BRITISH STANDARD AUTOMOBILE SERIES BS AU

165a:1990
(Superseding BS AU
165:1977)

Specification for

Performance
requirements for
original equipment
jacks for passenger cars
and light vans

62 9 . 1 1 4. 6. 0 1 2 . 7 3 2
BS AU 165a:1990

Committees responsible for this

British Standard

The preparation of this British Standard was entrusted by the Automobile

Standards Policy Committee (AUE/- ) to Technical Committee AUE/9, upon
which the following bodies were represented:

Automobile Association

Consumer Policy Committee of BSI

Department of Trade and Industry (Consumer Safety Unit, CA Division)

Department of Transport

Garage Equipment Association

Institute of Trading Standards Administration

Motor Agents Association Ltd.

Motor Cycle Industry’s Association of Great Britain Ltd.

Royal Automobile Club

Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders Ltd.

This British Standard, having

been prepared under the
direction of the Automobile
Standards Policy Committee,
was published under the
authority of the Board of
BSI and comes into effect on
31 July 1 990

© BSI 1 0- 1 999
Amendments issued since publication
First published October 1 977
Amd. No. Date of issue Comments
Second edition July 1 990

The following BSI references

relate to the work on this
standard:
Committee reference AUE/9
Draft for comment 89/75673 DC

ISBN 0 580 18638 5

 BS AU 165a:1990

Contents

Page

Committees responsible Inside front cover

Foreword ii

1 Scope 1

2 General 1

3 Materials 1

4 Finish 1

5 Dimensions 1

6 Operation 2

7 Stability 2

8 Durability 2

9 Overload 2

10 Marking 2

Appendix A Classification of vehicles in accordance with

the Commission of the European Communities (EEC/Brussels)
and the UN Economic Commission for Europe (ECE/Geneva) 3

Appendix B Test for adequacy of extension of the j ack 3

Appendix C Tests for stability 3

Appendix D Tests for durability and overload 3

Table 1 — Classification of vehicles in accordance with the

Commission of the European Communities (EEC/Brussels) and
the UN Economic Commission for Europe (ECE Geneva) 3

Publications referred to Inside back cover

© BSI 1 0- 1 999 i
BS AU 1 65 a: 1 990

Fore word

This British Standard has been prepared under the direction of the Automobile
Standards Policy Committee and supersedes BS AU 1 65: 1 977, which is
withdrawn. It establishes a standard of performance to ensure the safety of j acks
supplied with passenger cars and light vans for the purpose of changing wheels
and fitting snow chains as recommended in the vehicle manufacturer’s manual.

A British Standard does not purport to include all the necessary provisions of a
contract. Users of British Standards are responsible for their correct application.

C omp liance with a British S tand ard d oe s no t of itse lf confe r immunity

from le gal ob ligatio ns.

S ummary of p age s

This document comprises a front cover, an inside front cover, pages i and ii,
pages 1 to 4, an inside back cover and a back cover.

This standard has been updated (see copyright date) and may have had
amendments incorporated. This will be indicated in the amendment table on the
inside front cover.

