autoteam

Magazin für das Ford Händler Service Team

Magazine for the Ford Dealer Service Team 2/2000

A new era:
Ford online communication

Help and advice Owner’s guide – stuck for an answer?

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Wide open The possibilities of changing the remote control unlocking strategy
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Wiring diagrams on TIS – everything on one CD

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Cover picture:
The importance of the Internet for Customer Service
is growing. Although the future is unlikely to bring
a “Focus mouse”, it will certainly bring new state-of-
the-art Internet applications for dealerships.
No part of this publication may be reproduced,
stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any
form, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, record-
ing, 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
“Around the Wheel”
The first thing you will probably have noticed about this issue of Autoteam
is a 4-page insert titled: “Around the Wheel”.
This is an initiative that focuses your attention on the diagnosis and
replacement – where necessary – of tyres, brakes, and shock absorbers.
And the insert is supplemented by two articles in the magazine that deal
solely with tyres, covering both diagnostics and selling/marketing.
You may initially wonder why so much emphasis is being placed on these
products. But once you read the articles it will become clear: these items
are vital for the safety of your customers and essential for the service
success of your dealership.
So it’s worth some extra Autoteam articles to draw your attention to these
products, and it’s worth some extra effort from your side to pay special
attention to these parts on every customer vehicle.
On the net
In Autoteam 1/2000 we asked for your help in determining how useful a
dedicated Autoteam Internet site would be for you. We’d like to thank the
many of you who took the time to complete the questionnaire and return
it to us.
In this Autoteam you will find two articles that show how the Internet is
increasingly being used to communicate effectively: “A net full of accessories”
and “REACT! PACC Online”.
We are in the middle of an online communication revolution – and it’s no
longer a question of “whether” the Internet will become an integral part of
our (at least, business) lives. It is merely a question of “When?”
So don’t be surprised when you find further articles on Internet-related
subjects in future issues of Autoteam.
In Autoteam
The last Autoteam issue included an article on the basics of Marketing:
“Marketing for everybody”. This was the first in a series of articles dealing
with the various aspects of Service marketing.
The next article in the series, which will be featured in the coming issue
of Autoteam, will have “Promotion” – advertising, point-of-sale, and
public relations – as the subject. The two “online” articles mentioned
above are an ideal introduction to this topic, because they show how
meaningful, targeted, and effective good promotion can be.
The Editors
2•2000
 Content
Easier repairs – by design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
www.ford.co.uk Focus sectional body repair: The Crash Box
(impact absorber) of the frame side member.

Wide open! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
You can change the remote control unlocking
strategy by reprogramming the module –
if the customer prefers it.

Service the man, not just the van . . . . . . . . . 11

How to meet commercial vehicle customers’
needs and expectations

Luck shouldn’t come into it . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

A new era of Ford Do you look after yourself at work? Make yourself
aware of important safety issues!
online communication Help and advice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
at your dealership Owner’s guide – stuck for an answer?

A Net full of accessories . . . . . . . . . . 4 TSB résumé . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Visit the Ford Accessories Website
on the Internet Competition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Adding a new dimension to Wiring diagrams on TIS –

Service Marketing: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 everything on one CD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
The benefits of a marketing and analysis With the help of TIS – the Ford Technical Information System
tool on the Internet: REACT! PACC Online. – you can navigate faster through the wiring diagrams.

Log Book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
The Datalogger. Use this brilliant WDS tool to your
advantage as soon as possible. Issue 1: Field of
application, signal selection, configuration and displays.

Pulling Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
The new Ford Transit 1-tonner will be “pulled”:
Autoteam examined a front wheel driven
pre-production Transit.

Ford Facts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
A symbol of success: a history of the Ford oval

All about tyres

Black and Round. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Did you know that more than 2/3rds of all vehicles
are being driven with incorrect tyre pressures?
Secial supplement
How to carry out a thorough tyre check. “Around the
Selling tyres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 wheel”
The importance of the tyres business Keeping your customers safe –
and your dealership healthy

autoteam 2•2000 3
 www.ford.co.uk

As a member of the Ford Service team, you

know that a broad range of attractive acces-
sories is available from Ford – and, of course,
from your dealership. But are your customers
also aware of this?

A net full
To increase customer awareness and effec- your customers can actually see the acces- For example, customers interested in alloy
tively promote the accessory range, Ford sory they’re thinking of buying. While this wheels can call up a picture of their Ford
has developed a dedicated accessory web- is normal for any catalogue, the Internet model, change it to the desired vehicle colour,
site for the Internet. This site is already live version is something special. and see any of their chosen wheels fitted. ➊
in some European countries and will be
available in the
remaining countries
within a few months. www.ford.co.uk ➊
Are you looking for new
From any PC with an alloy wheels? Check the
Internet connection, Ford accessories web site.
it will be possible to Look up your Ford model
find the site at specific and see your favourite
Internet address or via alloy wheels fitted.
the national Ford site.

A catalogue with
a difference
The Ford Accessories
site contains a regu-
larly updated cata-
logue of almost all
accessories available,
by vehicle model.
Of course it includes
product pictures, so

4 autoteam 2•2000
For the Parking Distance
Sensor, an animation
shows a car reversing
into a parking space,
with the sensors emitting
ultrasonic waves.
Once the car has parked,
the click of a button on
the screen lets the car
drive out of the parking
space. ➋
➋
www.ford.co.uk
How does a parking dis-
tance sensor work?
One click of a button
and an animation will
demonstrate how the
sensor guides a car
safely into and out of
a parking space.

With such features, the

Accessories Internet site
can demonstrate the visual
and functional appeal of
Ford accessories much
better than a conventional
catalogue can.

