autoteam

Magazine for the Ford Dealer Service Team 3/2000

The new Mondeo

Shock absorbers – diagnosis and advice

oe l

Promotion: Advertising and more!

oi
s
th ne

Conversations: How to make them successful

it d
gi
ing

Wheel bearings: Removing them correctly

En
ery

1
Ev

Cover picture:
The new Ford Mondeo is a model of excellence
in terms of driving quality, safety and space. More
about this in the article “Ready for Take-Off”.
No part of this publication may be reproduced,
stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any
form, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,
recording, translating or other means without the
prior permission of Ford Motor Company Limited.
The illustrations, technical information and data
contained in this publication were correct at the
time of going to print.
The articles in autoteam based around dealer visits,
reflect the conditions and practices of the country
featured. Where the procedures described differ from
local practice, the latter should apply.
No liability can be accepted for any inaccuracies or
omissions in this publication, although every possible
care has been taken to make it as complete and
accurate as possible.
Published by:
Ford of Europe Incorporated
Ford Customer Service Division
Produced by Palmer Hargreaves Team
2 autoteam
Comment
Value for money
Many vehicle owners perceive servicing and repairs at franchised dealers,
regardless of vehicle make, as expensive – certainly as more expensive than
at independent workshops.
But this is customer perception, and perception is often different from
reality. We all know that Ford dealerships can and do offer competitive
prices for servicing and repairs and more and more customers are aware of
this. But still, a high-price image prevails in the minds of many Ford owners.
This perception really isn’t justified any more. A lot of actions were taken
over the past few years in the areas of parts pricing and optimised repair
processes, that today enable Ford dealers to be fully competitive on price.
As an additional and important benefit for customers, they also offer original
Ford parts and quality servicing by specialists for Ford. The advantage is
obvious: customers who have servicing and repairs carried out at a Ford
dealership simply receive more for their money. Unfortunately, an image is
very difficult to change and it takes a lot of time.
In addition, even if the price is very competitive, the customer sometimes
does have to spend a lot of money for a repair. And whenever people have
to spend a lot of money, particularly for goods or services they would
prefer not to need, they are very critical of the value they receive for their
money. So if anything goes wrong – for instance, a repair that needs to be
repeated, an item not checked during routine service, or even a slight
misunderstanding during the reception process – this will immediately
suggest to the customer that he did not receive an adequate value for his
money. What he will think is “I paid too much”, and what he will remember
is “This Ford dealer is too expensive”, even if he was charged a very
competitive price.
The article “The image impact” in autoteam 1/2000, described how you as
a Technician or Service Advisor can influence the image of your dealership
through the things you say. Where price image is concerned, you also have
a major role to play: by doing a perfect job you will avoid the customer
thinking “I paid too much”. And by showing a little extra care and attention
the customer will be convinced that the advantages your dealership has to
offer really give him value for his money.
As you can see, image plays a major role in customer relations, which is why
several articles in this issue of autoteam again pick up this topic. Of course,
we hope you’ll find all articles in this issue interesting and enjoyable.
The autoteam-Editors
3•2000
 Contents
Promotion! 6
The role of advertising,
sales promotion and public relations
in Service marketing.

Service success 12
How Service excellence helps
to sell more vehicles.

TSB résumé 13

The right tool for the job 14

There are several ways to remove
WDS in action a wheel bearing, but only one of
them is the correct way!
The Fault Trap 4
WDS, issue 6: Datalogger will catch
the malfunction automatically. Successful conversations
made easy 17
The road to recovery 28
Useful hints and important guidelines
Diagnosis of CD4E automatic transmission
for successful communication.
in Mondeo using WDS.

“You can just about wait for it ...” 20

As easy as 1K, as fast as 2K:
autoteam had a look on the
new Ford 2K Glass Adhesive System.

Competition 23

Quality – Drop for Drop 24

Engine oil has a lot of tasks.
It’s inner values and how to identify them.

Investment in the future 26

Shock absorbers: correct diagnosis and
customer advice in Interactive Reception.

Keep clean
Ready for Take-Off 30
“It doesn’t smell!” 10
The completely New Mondeo
Stop harmful gases and bad smells;
sets the standards. A first impression.
change to the Odour Filter.

Controlled change 22
How filter minders reduce Transit The Power Number 32
cost of ownership Thanks to a simple ID number the
Technical Hotline can help even more
quickly in really difficult cases.

autoteam 3•2000 3

WDS, issue 6: Datalogger II
The Fault Trap
How you can put the Datalogger
in WDS to best use, and what
and how can be displayed was
described in the last autoteam
issue. Here we describe the actual
logbook function of this diagnostic
tool, i.e. its recording feature.
As described in the Ignition Voltage Test
(WDS Part 2), the measured values can also
be recorded manually with the Datalogger.
When the fault appears you have to either
touch the Camera Icon on the screen or
press the trigger button on the red probe.
And of course you can store your recordings
in the PC and on diskette.
Datalogger Special Feature: While the
standard logging duration covers 10 seconds
before and 5 seconds after triggering for the
4 autoteam
Ignition Voltage Test, Datalogger allows
you to set the overall duration as well as the
pre and post trigger time at will.
Automatically
With Datalogger you can additionally set a
real “fault trap” which will be automatically
activated when a malfunction occurs. This
is the case even when the malfunction is not
immediately noticeable.
Example: The customer complaint is of an
intermittent (occasional) fault. As you are
conversant with the Ford vehicle systems,
you know in which area the fault could be.
You suspect that a particular sensor is
sending a wrong signal. In order to capture
the moment of malfunction, you can set
limits for the signal of this sensor. When the
signal falls outside these selected limits, this
will be:
Gábor Baráth of Ford Petrányi
in Budapest, Hungary, installs
WDS …
… and runs the Datalogger
driving test with manual
recording.
■ indicated by coloured boxes or by a dot,
■ if desired, additionally indicated by a
warning beep and/or
■ automatically recorded.
You can also set limits for several signals
at the same time. Every time one of these
signals is outside its limits, WDS makes a
warning beep or a recording.
Trigger
The Datalogger provides you with four
ways of setting trigger conditions for the
automatic signal capture and/or to sound
the beep:
■ Maximum value: Trigger, if the signal
becomes higher than the value,
■ Minimum value: Trigger, if the signal
becomes lower than the value,
■ Minimum and maximum value “within”:
Trigger, if the signal leaves the range,
3•2000
■ Minimum and maximum
value “outside”: Trigger, if
the signal enters the range.
You can also reduce the display
range, i.e. increase the display
scale, to make it easier to
monitor a tiny signal deflection.
Training and experience
The Datalogger offers you a
multitude of possibilities to
“trap” intermittent faults.
But, as already mentioned, a
sound knowledge of the vehicle
systems is essential in order to
get the most out of this WDS
tool. With training and experi-
ence you have a powerful diag-
nostic partner in Datalogger.
autoteam 3•2000
How to do it ➊
You have “specified” WDS and started
Datalogger as previously described:
Picture ➊: Automatic Capture
1. Activate “System Selection” icon
(1st icon top right):
Window “Capture Buffer Set-up” is
opened.
2. Select warning tone (Beep) and/or
automatic capture.
3. Set logging duration as well as pre
and post trigger times.
➋
Picture ➋: Setting the Limits
1. Select a signal.
2. Activate Trigger icon (5th icon
down from top right).
3. Set high value and low value of the
displayed range (Set Display Range);
here: High reduced.
4. Set value and kind of limits; here:
Minimum and Maximum value:
trigger, if the signal leaves the range
and enters one of the red areas.
Picture ➌: ➌
Digital signal display (top left on
screen):
Red/red = the value is currently outside
the limits.
Red/green = the value has been outside
the limits, now back within limits.
(Green/green would mean: value up to
now within limits.)
Waveform Signal Display
Upper Signal: Minimum and Maximum
Value Limit (2 red lines) = Trigger,
when signal leaves the range.
Lower Signal: Maximum Value Limit
(1 red line) = Trigger, when signal
overshoots.
The horizontal scroll bar at the bottom
indicates a stored display. ➍
Picture ➍: Bar Graph
Top: Value has been already outside
the limits (dot at the start of the bar)
and is currently back within limits.
(Limit = red triangle on the base line.)
Bottom: Value is currently outside the
limits.
Note: Screen texts are shown here in
English; WDS will of course show
these in the selected language. This
article is based on WDS-CD No. 8.
5

