auto-electrics « WordPress.com Tag Feed

Saturday morning remapping service here at last.

sparksandsensors — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 09:10:01 +0000

Due to popular demand Sparks And Sensors are now extending their opening hours for the summer to offer a remapping service on Saturday mornings. The service is being offered on a strictly by appointment basis.

We would also like to take this opportunity to thank all our ( happy) customers who have had a Quantum Remap in the last few months.

If you would like more info on Quantum Remapping check out the blog at http://www.quantumtuning.co.uk/blog/

Remembering TVR

sparksandsensors — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 21:04:01 +0000

This week at Sparks and Sensors I had the pleasure of undertaking some work on a TVR Sagaris and it brought back happy memories of the iconic brand.

I spent many years working for TVR both at the Blackpool factory and in the dealer network. It was a job I loved for many reasons and its such a shame these cars are no longer in production. With stunning lines and outrageous interior designs these cars always turned heads and even now its fair to say there is still nothing out there that looks or sounds quite like a TVR.

Its good to see that many TVR owners are still maintaining their cars to a high standard and there is still a few specialists about lovingly servicing and repairing these machines which are now regarded as classic British sports cars.

For any TVR owners who are interested I am a Meta alarm dealer and was the main production electrician at the factory in 98 -2000. Many of these alarms are now failing and I now offer a replacement service upgrading to the latest Meta alarm immobilizer to replace the original Meta systems. I am based on the Fylde coast in Lancashire just 7 miles from the original factory.

Sparks And Sensors Launch Remapping service in association with Quantum tuning.

sparksandsensors — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 19:38:20 +0000

Here at Sparks and sensors we are pleased to announce that we have recently become dealer for Quantum remaps. So far the response from our customers has been fantastic. We are now able offer a fully custom ECU remap service for power, performance and economy. Quantum are one of the UKs leading remap brands with several full time file writers offering a custom service in ECU remapping. We are pleased to announce that we can also remap for speed limiter removal , EGR removal and DPF removal .

Check out our dealer website at sparksandsensors.quantumtuning.co.uk for more info.

Auto Electrical Specialist Tips for Strengthening Your Car Battery

yourwheelsontheroad — Wed, 30 May 2012 05:53:32 +0000

A female is driving along a quiet road deep during the night. Up ahead, just about all she can see i

Greening Your Automobile With The Aid Of A Skilled Auto Electrician

yourwheelsontheroad — Wed, 30 May 2012 05:19:07 +0000

The automobile: one of the several necessities of modern day everyday life. Just think about exactly

Installing a brake controller

tambocooper — Wed, 16 May 2012 23:01:27 +0000

Tekonsha P3 Brake Controller

If you are towing a trailer that is over 750kg it has to be ‘braked’. That means that you need brakes on the trailer so that you are not reliant solely on the towing vehicle for stopping power.

We bought a Tekonsha P3 Prodigy brake controller off of eBay. This is supposedly one of the better brake controller unit available on the market and I know of several people who have these and they swear by them. There are a couple of options when buying the brake controller from eBay:

Purchase the unit only
Purchase the unit along with all the wiring/cabling required for installation

There is a price difference of about $50 – $80 depending on what package you get and who you buy from. I decided that I could source the wiring for much cheaper than what was being offered on eBay so I bought the unit only. First mistake. Really bad idea.

Once I had the controller and had read through the manual and the requirements for installation I went ahead and tried to source the wiring components. This consists of cable, connectors, plugs, cable ties, and a circuit breaker. I managed to find everything except the actual cable required; which is a twin core 5mm cable. I must have spent nearly 6 hours trying to source the cable locally without any luck – about the time it would have taken me to do the installation had I just ordered the wiring package along with the controller.

Anyway, after much frustration and a realisation that I was probably not quite ready to do any auto-electric installations myself, I called up and couple of auto electricians and booked the vehicle in for the installation. It wasn’t cheap at $200, but it was done in a day by a qualified auto-electrician.

Sometimes it’s better to let the professionals get involved and do the job properly!

Car 101: Auto Electrical Services And What They Do

yourwheelsontheroad — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 07:52:33 +0000

Whenever you are on the road, it is very likely to encounter car related problems. And the problem b

A Wide Range Of Restoration Services Offered By Mobile Auto Electrician

yourwheelsontheroad — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 07:48:05 +0000

When your car goes through electrical difficulties, you are oftentimes left feeling powerless and fr

Is there a new trade emerging in the automotive sector ?

sparksandsensors — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 20:49:11 +0000

Over the last few years diagnostic equipment has become an essential piece of equipment for garages and technicians. Even the simplest tasks like replacing a tyre or fitting a set of brake pads have become impossible on some makes without diagnostic equipment. As from next year tyre pressure monitoring will become a requirement on all new vehicles. Any vehicle already having the system fitted will require the system to be fully operational in order to gain a MOT certificate. Yes it’s a sign of the world going mad but it’s also good example of the challenges garages are facing and how quick technology is advancing in the motor industry.
I cannot think of another industry whose tradesmen have had to cope with so many advances in technology in such a short space of time. Since the introduction of OBD on European vehicles in 1996 the diagnostic scan tool has become an integral part of workshop equipment to the point where every garage now has at least one scan tool.
Just as cars have evolved and become more complex in the last few years, so has the equipment we use to diagnose them. Diagnostic tools can perform a whole range of tasks from simple fault reading and clearing to reprogramming and configuring. If not used correctly some of the more complicated tasks can cause serious irreparable damage to a vehicle control unit or component leaving the garage out of pocket and a reputation in tatters.
From my own experience the average garage does not use its diagnostic equipment to its full potential, while many have had little or no training in diagnostics. Quite often the owner of the garage is the solo user of the equipment, with little trust shown to other technicians and apprentices. Some use the scan tool for little more than clearing codes and turning off warning lights.

There are however many garages who have moved with technology and have a good understanding of how both the cars electrical systems work and how to use a diagnostic scan tool. What these garages and technicians do lack is confidence and knowledge to carry out the more complex tasks such as replacing and configuring modules, programming keys and resetting parameters.
As technology has changed and cars have become more complex so has the training and learning needs in order to diagnose and repair modern vehicles. Apprentices and technicians of varying levels of skill require educational courses that accurately reflect the needs in the workplace.
It is essential that training programs are developed now to support the independent garage and its employees in diagnostics from the fundamentals right through to advanced programming.
In the past there were motor mechanics and auto electricians in the automotive industry and both were quite rightly recognised as different trades. Now a new trade is emerging and it is that of the Diagnostic Technician who must have a good understanding of mechanics, electrics and diagnostic techniques in order to understand and repair the modern motor vehicle both today and tomorrow.

Dash Electrics

Peter Simcoe — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 21:44:05 +0000

Acewell-3250 digital dashboard

I am using an Acewell-3250 didgi dash for two reasons, one I think it looks cool and two they are relatively cheap. It comes with a temp. and speed sender the RPM can be taken directly off the ECU. I’ve also made myself a gear indicator which runs directly off the gear selector switch in the gear box, the plans I found on the Internet and sourced all the parts from my local maplin.