What’s in it for the

dealership?
Obviously, making more customers aware
of the broad and attractive accessory offer
available from your dealership is an advan-
tage in itself.
But the site is also a tremendous selling
tool. If a PC connected to the Internet is
available in your dealership’s Vehicle Sales
or Service area, interested customers can
be shown the full range of accessories and
make their selection on the spot.
What you should be aware of
When customers have browsed the website,
at home or in their office, they may call
your dealership to place an order, possibly
already quoting the FINIS code, which is
also shown on the site.
Equally, when a customer sees an accessory
he desires on a PC screen in your dealer-
ship, he may also wish to purchase immedi- Note:
ately.
The Ford Ireland site is under
You should be prepared to: quote a com- construction.
petitive price, including fitting if required;
ensure stock is available; make arrange-
ments for collection (and fitting where
required) when ordered over the phone.
And, of course, the customer needs the
same courteous and helpful service as
always, plus the expert advice and infor-
mation only you can provide.

www.ford.co.uk The Ford accessories

Internet site shows attrac-
tive design components
for your Ford Model.

autoteam 2•2000 5
Easier repairs –
by design
When we introduced Focus to
you on its launch we told you that
sectional repairs could be made
to a number of body panels. Here,
we look at a sectional repair to
the frame side member.
Recently, we put out a request on OASIS
for dealers to get in touch with us if they
had a Focus with front-end damage that
included the side frame deformation ele-
ment (the tip of the frame side member).
6 autoteam
Within a few days we had located a vehicle
at Bristol Street, Gloucester in the west of
England. The damage to the vehicle was
exactly what we needed so we raced off to
photograph the repair.
Impact absorber
We requested a Focus with damage to this
area because it includes several new design
features. Hidden behind the bumper, the
impact absorber was used for the first time
on Focus, taking the place of the usual
lower crossmember. This absorbs the
impact energy of impacts at up to 5 km/h,
reducing the level of damage to underlying
parts, making repairs easier and greatly
reducing their cost. The tip of the frame
side member is designed as a sectional part
and is made of material of reduced thick-
ness. In minor to moderate impacts (at
impact speeds of up to 15 km/h) both the
impact absorber and the deformation ele-
ment, to which it is bolted, are deformed,
again absorbing much of the crash energy.
Thanks to the design features mentioned
above the damage to the vehicle was rela-
tively minor having been absorbed, on the
2•2000
most part, by the front impact absorber
and the deformation element. Looking at Steve begins to pull.
the vehicle from the front you could see
that the front of the vehicle was out of
alignment and this was confirmed by
looking at the shut lines of the hood which
were wider on one side than the other.
With the bonnet raised it looked as if the
major part of the impact had been taken
on the deformation element.

The first thing to do was to call in techni-

cian Dean Morgan to strip the front of the
vehicle. This entailed removing a number
of items including the battery, radiators,
bumper and the bonnet locking frame.
Only then would it be possible to set the
vehicle up on the alignment jig and confirm The rods are brought into line.
the damage.

Once it had been stripped the damaged

vehicle was passed to Steve Harris whose
job was to measure and then pull the vehi-
cle back into shape. By this stage we could
clearly see the damage to the tip of the left-
hand frame side member. Steve explained
that after he had pulled the vehicle the tip
would be cut off and a new one welded in
its place.

Out of alignment
Before he could begin pulling the vehicle it
was necessary to set it up on the jig to find
out how far, and exactly where, the vehicle The damaged tip.
was out of alignment. This didn’t take very
long and then it was possible to see what

Sectional repairs
Sectional repairs can be made to the
following panels on Focus:

■ A-pillar outer panel

■ Rocker panel section – 5-door
■ Rocker panel front section –
3- and 5-door
■ Quarter/side panel front section –
3-door The deformation element is
■ Quarter/side panel rear section – removed.
All variants
■ Inner quarter panel rear section –
3- and 4-door and wagon
■ Rear outer wheelhouse half section –
5-door and wagon
■ Back panel section – Wagon
■ Rear floor panel section –
5-door and wagon
■ Rear side member section –
5-door and wagon

autoteam 2•2000 7

The deformation element
is designed to collapse in a
controlled manner.
The new parts are clamped into
position.
The installation gauges.
The deformation element is
welded into position.
8 autoteam
the accident had done to the vehicle. By
looking along the centre-line of the Focus
it was obvious that the front end had been
pushed over, but by no more than a few
centimetres. Steve assessed the damaged.
“What I have to do now is work out from
what angle the impact occurred and then
pull in exactly the opposite direction.”
Steve set up the pulling arm and connected
the safety wire. The puller took up the
strain and we watched as the alignment
rods slowly moved into line. “I will continue
the pull past this point because the metal
will tend to spring back a certain amount,”
explained Steve. It took several attempts
for Steve to achieve the result he wanted.
“That’s just about perfect. The alignment
rods are almost exactly in line. It’s well
within the permitted limits so now I can
cut off the damaged deformation element.”
The damaged impact absorber was unbolted
and discarded. The deformation element
was removed using a valency cutter and the
frame side member was cleaned up ready
for welding.
New parts
With all the damaged parts removed it was
time to offer up the new parts: deformation
element, impact absorber and hood lock
mounting frame to ensure they fitted
correctly. Steve used the left side crashbox
installation gauge (special tool 501- 055) to
ensure the alignment was correct and then
clamped the parts in place. Everything
fitted perfectly. All that was needed was the
application of some weld through primer
to all contact faces and he was able to tack
Special tool
In order to align the side rail deforma-
tion element correctly on the side
member two special tools have been
developed:
■ 501-055 – Installation gauge for the
left side member, and
■ 501-056 – Installation gauge for the
right side member.
Both installation gauges have four pegs
on one of their faces. Two of the pegs
locate in holes on the appropriate side
member and the other two pegs locate
in a hole and in a cut out on the appro-
priate deformation element.
2•2000
weld the new deformation element to the
side member. You will notice a small indent The deformation element is
on the side of the deformation element. painted...
This feature is designed to encourage a
controlled collapse of this component in
an impact, preventing or reducing damage
further back.

After welding the deformation element in

place using a continuous MIG seam weld,
Steve checked for any bright metal areas.
These must be cleaned with silicone remover
and primed using an anti-corrosion primer.
The Focus, the new hood lock mounting
frame and impact absorber were then
passed on to sprayer Ian Davies for painting.

The following morning the painted vehicle ...and the front end rebuilt.
and components were once again placed in
the hands of Dean Morgan for rebuild.

Fully adjustable
“The rebuild is quite straightforward and
the main job is to get the clearances right,”
explained Dean. With the frame in position
the headlamps and radiator grille were
fitted and the frame was aligned with the
fenders and the hood. “The great thing
about the hood lock mounting frame is that
it bolts on and is fully adjustable allowing
the clearances between the hood, fenders
and bumper to be set accurately,” he told us.
Job done a short while later and the Focus
looked as good as new. A perfect finish.