P e o pl
e
e o le •
• Peo
p
ple
• P
u
rod ct
ct • P
n • Pr
du
• Pro
As Service Advisor Mike Wilson
is flicking through his newspaper
at breakfast one morning, a
competitor spoils his appetite:
In a large ad, an independent
workshop is advertising immediate
repairs and maintenance work at
a good fixed price. “We have
rebuilt and expanded – visit us on
our open day” says the advertise-
ment. Mike thinks of his new
employer, a large Ford dealership
that appears to show little interest
in advertising. In the two months
that Mike has worked there, he
has not noticed a single adver-
tising effort by his employer.
“And our workshop is really
modern. We have just got a new
testing unit for shock absorbers
6 autoteam
Price
Price
ice •
• Pr
ac e •
Pl
m o ti o
o
n • Pr
om
oti o
and we have very competitive
service offers as well”, the
Service Advisor muses. He
decides to look into the matter.
An hour later, Mike lays the newspaper
with the independent competitor’s advertise-
ment on the desk of his Service Manager
Tony Moore. “Tony, look how they’re
bragging.” Tony looks at the advertisement.
Mike continues “What they are offering
there, we’ve been able to do for a long time.
But if we don’t advertise, no one but our
regular customers will notice”. Tony nods:
“You’re right. We haven’t advertised for
some time. Do you have any ideas what we
could do?” Mike admits that, until now, he
has only worked in smaller Ford dealerships
and has had nothing to do with advertising
there. He spontaneously refers to the new
Pl a c e
•
diagnostic unit in the workshop. “With
that system we can test shock absorbers
better and more quickly – maybe we should
advertise with that?”
Advertising must be targeted
Tony picks up the suggestion. “That is a
possibility. But advertising is such a big area
that we need to consider in detail what we
want to do and what is appropriate for us.
The specialist term for this type of commu-
nication, by the way, is promotion. But
we might as well carry on talking about
advertising. That’s the more commonly used
expression.” Tony thinks about the different
possibilities and begins to explain to his
new Service Advisor, which advertising
measures are available to the dealership
(see “Marketing for everybody” in autoteam
1/2000).
3•2000
“First, we ought to look what we already
have available. After all, we receive profes-
sionally designed materials from Ford that
we can use, for example brochures, posters
and the display units for the service and
sales areas. We can also join in Ford cam-
paigns which are already running nation-
wide. For example, for the next national
campaign, we could place an extra advert
for our servicing in the local newspaper.
Advertising costs money
Mike asks, whether advertising the dealer-
ship really has to wait until the next Ford
campaign is running. Tony: “Of course, we
can always be proactive and advertise for
ourselves. But advertising costs money too.
That is why we need to consider in detail
who we want to communicate with, what
message we want to put across and what
objectives we want to achieve.”
“We want to inform our potential cus-
tomers of the fact that we carry out repairs
quickly and at a good price, and that they
are in better hands with us than with the
independent competition”, Mike throws in.
“That’s right, ‘inform’ is the important
word. Customers have to know what we
are offering. That is particularly true if we
are offering something out of the ordinary,
some kind of special service, like for example
a particularly good value winter check. But
we also need to convince them that they
should come to us and not to the competi-
tion for everything to do with their car –
whether it’s maintenance, repairs, tyres or
accessories. And, of course, it’s important
that they recall us
straightaway when they
think about their car. So
informing, convincing
and recalling are our
advertising objectives.”
The three
instruments of
advertising
In principle, Tony
explains, the dealership
has the choice of three
Displays, brochures
and posters can help
to increase sales.
autoteam 3•2000
classic promotional instru-
ments to communicate its
services and the benefits it
has to offer: “You can make
a distinction between adver-
tising, sales promotion, and
public relations, PR for
short. Simply put, advertising
takes place outside the dealer-
ship, sales promotion here on
our premises and PR covers both
areas.”
Moore gives an
example: “If we
have a commercial
for our shock
absorber test on the
local radio or place it
in the newspaper, that is
advertising. We pay for the
commercial or advertisement and
therefore decide on the content, but it may
be that we will not reach our potential
customers at all. We are hoping that an
advertisement will bring more customers,
more turnover and a higher level of recogni-
tion for our dealership, but on the other
hand we have to expect so-called distribu-
tion loss, as we are not communicating
directly with our potential customers. To
use the example of newspaper advertising,
we are also paying for readers who do not
even drive a Ford – these represent distri-
bution loss. So a mailing directly to our
customers may be more suitable” (see
also “REACT! PACC Online” in autoteam
2/2000). “An Internet site would also be an
interesting possibility. There, our customers,
Well placed!
An advertise-
ment in the
newspaper
catches the eye.
of whom an increasing number have Internet
access, could constantly keep themselves
informed about our offer. What is more, the
Internet is a comparatively good-value
advertising option.”
How to reach existing customers
“So our displays and brochures are not
advertising at all then?”, Mike wants to
know. “We call them sales promotion,
because we use them in the service and sales
areas and not outside”, Tony answers.
“With them, we reach mainly existing cus-
tomers, who we make aware of additional
or new services. What’s more, it is not just
the customers who see these things, but also
our own staff. Sales promotion is not just
geared towards the customers, but also
towards our own people. But what you can
see here, is that we can differentiate between
the various forms of advertising using the
formula ‘Who is saying what to whom,
using which channel, with what effect?’
That is called the communication route”.
Tony continues: “For sales promotion, the
communication route looks like this: Who –
that is us of course, the Ford dealer. What
are we saying? We are describing products
or services and want to deliver an extra
purchasing incentive. To whom we are
speaking is also obvious: primarily of course
the customer who is to purchase goods or
services from us. The channel we are using
to speak to the customer is the advertising
material – displays, brochures, signs.
And the effect we want to achieve is an
immediate increase in turnover, with the
customer buying something spontaneously.”
7

You can reach
your customers
in many ways –
including the radio.
Creating a positive image
“So what is PR then?”, Mike wants to
know. Tony knows the answer: “PR
attempts to create a positive image among
the public and to build trust. PR is different
from advertising in that the customer is not
directly confronted with the ‘Buy me!’
message. I’ll give you an example: Imagine
you want to get to know a nice young lady
a little better at a party. If you go up to her
and say: ‘Hello, you are the most beautiful
woman I have ever seen and I am the most
wonderful bloke in town, we’d be good
together!’, then that is advertising, and
crude at that. Your success would possibly
be low. But if this lady hears from an
acquaintance that you are a very nice,
interesting man, then that is PR. Your
chances are considerably higher, it might
even be that your ‘intended’ takes the initia-
tive herself to get to know you. From that
example, you can see that the image you
have among the public is created by so-
called multipliers or opinion formers – in
the example these would be your acquain-
tances. They spread messages about you
which are passed around many times over.”
“Should I tell all the people I know what a
great dealership we are then?”, asks Mike.
“That wouldn’t be so wrong”, Tony says.
“What staff say about the company
privately contributes to the public image.
Customers also talk about whether or not
they are satisfied with us. Lots of people
listen: colleagues at work, relatives,
acquaintances, neighbours, people in the
sports club or in the evenings in the pub. It
makes a big difference whether customers
portray our dealership as friendly and
reliable or rather as a ‘dump’. The media
are also among the most important opinion
8 autoteam
one thing we would of course hope for
reports in the media, on the other hand we
are also creating positive word of mouth
propaganda, if the members of the sports
team tell the people they know that we are
supplying a vehicle. Who are we addressing
the message to? We are addressing the
public – the more media presence we have
as a sponsor the better. And the effect we
are aiming for is the maintenance and
improvement of our image among the
public.”
Pass on ideas
“That all sounds very nice”, says Mike.
“But what is my role in all this? We Service
Advisors don’t make decisions on advertising
initiatives, and if I take on an exhaust
repair, the customer is not interested in
whether or not I know the difference
formers. A positive contribution on local between PR and advertising”. Tony can
radio or in the local newspaper about our scarcely deny this, but he does, however,
company could encourage customers to draw Mike’s attention to the fact that the
come to us.” Service Advisor does play a role in the
dealership’s advertising activities: “You
Become involved in the should keep in mind the things we have
community spoken about, such as opportunities for
“And how do we get into the newspaper?”, advertising will certainly arise in your
Mike asks. “There are a number of possi- discussions with customers. Pass on your
bilities. We can start an initiative which will ideas here in the dealership, and we will
be reported. For example sponsorship: We
provide a Ford transit for use by the old
people’s home around the corner or our
football club’s youth team, and invite the
local press to the handing over of the
vehicle. If we are lucky, the newspaper
will think that our involvement in the
community is worth a few lines, per-
haps even a photo, and our public
image is positively influenced.”
Tony also describes the PR commu-
nication route: “If we appear as the
sponsor of an amateur sports team,
then the communication route
looks like this: Who is saying
something? Us again, the
Ford dealership. What are we
saying? We are showing that we are
committed to social support like sport
youth teams, and not just with lip service
but with active support. Which channel
are we using to spread the message? For
A postal mailing
initiative reduces
distribution loss.
3•2000
investigate whether we can make anything
of them. If you listen carefully to
your customers, you can also give
us some valuable indication as to Community involvement
how our advertising is being creates a positive image.
received by the target audience.
Other than that, you should
keep yourself up to date on our
promotional activities. A customer
who comes here because of an ad in
the newspaper can, after all, expect that
you will know what we have advertised
and which special promotion is currently
running. And of course you can get involved
in making sure that our displays, signs and
brochures are optimally placed in the
service and sales areas. One thing you
should not forget: advertising is only ever
the accompaniment. Personal conversation
with the customer is decisive, and you are
one of the staff who has the most customer
contact.”

Successful implementation
Mike thanks Tony for the detailed infor-
mation. A week later, he sees that the
discussion was worthwhile. Tony has passed
on the idea to do more promotional work
to the dealer principal, and he has agreed.
Now the Ford dealership is advertising in
the local newspaper for its service and the
new shock absorber test. On the same day,
in Interactive Reception, Mike greets the
first customer who has seen the ad and
decided to come back to try a Ford dealer
workshop. A few months later, a framed
newspaper article with photo is hanging in
the staff room of the Ford dealership: The
company gave the local Red Cross the use
of a Fiesta, with which the town’s senior
citizens get their “meals on wheels”
delivered. For the handover of the car, the
local newspaper sent a photographer and
a few days later the message of the Ford
dealership’s community involvement
reached tens of thousands of households in
the town.

And a new Internet site for the dealership

will shortly make the direct “online”
connection with customers possible.

Advertising is not just

for the boss. Pass on
your ideas!

autoteam 3•2000 9
 Only easily recognisable
when new:
normal pollen filter (upper),
Odour Filter (lower).

The activated carbon particles

are visible through the covering
layer on the rear side.

New Cabin Air Filter

“It doesn’t smell!”

