correctly tensioned.
Once they have slipped and overheated, the belt has
been permanently damaged and needs to be replaced
to overcome slippage.
CARBON BUILD-UP
For a long time I have used SUBARU SA459 Upper
Diagnostic
problems?
Engine Cleaner and the help of an old toothbrush to
clean throttle bodies and induction manifolds, with
excellent results.
The Automotive Technician 20
We have your solutions. Distributors for Launch,
AutoBoss, BulletPro, ADD, Boyce Publications,
Electrajet interactive, Electrajet Data, simply call
Terry on 0418 649894
or Garry on 0417 023887. PROBLEM SOLVED.

Murphy’s Law Braking down the wheels
ABS It was used to reduce
was designed in 1929
for the aircraft industry.
wheel skid and consequently reduce
landing distance and give better stability.
A typical ABS is composed of a central
electronic unit, four speed sensors (one
for each wheel), and two or more hydraulic
valves on the brake circuit.
The electronic unit constantly monitors
the rotation speed of each wheel. When
it senses that any number of wheels are
rotating considerably slower than the
others (a condition that will bring it to lock
up) it moves the valves to decrease the
pressure on the braking circuit, effectively
reducing the braking force on that wheel.
The wheel then turns faster and when
it turns too fast, the force is reapplied.
This process is repeated continuously,
and this causes the characteristic pulsing
feel through the brake pedal. An anti-lock
system can apply and release braking
pressure up to 20 times a second.
Diagnostic procedures
It is important to scan the system and
check for any trouble codes. If the system
is too early for On Board Diagnostics
(OBD), you will have to manually check
through the circuit.
Testing wheel speed sensors (WSS) using
a oscilloscope:
•
•
•
•
Locate the WSS connections
Select oscilloscope on 1v scale
at 5ms per division
Jack the car up so wheels are
free or road test and observe
wave signals on the scope
If you are using 4-channel scope
the wheel speed signal will vary if
you are cornering.
ABS wheel speed sensors come in
different forms, the most common using an
AC type signal generated by an inductive
type sensor.
More uncommon are the inductive sensor
with a square waveform. These sensors
use live magnets built into the moving hub
or the wheel bearings. On the Alfa Romeo
the bearing has the live magnets inserted
in the wheel bearing seal, with the sensor
pickup in the hub.
Euro cars are using a different array
of WSS. Caution must be taken when
working around the front suspension on
2003 and above SAAB, as the WSS tends
to be affected by dirt getting between the
wheel hub and the sensor.
Other common causes of triggering WSS
codes are loose wheel bearings. The
sensor is located in the hub and the
impulse ring is on the moving part of the
flange. If the wheel bearing has excessive
play, the impulse ring will move away from
the sensor, reducing the intensity of the
signal. The effect of loose/worn wheel
bearings can result in setting an ABS code
or it could activate the ABS under false
pretences.
Apart from WSS faults, the solenoid valves
in the hydraulic
control unit or the
solenoid relay can
develop faults.
ABS systems have
two relays, one
for the hydraulic
solenoids and the
other for the pump.
Some systems
can do a self-test,
meaning if the ignition is
turned on, the relays will
switch on briefly and supply
power to the pump and
solenoids. If the control unit
detects a fault through lower
than normal current draw, it
will log a code.
The relays in most modern
systems will be integrated into
the control unit. In the event
of a fault code, the control
unit will require repair or
replacement.
When an ABS unit is activated,
the hydraulic control unit looks
at the offending wheel.
To maintain control, the ABS
must reduce wheel skid by removing the
pressure from the affected wheel. By
closing the inlet valve (each wheel has two
solenoid valves), the pressure is cut off
from the calliper on the skidding wheel.
At the same time, the outlet valve will
remain open, allowing the pump to pull
pressure away from the brake calliper.
This process can repeat up to 20 times per
second causing the brake pedal to pulse.
Once the wheel maintains close to the
same speed as the other wheels the inlet
valve opens, allowing pressure to flow to
that calliper. At the same time the outlet
valve will start to close while still controlling
pressure.
The 4-way system will have two inlet fluid
ports and four outlet ports (one per wheel).
