DIESEL July-August 201464

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Competition improves the breed

All truck makers strive for reduced workshop downtime and Scania’s Top Team contest is a novel way of improving the company’s levels of diagnosis and repair efficiency. ALLAn WHitinG talks to last year’s global winners.

There’s an agonising scene in Joseph Heller’s Catch 22 where the hero bandages the wounded leg of a waist

gunner aboard a Mitchell B-25 bomber during WW II. Sadly, he’s missed a much more devastating gut wound that’s only revealed when the hero unzips the victim’s flak jacket. He’s bandaged the wrong wound.

Delayed or incorrect diagnosis of truck malfunctions has resulted in many cases of ‘bandaging the wrong wound’ and that’s one reason why Scania has placed such emphasis on workshop technicians’ skills. A key factor in this process is the Top Team program it implemented back in 1989.

Originally reserved for Scandinavian markets, the Top Team contest pits service teams from Scania workshops in an intensive theory and practice

“We open the doors at 7am and shut around midnight, and for

those in a hurry we offer a guaranteed two-hour, drive-in-drive-out

lube service; if we blow the time, the service is free!”

Winning Top Team member, Graham Andrews

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WHAt is top teAm?

More than 8,000 service technicians and parts experts took part in Scania’s Top Team in 2013. After several qualifying events, national finals and regional rounds, ten teams from across the world, making up a total of 50 participants, qualified for the world final. The finalists came from Argentina, Australia, Austria, Finland, Germany, Italy, New Zealand, Peru, Slovakia and Switzerland.

The ultimate goal is for Scania workshops worldwide to provide services that support customers’ businesses. This requires highly proficient service staff.

Scania Top Team is also an important way of promoting safety, health and environmental issues. Good working conditions result in a more motivated staff and less turnover, leading to a more professional and skilled workforce. Consequently, this workforce increases the quality of the work performed at workshops all over the world.

Scania Top Team is a competition and training event, aimed at developing best practices for working on Scania vehicles. The first competition was held in Sweden in 1989. Since then, Top Team has grown to involve participants from workshops from all over the world. The 2013 event was the ninth Top Team to be held.

The next event kicks off later this year with the world final to be held in Sweden in 2015.

contest. In 2003, the Top Team program expanded into some export markets, and the 2013 event saw no fewer than 63 countries’ teams competing for the honour - and €50,000 ($88,000) in prize money - of being Scania’s best.

Australian teams have competed very successfully in the last four events, with technicians from Prestons (Western Sydney) winning not only the Australian nationals and South East Asian regional titles, but going on to two seconds and, finally, two firsts, in 2011 and 2013, in the Top Team world finals.

DIESEL caught up with Scania’s state manager, Michael Weber, and Top Team member, now Prestons’ workshop manager, Graham Andrews, to find out how the global competition works from management and workshop-floor points of view.

“The more skilled our technicians are, the better service we can give to Scania customers to reduce their downtime,” says Michael Weber. “We open the doors at 7am and shut around midnight, and for those in a hurry we offer a guaranteed two-hour, drive-in-drive-out lube service; if we blow the time, the service is free.

“We’ve found that Top Team competition also teaches our workshop people to analyse carefully what customers tell them.”

A favourite example of the need to listen carefully is Michael Weber’s classic ‘truck has no power’ complaint that service people hear more than most

other issues. A typical response would be a breakdown-van serviceman or workshop technician geared up for a fuel system problem.

“Some more questioning by the person receiving the phone call might reveal that the ‘no power’ complaint refers to the fact that the engine wouldn’t even crank, because it had ‘no electrical power’,” says Weber.

Another ‘no power’ situation Michael Weber recalls was when a driver complained about a lack of downhill power, because the truck wouldn’t accept accelerator input to over-speed on downgrades.

“An additional program we’ve implemented is built around the perceived life-education needs of many of our apprentices,” says Weber. “Many young people don’t have the experience in setting financial budgets, looking after their health issues and even driving safely, so we put in place an education process, employing visits by experts in these fields.

“We’ve also explained to them the ‘chain effect’ that their work can have on the truck driver, the fleet operator and the customer.”