The exclamation of a pleasantly their multi-layer filtration material with dangerous in the smallest of concentrations,
surprised customer when driving electrostatically charged micro-fibres. Fine but go unnoticed.
behind a smoking diesel and the particles, such as soot or fine industrial dust
expected smell doesn’t fill the that can enter the lungs are also captured. The health and comfort of people in the
car because you fitted an odour car can be significantly impaired and the
filter. Problem: Gases behaviour of the driver can also be nega-
The 10,000 to 10,000,000 times finer tively affected.
That the air flowing into the passenger gaseous material cannot be captured by
compartments of Ford vehicles is free of even the finest of micro-fibres in pollen The Solution:
solid or liquid particles is nowadays almost filters and so harmful gases and bad smells The Odour Filter
the norm. Ford pollen filters capture practi- flow freely into the passenger compartment. In the Odour Filter, a layer of activated
cally up to 90 % of particles such as pollen, Some of them are “merely” irritant and not carbon, which filters out gases and odours,
abraded material and road dust thanks to harmful. Others, however, are extremely is placed behind the layer of micro-fibre
material. Not only organic and inorganic
Tunnel Effect gases are adsorbed by the activated carbon,
but also high concentrations of ozone are
Did you know that, without filtering, the air pollution inside a vehicle could be more captured.
than 6 times greater than at the roadside? Vehicles driving ahead create an “exhaust
fume tunnel” which contains all kinds of particles. Pollutants, drawn in in concentrated The air filtered through the Odour Filter
form into the vehicle’s interior and which can cause headaches, nausea, allergic reactions that enters the passenger compartment is,
or other health risks are, for example: therefore, not only virtually free of particles,
it is nearly free of odours and harmful gases
Particles (solid and liquid): Pollen, fungus, bacteria and other micro-organisms, vapour, as well.
tyre and brake lining abrasion dust, road dust, quartz, tar, soot, industrial dust.
The Best
Gaseous Substances: Exhaust gases, smoke gases, hydrocarbons, benzene, exhaust Noticeable comfort improvement, healthier
aerosols, nitrogen oxides, sulphur dioxide, toluene, irritant gases such as ozone, air in the passenger compartment, greater
agricultural substances (fertilizer, liquid manure), hydrogen sulphide and other unpleasant safety – all speak for the Odour filter. But
odours. the best is: You can, if the customer agrees,
simply replace all pollen filters fitted to

10 autoteam 3•2000
Ford vehicles by Odour filters. The Activated Carbon
customers incur hardly any additional The raw material for activated carbon (adsorption
expense (see: “Replacement Intervals”). carbon) is charcoal created from wood, coconut
shells or peat as well as brown or pit coal. When
Can you imagine a customer turning down “activated” by steam at high pressure and tempera-
your offer to change to an Odour Filter? ture, the tar that clogs up the coal pores is dissipated.
The porosity thus achieved results in a very large
internal (active) surface, which can be as great as
1800 m2 per gram (!) of activated carbon. An addi-
tional chemical treatment of the carbon improves its
Complete and attach when effectiveness: Certain gases are catalytically trans-
an Odour Filter has been formed. Between 100 and 300 grams of activated
fitted. carbon are used in an Odour Filter.

By the way, the use of activated carbon is not new

 Particles, gases, odours
  First filter layer (coarse
particles)
  Micro-fibre layer
(fine, ultra-fine particles)
 Separation layer
 (micro-fibre / activated
carbon)
  Activated carbon layer
 (adsorption of gases and
odours)
  Cover layer (protection
of activated carbon
particles)
1 mm
in automotive vehicles: It has been used in petrol
tank evaporation filters that prevent hydrocarbons
escaping into the atmosphere.
Adsorption
Adsorption, means the chemical bonding, i.e. accu-
mulation of gases and vapours, on the surface of a
solid and usually porous material, e. g. activated
carbon.
In contrast: The Absorption of gases or vapours
means they are assimilated by liquids or materials
and distributed evenly within the absorbing material.

Replacement Intervals
An Odour Filter does not cost any more than the respective normal pollen filter! The Odour Filter has a service life of 20,000 km or
1 year (pollen filter: 30,000 km / 2 years). The replacement intervals by vehicle are as follows:

Renewal of cabin air filter 1st Year 2nd Year 3rd Year 4th Year 5th Year

Up to
All vehicles with Pollen Filter Pollen Filter Pollen Filter
now

From Vehicles with Focus Petrol,

now on 20.000 km Mondeo Petrol (10/00➞), Odour Filter Odour Filter Odour Filter Odour Filter Odour Filter
service intervals Galaxy
and Galaxy The Odour Filter has to be fitted at every service.

Ka, Odour Filter Odour Filter Odour Filter Odour Filter Odour Filter
Vehicles with
Fiesta 96/Puma,
15.000 km
Focus Diesel, Pollen Filter Pollen Filter
service intervals
Mondeo (➞ 9/00)/Cougar, optional optional
excl. Galaxy
Mondeo Diesel (10/00 ➞)
The customer has the option to choose the Odour Filter (every service)
or Pollen Filter (every 2nd service).

Important:
• The cabin air filter renewal labour time
is now included in every routine service
(thus also when the cabin air filter is not
actually renewed at every service but at
every other service).
• The Odour Filter is included in all
service maintenance menus and its
renewal should be ticked-off in the com-
pleted box in the maintenance schedule.
• To indicate that an Odour Filter has
been fitted and when it needs to be
renewed a special dangler must be
placed in the engine compartment.
The dangler is included in every Odour
Filter package and must be completed
with date and mileage when the next
replacement is due.

autoteam 3•2000 11
 The new Petrányi
dealership
in Budapest.

Service The successful owners: István Petrányi,

Success Piroska Mennich Petrányi, Mariann

Bercsényi and Zoltán Petrányi (left to
right).

requirements and that we can’t really be

At the occasion of the editorial meeting for this issue of autoteam, successful in this business sector, if we don’t
the editorial team took the opportunity to visit one of Hungary’s meet these requirements.”
largest Ford dealers: Petrányi – Autó Kereskedelmi Kft. in Budapest.
“Naturally we have a separate parking area
for Transits. They simply require a bit more
space than the average passenger car. We
Petrányi operates two dealerships in Transit Service also have a special hoist for Transits in the
Budapest, one in business since 1992 and In addition to the vehicle itself, one of major workshop and a dedicated bay to cater for
the second opened in November 1999. customer benefits used to convince fleet those Transits that are loaded with cargo.”
The two dealerships sell around 900 new operators of the Transit’s advantages, is the
vehicles per year and together employ 93 dedicated Service that Petrányi offers to The right processes
people, 30 of whom work in the Service Transit customers. “But facilities are only one side of the story.
departments. The most important factor is to have the
István Petrányi, co-owner of the dealership right processes in place. Because time is
The day of the visit to the new dealership and Director in charge of all aftersales such an important consideration for fleet
coincided with the second day of a new business, explained the service philosophy: operators, we offer a pick-up and delivery
Transit launch event, to which Petrányi had “Of course all customers are important and service and we also have a Transit courtesy
invited 120 fleet customers. These were deserve the highest possible standards of vehicle available, which is often a great help
familiarised with the new vehicle through Service – which we deliver. But we are also for our customers.”
test drives and technical presentations. aware that Transit customers have special

12 autoteam 3•2000
Ferenc Nyáry, the Service Director, adds
“Speaking of time, our regular opening
hours are from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. But we
know that fleet operators often need our
help outside these hours. So, when necessary,
it’s a matter of course that we’ll keep the
workshop open longer, so that our customers
can have their Transit ready next morning.
Incidentally, it’s also worth mentioning that
we have technicians specially trained as
Transit experts and are currently planning
to employ a dedicated Service Advisor
trained to specifically look after Transit
customers.”
István Petrányi continues: “And it doesn’t
stop there. Our fleet vehicle salespeople are
also specially trained on Transit. And the
presentation of our complete Transit
Service offer is a major element in all sales
negotiations. We have strong competition
in the Transit sector in Hungary and the
quality of our Service offer is a factor that
is highly appreciated by our customers. It
really builds customer loyalty.”
A success story
Asked if he could actually measure the
impact of his Transit Service offer on the
dealership’s success, Mr. Petrányi responded:
TSB résumé
TSB No: 78/2000
Section: 501-05 (43)
Model: Focus built from 08.1998
until 17.02.2000 (build
code WP to YR) inclusive
Subject: Bowed or buckled door trim
upper area
Should a customer express concern over
the upper area of the door trim being
bowed or buckled, the cause may be
intense heat irradiation together with
dampness in the door trim. To resolve
the concern, the affected door trim
should be removed and reinstalled with
one or two extra clips (depending on
variant) in the upper area.
autoteam 3•2000
“We actually have two very
strong indicators of success.
Firstly, our plans are to sell
20 Transits per month this year,
which is a very high volume for
Hungary. And although we’re
only at the end of May, we’ve
already achieved our full year
Transit sales objective.”
“Our second success story
really shows the impact of our
Service offer. One of our
customers, who operates the
second largest fleet in Hungary,
stopped purchasing Transits
and switched to a different Gabriella Szabo, Ford Hungary’s autoteam
make. This was primarily for Co-ordinator, and Ferenc Nyáry, the Petrányi
reasons of vehicle price. We Service Director.
have now won the customer
back and he told us that his major reason
for returning to Petrányi is our Transit
Service. This confirms what we all believe:
excellent Service not only improves after-
sales business, it’s a real asset that increases
vehicle sales.”
TSB No: 80/2000 TSB No: 82/2000
Section: 501-03 (41) Section: 501-10 (40)
Model: Ka built from 07.1998 to Model: Mondeo ’97 built from
24.03.2000 (build code 08.1996 to 11.1999 (build
WM to YA) inclusive code TE to XM) inclusive
Subject: Improved location of hood Subject: Rear safety belt – center –
stay in hood area installation of new level part
In the event that it is necessary to adjust Since December 1999, the 3-point center
a Ka hood stay to improve ist location in rear seat belt has been changed from a
the recess on the underside of the hood, “mini buckle” to a “closed loop” design.
the procedure defailed in this bulletin is This bulletin contains the procedure to
to be followed. follow in order to replace an old level
seat belt with a new level part.
Important: During this work please take
care that the paintwork of the car is not Important: These two designs are NOT
damaged. interchangeable.
13

