The test lane is saving JAX Tyres and Auto time, while adding accuracy

JAX Tyres and Auto Narellan in New South Wales secured and installed a MAHA Automotive Test Lane almost 12 months ago to better service its customers.
“When MAHA developed the light vehicle unit, which I have, we saw a need for it in our business,” JAX Narellan Franchisee, Daniel Spiteri, said.
Since the business is in New South Wales where there are yearly safety checks, also known as pink slips, the MAHA equipment has been busy since it was installed.
MAHA’s brake tester meets all legislative requirements including the highest European Quality Assurance System which exceeds the requirements of Australian, New Zealand and International Testing Standards. Checks include suspension and brake testing, among other checks.
“You’re going to visually inspect the suspension to make sure that you’ve got no leaks in your shocks and they’re functioning as they should; you’re going make sure that your braking system passes a brake meter test; and you’re going to get the car up and do a visual inspection on it to make sure there’s no leaks, damage, underbody body concerns and the like,” Daniel said.
“Now to do that prior to putting the MAHA unit in, I would have an inspector get a mobile brake test unit, hop in it, set it up, and do a lap around a police-approved test area to complete a brake test.”
These tests took time and there was also a small amount of risk driving a customer vehicle on the road, and then weather could also play a part.
With the MAHA tester the weather equation is totally removed because the test is done inside the workshop.
“It saves me a lot of time, a lot of money and a lot of risk too. You don’t have any risks of accidents and damage or anything else that might come with driving a car out there on the road,” Daniel said.
Daniel also stated that with the MAHA test lane, his technicians have the ability to not only test the shock absorbers and brakes accurately, but to also provide customers with a diagnostic report which he says is a great way to quantify the inspection.
“So, it is a much safer inspection. If you look at shock absorbers, if you were to physically look at them and they look like they are okay and they don’t feel like they’ve got a lot of free play in them, then you would assume that they’re fine,” Daniel said.
“But with the MAHA Automotive Test Lane you also test to find things like differences between front and back braking proportions, you can diagnose brake shudder and vibrations, measure side-to-side and front-to-back differences in shock absorbers.
“But then you get added benefits in it as well in that it also weighs the vehicle, and it also does a pre-alignment check.
“To run a car over the MAHA system takes about three minutes on average from the time you input the data into the system…so it is really quick and effective. And we then get an A4 colour report that we can provide the customer.
“What would have historically taken us about 20-25 minutes to do, we refined to the three-to-four-minute mark in total, so it is definitely a beneficial thing for us.”
Daniel says other benefits over the previous labour-intensive way of testing brakes and suspension is that there is a record of the state of the vehicle at every check, so last year can be compared with this year’s results, and there are also big benefits with training his apprentices.

Key features and benefits:

• MINC – Side Slip Tester for wheel alignment test/suspension geometry test

• MSD3000 – Oscillating shock absorber tester for suspension testing – offers a linear frequency-controlled speed shock test throughout the shock’s resonance frequency range. An optional noise detection module is also available to detect knocks and rattles via oscillation speed

• MBT2250 – Roller brake tester five km/h
– Includes drag detection, for example, wheel bearing or sticky caliper piston
– Includes warped rotor or oval drum test
– Individual wheel, axle, and gross vehicle weights
– Front and rear brake force and park brake test including brake test force four wheels plus park brake, the MAHA Patented 4WD mode.

• Electronic, temperature-compensated strain gauge system for highly precise measurement results under all environmental conditions.

For more information, contact MAHA Australia on 1800 006 242 or visit www.maha.com.au