We met up with winning Top Team member, Graham Andrews, and couldn’t help noticing a slight Kiwi accent. He confessed to his origins and I asked if that made the world final competition in late 2013, when Australia defeated New Zealand, a bit more special:

The Top Team contest pits service

teams from Scania workshops in an

intensive theory and practice contest.

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DIESEL July-August 201466

Mack_Diesel_ad_A4_v3_line.indd 1 6/06/2014 4:37 pm

“It did,” he says. “I knew some of those guys from the early days.”

So, what was the Top Team experience like?

“Teamwork was the key to Prestons’ success,” says Graham. “We were already good mates on the floor and outside work, but the co-operation needed to outperform other teams raised that mateship level.

“Our team incorporated a broad range of skills and that proved crucial in the final against New Zealand, when the ‘playoff’ task was to fit a Euro-style, four-driving-light bar to a Scania bumper.

“Initially, we were a little put off by this task, because this option isn’t popular in Australia, where the ‘roos would wreck it in no time, but the Kiwis use it and, fortunately, one of our team was also quite familiar with fitting this type of light bar.”

In a lead-up Top Team skills test the Prestons boys had to manage a wheel alignment task, using old-school string lines and no lasers. The breadth of the team skill levels overcame an obstacle which slowed many other competitors.

The sharing of skills necessary to win Top Team is reflected in the day-to-day operation of the workshop, Graham says, because everyone in the workshop is involved in a team and because only two

from a winning team can stay with that combination for the next competition. This results in a spread of skills throughout the teams and wider bonding.

“The Top Team problem scenarios reinforce the importance of using the right process,” says Graham. “Starting with the basics is important, rather than jumping ahead, looking for a high-tech cause for something that may be quite simple.

“For example, a low-power complaint may be due to a partially-blocked filter, not a fuel system computer or turbo issue.

“Our guys are encouraged to use a system of early work definition, to get to the exact problem quickly and in many

cases they can do it over the phone: by the time the truck rolls in or the service van arrives the technician is well prepared.”

Graham Andrews says the knowledge-sharing process builds confidence among less experienced technicians.

“There’s no experience substitute for being out on a service call, with the responsibility of finding the problem and getting the truck rolling again.”

I asked about the prize money:“The Prestons team members

received only 30 per cent of the winnings,” says Andrews. “We spent 70 per cent on workshop improvements that the guys wanted, including Bluetooth control of truck hoists, to eliminate control cables.”

Will Graham Andrews be back in harness next year? “Now that I’m workshop manager I’m not eligible anymore,” he says. “But I’m hoping for a position as a team mentor or coach.”

Scania’s Top Team program is on-going and teams from 1,600 workshops all around the world are already forming up to study for their national finals later this year and regional finals mid next year, before another global final in late 2015.

Can the Aussies make it three in a row?

“Our TEAM INCOrPOrATED A BrOAD rANGE OF SKILLS AND THAT PrOvED CruCIAL IN THE FINAL AGAINST NEW ZEALAND, WHEN THE ‘PLAyOFF’ TASK WAS TO FIT A EurO-STyLE, FOur-DrIvING-LIGHT BAr TO A SCANIA BuMPEr.”

Small fleets and owner drivers who aren’t conscious of their costs invariably go to the wall, and experienced ones know that costing goes much further than initial purchase price. A saving at the point of sale can evaporate quickly if running costs are higher than expected.

Back in the days when I worked for a major truck maker that was vertically integrated, like Scania is, the most common objection to buying such a truck brand was the lack of alternative sources for parts and service.

The fear was that once they’d bought the truck, buyers would be locked into expensive, one-make parts supply.

Buying a horizontally integrated truck, as all North American brands were back in the 1980s , meant that the owner could source many parts from the original supplier, from parts specialists or from other North American truck dealers.

Parts for North American power trains were widespread and, hence, competitively priced.

These days, global truck makers have become more vertically integrated and the big players are using more and more vertically-integrated componentry (the latest example is Kenworth’s fitment of the DAF-sourced MX13 engine).

vertically-integrated Scania has taken this captive-parts objection seriously and has implemented a policy of keen pricing for commonly needed parts, particularly those with safety ramifications, such as brakes, lights and mirrors.