Let’s get this
straight. There are
several ways to remove the front
wheel bearings from a Fiesta, but
only one of them is the correct
way!
The professional way of doing it, using a
press and some special tools, is described
in detail here. Unbelievably, we have heard
of some mechanics who have been very
unprofessional and have used welding
torches to aid them in the removal of the
14
The
right tool
for the job
Four reasons why we put this article in
autoteam.
wheel bearings. And not just gentle heating
either, the bearing steel actually melted! But
that’s not all! We’ve come across other
“mechanics” who used angle grinders to get
the bearings out. And where these “special
tools” weren’t available then the services of
a hammer and chisel have been called upon.
In all cases the risk of damaging the hub is
very high indeed. Not only is this unprofes-
sional and monumentally stupid, it is also The hub and knuckle are separated.
completely unnecessary!
provided with a groove into which an
We knew that the bearings would have to extraction tool can be located for the simple
come out at some point so we made it easy removal of the ring from the hub. You don’t
by design! To facilitate the disassembly of need a hammer, you don’t need a grinder,
the hub the bearing inner rings of Fiesta, and you certainly don’t need a welding
Ka, Puma, Escort, Focus and Mondeo are torch!
autoteam 3•2000

The three special tools used to remove the
bearing from the hub.
We visited First Ford of Glasgow in Scot-
land to see how the job should be done.
Technician Brian Leckie, who has changed
numerous front wheel bearings in his time,
was there to take us through the simple
procedure.
“I’ve got all the tools I need, so we may as
well get started,” suggested Brian. If you
haven’t got all of the special tools you
shouldn’t even think about doing this job!
Different special tools
To remove the front wheel bearing from the
knuckle and hub you will need the following
special tools. Some of these tools are different
from those you have previously used for
this procedure.
■ 204 – 158 (14 – 038)
Collet for 205 – 295
■ 204 – 158 – 01 (14 – 038 – 01)
Adapter for 204 – 158
■ 303 – 171 – 03 (21 – 102 – 03)
Installer/Aligner, Crankshaft oil seal
■ 204 – 256 (14 – 046)
Installer, front hub oil seal
■ 205 – 075 (15 – 036)
Installer, wheel hub oil seal
■ 205 – 295 (15 – 050A)
Remover, bearing main tool
■ 204 – 160 (14 – 040)
Installer, front wheel bearing
“I’ve already read through the new proce-
dure,” Brian told us, “And it looks pretty
straightforward.”
NOTE: For Ka, Puma, Escort, Mondeo and
Focus the procedure is basically the same
with the only differences being in the special
tools.
autoteam 3•2000
He began by taking the hub and knuckle,
along with the adapter (special tool 204 –
158 – 01) over to the press. Using this he was
able to separate the hub from the knuckle.
Brian temporarily installs the
bearing cage and inner ring
assembly into the knuckle.
The bearing is destroyed in this
process.
The next stage is critical. Brian
fitted special tools 204 – 158 –
01, 204 – 158 and 205 – 295 to
the hub and selected 27mm and Brian places the knuckle squarely on special tool
17mm Snap-on spanners. Using 303 – 171 – 03.
Brian slowly draws off the inner ring
these he slowly tightened down the nut,
easing the bearing inner ring from the hub.
At no time did he need to use a welding
torch, grinder or chisel.
Brian now turned his attention to the
knuckle. Using a pair of circlip pliers he
removed the circlip from the knuckle. He
then turned the knuckle over and installed
the old bearing cage onto the old bearing
inner ring – he did not include the seal – and
installed the bearing cage and the inner ring
assembly into the knuckle.
With special tool 303 – 171 – 03 supporting
the knuckle and special tool 205 – 075
sitting evenly on the old inner ring he
pressed out the bearing outer ring from
the knuckle.
NOTE: When doing this you must ensure
that the knuckle is sitting perfectly level on
303 – 171 – 03 (The knuckle has been
designed to provide three points of contact.)
and that the other special tool is perfectly
vertical on the bearing cage
and inner ring assembly.
“I’m impressed with the
procedure so far,” said
Brian. “The tools have been
perfect.”
Installing the new
bearing
When installing the new
bearing there are a couple of
things you need to keep in
your mind. The first thing is
15
 the circlip are positioned in
line with the lower ball joint
housing. This will help prevent
water getting into the bearing.

NOTE: The exception to this is

Focus where the wheel speed
sensor is at the top of the bearing
and fits in the gap between the
ends of the circlip. An extra
sealing lip on the bearing has
been added to help prevent
water getting into the bearing.
Be careful when installing the
circlip that you do not damage
the bearing seal.

All that remained to be done The circlip is placed in position.

was to install the hub to the
The knuckle bore is lubricated with engine oil prior to knuckle. Brian selected the two
installing the bearing. special tools required for the
job. With the knuckle on top
to avoid any impact with the wheel bearing and with the hub supported by special tool
seals and the second is to ensure that the 204 – 256 and not by the studs, he placed
wheel bearing seals are kept clean. special tool 205 – 075 on the inner race and
once again employed the press. The bearing
NOTE: The wheel bearing used on Focus slid home. Job done. Not only was it easy
has a red face and a black face. The black but it was also much faster than using a
face goes at the wheel speed sensor end of welding torch or a grinder or a chisel, and
the wheel knuckle. you don’t end up damaging the hub. Our
conclusion? It pays to use the right tool for
Prior to installing the seal Brian lubricated the job.
the knuckle bore with clean engine oil. It is The knuckle is installed to the hub.
important you do this or you could damage
both the knuckle and the bearing when you
press the bearing in.

Special tool 204 – 160 was placed over the

bearing and the bearing was pressed into
place. At this point Brian installed the cir-
clip. This should be done so that the ends of

Brian prepares to install the bearing.

16 autoteam 3•2000
Successful conversations
made easy
In a restaurant: A large proportion of your daily work as
Waiter: “Hello sir, can I help you?” a Service Advisor in a Ford dealership
Guest: “Is the fish really fresh?” consists of holding conversations – primarily
Waiter: “I can recommend our set meal.” with numerous customers. But also as a
Guest: “I wanted fish actually.” mechanic you speak to customers and
Waiter: “The set meal consists of soup, game for the colleagues, to reach decisions so that you
main course and a dessert.” can act. You have to plan together with
Guest: “What about the fish? I don’t want a set meal.” others, give information to, advise and,
Waiter: “Wine is also included with the set meal.” depending on the situation, also convince
Guest: “Are you listening to me? I want fish.” others. Of course, everyone has, over time
Waiter: “I’m sorry. There is no fish in the set meal. developed successful forms of conversation.
So, one set meal?” But time and again, there are situations
Guest: “No thank you. I’m going somewhere else.” where some useful tips would be helpful.

This conversation was obviously not
successful. The guest leaves the restaurant
angry and the waiter has not fulfilled his
role. What happened here?
No real conversation, that is to say a
coming-together through the exchange of
important information, has taken place
here. One of the two participants was not
familiar with the subject of holding a
conversation. The waiter did not listen to
the guest and tries to press his own wishes –
namely to be able to serve the set meal –
to him. Instead, it developed into a tricky
situation where one of the participants
broke off the dialogue. By taking notice of
several tips and rules, the waiter could have
held the conversation successfully.
If you knew, why one of your conversations
with your customer did not go so success-
fully, you could prepare yourself better for
the next time. If you could then make use of
different types of behaviour the next time,
that would be even better: Should I ask my
customer a question now? Would I be best
just to listen now? How do I make sure the
customer has understood me correctly?