When the pressure is pulled away from the
offending wheel, it is pumped back into the
rest of the system.
Happy diagnosing
Nick Murphy
The Automotive Technician 21

Modern vehicles find LED
lights are a bit ‘light on’
Like most new auto
technologies, every
advancement brings
another set of new problems
to overcome.
We all agree that the Light
Emitting Diode (LED) light has
been great, but it has also
spawned a couple of problems.
We find that LED lights fitted
to trailers are not working
correctly and are also
interfering with the vehicle’s
globe fail warning system.
Sometimes, the rear electronic
suspension and reversing
cameras are affected.
As we all know, LED lights
have very minimal current
draw, which is one of their
features. The lack of load of the
LEDs causes problems with
the globe monitoring systems
on some late model vehicles.
It causes the globe warning
system to warn the driver that
the lights on the trailer are
not functioning. This problem
can be overcome by fitting
load resistors in parallel to the
globes on the trailer. These
load resistors are equivalent to
24 watts of energy.
The LR12 is a 6 ohm resistor
and is designed to run on
12 volts, effectively drawing
around 24 watts. The LR24
is a 24 ohm resistor and is
designed to run on 24 volts,
effectively drawing around 24
watts of power also. They are
available from Bursons, Auto
One stores, and other LED
Autolamps stockists.
The important thing to
remember is that these
resistors must be fitted on
the trailer and not within the
vehicle. (Refer to the pics of
resistors being fitted to a boat
trailer, together with the wiring
diagram.)
In cases where they have been
fitted within the vehicle, the
vehicle’s electronic systems
think a trailer is connected due
to the load on the circuit and
this can affect the reversing
camera and rear electronic
suspension systems.
Another problem is where
the vehicle’s light monitoring
system, through BUS CAN
technology, sends a small
voltage or pulse down the
wiring to the rear lights to
constantly monitor the globes.
When a trailer with LED lights
is attached to the vehicle, the
small voltage or pulses are
then also sent to the trailer
lights.
Because the LED lights can
operate on very low voltage,
this monitoring system can
cause the LED lights to flash
or even appear to glow on the
trailer.
LED Autolamps technical
department is currently working
on an add-on device which will
eliminate this problem.
The Automotive Technician 22
Justin Anderson from LED
Autolamps explained further

“The problem we face is that
each manufacturer has a
different system and therefore
different pulses or voltages
are used in different model
vehicles”.
E = Earth
L = Left
T = Tail
S = Stop
Load Resistor Bank
...to trailer plug
E L T S
R
The company is developing
devices for the current Land
Rover and Range Rover.
As history has
proved many
times, each time
new technology
is introduced,
problems
develop that
need to be
rectified.
LED lights are certainly the
way of the future, especially
with hybrid and electric
vehicles because of their very
low current draw. Technicians
just need to overcome some of
the small challenges that the
new technology presents along
the way.
R = Right
Note: Do not mount
the resistors on to
plastic surfaces or
anything that can’t
handle 170°C
L
S
T
LR12
LR12
E
LR12
LR12
R
S
T
L
T
S
R
If you have encountered
similar problems, please let us
know so we can share your
experiences.
email: jsmit@tat.net.au
Left LED
(Boat trailer lamps) LED Autolamps Part No. 207
Thanks to LED Autolamps for their assistance and photos.
Earth
Right LED
YES..I would like to take up your offer of the last chance
(before it reverts to normal price of $115)
$99 subscription
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The Automotive Technician 23

Nick Murphy road test
op
ools
Riding a Pico on the technology wave
In this era of faster signals
and complex electronic
components, the need
becomes greater for faster and
more advanced oscilloscopes.
I was given the opportunity to use
the four-channel PicoScope 3423
from Pico Technology, courtesy of
Mount Auto Equipment.
My first thought was how
inconvenient having to run it
through a laptop, but after the
initial download of the necessary operating
S/W, I soon changed my mind. How simple
is this to use!
The first component I wanted to test was a
knock sensor. It was a simple move of the
curser up to the automotive icon, click on
‘sensors’ and locate ‘knock sensor’.