Service exchange items include air compressors, air con compressors, alternators, clutches, crankshafts, cylinder heads, complete engines, hydraulic pumps, injectors and injection pumps, oil pumps, axle gear sets, planetaries, retarders, starter motors,

steering boxes, turbochargers and water pumps.

Service exchange items are rebuilt in Scania workshops to new-component specifications, using new or recycled parts and are sold with a 12-month warranty if fitted by a Scania authorised workshop. Some exchange units can be fitted at a fixed-cost price.

Scania has been a competitor in the Australian market for many years, achieving steady growth, without apparent market leadership aspirations. This measured approach seems to have been made with a high degree of customer focus and without major product drama, since glitches with the early v8s.

Scania’s concentration on sensible parts pricing is an example of this careful approach to truck marketing.

– Allan Whiting

Up front AboUt priCinG for bits And pieCes

Mack_Diesel_ad_A4_v3_line.indd 1 6/06/2014 4:37 pm

So you think your starter motor is on the blink (again!), and with a full truck you’re sitting idle by the side of the highway halfway

between where you came from and where you want to be, with a deadline looming and a crusty and inconsiderate client. And you’re cursing why your repairer can’t put a decent starter in your rig instead of the obvious Chinese/American/European piece of junk he’s used.

While we know from fleet managers the average cost of a starter breakdown is between $2,500 and $5,000 (or more than five times the cost of the starter), we also know that often the starter isn’t the cause of the starter problem. So before you rip out the Chinese/American/European piece of junk and look for a better quality unit, take the time (and cost) to have your truck’s electrical system analysed to see

exactly where the problem may lie. It’s important to know that modern

heavy-duty starters are not designed to be cranked under low voltage. Just three or four starts on a good starter under low voltage can dramatically shorten the life of your starter, and this damage will be obvious when tearing the starter down, so you’ll likely end up having a warranty claim denied.

Why does engaging the starter under low voltage shorten its life? It’s because of the way electricity works. When the trucks electrical system is operating at less than the required voltage it generates a higher current flow than the system is designed for. The higher current generates excessive heat.

It is not uncommon for this heat to reach levels where it welds the moving parts inside the starter motor and it can even create a fire. Most commonly it causes carbon from the brushes to create a film on the commutator. This film sets up resistance which exacerbates the slow cranking and

low voltage issues, thus further shortening the starter life.

Often when you replace a starter motor that has failed and the new unit cranks better, the immediate conclusion is that the problem is solved. In actual fact, if the slow cranking of the old unit was due to low voltage issues, the new unit will quickly follow suit unless the underlying problems are resolved. So often when the new unit fails prematurely (after operating fine for a few weeks or months) the immediate assumption is a poor quality starter.

So before we blame the Starter motor, let’S diagnoSe what’S going on with your SyStem. While cranking problems can be frustrating, identifying and correcting the root cause does not have to be. The first step is to identify the symptoms. In a cranking system, you can divide your symptoms into one of three possible troubleshooting categories:

DIESEL July-August 201468

DIESEL Workshop investigates why the starter motor is not always to blame for a faulty starter motor.

Common Starting Issues in

TruCkIngApplICATIonS

Slow Crank: The starter will crank, however, the engine RPM is too slow to start the vehicle. Click No-Crank: The solenoid clicks but the starter doesn’t crank. No-Click No-Crank: The solenoid doesn’t click and the starter doesn’t crank.

Once you’ve identified which problem you’re dealing with, then you can start to remedy it. For all issues, the initial troubleshooting is the same: you start with the batteries.

STEP 1 - Begin at the batteries: Charge the batteries and perform a load test on each battery in the battery bank. If any batteries aren’t up to spec they need to be replaced or you will shorten the life of the other batteries and compromise the health of the starting circuit.

STEP 2 - Perform a voltage drop test: Once the batteries pass your tests, perform a voltage drop test on the starter main cables. The starter voltage drop should be less than .5V total on the cranking circuit. This is an important step and is often the cause of

a slow cranking complaint. Yet voltage drop also is a leading cause of click or no-click complaints because almost every vehicle manufacturer uses the heavy positive post, located on the starter solenoid, as a place to pick up the current used to supply the control circuit.