Hood lock mounting frame

The hood lock mounting frame is a hybrid construction and is used in production for
the first time in the Focus. The frame consists of three sheet steel panels; an upper
member, lock shielding panel and lower member. The 0.5 mm thick zinc-coated panels
are reinforced with plastic on the underside creating a strong, yet light-weight compo-
nent.

Being of a plastic construction the hood lock mounting frame must not be subjected to
temperatures of 80° C or over when carrying our repairs and painting in this area.

autoteam 2•2000 9
Wide open!
As any successful businessman knows “the customer is always right”.
This is true whether you are a one-man band or a multinational
corporation like Ford Motor Company.
Following a recent customer survey we
discovered that customers were not happy
with the remote control unlocking strategy.
Previously, pressing the unlock-button on
the remote control once deactivated the
double locking and the anti-theft alarm
system and also unlocked the driver’s door.
Following customer comments this has
been changed so that Ford Focus, Mondeo
and Cougar with a year 2000 vehicle build
code have a new unlocking strategy: press-
ing the unlock-button once deactivates the
double locking and the anti-theft alarm
system as it did before but now unlocks
all of the doors. On the Mondeo this also
unlocks the tailgate.
The procedure for unlocking the tailgate
remains the same: press the tailgate button
twice within three seconds.
10
Locking
Pressing the lock-button on the remote
control once will activate the central locking
and the anti-theft alarm system.
To confirm that the system is operating
the direction indicators will flash once.
Pressing the lock button twice within three
seconds will, additionally, activate both the
double locking and the interior alarm. The
indicators will flash twice to confirm the
system is operating.
Reprogramming
Some customers may prefer the old system
in which double locking and the anti-theft
alarm system are both deactivated with one
press of the button and only the driver’s
door is unlocked. Using this system press-
ing the button twice within three seconds
unlocks all doors. It is possible to repro-
gram the module to accommodate this
requirement. It is also possible to repro-
gram modules on pre year 2000 vehicles
in line with the new strategy. Using WDS
enter the Diagnostic Menu and select
Module Configuration. When asked “Do
you wish to continue?” select “Yes”. WDS
will tell you that the module is configured
correctly. Select “Yes”. A statement will
appear on the screen telling you that the
operation can be single or global opening.
It will then tell you what the configuration
is. If the configuration is not what your
customer wants you can select the correct
option. It is necessary to disconnect the
module, as instructed, in order to reset it.
The same procedure should be followed
when using FDS2000.
The owner’s guide has been revised to
include these changes from the 2000 1/2 MY
edition onwards.
autoteam 2•2000
Service The Man,
Not Just The Van
Commercial vehicles are vitally important
business tools. Our customers rely on their
vehicles to earn their living, and it’s up to the
dealership to do everything possible to keep
them and their vehicles on the road. To max-
imise customers’ return on their investment
into the vehicles, they require service that
meets if not exceeds their expectations. And
all members of the dealership aftersales team
have a part to play in ensuring this is achie-
ved. As business people, commercial vehicle
customers expect complete solutions.
Excellent service support is an essential part
of the package and an important element
influencing the decision to buy in the first
place.
autoteam 2•2000
Best in class benchmark
The new Transit range provides customers
with a best in class product and we have to
complete the package by providing customers
with best in class service support. It is key to
winning their custom and securing their long-
term loyalty. Achieving this means under-
standing the needs and expectations of our
commercial vehicle customers. Most impor-
tant of all, it’s essential to recognise that
some of their requirements go beyond those
of retail customers. In essence, we need to
“service the man, not just the van.”
Recognising and satisfying busi-
ness expectations
Detailed research has highlighted five key
areas that have to be met to satisfy commer-
cial vehicle customers’ needs and expecta-
tions. These are outlined in this article,
together with the customer expectations,
guideline solutions and the support available
from Ford.
1. Maintain a business
mindset
Put yourself in your customer’s place.
“My business relies on my vehicle and my
livelihood depends on giving my customers
good service. I expect my Ford dealer to
provide the same standard of service I give
my customers.”
It’s absolutely essential to appreciate the
business implications involved in order to
meet customers’ service and repair expecta-
tions. Very often these go beyond those of
retail customers and specialist support is
needed to satisfy their demands.
Ford Support
A dedicated training programme for com-
mercial vehicle customer handling is available
to ensure key members of the dealership’s
commercial vehicle team (Receptionists, Sales
Staff and Service Advisors) understand the
business mindset and carry out the appro-
priate dealer processes.
11
 A special deal with a rental company can
ensure that customers receive the appropriate
vehicle (including commercials) for their
needs and are charged very competitive
prices. But, of course, the deal must ensure
that your customers only receive Ford
vehicles as rentals.

Delivery (of the courtesy/rental vehicle) and

2. Ensure minimum
off road time
As an overriding requirement, commercial
vehicle customers expect to be kept mobile
with non-productive off road time mini-
mised.
Extend workshop opening hours
Service has to respond to the needs of com-
mercial vehicle customers, especially outside
normal working hours when they need to be
on the road working. Flexibility is all impor-
tant. Providing extended workshop opening
hours is crucial (whether permanent or on
an on-demand basis, according to the size
of your dealership). Late drop off and early
morning pick up are very popular and can
be offered together with mobility options
(see convenience section). Another flexibility
option is to provide a 24 hour on-call tech-
nician as part of your dealership’s specialist
commercial vehicle service operation
3. Be customer convenient
This is an absolute priority. Commercial
customers expect and must receive fast and
efficient service to suit their needs, rather
than your dealership’s convenience.
A fixed time appointment that fits in with
your customer’s busy schedule should always
be offered. And by actively managing
appointments, it is possible to maximise
workshop throughput.
Best practice checklist:
■ Offer immediate appointments for emer-
gency repairs.
■ Based on past history, offer customers
their preferred appointment time.
■ Ensure processes are in place to optimise
use of early/late hours and Saturdays.
■ For repairs, make sure the vehicle can be
checked in and the work completed at
very short notice.
collection (of the customer’s vehicle) is
another key convenience option. Certainly,
the customer’s requirement for alternative
transportation should be checked when he
books his car in for servicing or repairs.
And finally, this service should be promoted
by the vehicle sales department and offered
as part of the total package during the sales
process.
4. Provide professional
service
Business people expect to be treated in a
professional, business-like way. It generates
confidence and trust.
Fixed price quotation
The fixed price quotation guarantees the cost
on completion of the job. There are no hid-
den costs or surprises. As many commercial
fleet customers have to obtain repair authori-
sation, fixed price quotation speeds up the
whole process.
Invoice explanation
A clear, itemised and prepared invoice speeds
up vehicle collection, demonstrates efficiency
and delivers business goodwill.