autoteam 3•2000 17
Try to guess how many different conversa-
tions you have held today, with whom, with
what objectives and results. Everything we
do is really a form of communication –
because of that, we cannot “not” communi-
cate. Therefore, it is not a case of actually
learning to communicate, rather the crucial
“How?” of communicating.
With the somewhat exaggerated restaurant
example, we wanted to show how quickly
a conversation could go in the wrong
direction.
How conversations succeed
For every Service Advisor, communication
is the key to their success. The secret of
successful communication is putting your-
self in the place of the other person, your
customer. Whoever takes notice of the needs
of the other person in the conversation does
himself a lot of good. You should not just
take important conversations with cus-
tomers as they come, you should prepare
yourself for them. You should be quite clear
about your relationship with the other
person. Where do I stand in relation to him,
how does the other person see me, how do
I react to him and do I need to be on my
guard or can I expect his co-operation?
There are a variety of reasons for communi-
cation difficulties. But mainly it is because it
is hard to put yourself in the other person’s
place.
“Active listening” needs to be
learnt
“Active listening”, therefore, is an important
point for holding a successful conversation.
By “active listening”, we mean the ability to
respond to the other person’s arguments
and facts. Do you listen carefully to your
customer and take notice of exactly what he
is demanding? If anything is unclear, you
should definitely ask, as precisely as possible.
Do not ask: “Does the noise from your
vehicle occur often?” You will get a more
precise and more detailed answer to the
question “At what instances and at
what speed does the noise appear?”
The dialogue will be more success-
ful for both sides: you get the
correct information and your
customer notices that you are
taking him seriously and that
you are really interested in the
solution to his problem.
A person does not always understand
something as it was meant. By asking, you
can clarify whether you have heard correctly.
Try to keep your ears open to prevent
18
uncertainties and misunderstandings.
During the conversation, keep summarising
what has been said, decided or achieved
so far. This will enable you to keep an
overview of the conversation, and the
participants will not go round in circles.
The positive conversation
Every conversation can be divided into
several phases. First of all, it is important
to create a pleasant climate for the conver-
sation. Depending on how well you know
your customer, this will take place more or
less at a personal level.
In the following phase, it is all about getting
the information which is important to you.
Of course, specific questions are not only
the most suitable means to get the necessary
information, they are also used to steer a
conversation. Particularly in difficult
conversations – where two opinions are
opposed or the participants are talking at
crossed purposes – with a well-placed
question, you can bring any conversation
back onto the intended path. Anyone who
does not ask should not be surprised if he
misses his objectives in a conversation or
experiences unpleasant surprises afterwards.
After you have asked your customer for
all the important information, it is now
a question of finding a solution in
partnership together. Very impor-
tant: Every conversation with
your customer should end on
a positive note – and
certainly with a nice
and courteous
gesture.
The following basic rules should be a
useful basis for your thoughts and make a
contribution to you making your consul-
tation conversations with your customers
even more successful. Three important
points need to be considered here:
Search
What information does this customer need?
Which parts of my specialist knowledge
should I select, so that he only receives the
information he really needs?
Simplify
Among your customers, there are sure to be
some who do not have any marked technical
awareness. In such cases, the following
considerations are particularly useful for a
successful conversation. What prior know-
ledge does this customer have? Which
technical terms can I use and which do
I need to simplify or paraphrase?
How can I simplify complicated
facts so that he or she is
really satisfactorily
informed after the
consultation?
autoteam 3•2000
Which examples do I use to explain it
clearly?
But be careful not to underestimate the
technical awareness of the other person.
Many customers – male and female – have
perfectly good technical knowledge, and
will certainly not approve of a well meaning
“Just leave everything to me!”
Planning
Where do I start? Where do I break off
and give my customer the
opportunity to ask
questions?
Consultation
conversations are,
of course, also conver-
sations based on trust.
Creating a basis of trust, and
maintaining it long after the end
of the conversation, is one of the most
important tasks of the Service Advisor. On
the secure basis of this trust relationship,
customer loyalty can be kept over years
and decades. The starting point for this is
always the customer: his requirements, his
needs and expectations.
In the box, we have listed a series of helpful
tips for successful customer conversations.
Further articles which extensively deal
with the theme “Communication in the
dealership”, are planned for future issues
of autoteam.
autoteam 3•2000
Useful tips for successful
conversations
1. Prepare for the conversations and put yourself in your opposite number’s place:
Look in advance at the customer index and note the customer’s name and vehicle
model. Ascertain what work has already been done on his vehicle or is due to be
done in the future.
2. Let the customer speak first and listen carefully:
You will thus create an agreeable basis for the conversation and communicate to
the customer your understanding of his needs.
3. Ask specific and precise questions:
You will get more exact information and your customer will recognise that you
are really interested in the solution to his problem.
4. Give your customer the opportunity to ask questions:
This prevents uncertainties and later misunderstandings on the part of the customer.
5. Speak in a quiet but firm tone of voice:
This calms the conversation climate and communicates your objectivity and
competence.
6. Develop a common ground:
e. g. by repeating the customer’s statement in your own words. This allows you to
check that you understood the customer correctly and, at the same time, obtain the
customer’s agreement.
7. Offer alternatives or solutions:
Convince your customer with your flexibility and your customer-oriented behaviour.
8. Give a short summary of the content of the conversation:
You will thus ensure understanding and give your customer the pleasant feeling that
you have really listened to him and understood him.
19
 “We’ll have to replace the windscreen. A
repair is not possible because the damage
is right in the main vision area. Do you
have something to take care of in town?”

places the two cartridges of glass adhesive

into the pre-heating oven having first
removed the flanged caps. “They need
half an hour at least, in order to reach the
prescribed processing temperature of
60 degrees. This heating improves the
viscosity of the adhesive and it cures faster.”

Karl-Heinz has removed the trim

and wipers, then cuts the adhesive
seam with the BTB Pneumatic Cutter (FSE
No. 300 5122 001 00) and removes the
windscreen. Then he turns his attention
to the new windscreen: Clean the glass
bond line with the glass cleaner and a
New 2K Glass Adhesive System lint-free cloth, shake the primer for at least
1 minute and prime using the applicator.

“You can just “During the 10 minutes it takes to cure,

I can prepare the windscreen opening”,
explains Karl-Heinz.

about wait for it ...” He then carefully trims the remaining

PU adhesive from the windscreen
opening to leave approximately 1 to 2 mm
On the motorway: A sharp crack, Dirk Hassel is almost of trimmed PU adhered to the opening
frightened to death. Then he sees the point of impact in flange. Then renew the lower locating
the windscreen of his Focus. And right at eye level! What now? dowels and spacers, thoroughly clean
everything and the gluing can begin.
“The damage is not large. But what if it Workshop Foreman Raimund Bärhausen.
spreads? How will the wipers cope in rain? “Nowadays, what with Ford’s new Glass Karl-Heinz takes a cartridge from
And in the dark?”, runs through his mind. Adhesive System, you can just about wait the pre-heating oven, opens it at the
“No, best go back, fortunately I am not for it. Do you have something to take care front end, inserts it into the compressed air
far from my Dealer. And then? Cancel all of in town? In approximately two hours applicator gun and screws on the mixing
appointments? Organise a rental car? I can then – OK?” Dirk is relieved. module. “The adhesive’s working time of
probably call it a day!” approximately 12 minutes starts from now”
In the body shop: Karl-Heinz he tells us and begins immediately to apply
At the Ford dealer: “No, that was Mandt, a body specialist, familiar the adhesive to the windscreen opening
once upon a time that one had to with the new Ford 2K-Glass Adhesive flange. “The adhesive bead must be applied
do without one’s car for a whole day to System, takes over. He gets the necessary in a triangular form between 8 and 10 mm
have the windscreen replaced” explains parts and the Glass Repair Kit. First he in height. In doing so, the applicator must

Clean the windscreen bonding surfaces Apply primer. Cut back old adhesive material to 1 to
with glass cleaner. 2 mm thickness.

20 autoteam 3•2000
Apply adhesive with the lightweight The triangular shaped adhesive bead. Insert the windscreen and locate correctly.
pneumatic applicator gun.

be kept at an angle of 90° to the flange. It
is important that there be no breaks in the
adhesive bead. Therefore, I must overlap the
ends of the adhesive bead by 20 mm when
the cartridge is changed or when I get to the
end.”
“Only one hour”, answers Karl-Heinz to
the question about the drive away time.
“By the time I have completed the job and
cleaned the car, raised the invoice and the
customer has paid, the hour will be almost
up.”

A searching look to see that the side Foreman Raimund Bärhausen gives
windows are open, then, with the help of Dirk Hassel his car back, and the
a colleague, the new windscreen is firmly customer is glad that he didn’t have to write
and evenly pressed in. the day off after all.

The customer can continue his journey.

The new Ford 2K As easy as 1K,

Glass Adhesive
System 1 102 105
The Repair Kit consists of:
1 cartridge PU Glass Adhesive (310 ml),
Glass Cleaner (20 ml), Primer (10 ml),
2 Primer Applicators, 1 Mixing Module,
2 Nozzles.
A 150 ml cartridge (1 102 109) is also
available for additional use depending
upon the size of window to be fitted.
as fast as 2K
Early this year Ford introduced a new
2K-PU Glass Adhesive System which
combines the advantages of a 1K system
with that of a conventional 2K system:
■ Simple: Only one cartridge, no mixing
of components.
■ Easy: Application with normal, easy
to handle pneumatic applicator gun.
■ Reliable: Uniform curing practically
regardless of ambient temperature and
humidity. Adheres to all previous Ford
glass adhesives.
■ Fast: Fulfils, after only one hour, the
required body rigidity and airbag
support (newest Crash standard:
64 km/h, 40 % offset).
Where’s the K2?
With the new Ford 2K Glass Adhesive
System the hardener (K2) is in a small
cylinder inside the mixing module.
The pressure of the base glass adhesive
(K1) from the cartridge forces a piston,
which injects K2 by a tiny feed hole
(50µm) into the K1.
Mixing proportion: K1:K2 = 1000:3.
Then K1 together with K2 are forced
successively through four “static
mixers”. There they are thoroughly
mixed, before the finished adhesive
exits through the nozzle.
The quantity of hardener in the mixing
module is sufficient to process two
310 ml cartridges of glass adhesive.

Centre picture: the lightweight

pneumatic applicator gun; top left: autoteam thanks Autohaus Ford Odenthal in Siegburg, Germany, and its
the pre-heating oven for 2 cartridges. employees for the friendly and competent support in the writing of this
article.

autoteam 3•2000 21
Controlled
change
For fleet customers, vehicle cost
of ownership plays a particularly
important role in their purchase
decision. It is not surprising,
therefore, that Ford pays special
attention to this factor and
continuously improves vehicle
technology with lower cost of
ownership in mind.
22
The air and fuel filters for the new Transit
Diesel V184/V185, are a good example.
Up to now, air and fuel filters were replaced
at fixed intervals – generally during Major
Service. But for the new Transit, both the
air and fuel filters have filter minders, which
show when they have to be replaced. Under
unfavourable driving conditions, both filters
need to be replaced at every second service.
But under normal conditions, the filters
will frequently only have to be replaced at
every third service, as indicated by the filter
minders.
Filter minders are equipped with a simple
to read indicator, which is visible without
needing to dismantle the filter, so that cus-
tomers can be made aware of a necessary
replacement during the Interactive Reception
process.
The cost advantage for the Transit customer
is obvious: he only has to pay for a new
filter, when he really needs one.
To make prices for servicing simpler for the
dealership and more transparent for the
customer, filter replacement times have been
calculated on the basis of replacement at
every second service, with the times spread
across all services. Consequently, the
customer must not be charged extra for
labour, when the filter is actually replaced.
Regardless of vehicle model, this is similar
for spark plugs and all filters that require
regular replacement (fuel, oil, induction air
or cabin air filters):
■ Labour times, which cover the replace-
ment of spark plugs and filters, are
already included in the total service
labour time.
■ Therefore, the customer must definitely
not be charged extra for labour when
these parts are replaced.
Product rationalisation and transparent,
competitive pricing have resulted in prices
for Routine Servicing that are simple for
your dealership to communicate and easy
for your customers to understand. They
ensure that the customer does not get any
autoteam 3•2000
 Function of the Transit air ➊
●
filter minder
A plunger within the air filter minder reacts to the vacuum in the air intake system. As the
flow of air through the filter element is reduced, a higher vacuum is created in the air intake
system. This forces the plunger down against the force of a spring. A mechanism holds the
plunger in this position, until an increasing vacuum pulls it down further.