STEP 3 - Identify the specific issue: Until now, the diagnostic path has remained the same regardless of the complaint. Now is where you address the specific issue.

Slow Cranking: For the starter to be cranking, the control circuit would have to be working. So, if battery and cable checks are within specification and the vehicle still cranks slowly, then it’s a slow cranking problem and it’s time to replace the starter. Click No-Crank: Check the control circuit. If the starter does not contain an Integrated Magnetic Switch, or IMS, then a voltage drop test will need to be performed on the vehicle control circuit. If the starter does have an IMS switch function, then the technician will have to verify that the vehicle’s control circuit is providing voltage to the starter IMS.

No-Click No-Crank: When this occurs, power is not being sent to the solenoid, making it very unlikely that the issue is related to the starter motor.

A diagnostic tool can help you diagnose the complete starting and charging system, including the alternator, batteries, starter motor and wiring. The diagnostic tool can perform a full system check in about 25 minutes, making it a great investment for your workshop.

So in a poor Starting environment, or when a Starter motor haS failed, what could be wrong? Batteries – By now you should have tested your batteries and replaced any that were faulty. Don’t be tempted by the false-economy of leaving one poor quality battery in a bank of four. And you should look at your battery cabling, as this can often be less than optimum from new. In the diagram below, the top illustration shows the original battery cable layout, which results in the two inner batteries working hard and the outermost two never receiving

DIESEL July-August 201470

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optimum charge. In the diagram below (Pic 1) shows an easy solution to balance the workload of the battery banks.

alternator If your batteries were not at full charge, your alternator capacity may not be up to the needs of your rig. How old is it? A standard brushed alternator is good for 100-150,000km, a long brush alternator up to 300,000km and we have seen brushless alternators last for over a million kilometres. You get what you pay for. Also if you’re hauling more than one trailer or have additional lighting or other load on your electrical system, the standard alternator output may not be sufficient to run your truck and adequately charge your batteries.

Providing you have a quality brand alternator, you can trust the claimed output, and your auto electrician should be able to work out your requirements. If your alternator is running at or near capacity just to run your truck, there’s a fair chance it’s not getting the chance to charge your batteries between starts. But remember, before you invest in a high output alternator, check the wiring for size. Most truck manufacturer’s use the narrowest cable they can get away with so there’s a chance your new high output alternator may be wasted on undersized cabling.

wiringIt is amazing how many electrical problems are caused by simple wiring issues. Undersized cable is often at fault, or it can be poor quality or corroded terminals. Remember any voltage drop over half a volt is a problem. Finding voltage drop is easy and fixing it is often just a matter of increasing your cable size.

battery Switch Battery master switches are common in many heavy duty applications and intelligent battery switches and rollover devices are mandatory in fuel haul vehicles. The quality of the battery switches in the Australian market varies wildly, and we have seen switches with well over half a volt of voltage drop across the terminals. Look for a quality battery switch with less than 0.1V voltage drop across the main contacts.

Starter motor Finally is your starter motor up to scratch? While most starter motors fitted new are up to the task, many aftermarket replacements simply do not live up to the claims they make. If you’re having starter issues and think the starter motor may be the problem, the first choice would be to fit the original equipment starter, or a manufacturer endorsed upgraded alternative.

A warning should be raised about the claims made by many suppliers of aftermarket heavy duty starters, as the kW output claimed is often well above what can be achieved. In the case illustrated above, a claimed 7.8 kW output

was found on test to be a little over 5.0 kW, or good for up to an 8-litre engine rather than the 15-litre engine it was designed for. The red lines illustrate the genuine unit fitted by the original manufacturer, the black lines represent its aftermarket replacement.

So while starter motor failures are frustrating and costly, immediately blaming the much maligned starter motor for the problem may just end up costing you more in the long run. Our recommendations for avoiding starter problems would be: • Analyse your complete charging and

starting system at the first sign of starting problems, or earlier as part of preventative maintenance. Remember just three or four cranks under low voltage can dramatically shorten the life of your starter.

• Invest in an electrical diagnostic tool, or find a reputable repairer that has one and knows how to use it.

• Stick with the original equipment manufacturers or known quality brands. If there is an OE upgrade, consider it next time your starter comes up for replacement.