Commit to completion time ■ Wherever possible, offer while-you-wait

Business customers need to know exact
timings so they can plan accordingly. One of
the ways to help ensure this is by referring to
Microcat repair time menus.
Provide 24 hour recovery
A positive solution that reassures customers
in the event of a vehicle breakdown. It
minimises customer inconvenience and
demonstrates the dealership’s efficiency. A
valuable customer care feature that can
cement long term loyalty.
service and repairs (ensure the waiting
area has refreshments and a quiet section
is available where the customer can do
some work).
■ Where practical, provide dedicated park-
ing – it shows that commercial vehicle
customers are important.
Offer mobility options
Mobility is a must for business customers,
so always be proactive. Offer a choice of
mobility options – be it a Ka, a Taxi or
another alternative. Remember, expectation
of the mobility offer is always higher when
inconvenience is greater.

While courtesy vehicles will certainly be

appreciated, it will often not be possible to
offer a like-for-like commercial vehicle.
Customer specific equipment or specifications
make this difficult. The availability of dis-
counted rentals can sometimes be an option.

12 autoteam 2•2000
Proactive follow-up
It’s the best way to determine specific cus-
tomer expectations, find out levels of satis-
faction and identify improvements for your
dealership’s processes.
Follow-up process:
■ Agree a convenient time and who to
contact (driver, owner, fleet manager)
■ Contact after each service/repair, or
■ on a monthly/quarterly basis (depending
on service/repair frequency)
If you have customers with a large fleet of
vehicles, they will consider frequent follow-
up calls an annoyance. In such cases, it is
most appropriate to meet with the customer,
explain the importance of service feedback to
him, and agree a convenient arrangement to
obtain this feedback.
autoteam 2•2000
Best practice checklist
■ Co-ordinate customer service contact
with the vehicle sales activity.
■ Be aware of commercial vehicle cus-
tomers’ service cycle requirements.
■ Pro-actively contact customers to make
service bookings.
■ Optimise workshop extended hours by
using Proactive Customer Contact
(PACC).
■ Ensure all communication with commer-
cial vehicle customers is carried out in a
professional, business-like manner.
5. Operate specialist
support
Commercial vehicle customers’ expectations
are based on business considerations. And,
quite rightly, customers expect to deal with
professionally trained specialists who are
equipped to satisfy all their requirements.
The optimum solution is to set up a truly
dedicated specialist commercial vehicle team,
comprising Service Advisor and Technicians
trained to provide the necessary level of
technical and customer handling support,
a member of the Vehicle Sales department
specialised on commercial vehicles, and
possibly someone from the administration
area to smooth any administrative burden.
Additionally, a special workshop area dedi-
cated to handling commercial vehicles would
be an ideal solution.
Specialised Interactive Service
Reception
This is the ideal way of differentiating your
specialist commercial vehicle service offer.
It satisfies most of the commercial vehicle
customer’s expectations of the service/repair
experience and ensures efficient workshop
scheduling.
Benefits:
■ Fixed time appointments
■ While you wait service/repairs
■ Fixed price quotation
■ Specialist commercial vehicle Service
Advisor
■ Mobility options offer
■ Guaranteed repair completion time
■ Invoice explanation
■ Follow-up contact
Ford Support
Minimising off road time and maximising
workshop throughput relies on thorough
planning and teamwork, especially when it
comes to parts identification and ordering
(when not in stock). To support the recent
launch of the new Transit, Ford has made the
necessary arrangement to ensure the quickest
possible supply of commercial vehicle parts.
Please ask your parts department for details.
Go the extra mile
Commercial vehicle customers expect excel-
lent service. But as we have seen, the after-
sales team has to be geared to understanding
and satisfying their business needs – we have
to “service the man, not just the van”.
Everything is in place to help you and your
dealership provide service that exceeds
customers’ expectations. With commitment,
effort and teamwork you will succeed in
going that extra mile to earn your customers’
long term loyalty.
13
Luck shouldn’t
come into it
Do you look after yourself at work?
Could what you do put yourself
and colleagues at risk?
This, the second in our series of articles, is
aimed at making your job and workplace
safer by making you aware of important
safety issues.
At this point you may be thinking: “But
I’ve been doing this job for years and never
had a serious accident.” Well, you’ve prob-
ably been very lucky. But luck shouldn’t
come into it. It is estimated that only about
40 per cent of all reportable accidents are
actually reported.
To help reduce the number of accidents and
incidents of ill health, many countries have
formulated a number of health and safety
14
regulations. You will already be following
many of these regulations, and it would be
impossible for us to list every regulation
applicable to every market. Consequently,
our article contains only general common
sense recommendations, not specific
mandatory regulations.
Special tools
Ford spend a great deal of time and
energy in developing special tools which
enable you to complete service and repair
work safely and efficiently.
You should always use the recommended
special tools where necessary. Not doing
so puts your own safety at risk, may
necessitate a repeat repair and result in
a dissatisfied customer.
Modification
Do not ever take it upon yourself to carry
out an unauthorised modification to a
special tool. It is unlikely either to be
correct for its new purpose, or safe to use.
autoteam 2•2000
 The causes
The movement of people, goods and vehicles around the workplace causes the vast majority of accidents. Over 75 per cent of all
accidents are caused in this way. The following table lists some of the other hazards and their most common causes.

Incident/Injury Main Concern Areas

Poor handling of petrol, in particular: draining of fuel tanks and lines without fuel retrievers; draining over vehicle
Fire:
inspection pits; hand lamps frequently provide a source of ignition; the saturation of overalls in petrol.
Vehicles parked unbraked or without chocks. Crushing accidents occur when drivers are unable to see people when
Vehicle movements:
manoeuvring.

Falls: Into uncovered or badly marked inspection pits. From storage racking and ladders.

Being struck: Eye injuries from the use of hand tools. Vehicles falling from badly adjusted or secured support arms of two-post hoists.