The action required during routine service is shown by the position of the plunger on the
➌
● ➋
●
filter minder scale:
■ green sector: filter element OK – do not replace
■ clear sector: replace filter element
➍
●
■ red sector: replace filter element ➎
●
If, between two service intervals, the plunger is in the clear sector, do not replace the
filter element immediately – wait until the next scheduled service. In the unlikely case that ➊
● Reset button
the plunger is in the red sector between services, do not wait – replace the filter element ➋
● Plunger
immediately. ➌
● Green sector
➍
● Clear sector
Important: After replacing the filter element, the plunger must be returned to its starting ➎
● Red sector
position by pressing the reset button.

unpleasant surprises when he receives

his invoice and they also contribute to
improved vehicle cost-of-ownership. It’s all
the more important not to jeopardise these
customer benefits by erroneously charging
extra labour time for parts replacement.
Competition
All those who return their answer cards after answering the questions set in this issue are
eligible to enter this competition.
On Saturday morning, Michael wants to visit his friend David for the weekend.
Although David lives quite far away, it’s a nice warm summer day and Michael
decides to ride his bike there. If Michael rides the bike at a moderate pace of
20 km/h, he would arrive at David’s place at 3:00 p.m., but if he rides 10 km/h
faster, he would get there 2 hours earlier.

How many kilometres away does David live?

Answer to the competition in autoteam 2/2000

If the total number of pens in the box equals “x”, then each of the first four dealers,
after giving 3 pens to the fifth dealer, had x–3
4
pens left. Each of the 4 dealers then
gave 1/8 of his pens to the fifth dealer.
This is equivalent to 1  x–3 
8 4

x
Thereafter, each of the 5 dealers had exactly 1/5 of the total pens: 5
Expressed as a mathematical formula this is: x–34
1
 x–3  x5 8 4

8x – 24 – x + 3 x 7x – 21 x
This can be transformed into 5
, which is equivalent to
32 32 5

The remaining steps are as follows:

7x x 21 7x x 21 35x – 32x 21 3x 21 21 x 160

; ; ; 160 32
; x
3 x 32
; x 35
32 5 32 32 5 32 160 32

35 pens were in the box.

autoteam 3•2000 23
 Engine oil doesn’t only lubricate, but
also has to fulfil a number of other vital
functions: Cooling, sealing, cleaning,
transfer of forces, protection against
corrosion and it must retain a stable
heat-resistant viscosity.

Quality –
Drop for Drop
The
constantly
increasing
demands made on
engines as well as
extended service intervals mean that engine
oil must meet all these demands over a long
period, reliably and without any loss in
quality.
In the first combustion engines the oil simply
flowed to the lubrication points and was
disposed of into the environment. Initially
for cost reasons, but also for the protection
of the environment, oil recirculation systems
were developed to re-use the oil. In the late
Forties oil had to be renewed after approxi-
mately 1,500 km, at the beginning of the
Seventies this was increased to an average
of 5,000 km and nowadays oil replacement
intervals in excess of 25,000 km for passenger
cars are feasible. And that, although the
engines are
subjected to
ever higher
mechanical and
thermal loads and
more moving parts
such as exhaust turbo-
chargers or hydraulic
tappets have to be lubricated. Some
day, advancements in engine oil technology
will mean that under normal operating
conditions the oil will no longer have to be
renewed, as has been the case with trans-
mission oil for some time.
Inner Values
Although they look almost exactly the same
as they did many decades ago and still
consist of hydrocarbons (CH), modern
engine oil characteristics and quality differ
quite substantially from earlier lubricants.
Incidentally, the synthetic oils which have
become so popular over the last few years
also consist of carbon and hydrogen atoms,
mostly however in a composition which
never occurs in natural mineral oils. The
molecular structures can be brought into
the desired formulations through so-called
Crack processes as well as special distillation
methods in order to obtain precisely deter-
mined characteristics.
The full combustion force is transferred
to the crankshaft only through the oil
film on the piston gudgeon pins and
connecting rod bearings. Also, cooling is
an extremely important function of the
engine oil.
Performance and classification of a lubricant
are subject to standards which are given on
the basis of specifications and which are
printed on the oil container labelling.
Designation
The American Petroleum Institute (API)
classifies engine oils since 1947 with identi-
fication letters: S for Petrol engines and C
for Diesel engines. The second letter behind
S or C shows the respective performance
level of the oil, whereby A is for the lowest
and Z (theoretically) for the highest perfor-
mance level. The letter occurring later in the
alphabet always also includes the preceding
performance standards, e.g. specification D
will automatically include specifications A
to C. A current High Tech oil is for example
classified API SJ/CF.
European car manufacturers developed at
the same time the classification system
CCMC, which was replaced in 1996 by
ACEA (Association des Constructeurs
Européens de l’Automobiles). The minimum
requirements for engine oils are defined
here by letter and number combinations.
Application and quality classification of the
oils are given as follows: A1, A2, A3 for
Otto engines, and B1, B2, B3 for passenger
car diesel engines. A2 or B2 are for the min-
imum requirement, while A3 or B3 reflect
higher requirements. The specifications A1
or B1 describe special low friction oils with
reduced high temperature viscosity. The
year indicated behind the letter number
combination shows when the ACEA speci-
fication was made.
Viscosity
Viscosity describes the property of a fluid
to resist deformation. With light oil (low

24 autoteam 3•2000

 
Under a microscope even a honed or
lapped cylinder wall looks like moun-
tainous terrain. The minimization of
friction is, therefore, one of the major
functions of an engine oil.
 Dry friction: Occurs only in exceptional
cases (e. g. in case of a failure in the
lubricant supply) and leads to destruction
(“seizure”) of the contact surfaces. Wear is
high.
viscosity) the deformation resistance is
small (low friction effect), with thick oil
(high viscosity) it is, however, greater. The
viscosity is affected by temperature (cold
oil is more viscous than warm oil) and is
classified since 1911 according to the SAE
(Society of Automotive Engineers). Before
there were no binding guidelines; a recom-
mendation made at the time had little
meaning: “The engine oil must still flow
comfortably from the can in the winter
cold.”
Today almost only multi-grade oils are
specified (e.g. 5W-30) because of their
better cold starting and all year round
performance. Each viscosity class consists
of two numbers, whereby the first is almost
always a W (for winter = defined cold flow
behaviour). Oils with low code numbers are
thinner than those with high code numbers.
Additives
These are added to the base oil and consist
usually of a chain of hydrocarbons
(oleophiler section) and an attached head,
which contain a chemical group (polarised
section). Both sections improve the positive
characteristics of the engine oil and mini-
mize the negative affects; they provide
Structure of
an additive
autoteam 3•2000
 
 Mixed friction: Occurs predominantly
during cold starting and during the
warming-up phase. The lubricating film
is not consistent; partial metal to metal
surface contact. In the engine this happens
for instance between piston rings and
cylinder walls as well as within sections
of the valve gear. Wear is minimal.
among other things resistance to ageing and
corrosion protection, they prevent foaming,
repel impurities and hold them in suspension.
The quantity of additives can range from a
few ppm (parts per million) up to 20 % in
oils for high performance diesel engines.

 Liquid friction: Both metal surfaces
are completely separated by the lubricating
film. Friction occurs only within the
lubricant. Wear is nil.
The Magic Formula:
Formula E
Ford develops and specifies engine oils.
Almost all Ford engines are factory-
filled with Formula E (SAE 5W-30)
and this oil is recommended for most
engines in the current model range (see
TSB 69/1999). This low-friction oil,
which was developed together with the
oil industry particularly to meet the
needs of Ford engines, combines high-
quality base oil with most modern
additives. It is based on natural mineral
oil, is thus more economic than a full-
synthetic oil, but nevertheless highly
efficient and is formulated to meet the
demands on modern engines.
The Advantages:
■ cheap
■ reduced fuel consumption
■ greater engine performance
■ significantly reduced pollution
emissions
■ optimised friction
■ greater protection against deposits
■ best resistance against ageing and
thickening
■ excellent stability at high
temperatures
Standards and Specifications
API: SJ/CF
ACEA: A1-98/B1-98
SAE 5W-30
Ford WSS-M2C912-A1 and
WSS-M2C913-A1
25