The auto screen set-up not only did
exactly that, but it also gave me a sample
waveform of what I should get from this
test. Any techo could use this scope.
Another great feature is the drag and
expand. Simply click on the magnifying
icon, drag across the area you wish to
view more closely and presto, it enlarges
that area. If you repeat the process it
continues to enlarge.
The PicoScope’s
performance is quite
outstanding
With a sample rate of 20ms per second
it looks as though it is real time. This
speed has a lot to do with buffering (the
time it takes to process information into
readable form), similar to your PC when
downloading video clips.
Pico is the OEM tool for many vehicle
manufacturers and consequently it has
a large number of stored waveform
information and examples.
I found the tool extremely accurate and
easy to hook up. Test probes and add-on
accessories made it a very versatile tool.
For example, back probing and testing
CAN signals on a VZ Commodore, this
signal runs at about 100kh and it displayed
the info without any trouble.
The Automotive Technician 24
PicoScope can be very intense if you need
it to be, so it should appeal to many of the
techno nuts out there.
The specifications are impressive, such
as the two or four channel option, 12-bit
resolution, deep 512k sample rate memory
and 20ms/s sample rate. It connects and is
powered by the USB 2.0 on your laptop.
The PicoScope 3223 is a dual-channel
oscilloscope and is capable of capturing
waveforms from up to two sensors at once.
To make it easier to diagnose faults on
complicated systems, the four-channel
PicoScope 3423 can capture waveforms
from up to four sensors at once. For
example, with a PicoScope 3423 you are
able to capture the injector voltage signals
from all four injectors from Bank 1 of a V8
cylinder engine.
Hook ups
include:
• ignition (primary
and secondary)
• injectors and fuel
pumps
• starter and
charging circuits
• ABS sensors
• crank and cam
sensors
• Lambda, airflow,
knock and MAP
sensors
• glow plugs, timer
relays
• relative
compression
tests
• CAN BUS
Requirements are:
Processor: 500 MHz Pentium II processor,
or equivalent
Memory: 256 MB (XP)/1 GB (Vista)
minimum
Disk space: 300 MB minimum
Operating system: 32 bit Microsoft
Windows XP SP2 or Vista
Ports: USB 1.1 compliant port (USB 2.0
recommended)
Features:
• two and four-channel versions available
• lifetime technical support
• 12-bit resolution
• deep 512k sample memory
• 20MS/s sample rate
• connected to and powered by USB 2.0
• free software upgrades
For further information, closest reseller and
a demo CD, contact:
Mount Auto Equipment 02 9905 8055.
This output of CAN BUS high and low signals is what you
see on your computer screen direct from the Pico.

The Automotive Technician 25

Hy-there
Jeff Smit and the Toyota Hybrid
Hybrids
Technical Editor Jeff Smit takes us for a ride
What with petrol prices, worries
about our environment and
carbon footprints, of course the
hybrid vehicle is well and truly on the
radar. In Australia there are two hybrids
available.
Toyota’s Prius has been the biggest-selling
hybrid in Australia, and the world, for the
past three years. As Toyota increases
production numbers, the waiting list for a
new Prius was around three months when
we last checked.
The other is the Honda Civic. Having made
a disappointing debut with the previous
Civic hybrid, Honda has high hopes for the
new model. It has returned with a bigger
car and a more advanced hybrid system.
The two are similar, but are different in the
way they go about their environmentally
friendly business.
Both have small petrol engines
complemented by an electric motor.
Having now driven both models, here are
our findings.
Toyota Prius
It’s hard to believe that the Prius has been
around for more than ten years. Its second
generation Prius is already three years old.
There is nothing quite like it on the road.
What makes the Toyota so popular is that
is has the most advanced hybrid system
available in a relatively affordable car and
genuine fuel economy.
On the road, the Prius gets on with the
job in a quiet and effortless fashion. The
controls are easy to operate, the cabin
is roomy and it has a massive boot. The
Prius is competent in corners but isn’t
likely to win a sports car trophy.
It automatically switches off its petrol
engine as the car comes to rest and sits
silently in traffic until the lights turn green,
at which point it accelerates on its electric
motor up to 40Km/h before the petrol
engine subtly kicks back into life. The
genius of this system is that moving the
car’s mass from rest is what burns most
fuel.