Trapping between vee-belts and pulleys when working on running engines. Entanglement on drives and propshafts
Machinery:
when working beneath vehicles. Feet trapped underneath unprotected descending platforms of hoists.
IIsocyanate-containing paints are often involved in causing breathing problems. Acid splashes from battery explosions.
Exposure to harmful
Cleaning and degreasing solvents: When carry out repairs, employees can be exposed to various cleaning agents
substances:
through improper use, inadequate protection and lack of information and training.
Battery explosions from build up of hydrogen and ignition by sparks from metallic contact with terminals. Gloves and
Explosions:
eye protection rarely worn.

Wrong pins used to support axle stand extensions. Bottle and trolley jacks poorly maintained, overloaded or incorrectly
Collapse of equipment: positioned under vehicles. Vehicles supported on jacks alone. Chocks not used with axle stands. Vehicle hoists collapsing
due to poor maintenance.

Poorly maintained electrical equipment. High voltage tools and equipment being used where low voltage would be
Electricity:
more appropriate. Steam or water pressure cleaners without Residual Current Devices.

Lifting and carrying: Lifting of large items in restricted space without assistance.

Tripping: Predominant factor in trip incidents is housekeeping – oil/water on floors, build-up of debris and scrap metal.

Vehicles overturning: Vehicles overturning while being raised/inspected on hoists.

People walking into things: Most incidents involve individuals banging heads and hands while working on vehicles.

Leaks: Typical incidents involve the escape of fuel – petrol, diesel oil from tanks and fuel lines.

Bursts: Tyres – incidents involving unsafe systems of work for routine removal and refitting.

Drilling or cutting of engine or transmission
lifting/mounting brackets to attach to a
unit for which they are not designed is
dangerous. Always obtain the correct
bracket.
When finished, return all tools and equip-
ment to their correct storage place. Some
equipment, for example electrical cables
and airlines, need to be stored safely, so
they don’t become damaged. Other items,
such as special service tools, should be
returned to their specified storage place so
that whoever needs them next can easily
find them.
Maintenance
It’s easy to fall into the trap of using items
of equipment whose condition has deterio-
rated and have become unsafe to use. It’s
too late after someone has suffered serious
injury to draw attention to the fact that an
essential maintenance check hasn’t been
carried out on a piece of equipment.
Never use tools or equipment unless you
have been properly trained in their use.
And always wear the specified safety and
protective clothing.
If you encounter any defective tools or
equipment, don’t ignore what you find. If
you are unable to take corrective action
yourself, draw the attention of your man-
ager or the nominated person responsible
to the problem.
Responsibility
Ensuring that all tools and equipment
are both available and in good condition
is essential to achieve a quality repair.
Establishing a systematic method for the
maintenance of equipment and assigning
responsibility to someone for carrying
out the procedures is the best way of
achieving a safer working environment.
Don’t just leave it to luck.

autoteam 2•2000 15

Help and advice
As a Service Advisor, you’re certainly used
to being asked for help or advice by your
customers. You will generally be able to
provide this help and advice based on your
knowledge and experience. Maybe, occa-
sionally, you may be stuck for a moment
and need to find out the solution yourself,
before you can help your customer.
Owner’s guides
But there are certain things that you can
actually prepare for, because the likelihood
is high that a customer will contact you for
something specific. The reason for this is
that Ford owners are invited to contact
their dealer in the vehicle owner’s guide.
In the Galaxy owner’s guide, for example,
there are around 40 instances, where the
customer is invited to ask or contact his
dealer. And this is done for a good reason:
Ford wants to make it absolutely clear to
their customers, that their Ford dealer is
the ideal point of contact for all matters
concerning their vehicle.
Obviously, this builds customer expecta-
tions and, as a Service Advisor you need to
live up to these expectations. In the case of
owner’s guides, this is fairly simple, because
you are already familiar with exactly what
needs to be done, when a customer asks for
your help or advice based on an owner’s
guide entry.
16
One thing you should take note of: when-
ever a new Ford model is launched, make
sure that you obtain the applicable owner’s
guide preferably prior to launch and famil-
iarise yourself with any aspect that is new
or unique to this vehicle.
A competent partner
From your own experience, you will know
that customers expect significantly more
from you than can be found in the service
literature. What they expect is simply that
you, as an expert, are capable of giving
them competent and objective help and
advice on all matters concerning their
vehicle.
Of course this means that you need to keep
yourself extremely well informed on all
vehicle related subjects. This doesn’t just
apply to service aspects but also covers
related subjects, e.g. your dealership’s
accessory offer, and may go far beyond
that.
Once you have established a relationship
built on trust with a customer, he will
regard you as more than just an expert –
he will consider you a partner. And as a
partner, you will need to live up to even
higher expectations.
Two things are necessary for you to meet
these expectations:
Our Ford Service Advisor
has all the answers.
1. Keep yourself informed
Study all relevant literature provided by
Ford – and of course this includes Autoteam
– keep abreast of latest developments in
the automotive field by reading motoring
magazines and keep note of other topics
you come across, that may be of interest or
importance to your customers.
2. Always help your customers
Even if it’s not your area of responsibility,
when a customer asks you for help or ad-
vice, provide it! You are the prime dealer-
ship contact for your customer. Whatever
you say or do has tremendous impact on
how your customer sees your whole dealer-
ship.
If you consistently demonstrate to your cus-
tomers that you are, indeed, a competent
partner, the chances are high that your
dealership will also be seen as a competent
partner for all your customers’ motoring
needs.
autoteam 2•2000
TSB résumé
Section: 12 (206-00) Section: 44 (501-27B) Section: 11 (204-04)
No: 26/2000 No: 41/2000 No: 42/2000
Model: All Model: Focus and Transit ’95 Model: Transit ’95 MY
Subject: New Service interval for Subject: Revised/Increased Labour Subject: Wheel nut torque settings
brake fluid change Times – Bodywork
There are variations in the wheel nut
Since 01.04.2000 the Service interval for The labour times for renewing the rear torque settings for Transit ’95 MY. This
changing brake fluid is reduced from tailgate on Transit ’95 Bus and Tourneo TSB gives the correct torque settings.
three to two years. The main reason for vehicles have been checked, and revised These values may differ from those
reducing the brake fluid change interval accordingly. On Focus vehicles the work shown in the Workshop Manual/TIS-CD.
to two years, is that modern braking which may be necessary when changing For vehicles with a five stud pattern built
systems require improved performance. the fender has been re-assessed. Based up to 12.1998 (built code WG) inclusive,
Note: This bulletin supersedes TSB on this, new procedures and labour the wheel nuts should be torqued to
17/1999 dated 11.03.1999. times have been produced. This TSB 85 Nm. For vehicles with a five stud
highlights the changes. pattern built 01.1999 (built code XC)
onwards, the wheel nuts should be
torqued to 115 Nm. For all vehicles with
a six stud pattern, the wheel nuts should
be torqued to 175 Nm.