Shock absorbers:
Investment in the future
Shock absorbers are among the parts which
have a great influence on vehicle handling
and safety. Along with tyres and brakes,
shock absorbers belong to the “Around the
Wheel” (see autoteam 2/2000) parts which
form a “safety system”. Customers only
notice that their shock absorbers are worn,
in terms of reduced driving comfort, if at
all. But shock absorbers do much more than
just provide driving comfort: if they are
worn, they substantially impair braking
and handling and, therefore, safety. If we
consider the fact that, depending on the
road surface and driving style, a typical
shock absorber will perform 5,000 to
7,000 up and down movements per kilo-
metre, it immediately becomes clear that
shock absorbers are wear and tear parts.
The following figures and facts from
independent tests make clear the risks your
customers are exposing themselves to with
worn shock absorbers.
Braking distance 
At a speed of 80 km/h, even a half-worn
shock absorber increases the braking dis-
tance by 2.60 metres – this distance could
be the difference between life and death.
26
Aquaplaning 
With intact shock absorbers, at a water
depth of six millimetres, aquaplaning will
take hold of the vehicle at 125 km/h. In the
same conditions, but with half-worn shock
absorbers, this critical state will begin at
only 109 km/h.
Influence on ABS
A braking test with ABS, also at 80 km/h,
was carried out using a Ford Fiesta. With
good shock absorbers, the braking distance
was 37.80 metres, with a single worn shock
absorber, it was 42.80 metres.
Side wind
With worn shock absorbers, the vehicle is
much more sensitive in its reaction to side
wind and may swerve off course.
Stability on bends 
When driving around a bend, surface
adhesion is lost at significantly lower speeds
if shock absorbers are worn than if they are
intact.
Influence on other parts
Worn shock absorbers lead to wear on other
parts which are important for the suspension
system. Tyres, suspension struts, wheel
Together with tyres
and brakes, shock
absorbers form an
“Around the Wheel”
safety system.
bearings, parts of the steering mechanism,
rubber buffers on the wheel suspension,
the engine bearing and axle drive shafts are
all affected by wear to the shock absorbers.
Interactive Reception is the
pivotal point
Introduce the topic of shock absorbers
when talking to your customers: at routine
services, seasonal checks, when changing
from summer to winter tyres or for MOT.
In fact, every time the vehicle is on the hoist.
The only prerequisite is that the customer
comes in with a vehicle which has either
done more than 60,000 kilometres or is
more than four years old. That is the time
after which the effects of the shock absorber
wear set in. If vehicles are used under more
severe driving conditions (regular driving on
poor surfaces, towing a trailer), shock
absorbers wear can occur earlier.
Interactive Reception should be the pivotal
point to convince your customers.
Subsequent selling on the telephone is
almost impossible. There is a high risk
that, over the phone, the customer would
feel he is being pressurised.
autoteam 3•2000
■ Make it clear to your customer that you
are recommending a shock absorber
check for the sake of his own safety.
■ You should also explain to your customer
that, by replacing worn shock absorbers,
he is making a worthwhile investment in
the residual value of his vehicle.
■ And there are also benefits for your
dealership. Replacing shock absorbers is
a repair which is very profitable in terms
of both parts and labour.
■ For reasons of vehicle dynamics and
safety, shock absorbers should always be
replaced on a per axle basis – whether
because of wear or accident damage.
For a successful discussion, the following
points should be noted:
■ Consider that you have a maximum of
15 minutes available.
 Defective shock absorbers impair
cornering stability.
■ That means, do not let fly with your
entire arsenal of argumentation skills and
efforts to convince the customer at every
visit. After all, you are selling more than
just shock absorbers.
■ And you have to know when to finish.
If the customer says “no” once or twice,
you should bring the topic to a close.
In addition, make use of the promotional
materials that Ford provides. For your own
information, you have received a “Service
News” on shock absorbers. The related
poster should be displayed in appropriate
spots in the service and sales areas. Also,
hand your customer the brochure which
explains the advantages of prompt replace-
ment of shock absorbers in an easy to
understand way.
How are shock absorbers
diagnosed?
Signs which every mechanic will know, like
■ strong rocking of the vehicle after being
vigorously pressed downwards by hand
in a standing position
■ large oil mark on the shock absorber
sleeve
autoteam 3•2000
 Worn shock absorbers increase the risk
of aquaplaning.
are unequivocal indicators of worn shock
absorbers.
However, these signs only set in very late,
by which time the safety of the vehicle will
already have been jeopardised for quite
some time, because of insufficient shock
absorber performance. To diagnose deterio-
rating shock absorbers at an early stage,
you need to proceed differently. Shock
absorber diagnosis covers four areas:
1. Visual test on raised vehicle
The following observations point to worn
or damaged shock absorbers:
■ Signs of oil loss on the shock absorber
■ Signs of abrasion on the protective sleeve
of the shock absorber’s reservoir tube
■ strong corrosion
■ worn shock absorber mountings
■ defective stops or dust covers
■ Marks caused by movement of the spring
coil (the coil spring bottoms out)
■ Irregular tyre wear, e.g. erosion (wheel
bounces during braking)
2. Asking the customer
The customer can help you with the diag-
nosis. Describe driving situations and ask
questions about the handling of his vehicle:
■ Does the vehicle lean significantly on
bends?
■ Does the vehicle rock on bends with an
uneven surface?
■ Does the vehicle shift when driving
around bends?
■ Does the vehicle dive significantly at the
front when braking?
■ Does the vehicle over or understeer?
■ Does the vehicle keep its line?
■ Is the vehicle very sensitive to side winds?
■ Does the vehicle generally show nervous
handling?
Adjust your choice of words to suit the
customer’s knowledge and do not intimidate
him with technical terms. Avoid leading
questions, as these may be perceived as
forceful.
Of course, the answers should be evaluated
with care: they can only serve to confirm
other symptoms. Often the customer will
not have noticed anything, as he has sub-
consciously become accustomed to the
gradual deterioration.
Important: After replacing the shock ab-
sorbers, the customer must feel a difference!
3. Test drive
A mini test drive in the car park is usually
enough:
Action Observation
Start sharply ➡ excessive rearing
up?
Brake sharply ➡ excessive diving?
to a stop
Alternate bends ➡ excessive side
(slalom) leaning?
rocking?
For all actions ➡ multiple
oscillations?
4. Testing unit
In addition, the test can be carried out using
the shock absorber testing unit or on the
test stand (vibratory plate). This test
method, with a printout or on-screen
display, is the clearest for the customer.
Be careful, however: These units test the
entire wheel suspension and not just the
shock absorber. If the unit indicates defec-
tive absorption, then all the relevant parts
of the chassis must first of all be tested,
before new shock absorbers are fitted.
Otherwise, test results may still be unsatis-
factory, even with the new shock absorbers
installed. This also applies to the other test
methods, and you should always keep an
eye on the rest of the wheel suspension.
 A single worn shock absorber already
increases the braking distance.
27

The road
to recovery
CD4E doesn’t go wrong very
often but when it does WDS is
the perfect tool to help you put
it on the road to recovery.
Diagnosis of CD4E in Mondeo using WDS
is based closely on the routines used on
FDS2000. As with FDS2000, there are a
few preliminary checks to be carried out
before electronic diagnosis can begin.
Having completed these and plugged in the
16-pin data link connector to Mondeo,
WDS diagnosis can start. Before carrying
out diagnosis of CD4E using WDS, it is
recommended but is not compulsory that
WDS engine checks are completed and any
faults rectified.
CD4E
Diagnosis of CD4E by WDS is straight-
forward: simply select Powertrain and then
Transmission. From there you can follow
through exactly the same diagnostic routine
used on FDS2000 (Full Diagnostic), or you
28
can choose Transmission Concerns.
This option offers two further choices:
Engagement, and Upshift/downshift, both
Menu Walker Guided Diagnostics with new
function tests.
Note that the Full Diagnostic on WDS,
as used by FDS2000, is only available for
vehicles up to 1999 Model year.
Menu Walker
Menu Walker serves as a navigational aid,
allowing you to manually select individual
test routines such as Mass Air Flow (MAF)
sensor or Transmission Fluid Temperature
(TFT) sensor. You can even ignore checks
that are not relevant to a concern, and after
repairs you can repeat a particular test
routine as a check.
Menu Walker function test
The sequence of operations in a particular
function test can be altered individually and
the tests can themselves be carried out in
any order.
WDS offers a choice of
diagnostic routes.
Line pressure
WDS can run a line pressure test to check
the pressure at idle and at stall speed in
all gear lever positions. WDS will suggest
that a line pressure test is carried out at an
appropriate stage in the diagnostic process
depending on the particular fault codes
displayed.
A low line pressure at idle could be linked
to:
■ Fluid level
■ Restricted inlet filter
■ Loose mainbody
■ Solenoid body
■ Accumulator body to case bolts
■ Excessive leakage in pump
■ Sticking main regulator valve
■ Damaged inlet tube seal on inlet filter
■ Damaged gaskets
■ Damaged separator plate
■ Split inlet filter (dragging air into the
circuit)
autoteam 3•2000
The PVT is connected to the transmission through a connector A line pressure test can be a very useful diagnostic exercise.
located behind the left-hand front wheel.

A high line pressure at idle should be
investigated by:
■ Carrying out a visual check of the
transmission wiring
■ Carrying out a diagnosis using WDS
Datalogger
To use Datalogger touch the toolbox icon
and then select Datalogger from the list.
The Datalogger function enables dynamic
measurement during a road test. The data
can be stored for viewing later. (Read the
WDS series in this magazine.) You can also
measure line pressure using the correct
adaptor and the PVT through Datalogger.
Select PVT on the Signal Parameters screen.
A number of sensors supply information to
the Powertrain Control Module (PCM),
which in turn sends information to other
sensors. Datalogger can display this data as
a bar graph, in line form or digitally:
Solenoid (3-2T/CCS); and Transmission Training
Control Indicator Lamp (TCIL). Do not forget there is comprehensive
diagnostic help in TIS: select Mondeo
If you suspected CD4E was upshifting late 97, Automatic Transmission, Diagnosis and
you might opt to display the data going to Testing, then the diagnosis and testing menu
that solenoid, as well as the data coming is available.
from the TR and VSS sensors. However,
Datalogger does not explain each step like In order to make full use of WDS in
the guided diagnostics or menu walker and diagnosing CD4E and other concerns you
it will not tell you if the figures you are need to attend a WDS training course.
getting are out of range. This means that
in order to fully utilise Datalogger you
must have a thorough understanding of the
electrical systems that form CD4E.
In our example (see photograph) we are
monitoring the TR sensor, the VSS, TCC,
RPM and the OSS. The voltage recorded for
the TR sensor corresponds to the position
of the transmission range selector lever
(P, R, N, D, 2, 1). We can clearly see what
is happening to the other outputs at each
upshift.

PCM – Inputs: TFT sensor; Transmission Datalogger is an invaluable tool for the CD4E diagnostic.
Range (TR) sensor; Brake On/Off (BOO)
switch; Electronic Ignition (EI) system;
ignition control module; last two are on
older vehicles with external EI-ICM (Or
EDIS) Crankshaft Position (CKP) sensor;
MAF sensor; Throttle Position (TP) sensor;
Vehicle Speed Sensor (VSS); Transmission
Control Switch (TCS); Air Conditioning
(A/C) Clutch; Engine Coolant Temperature
(ECT) sensor; and Turbine Shaft Speed
(TSS) sensor.