© BSI 1 0- 1 999
ii

1 S cop e
This British Standard specifies requirements for the
materials, finish and safe performance of jacks
supplied as original equipment with passenger cars
of the European Communities classification
category M1 and light vans of the European
Communities classification N1 (see Appendix A).
2 Ge ne ral
2.1 The jack shall be suitable for locating at the
jacking points as specified by the vehicle
manufacturer and shall be capable of being operated
without fouling any part of the vehicle with the
doors closed.
It shall not be possible to raise the vehicle with
2.2
a jack that has been incorrectly assembled from its
component parts.
Means shall be provided to prevent over-travel
2.3
of the jack.
2.4 Instructions for the safe use of the jack shall be
provided.
Written instructions for the use of the jack shall
2.5
be provided in the vehicle manufacturer’s
instruction manual, together with the following
information.
NOTE It may be in a style compatible with the remainder of the quality, free of blow holes, porosity, hard spots,
vehicle manual text.
a) The vehicle jack is only for wheel changing and might
snow chain attachment (if appropriate).
b) Do not place any part of the body under the
vehicle when the vehicle is supported by the jack jack. Lubricants, hydraulic fluids and paints shall
alone. Note that it is very dangerous for users to be compatible with seal materials, where seals are
go underneath a vehicle supported only by the
vehicle jack.
For repair work where the user needs to go
underneath, special vehicle supports are to be
used.
c) Use chocks when stopped on a hill or cambered extraneous materials. All external surfaces shall be
road. Seek advice on the number, position and
placement of chocks from the manufacturer’s
handbook. Note that the jack is designed only for corrosion, and moving parts shall be lubricated as
use on a gradient of less than 8 % and a camber of necessary.
less than 5.5 %.
d) When using the vehicle jack for wheel
changing at the roadside:
1) use hazard lights;
2) apply the handbrake;
3) place gears in “1” or “Reverse” on manual
gear boxes, or “P” on automatic transmissions;
4) occupants should leave the vehicle;
5) place the jack at the placement position
advised by the vehicle manufacturer;
© BSI 10-1999
BS AU 1 65 a: 1 990
6) give consideration to advice for jacking on
soft ground;
7) do not run the engine when the vehicle is
jacked up;
8) loosen wheel nuts slightly prior to jacking up
the vehicle;
9) only use the supplied jack with the vehicle
make and model marked on the jack.
e) When wheel changing at the roadside:
1) clean the brake drum/mounting flange
before fitting a wheel;
2) screw up the wheel nuts before lowering the
vehicle;
3) finally tighten the wheel nuts, to the
manufacturer’s recommended torque, after
lowering the vehicle.
f) Stow the jack in its stowing point or in a
covered container in the vehicle.
3 Mate rials
Strength and other essential physical properties of
the component parts of the jack shall be adequate
for use with the vehicle with which it is supplied. All
castings, which shall be in accordance with the
appropriate British Standards, shall be of uniform
shrinkage, cracks or other deleterious defects which
adversely affect the intended use. Processes
such as peening or plugging shall not be used on
castings or forgings for reclaiming any part of the
used.
4 Finish
All cast, forged, moulded or welded parts shall be
free of sand, dirt, fins, scale, flux and other harmful
free of burrs, fins and sharp edges. At the delivery
stage the surfaces shall be protected against
5 D ime nsions
When tested in accordance with Appendix B, the
jack shall have adequate extension for use on the
vehicle with which it is supplied.
1
BS AU 1 65 a: 1 990

6 O p eration 9 O ve rload

6. 1 O p e rational e ffort When tested in accordance with the jack shall D.3

not collapse and the permanent deflection shall be

It shall be possible to perform the jacking operations not
described in Appendix B by applying a force that more than 5 % of the height measured at d). D.3

shall not exceed the following values:

a) 250 N for jacks operated by up and down lever 1 0 Marking

action; The jack shall be permanently and indelibly marked

b) 125 N for all other types of jack operation. in accordance with type 8A of BS 4781-1 and
BS 4781-2. The marking shall include the following
6 . 2 Accid e ntal op e ratio n
information:
At any point over its full travel while raising or a) the make and model of vehicle for which the
lowering the vehicle, the jack mechanism shall not jack is intended;
operate independently when the operating force is b) the number and date of this British Standard,
removed. i.e. BS AU 165a:19901) ;
c) a warning sign or other indication to illustrate
7 S tab ility
that the operating instructions are to be found in
When tested in accordance with Appendix C, the the vehicle handbook.
jack shall support the vehicle without the vehicle
coming off the jack.
8 D urab ility

When tested in accordance with there shall be

D.2

no undue wear or permanent deformation of either

the jack or the handle and the operating force
measured after the tenth cycle shall differ from the
fiftieth lift by not more than ± 10 %.

1) Marking BS AU 165a:1990 on or in relation to a product represents a manufacturer’s declaration of conformity, i.e. a claim by
or on behalf of the manufacturer that the product meets the requirements of the standard. The accuracy of the claim is therefore
solely the responsibility of the person making the claim. Such a declaration is not to be confused with third party certification of
conformity, which may also be desirable.