The Automotive Technician 26
Its electric mode has
surprised a few people
as it can sneak up on you
with no noise coming
from its engine bay.
The digital fuel consumption gauge is so
prominent, you can’t help but try to beat
your previous trip’s fuel consumption
average. I’m sure that was a deliberate
decision from Toyota.
Honda Civic Hybrid
As soon as you sit inside the Honda Civic
you can be forgiven for thinking you’re on
a futuristic Disneyland ride. It’s appropriate
that the Civic’s cabin looks like something
from the future, given that every major car
maker has fast-tracked plans to introduce
hybrid-powered vehicles.
Honda was one of the pioneers of hybrid
technology, so we were keen to see how
its third-generation system performed.
Honda’s system is subtly different. As with
the Prius, the engine switches off only
once the car has stopped but it starts the
moment the accelerator is pressed. That
means the engine is being used to help
move the Civic from rest and, therefore,
burns more fuel than the Prius. The Civic
can be driven purely on the electric motor
on a level surface when feathering the
throttle between 40Km/h and 60Km/h.
Essentially, the differences are that the
Prius’s propulsion is primarily from the
electric motor, which is then assisted by
the petrol engine as required, while the
Honda primarily is driven by the petrol
engine and assisted by the electric motor
as required.
The other noteworthy difference is the way
the Honda switches from petrol to electric
power and vice-versa. The Honda’s
transition is noticeable and relatively
abrupt, while the Prius system operates
almost seamlessly and feels like a better
engineered piece of technology.
Toyota’s announcement that they are going
to build the Hybrid Camry in Australia from
2010, together with a sudden push by
all world wide manufacturers into hybrid
technology, it seems likely that hybrids
will dominate our future on the roads, until
something better comes along.
The dashboard of the Honda Civic Hybrid
As technicians, we need to be aware of
what the future holds and make some
pretty fast decisions about whether to
embrace it or not.
So what job are you going to be working at
next week?

By Jack Stepanian
The mystery of the
Drifting Ground ...
Much has been written about the
effect of a bad supply and a
ground to the performance of a
vehicle. However while a drifting ground
may not have any detrimental effect
on vehicle performance it can have a
profound effect on the fuel consumption.
How to check ground
potentials
One way of determining whether a vehicle
has a good earth (or not) is to disable the
vehicle from starting, which can easily be
achieved by disconnecting the fuel pump
relay and or fuse, and cranking the engine.
Naturally, by doing so, the vehicle will now
be drawing a fair amount of current from
the battery (starter motor cranking current).
And should there be any anomalies
on ground potentials, this current drain
will amplify its effect during the ground
potential measurement.
Process of measuring
ground potential
All ground potentials are measured
relative to negative post of the battery.
That is, the negative probe of the
oscilloscope is placed onto the negative
post of the battery and the active
probe is placed at different points of
measurement.
Differing points of
ground potential
measurement
There are three initial mandatory places to
begin the measurement and these are post
to clamp, post to chassis and post to block.
Post to clamp: this will determine if
the post to clamp facade is electrically
connected with the least electrical
resistance.
Post to chassis: is the next plausible
place to measure, since many circuits
use chassis as an earth return. This will
determine if the chassis relative post
is well grounded (or not).
Post to block: will determine if
a sensor that uses the block as
an earth return is reasonable or
not. These voltages can easily be
measured with a digital multimeter
and/or an oscilloscope.
What is a reasonable
voltage drop?
Industry standard is no more than 0.3 of
a volt. While the vehicle is under a heavy
load (cranking) the voltage drop measured
at any given point should not exceed 0.3
of a volt. This takes into consideration the
resistance of the circuit coupled with the
current draw.
What if all is well - then
what?
Naturally, the next point of attack will
depend on the customer’s complaint.
For example, the owner of a humble
Daewoo Cielo was concerned that,
while operating very normally, it had
excessive fuel consumption.
Since it had had a recent thorough
tune up, it was time to measure earth
potentials at the Electronic Control
Module (IEFI-6 type SOHC ECM).