PCM – Outputs: Transaxle solenoid body

assembly; Shift Solenoid 1 (SS1); Shift
Solenoid 2 (SS2); Solenoid valve, Electronic
Pressure Control (EPC) solenoid; Solenoid
valve, Torque Converter lock-up Clutch
(TCC) solenoid; 3-2 Timing/Coast Clutch

autoteam 3•2000 29
New Mondeo

Ready
for Take-Off
The new Mondeo lines up.
Ford sets the standards with the
completely new Mondeo and will
strengthen its position in hard
fought middle class. autoteam was
able to get a first impression for
you.
New Mondeo represents significant steps
forward. Dependable durability and eco-
nomic running costs are certainly amongst
the most important aspects for customers.
But that is not all. The new Mondeo is
exemplary in all safety aspects.
Body
Light and stiff
The body of the new Mondeo, which will
be available as notchback, hatchback and
estate models, is extremely strong but light-
weight. The wheel base is extended by
50 mm and moreover the body shell is
60 per cent stronger torsionally than the
previous model. This brings not only safer
driving qualities, but also a quieter operating
environment, plus a more durable and
reliable life for the body shell. Some specific
features are:
■ Strong and light through the use of high-
strength steels (43 % in the front-end
alone).
■ Use of tailored-blanks (see Chart) e. g. in
rear wheel arches, B-pillar and inner
door panels mean extremely rigid light-
weight construction.
■ Ultra-high-strength-steel side impact door
beams manufactured in Sweden.
24 Stages, 12 Years
To preserve the strengths of this body
shell for the whole vehicle life, a 24-stage
corrosion protection and paint system is
used. For example:
■ Every sheet-metal panel except the roof is
coated on both sides with zinc galvanising.
■ Pre-treating, phosphate coating process
and electophoretic priming dip process
ensure complete and consistent coating
of even the smallest cavities thanks to
carefully designed inlets and precisely
positioned anodes.
■ Environmentally friendly liquid wax
containing no organic solvents is applied
to cavities in supporting beams, doors
and hood. Thermal curing hardens the
wax into a permanently elastic protective
coating.
Proof of the robustness of the anti-corrosion
measures is that Ford guarantees the new
Mondeo against perforation corrosion for a
full 12 years.
Powertrain
New Mondeo comes with six 4-Valve
engines.
More info on the powertrain line-up in the
next autoteam issue.

Safe in every Aspect

Cubic Engine type Power output Maximum Maximum speed Passive
capacity kW (PS) torque continous / Passive safety comes into play when an
at 1/min Nm at 1/min intermittent accident cannot be avoided and is there to
Petrol contain the risk of injury to a minimum. It
1,8-Liter Duratec-HE 81 (110) / 5500 165 / 3950 5950 / 6175 begins with the body shell structure of the
1,8-Liter Duratec-HE 92 (125) / 6000 170 / 4500 6500 / 6800 new Mondeo.
2,0-Liter Duratec-HE 107 (145) / 6000 190 / 4500 6400 / 6675
It is extremely rigid where rigidity ensures
2,5-Liter Duratec-VE V6 125 (170) / 6000 220 / 4250 6500 / 6700
occupant safety. High strength steels, rein-
Turbodiesel forced bulkhead and footwell, particularly
2,0-Liter DuraTorq-DI 66 (90) / 4000 245 / 1900 4800 / 4800 rigid A and B pillars and side impact door
2,0-Liter DuraTorq-DI 85 (115) / 4000 280 / 1900 4800 / 4800 beams all play an important role.

30 autoteam 3•2000
It gives way where it is wiser to absorb
accident impact: The front bumper system
features a hydroformed tubular front
bumper beam to absorb under 15 km/h
crash impacts. Between the rear bumper
and longitudinal beams are so-called crash
tubes: these telescopic tubes absorb crash
impact energy through friction. Rear end: Crash tube between longitudinal Just pull two pins like these out and the
member and bumper with energy-absorbing complete headlamp assembly can be
Restraint foam. removed.
An accident happens in a fraction of a
second, but it is in this short time that the
Mondeo delivers a level of protection to its ■ Emergency Brake Assist (EBA), optional:
occupants that no other competitor can The system recognises an emergency
match. This second part of the passive stop situation by the speed at which the
safety system includes: brake pedal is depressed and initiates a
■ Three-point seat belts in all seating maximum brake performance.
positions with load-limiting retractors ■ Electronic Stability Programme (ESP)
and pyrotechnically-fired pretensioners with 7 sensors and two independent
for the front seat passengers. microprocessors.
■ Airbag control by a central module
located near the gearshift lever, a crash Good vision in the dark also spells active Behind the front bumper: Metal-crash-tube
sensor behind the radiator grille and safety. The new high-performance halogen and energy-absorbing foam.
sensors in the lower part of the B-pillar. headlamps (high-intensity xenon headlamps
■ Adaptive dual-stage front airbags: The optional) and two high-intensity halogen
airbags have two levels of inflation reversing lamps bring ultimate lighting
pressure and deploy in two stages in that performance. A special feature: Changing a
two airbag inflators are activated one headlamp or headlamp bulb is ultra-quick.
after the other depending on how severe No tools are required.
the crash is and occupants weight the
front seats (sensors in the seats). Read about more interesting details of this
■ Side Airbags (11 litres) for the front-seat new Ford in the next issue of autoteam.
occupants.
■ Inflatable Side Curtains (24 litres) for
front and rear occupants. Body shell construction: ultra rigid, but
■ Active head restraints on the front seats: with crush zones.
In the case of rear-end impact, the head
restraints move forward to arrest the
backward movement of the occupants
head to protect against head and neck
whiplash injuries.

Additionally, the steering column is tele-

scopically collapsible by up to 80 mm and
the collapsible brake pedal structure and
foam padding in all potentially dangerous New Mondeo’s “eyes” – here the optional
areas help to reduce the risk of injuries. high-intensity xenon headlamps with three
times higher light output and lifetime
Active durability.
But the best protection against accidents is
accident avoidance. New Mondeo’s exem-
plary safe road behaviour and active driver
aids help to avoid accidents: Tailored Blanks
■ Front brake discs (D = 300 mm) and
rear brake discs (D = 280 mm) for the Tailored blanks are special sheet metal laser-welded into one exacting metal
standard 16-inch wheels (17-inch wheels cuttings from which body panels are blank. This process allows stampings to
are optional). stamped. What makes these tailored be strengthened in stressed areas whilst
■ Anti lock brake system (ABS) with blanks unique is that they are created with still achieving a maximum saving in
traction control and electronic brakeforce sheet metals of varying gauges that are weight.
distribution (BTCS).

autoteam 3•2000 31
Technical Hotline more Powerful than Ever
The Power Number
The Ford Technical Hotline is a valuable tool when fast assistance
in very difficult diagnostic cases is required. And now you have just
such a case. You have already exhausted all your available local
sources of information – without success.
And so, your last hope is the Technical
Hotline. But you can’t get through because
all lines are engaged. What a grind! How
can this happen? Not because the Hotline is
not fully manned or there are not enough
telephone lines. No, it is solely because the
Technical Hotline lines are busy most of the
time with unnecessary calls. Either the caller
is not fully prepared and has not got all the
information ready, or he has not even first
looked for a solution, but is asking for
things which the Hotline is not responsible
for in any case.
Temptation
Admittedly, the temptation is great, because
picking up the phone is a lot easier than
looking through one’s own documents or
files. So that nobody in future succumbs so
easily to this temptation and the “Hotline”
can become what it should be, a “Power
Number” will soon be introduced. By this
the effectiveness of the Technical Hotline
will be further improved, so that it can be
accessed quickly and provide help when
really difficult situations arise.
The “Power Number” is called in reality
a “Hotline Contact ID” and guarantees
you fast help from the Technical Hotline.
Without this Contact ID, however, you can
expect hardly any assistance at all from the
Hotline in the future.
First OASIS
How do you get your Hotline Contact ID?
From OASIS. Because whoever conscien-
tiously uses all his local resources to resolve
a problem cannot leave out an OASIS
enquiry. Afterall, OASIS holds all the latest
information.
Whenever you make an enquiry on OASIS
using a VIN and a Sympton Code, you will
automatically be given a 9 character Hotline
Contact ID number. This is your individual
query number which remains valid for
5 days should further queries on the same
case be necessary.
“Your Hotline Contact ID Number,
please”
In future, the Hotline engineer will always
first ask for your Hotline Contact ID number.
This will help both the Hotline engineer and
yourself in two different ways:
1. The engineer and you can be sure that
you have the latest information and are
fully prepared.
2. After the Hotline engineer enters your
Hotline Contact ID number, all infor-
mation relevant to the OASIS query,
which assigned you the reference number,
appears automatically on his screen.
I. e. from the Hotline and OASIS link
he knows immediately
– all enquiries you made in your OASIS
query and
– the same information that you received
from the OASIS query.
Your helper has thus all data directly
available and is immediately
conversant with your
Exemplary Diagnostic Information Centre
for the workshop, with pinboard for the
latest OASIS messages and telephone to
call the Technical Hotline.
problem without you having to verbally
relay such things such as VIN, queried
symptom codes, vehicle specification etc.
There can’t be a better starting point
for you and the Hotline engineer for a fast
solution to the problem.
Everyone benefits
Everyone benefits from this new procedure:
■ Those who use their local resources and
search conscientiously for a solution
to their problem will in most cases be
successful without outside assistance.
This is still the most professional way.
■ Those who have a problem which they
really cannot resolve by themselves,
can reach the Hotline faster to be given
assistance within the shortest time.
■ The Hotline engineer can help faster and
without further tedious inquiries.
■ The customer finally, will be satisfied
because you can repair his/her vehicle
reliably and at the first attempt.
And isn’t customer satisfaction the
paramount goal of all our joint
efforts?
Further information about the
introduction of the Hotline
Contact ID number will be
provided in due course.
IRL