• Make sure your electrical equipment, particularly your alternator, is up for the job, taking into consideration any modifications to your truck since new.

When you take into account the cost of your truck being off the road, a little spent on preventative maintenance and invested in quality parts will pay off tenfold over the life of your truck.

VOLT

AGE

(V)

OU

TPU

T (k

W)

500 1500 25001000

2.5 2 500 40

5.0 4 1000 80

7.5 6 1500 120

10.0 8 2000 160

12.5 10 2500 200

2000 3000

Nominal performance for reference onlyTK = 25ºC RBI = 2.0 mΩ (PER ISO 88561)

Delco Remy 39MT 7.8kW Aftermarket Starter – Claimed Output 7.8kWSP

EED

(RPM

)

TORQ

UE

(Nm

)

CURRENT (A)

RPM

Nm

kW

V

Pic 1.

“ I have been using the buyparts products for the last couple of months. It makes a lot of sense, best brands in one place whenever I need them. Loving their Australian-

made cleaning range too! ”

Smart operator

TONY KUCHEL

Managing Director,

Operations & Business Development

Kuchel Contractors

TM

guaranteed warranty best brandsconvenience24/7price promise

DIESEL July-August 201472

Special sachets of impregnated cleaning cloths have been developed by Bendix, providing an efficient way to safely clean and degrease new and machined rotors without mess. Similar to the sachets of hand cleansers, the Bendix Brake Clean Rotor Wipe sachets each contain a heavy duty cleaning cloth impregnated with a fast acting formula that penetrates protective grease and wax on new and machined brake rotors to ensure optimum braking performance when fitting new brake pads.

Simply remove the rotor wipe from the sachet, vigorously wipe the friction surface of the new rotor on both sides to remove anti-corrosion oil or wax coatings and wipe the rotors with a dry soft cloth. The impregnated cloth is designed to completely clean two rotors before discarding.

Thank you for your recent article in the DIESEL magazine on brake testing and brake

testing equipment. With the well-publicised recent issues around Australia with regard

to brake failures and the failure of systems and scrutiny to identify these problems, it

was a very timely article.

We are in full agreement, the whole subject of brake testing and brake testing

technologies (as well as legislation) should be the number one priority in the

industry at the moment. There are too many opportunities for gaps in the system and

procedures and testing techniques and it is a major concern across Australia and New

Zealand right now.

The article did raise a number of concerns for us however, as we noted a number

of major inaccuracies and misconceptions. Some of these are simply false statements.

Unfortunately the author takes misguided aim at plate testing equipment.

The writer claims: “the Plate Tester cannot test the entire range of a vehicle

successfully”. This is absolutely wrong. Plate testers can, and do, measure all

individual brakes on a vehicle. This includes light vehicles and heavy vehicles.

This technology is used in hundreds of locations across Australia and New Zealand.

The writer also claims that roller testers can consistently measure brake

imbalances, the plate tester cannot: This is also absolutely wrong. The plate tester can

and does consistently measure brake balance.

The writer also says “tests on individual wheels to full stop would be too dangerous

on a plate tester. This also completely wrong. A plate tester is actually the safest

method from all three mentioned in this article. It creates the impression vehicles have

to travel at speed and slam on the brakes. This is a fabrication. Plate testing happens

at a very low speed of 3-5 km/h and is very safe.

Finally, the author says, “Plate testers are the most space greedy” - sorry wrong

again. Plate testers actually need the least amount of space.

We appreciate there are different views on equipment and testing methods and

everyone will have their competitive angle, however we believe the focus of this

article was all wrong.

What should be the key discussion is: What constitutes effective brake testing?

What specific measurements are required from equipment? What equipment

options are out there that meet these requirements? This could be plate, roller or

anything else. What is important is that whatever equipment a workshop chooses

should be able to provide those measurements. Attacking a

particular technology, in this case plate testers is not accurate and

is misleading.

Brake Clean rotor Wipes

Cold CuBe Winner

neW light Bar design

Brake testing deBate

In the last Issue of DIesel Workshop, We haD an artIcle DIscussIng the use of DIfferent brake testIng systems. thIs has sparkeD some Debate anD stImulateD rIcharD gartner, managIng DIrector of Workshop solutIons, to pen a letter In ansWer to some of the Issues. We DecIDeD to gIve hIm a rIght of reply.