2 © BSI 10-1999

Appendix A Classification of
vehicles in accordance with the
Commission of the European
Communities (EEC/Brussels) and the
UN Economic Commission for Europe
(ECE/Geneva)
Table 1 — Classification of vehicles in
accordance with the Commission of the
European Communities (EEC/Brussels) and
the UN Economic Commission for Europe
(ECE Geneva)
Category Characteristics
M Power-driven vehicles having at least
four wheels or having three wheels
when the maximum mass exceeds 1 t,
and used for the carriage of passengers
M1 Vehicles used for the carriage of
passengers and comprising not more
than eight seats in addition to the
driver’s seat
N Power-driven vehicles having at least
four wheels or having three wheels
when the maximum mass exceeds 1 t,
and used for the carriage of goods
N1 Vehicles used for the carriage of goods
and having a maximum mass not
exceeding 3.5 t.
Appendix B Test for adequacy of
extension of the j ack
B.1 Load the vehicle to the manufacturer’s
maximum gross vehicle weight (GVW),
less 100 kilos at the driver’s position, immobilize it Carry out the procedure as follows.
in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions,
and stand it on a level concrete surface or
equivalent.
B.2 Locate the jack correctly at each jacking point,
with the nearest tyre completely deflated to give the
least favourable conditions.
B.3 Lift the vehicle off the ground to provide
sufficient clearance between the ground and tyre to
fit the spare wheel, for all tyre sizes specified by the
vehicle manufacturer.
B.4 Inflate the spare wheel tyre to the maximum
specified pressure.
© BSI 10-1999
BS AU 1 65a:1 990
Appendix C Tests for stability
C.1 Use a new jack for each of the procedures
in C.2 , C.3 and C.4 .
C.2 Load the vehicle to the weight given in B.1 .
Apply the parking brake. Using all available jack
travel at any jacking point, apply a longitudinal
force of 250 N to the vehicle in both directions
separately followed by a lateral force of 250 N in
both directions. Apply the force
approximately 60 cm above the road surface.
C.3 Load the vehicle to the weight given in B.1 .
Park the vehicle on a surface having a gradient
of 8 ± 1 % and a camber of 5.5 ± 0.5 %. Apply the
parking brake and set the transmission control as
instructed by the manufacturer’s manual. Carry out
the jacking procedure given in Appendix B first with
the vehicle facing uphill and then facing downhill.
C.4 Load the vehicle to kerb weight and repeat
stability tests C.2 and C.3 .
Appendix D Tests for durability and
overload
D.1 General
Use a new jack for each of the procedures in D.2
and D.3 .
D.2 Durability test
Carry out this test with a new jack and handle
equally around the jacking points. Follow the
procedure given in Appendix B for 50 jacking cycles.
One jacking cycle consists of raising and lowering
any wheel. Each jacking cycle may be followed by a
cooling period of not more than 5 min.
D.3 Overload test
a) Set any available means of height adjustment
(other than that provided by the normal travel of
the jack) to its highest position.
b) Where fitted, render the jack’s overload
protection device inoperative.
c) Raise the head cap to 66 % of its range of travel.
d) Mount the jack on a flat, rigid surface and
measure the height of that part of the load (test
rig or weight) which bears on the headcap, above
the flat, rigid surface.
e) Apply a force equal to 200 % of the vertical
force taken by the jack under the conditions
of Appendix B, at the location with the highest
loading. Apply the test force in the same manner
as the service loading.
f) Maintain the force for 1 min, then remove the
force.
g) Examine the jack for collapse, and measure the
height of the load above the flat, rigid surface.
3
4 blank
 BS AU 165a:1990

Publications referred to

BS 47 81 , Specification for self-adhesive plastics labels for permanent use.

BS 47 81 - 1 , General purpose labels.

BS 47 81 - 2 , Requirements for stringent conditions.

© BS I 1 0- 1 99 9
BS AU
165a:1990
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