In this captured waveform (terminal C13)
the ground was drifting below the zero
volt base line while running. Since the
battery post is the reference terminal it
is perplexing to see a voltage drop that
swings below the zero volt base line.
Indeed, it should be a positive voltage drop
rather than a negative voltage drop.
A good flush of the cooling system and
replenishment of the correct amount of
consistency of coolant (glycol) restored the
voltage drop.
In this waveform, the voltage drop is a
positive drop relative to the base line and
the average voltage drop is approximately
less than 0.3 of a volt (while cranking).
To make sure that the supply was in good
order, the fuel pump fuse and fuel pump
relay was restored and terminal B1 and
C16 were measured (while running).
In this waveform, on the initial turn of
the crank, the quiescent supply voltage
of 12.5 volts drops down to about 8.5
volts (5 seconds into the trace) and then
it quickly recovers within half a second
and the vehicle starts.
As engine revolution begins to heave
from say 300 rpm to that of say 1,100
rpm, the charging system cuts in and
begins to start charging the battery to 14
volts (6.5 seconds into the trace).
And as soon as the engine is turned off,
the battery returns to its quiescent supply
voltage (with a little extra charge of 0.5
volts) totalling about 13 volts (7.5 seconds
into the trace).
So, unless the ground and supply
potentials are correct and void of any
aberrations or anomalies the vehicle
should perform as intended by the car
maker’s design engineer.
So keep an eye out for those elusive
drifting grounds.
The Automotive Technician 27

Australia has lots of natural gas –
who needs petrol?
By Wayne Broady, Broady Automotive Repairs (Sydney),
member of the Gas Injection Group and LPG Australia
The question on everyone’s lips
right now is - what is the fuel of the
future?
With petrol at whatever
the price is when you
read this, why wouldn’t
any motorist consider
turning to LPG for less
than half the price. Why
do Australians rely on
imported crude to produce
petrol when we have
an abundance of LPG
(Liquefied Petroleum Gas)
and Compressed Natural
Gas (CNG)?
The Government is
supporting LPG as an
alternative fuel for private
motorists by giving a
$2000 rebate to assist
with conversion costs .
But what about business
vehicles. What about the infrastructure
for CNG. We can dramatically reduce
our greenhouse emissions by converting
to LPG and in the future CNG if the
infrastructure is put in place.
More Original Equipment Manufacturers
(OEMs) need to come on board and build
motors which are compatible as original
equipment or approved for aftermarket
kits.
We can now convert most vehicles to
LPG using vapour injection systems and
vehicles manufactured after December
2003 must be fitted with an approved
emissions tested kit. Suppliers take
vehicles to testing stations to ensure each
model complies with emission standards.
At that point the system is approved for
that vehicle.
Considering the escalation of fuel prices,
our LPG-approved workshop has been run
off its feet.
We are taking bookings some six months
ahead and are having to deal with supply
issues for components to complete
conversions. I have had enquiries for
a variety of vehicles, including a Toyota
Prius.
An average conversion takes 1- 2
days and requires an understanding
of Australian Standard Code AS1425
plus manufacturing skills and a good
understanding of vehicle EFI systems.
An LPG conversion can cost anywhere
from $2,500 to $5,500 depending on the
vehicle and the type of system fitted.
How a vapour injection
system works
The tank is the same as the carby/ventury
based LPG systems. A pressure cylinder
is mounted according to Australian
Standard AS1425 in an appropriate
position. Often the spare tyre is relocated
to allow the tank to be installed.
A convertor and filter lock is mounted in
the engine bay. LPG is supplied from
the tank via a service line. The convertor
changes LPG liquid to a vapour and
reduces pressure. Convertors need to
be capable of supplying enough LPG
under high engine loads. Most systems
are smart enough to swap back to petrol
should pressure reduce significantly or the
vehicle runs out of LPG.
LPG convertors are connected to the
cooling system to prevent the convertor
from freezing. When LPG changes from a
liquid to a vapour, it needs heat to assist.
The water in the cooling system provides
the heat. Converters
also have a water
temperature sensor
to indicate to the LPG
computer that the
vehicle has reached
operating temperature.