Competition
Pens fifth dealer 1/8 of the pens they initially kept for themselves.
Having done this, each of the five dealers has the same number
Four Ford dealer jointly buy a lottery ticket and win a prize. The of pens.
prize is a box filled with very attractive pens. They decide to give
these pens to good customers as a present. When they divide the In total, how many pens were in the box.
pens amongst themselves, they find that the total number of pens
can’t be divided by four, without some pens being left over. All those who return their answer cards after answering the
questions set in this issue are eligible to enter this competition.
They decide to give a fifth dealer, whom they all know well,
three of the pens. This enables them to equally share the remain-
ing pens amongst themselves. They then agree to each give the

Answer to the competition in Autoteam 1/2000

The apprentice needs 91 attempts.

Solution: match. With the next key he may have to try 12 cars to find
With the first key, the apprentice may have to try to unlock out that the key fits to car number 13. And so it continues.
13 cars. If all tries are unsuccessful, he knows the key fits to The table below shows how many attempts the apprentice
car number 14. That leaves him with 13 keys and cars to needs with each key, if he is not helped by luck.

Key numbers:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

Number of attempts
13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0

Total = 91

autoteam 2•2000 17
 Service Advisor Detlef
Strelow swears by TIS.

In the last issue

of Autoteam you
learned some basic
facts on how to use
wiring diagrams.
In this article we
describe how you
can navigate faster
still through the dia-
grams with the help
of TIS – the Ford
Technical
Information System.
Because just one
TIS-CD contains
more information
than (almost) all
wiring diagram man-
uals put together.

Wiring diagrams Part 2

Wiring diagrams on TIS

– everything on one CD
The great advantage of TIS is fast call up
of the required information without time
The wiring diagram consuming paging through wiring diagram
view shows the manuals or other various files. And of course
wiring and connec- the TIS-CD stores much more information
tors in the area than just wiring diagrams to help you with
of the cooling fan your work, for example Service Manuals,
motor... Technical Service Bulletins (TSBs) and
Vehicle System Test Manuals. Incidentally,
relevant sections of the Body Repair Manual
have been included since March 2000.
Wiring Diagram Search
Proceed step-by-step when using TIS. The
“Wiring Diagrams” button or PF key F7
brings you to the model selection with
production break dates; after selecting the
vehicle you can choose between Contents,
System Overview and Index.
In System Overview, the available systems
are listed which can be directly accessed by
a mouse-click.
The Index lists all components that are
integrated in the respective wiring dia-
grams. Fast access to the appropriate wiring
diagram is thus ensured.
Familiarise yourself with the operation of
TIS. Study thoroughly the many hints and
instructions given under Help and within a
short time TIS will be your first stop for
wiring diagrams.

In the Contents section you can call up

General Information, Component Location,
... as well as the all Wiring Diagrams divided into four
appropriate ground vehicle sections, Connector Views as well
distribution. as Power and Ground Distribution.

