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12/12/2011
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A unique battery service programme for vehicles with start-stop engines has been developed by Johnson Controls to provide independent workshops with total product support and training for this new market, which is set to expand rapidly within a relatively short timeframe.
 At the heart of the VARTA start-stop service programme (VSSP) is a wi-fi diagnostic tool smaller than an iPad, which allow technicians to manage all the steps necessary to test start-stop systems and replace the Absorbent glass mat (AGM) or Enhanced Flooded (EFB) batteries they rely on to achieve fuel and CO2 emission savings of between five and 12%.
Johnson Controls predicts that by 2015, 70% of all new vehicles manufactured will feature start-stop technology. According to Joacim Adlerborn, training and technical services manager at Johnson Controls, the majority of independent workshops still feel ill-equipped to service these vehicles.
"On the one hand 70% of independent workshops consider the subject relevant for the near future," he says, "but 60% are still unprepared for repairing a start-stop car, and 80% would even defer their customers to their vehicle manufacturer dealer network."
Stemming directly from a market survey of 1,200 workshops in Europe carried out by Johnson Controls, the company has developed a compact and robust electronic tool that is easy to operate and has access to all the latest data at all times. Replacing a Start-Stop battery is not like replacing a conventional car battery, as it is intricately linked to the on-board electronics via a battery management system (BMS) or intelligent battery sensor (IBS).
The VSSP tool first ascertains the vehicle and battery type, and then provides the technician with precise information on the position of the battery (often hidden away in the boot or under the driver's seat) and the EOBD (European on-board diagnostics) interface with the aid of a 2D code and VIN number.
The technician is given a step-by-step guide to replacing the battery via on-screen images and graphics using the touch screen. The VSSP 2.0 can also be used to test the battery, evaluate or delete error codes and read individual vehicle data. Armed with this information, the technician knows which VARTA replacement battery is suitable for the vehicle.
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Author
John Challen
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