This operating
temperature, normally
around 40 degrees, is
reached after driving
initially on petrol.
After the convertor,
another filter is fitted.
This is a vapour filter, to
prevent contaminants
affecting LPG injectors
and pressure sensor.
Depending on the brand
of system, pressure
varies from 1 bar to 2.5
bar.
Injectors are remote mounted to the inlet
manifold via small injector hoses. A small
fitting is drilled and taped as close as
possible to the existing petrol injector.
Most vapour injection systems work on a
master slave computer system. An LPG
computer is fitted in the engine bay or
under the dash. The switching side of
petrol injectors is interrupted and sent to
the LPG computer or injector module and
then returned to the petrol injector. The job
of the LPG computer is to monitor injector
duration and modify it to suit LPG injector
requirements. When a vehicle runs on
LPG, most vapour injection systems send
an emulated signal to the petrol injector to
prevent the vehicle’s ECU
from logging any fault codes.
Other signals used by LPG
computers are an rpm tacho
signal, 12 volt ignition signal
and oxygen sensor mainly
used for diagnosis and setup
purposes.
To set up an LPG system
you will need computer
software and diagnostic
cables and ideally a Dyno
The Automotive Technician 28

ut it can be done on a road test. A
scan tool which can show long and
short term fuel trims and air fuel ratios
will assist in confirming the set up is
correct.
When running on petrol, both injection
duration and fuel trim are observed and
this is then compared when swapped
over to LPG and should not alter by
more than +/- 3%. Depending which
brand of LPG vapour injection is used,
each rev and load range is set up
individually. Some systems also have
an auto calibration which allows the
installer to get the set up close to what
is required.
The LPG computer is continually
receiving inputs from petrol injectors,
temperature sensors, rpm, and
pressure sensors and calculating the
required LPG injector duration to keep
the air fuel ratio correct.
You said it!
4. Vacuum leaks
5. Check oxygen sensors
6. and finally, re-set fuel trims
“After reading Nick Murphy’s article
“Diagnosis of Air Flow Meters” (April
08), I thought I would share my
experience with your readers, in
particular with the Bosch HFM2 and
HFM5 air flow meters which up until
recently were fitted to mainly European
BMW and Mercedes.
The problem with these air flow
meters is that they only have to be
out of ranges by 0.05 of a volt and
they will give driveability problems.
Furthermore, because of the design
it can be anywhere in the flow range.
These cars will usually have perfect
emissions at idle, even though they
will run lean under cruise on full load.
As Nick said in his article, because
the airflow meter is reading in its
parameters there will be no fault code
for the air flow meter. So how do we
test it?
Before I tell you the fail safe way (so
far) of testing these air flow meters we
have to first do some basic checks.
1. First check fuel pressure and flow
2. Have the injectors been serviced
regularly?
3. Check the breathing of the engine
eg cam timing, blocked exhaust
So here it goes – plug your scan tool in
and select current data. Scroll till you
find air flow signal (in volts) and oxygen
sensor (pre cat). Now select graphing
and you will see them side by side.
Now drive the car till you find a steep
hill or incline. Stop at the bottom of the
hill and plant your foot to the floor, with
TPS reading WOT.
The engine management system
always defaults to rich usually 10.1-
12.1. This means that your oxygen
sensor will also be reading rich – 0.9-
1.0 volt almost simultaneously with
TPS at WOT and more importantly
stay there as you climb the hill. If at
any stage your oxygen signal drops
below 0.8 volts you have a faulty air
flow meter. The voltage on your air
flow meter should be 4-5 volts but this
will depend on the load and therefore
will vary. Even a slight loss of power in
these vehicles and the oxygen signal
drops to 0 volts and the air mass meter
is reading 3-4 volts at WOT.
So next time you get one of these
vehicles in your workshop, plug your
scan tool in and go for a test drive. You
might be surprised to find a faulty air
flow meter even though the customer
has not complained.”
Thanks to Glenn Newitt, Sequential Automotive & AutoElectrical Pty Ltd
The Automotive Technician 29

The June Wire & Gas Convention
hosted by VASA on the Gold
Coast, was a perfect opportunity
to explore the issues which
might impact on technicians in
the motor industry over the next
few years.