18 autoteam 2•2000
Practical example
The Devil is
in the detail
“In traffic jams the coolant tempera-
ture indicator goes into the red area,
although the coolant fluid level is cor-
rect. During normal driving, however,
the temperature is OK”, the customer
explains to Service Advisor Detlef
Strelow. “Let’s get to the bottom of
this right away”, he says in his usual
friendly way and goes for a test drive.
Having let the Escort 1.6, 1997 Model
Year, equipped with air conditioning,
run for some time while stationary
after the test drive, he confirms the
fault.
Proceed Sensibly
“No wonder that it overheats, the
radiator cooling fan isn’t running ...”
Detlef remarks and hands over to
technician Günther. Günther removes
the air cleaner housing and carefully
checks the adjacent wiring and con-
nectors. He then pulls the cooling
fan motor connector off to check the
function of the fan by connecting it up
directly with two wires (positive and
negative) for a short moment. The fan
runs perfectly – so it cannot be that.
Günther now refers to the respective
wiring diagram in TIS by selecting the
appropriate vehicle and then in the
Contents section, the chapter “Wiring
Diagrams – Engine” and “Engine
Management”. He selects the engine
type and enters “Cooling Fan” in the
search function box. (Alternatively the
search is of course possible through
the General Component Index – but
then the components found for all
engine variants are listed – in this case
19). TIS now displays the wiring dia-
gram for this component. Günther
must now find out – is the fault with
the power distribution or has the fan
motor not got a ground connection?
He decides to check the entire ground
wiring (black wires) first with a multi-
meter.
Günther makes himself a printout
and identifies G1019 as the relevant
ground connection. In the Chapter
“Power and Ground Distribution”
he looks up the appropriate diagram
under Ground Distribution and prints
autoteam 2•2000
this out as well. The position of the
component is also described when Is the ground
carefully clicked upon. He then tries connection
to home in on the fault. secure?
Wiring measurement
He measures from point G1019 up to
the connector C1645 on the cooling
fan motor. To do this he holds the two
test probes to the relevant connections.
The multimeter indicates 0.10 Ω. Small
values between 0 and 1 Ω are negligible
with wiring measurements, so this one
is OK. Next he examines the violet- A resistance of
blue wire between connectors C1645 0,05 Ω is negligible
at the fan motor and the connection at – the ground
the solder joint S1078. In the display distribution is OK.
“OL” (Over load) appears. This mes-
sage appears if the resistance for the
multimeter is excessive, e.g. if there is
a break in the wiring.
Success
Günther knows now that the fault is
to be found in this section. Between
the soldered joint S1078 and con-
nector C4010 all is OK, i.e. 0.13 Ω. „OL“ in the
Something must, therefore, be faulty display makes
in the last stretch between C4010 to it clear: resis-
C1645. And indeed, the measuring tance too high
reveals a break in this section of the = no connec-
wiring. tion.
For Günther the question is now: Is it
either of the two connectors or the
violet-blue wire? He first thoroughly
examines connector C1645 – nothing
wrong here. Looking more closely at
pin 5 of C4010, however, he notices
a broken terminal. Using the special Plug C4010 with
terminal extractor tool he pulls it out four occupied
and fits a replacement terminal from and two unoccu-
the wiring harness repair kit. When pied terminal
inserting the replacement terminal he pins.
listens for the “click” to be sure that
the terminal engages correctly.
The following resistance test shows
that now everything is perfect. After
the final road test the cooling fan
motor starts after a few minutes idling
while stationary. Fear the next traffic
jam no longer.
Final inspection:
All clear – fear
the next traffic
jam no longer!
19
Adding a new dimension to Service Marketing:
REACT! PACC Online
Gabriele Mueller picks up her
mail. One letter comes from the
Ford dealer where she bought
her Focus: “Autohaus Heilmann”
in Herne, Germany. A little
surprised she opens the letter,
sceptical that this may be just
some normal advertising.
But it’s not – it’s a reminder that her next
routine service is due shortly and includes an
invitation to call her dealership to make the
necessary appointment together with a leaflet
showing Focus-specific service and price offers.
She picks up the phone immediately and calls
the dealership. Melanie Kleine-Krabbe, the
receptionist at Autohaus Heilmann, answers
the phone, asks for the purpose of the visit,
inquires who Gabriele’s Service Advisor is, and
agrees a convenient date and time for the visit.
It is only a short while later that Gabriele
starts to wonder how her dealership knew
that her routine service was due.
What appeared puzzling to Gabriele was a
matter of course for Melanie Kleine-
Krabbe. And it will be apparent to you,
once we have a look at how Melanie starts
her week in the office.
20
On Monday morning Melanie logs into the
Internet to access the REACT! PACC Online
Homepage with her personal password - and
prints out a Customers-to-Contact list which
identifies servicing, repair or MOT jobs due
on customer vehicles in exactly four weeks
time.
During the week, she compares the list with
workshop bookings and identifies customers
who shouldn’t be contacted, normally fleet
customers or those just passing through on a
journey, etc. and those who have already
made an appointment. She also talks to the
Service Advisors because they can tell her
who has already just come by without an
appointment.
Every Friday Melanie goes back to the
REACT! PACC Online system and, using the
Customers-to-Contact list she has updated
during the week, filters out those customers
not to be contacted and assigns a rejection
reason. Melanie can then preview the
reminder (MOT reminder, servicing
reminder, etc.) from PACC Online’s letter
library. Then, with a click of the mouse, she
dispatches her mailing. The time required for
this exercise is approximately 15 minutes,
analysing the Customers-to-Contact list dur-
ing the week takes her no longer than 45
minutes.
In addition to her other tasks as a reception-
ist Melanie makes the appointments for cus-
tomers responding to the REACT! PACC let-
ters and follows up by telephone with those
customers who didn’t respond within 2
weeks.
Melanie Kleine-Krabbe, receptionist at
Autohaus Heilmann, working with the
REACT! PACC Online system.
autoteam 2•2000
This menu shows an overview of the number of customers to be
contacted.
Questions
As an attentive Autoteam reader, you’ve
probably started to ask yourself several
questions, for example:
■ Where does the Customers-to-Contact
list come from?
■ How does the system know when MOT,
servicing etc. are due?
■ What happens to the letters when
Melanie dispatches them merely by
clicking with her mouse?
■ How are the letters actually printed and
mailed to customers?
The answer is REACT! and PACC Online.
REACT! is an amazing marketing and
analysis tool that adds a new dimension to
aftersales marketing. It provides detailed
monthly dealer reports which show depart-
mental market shares, repair mix, market
potential and other valuable data.
PACC stands for ‘Pro-Active Customer
Contact’ and ‘Online’ indicates a brand
new development of the REACT! Program
– An Internet tool that provides Customers-
to-Contact listings for online filtering and
initiation of customer reminder mailings
through a centralized delivery agency.
Introducing the REACT! concept
To understand how REACT! works, let’s
look at it step by step!
As a first step, comprehensive market
research is undertaken to determine exactly
how much money Ford customers spend on
aftersales requirements, which servicing and
repair jobs they have had done and where
they have had them done. This research is
conducted nationally on a very large scale,
and the data gathered is sufficient to break
autoteam 2•2000
The “Customers-to-Contact” list allows quick filtering of the
customers to be contacted.
the information down by Ford model, age
of vehicle and type of repair.
The next step is to determine the Ford vehi-
cle parc: the Ford vehicles actually registered
in your dealership’s DAR (Dealer Area of
Responsibility), again by vehicle model and
age. By applying the data gained in the mar-
ket research to your dealership’s vehicle
parc, it is possible to accurately determine
your dealership’s total market potential. This
market potential identifies how much money
Ford owners in your DAR would spend with
you, if they all came to your dealership for
all their aftersales needs. And REACT! iden-
tifies this market potential by geographical
area, Ford model and vehicle age.
But, of course, this still doesn’t tell you how
much of this market potential your dealer-
ship is actually capturing, or, in other words,
how high your dealership’s aftersales market
share is.
The third step is the solution to this puzzle.
REACT! will automatically extract all
invoice information from your dealership’s
computer system. By analysing this invoice
information, REACT! determines exactly
how well your dealership is utilising the
available market potential. It can then actu-
ally determine the market share within your
DAR by geographical area, model, vehicle
age and repair job. This infor-
mation is analysed
in the monthly
REACT! Service-
Marketing report
which is provided
to participating
dealers and covers
Service, Parts,
Bodyshop and Rapid
Service Departments.
All REACT! data is stored on a European
Database based in the UK at the offices
of Polk Ltd. (formerly T.U.P. Group Ltd.)
in St.Albans – the agency that runs the
REACT! Program. Processing 14,000
invoices per minute, the REACT! Database
currently holds over 60 millions of customer
transactions. The processing power of the
database is enormous and it is growing by
500 MB every day.
The following steps all deal with the
actions that can be taken with the data that
REACT! gathers and analyses. For that,
let’s return to Autohaus Heilmann.
REACT! PACC at Autohaus
Heilmann
Having read the introduction to REACT!
you should now start to understand how
the PACC Online Customers-to-Contact list
is generated. Because REACT! knows from
the invoice data which customers purchased
their vehicle from the dealership, when they
purchased it, when they came for service
and which repairs they had done, REACT!
can use this information to calculate and
build the Customers-to-Contact list.
This list allows customers to be contacted
on a timely basis to remind them that their
next service visit is due. Using the invoice
history, a customer profile can be built up
which, together with the Ford scheduled
The REACT!
Service-Marketing
report.
21