The randomly chosen winner of the competition for new subscribers to DIESEL Magazine to snare the Thermo King Cold Cube, featured in the March issue of DIESEL, was Nick Lindsay from Coffs Harbour.

Narva has released a new range of low profile Legion LED emergency light bars aimed at roadside service, security, towing and emergency service vehicles. The new design provides 360 degrees of vision, is aerodynamically shaped and measures 57mm in height.

A range of variants is available depending on budget and application, with off-the-shelf options including 0.9, 1.2 or 1.4 metre bars. Higher powered alternatives can also be selected if required, featuring two LED outputs.

The new light bars are available in a choice of clear or coloured lenses, and with an option of in-built LED alley and

take down lights, which provide an intense white light and also act as a work lamp to illuminate a designated area. An illuminated centre section is also available, allowing buyers to personalise the bar by applying a business name or other signage.

Light bars are supplied with a

mounting kit for permanent vehicle attachment. For a non-invasive mounting option, eliminating the need to drill holes, Narva provides the additional option of an adjustable or fixed bracket with stainless steel straps designed to clamp around the driver and passenger side door openings.

Western Filters have invested in brand new machinery to offer, what they claim is, the only exhaust DPF leaning Service in NSW. After each DPF clean, the owner of the truck will receive a report on the condition of the filter and ‘before and after’ flow tests.

A diesel particulate filter has thousands of small channels that are alternatively sealed. When working correctly, exhaust flow enters one channel and is forced to exit out of an adjacent channel. The filtering occurs as the flow passes through the wall.

DPFs require a regular service to remove unburned lube oil that has accumulated in the DPF. The material that is removed from the DPF during cleaning is considered hazardous waste and must be properly handled and disposed of in a safe and controlled environment.

South Australian electronics specialist, Redarc, has released the BCDC2420 in-vehicle battery charger, designed to charge any commonly used automotive batteries to optimum levels with a 24V charging output.

According to Redarc, the unit’s 24V charging output means the unit is suited to trucking applications such as charging battery banks for tailgate lifters and powered side curtains.

The unit is a 20 amp, three-stage DC-DC battery charger that operates from a vehicle input range of between nine and 32 volts DC. It features the same multi-stage charging algorithm as Redarc’s other similar models with a 24 volt charging output regulated up to 20 amps.

The unit also features a MPPT Solar Regulator, which can be used to charge 24V auxiliary batteries from 12V solar panels by harnessing solar energy when vehicle charging is not available.

Rapid Spray has announced an upgrade to their Ball Baffle ‘slosh & surge’ control system, which cuts down liquid movement inside any type of liquid transport tank. Rapid Spray reckons this delivers improved vehicle stability, better braking control and reduced wear and tear on the drive train, tyres, brakes and suspension systems.

“The ball baffle concept was inspired by the famed honeycomb baffle system, which is proven to be an incredibly effective technique for reducing liquid surge in aircraft and racing car fuel tanks,” says Daniel Firth, Rapid Spray Managing Director. ”Adapting this technology back in 2007, we developed our very own ‘slosh & surge’ control ball baffle system, capable of being retro fitted to any type liquid transport tank.

“Now, we’ve made the ball baffle system 300 per cent stronger with the

addition of special ‘strengthening ribs’ for extra strength and modified the ball baffle assembly technique with the development of a faster ‘push, twist, lock’ feature.”

The Water Cart Specialists have over 35 Rapid Spray transport tanks fitted with the Ball Baffle system. They find the baffles easy to fit, tough and improve stability.

”Our trucks have to go off road into some difficult terrain and the Rapid Spray Ball Baffle system gives our drivers a high degree of confidence in all situations,” says Billy Bastian, Managing Director of Water Cart Specialists.

”We have also noticed that our trucks have less wear and tear because of the reduced ‘sloshing’ of the liquid in the tanks, particularly with the tyres and brakes.”

diesel partiCulate Filter Cleaning serviCe

redarC launChes neW in-vehiCle Charger

stronger slosh Control system