Apart from the headlong march
of technology itself, there were
other things dominating many
conversations. Not the least
of these was the Australian
Government’s announcements
on the emissions trading
agenda, now known as the
Carbon Pollution Reduction
Scheme.
Details are hazy at present, but
at the convention, delegates
were warned that every
technician running a workshop
would feel the effects of this
scheme one way or another,
and those handling refrigerant,
especially R134a, could face
dramatic increases in the price
of this commodity.
TaT sought the sage advice
of technology importer and
guru of the automotive climate
control sector, Mark Mitchell,
Vice-President of VASA, and
industry representative on
Refrigerant Reclaim Australia
and Refrigerants Australia. He
was a foundation board member
of the Australian Refrigeration
Council, and has represented
the Australian Government at a
world summit on environmental
management of refrigerants.
“I certainly agree with the tone
of the keynote speakers at
the convention, that the future
is full of opportunities for the
smart technician.
There will be lots of new
challenges both at the
technical and business level,
but mixed up in this will be a
fair share of frustrations.
A great deal of my personal
frustration comes from
problems which could have
been avoided.
For example, I became
frustrated by comments from
technicians during the VASA
AGM, that they were seeing
hydrocarbon refrigerants in
farm vehicles, and even one
direct from a dealership.
This is disheartening, when
you consider that there are
sufficient rules and regulations
The Automotive Technician 30
in place in all states to cope
with this. In those states
where HCs in mobile situations
are not totally banned, any
workshop using them must
first obtain the written approval
of the manufacturer of the
vehicle.
I get frustrated when
organisations and governments
go to so much trouble to
avoid these situations, but it
becomes obvious that people
seem to enjoy acting illegally.
It’s early days on the Carbon
Pollution Reduction Scheme,
but all those technicians
handling refrigerant need to
know that organisations like
VASA are in the thick of the
debate, expressing the views
of the working technician.
We are not anti-environment,
but we have to be interested
and concerned if, on current
information, the price of HFC
refrigerant could rise by $39 a
kilo.
From my early involvement in
this carbon tax issue, I have
to say that at present, all I
see is a government full of
good intentions, but I honestly
don’t believe they’ve thought it
through.
In the government’s white
paper on this question, they
talk about equipment which
comes into Australia already
charged with refrigerant,
which has the potential to
rope equipment importers
into the Carbon Pollution
Reduction Scheme. But the
paper makes no distinction
between stationary and mobile
equipment, and they are poles
apart. That’s frustrating.
But for the average technician
and small workshop out there
in surburbia and in country
towns and cities, think on this:
the public are hurting on fuel
prices, forcing them to make
decisions about travel and
shopping that they’ve never
had to make before, except
perhaps during the war years.
People are starting to shop
locally. You know what that
means to the technician in his
suburban workshop?
“The carbon tax will be the biggest
single monetary event since the
invention of money itself”
There’s already less incentive
for a car owner to drive across
town to their dealership for a
service or a repair.
If I were running a retail
workshop right now, I would
begin a campaign to make sure
that every household within
a couple of kilometres of my
workshop knew the services I
provided, and how easy it is to
find me.
Motorists might stick to
their dealership while under
warranty, but when that
expires, just watch them look
for a smart local service centre.
Take it from me that when the
full impact of the carbon tax
bites, everyone will feel the
impact, one way or another.
It will infiltrate down through
the community. It has been
forecast that the carbon tax will
be the biggest single monetary
event since the invention of
money itself.
So my advice to the
technicians of Australia is to
make yourself aware of the
carbon tax issue and prepare
yourself for it.
Join an association, it doesn’t
really matter which one, but
find one which will keep you
informed. VASA is certainly
one of those because it
represents the AC and auto
electrical industries across
Australia and New Zealand,
and is well connected
through its affiliations with
organisational and government
thinking.
If you are in AC you also need
to be kept informed of the new
refrigerants which will impact
on you in the next few years.
So grab the opportunies, keep
on accumulating knowledge,
and, as far as the carbon tax
is concerned, just watch this
space.”

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