High speed - high-tech: centralised high-tech
production and mailing of PACC Online
letters ensures low cost at top quality.
servicing intervals will determine the next
customer reminder. REACT! PACC Online
will also cater for the high mileage drivers,
so their next service event is more accurate-
ly predicted.
With this market intelligence, the customer
letters exactly address the needs of the cus-
tomers and they are very effective. Andreas
Vierzefski, Managing Director and Service
Manager of Autohaus Heilmann quotes
some impressive results.
The REACT! ■ Market Research
concept ■ MOT and Servicing intervals
■ Ford vehicle parc information in DAR
Dealer invoices REACT! database
REACT! PACC Online
Customer-to-Contact
list
Customer selected
by dealer
Increased customer Service visits and loyalty
Business growth
22
“We are a pilot dealer for REACT! PACC
Online so we were very anxious to find out
how successful it could be. And, I must say,
it exceeded our expectations. Of the cus-
tomers we are mailing, on average 25%
accept our invitation to have MOT done at
our dealership and a massive 40% respond
to our reminder that scheduled servicing is
due shortly.”
Detlef Schminke, one of the two Service
Advisors is equally impressed: “Many cus-
tomers actually bring along the letter they
received from us when they come in for ser-
vice. The impact on customers is incredibly
positive. We’re seeing much higher cus-
tomer loyalty, customers we previously lost
are being won back, and our workshop
capacity is being utilised much better.”
Norbert Gasper, who, as Ford of
Germany’s REACT! coordinator, played a
lead role in developing PACC Online and
piloted it in a number of dealerships, adds :
“These results are not unique and dealer
specific - we have even experienced that
our PACC reminders positively affect cus-
tomer satisfaction”.
Monthly
dealer reports
Dealer marketing
actions
Customer reminder
letters
Dealer follow-up
action
Andreas Vierzefski (Managing Director at
Autohaus Heilmann) evaluates his monthly
REACT! Service-Marketing report.
“Customers perceive these reminders as an
“extra” dealer service and the attached ser-
vice and price offer leaflets frequently give
rise to positive surprise, because they show
how competitive Ford dealers are”.
REACT! PACC Online
REACT! PACC Online is currently opera-
tional in Germany and is being piloted
with Ford dealers in Spain, Britain and
Belgium.
REACT! itself has been in operation in
some countries for several years, but up to
now PACC has been a manual system with
a computer diskette, and a printed cus-
tomer-to contact report sent to dealers.
Customer letters and promotional attach-
ments were then produced and mailed by
the dealerships themselves.
With PACC Online comes a substantial
improvement. Melanie’s click of the mouse
transmits all necessary data to Polk Ltd.
who correct address data if required and
produce the customer specific service and
price offer leaflet. They also print all the
customer letters on dealership specific
stationary together with accompanying
promotional attachments and then arrange
the mailing direct to the customer.
This not only dramatically reduces the
administrative burden for the dealership -
centralised high-tech production of the let-
ters and mass mailing allow this to be done
very cost effectively.
And because REACT! analyses all invoice
data, PACC Online also tracks which of the
customer mailings resulted in workshop
visits and how much the customers spent -
a perfect measure for the effectiveness of
the mailings. Melanie can access the cus-
tomer response metrics from her PACC
Online Homepage. Another feature of the
system is that customer addresses are more
autoteam 2•2000

Weekly staff meeting
up-to-date than with other systems, because
latest address data is captured from service,
new vehicle, and used vehicle sales invoices.
An additional benefit of PACC Online is
that the system uses the Internet, so the
dealership does not have to buy any special
software.
Much more than letters
The data captured by REACT! generates
meaningful and useful monthly reports for
the dealership: for example, details on
mechanical repairs, bodyshop share, com-
parative data to similar dealerships and -
within the dealer’s DAR - sales and market
share data by geographical area.
Andreas Vierzefski: “Cost is an important
consideration when we plan marketing
actions. Before REACT! we used to apply a
watering-can principle to our marketing
actions. Now we can target our actions very
effectively and spend our money wisely.”
“Just one example: REACT! told us that
our shock absorber business was not run-
ning well enough. We bought a mobile
shock absorber tester and now test each
vehicle during the Interactive Reception
process. Within twelve months our shock
absorber business has doubled.”
“I also hold a weekly meeting with Melanie
Kleine-Krabbe and our two Service
Advisors, Detlef Schminke and Georg
Hampel. In the meeting we look at our
sales in the various areas, the development
autoteam 2•2000
of invoice values and the age structure of
our customers’ vehicles. Then we decide
which action to take. For example, we reg-
ularly conduct “sticker” campaigns where
we put promotional leaflets underneath the
windscreen wipers of specific Ford models,
in a specific geographical area, offering
vehicle-specific service or repair.”
“And in the next REACT! report we can see
how successful this action actually was.”
The future of REACT!
REACT! is a global Ford program, current-
ly running in eight European countries with
almost 1,000 dealers participating, and oth-
er countries to follow soon. REACT! PACC
Online will also be made available as
quickly as possible.
In addition to providing REACT! dealer
market share reports and REACT! PACC
Online, in all of the major markets, a Polk
REACT! consultant supports dealers with
comprehensive training. Working in con-
junction with the local Ford Business
Manager, the consultant can offer valuable
advice on how to use the REACT! reports
and implement effective marketing initia-
tives.
As Alfred Herbst, the European Ford co-
ordinator for REACT! puts it: “Knowledge
is power and when our dealers know where
they have been successful and where they
can achieve more, they can develop power-
ful marketing initiatives. REACT! is unique
in that it not only increases customer loyal-
Autohaus Heilmann in Herne,
Germany. A modern Ford
dealership that sells around
700 new vehicles and 600 used
vehicles per year. 52 people are
employed in total, 17 of them
in the Service department.
“Many customers
actually bring along
the letter they received
from us”, states Detlef
Schminke (Service
Advisor).
ty, but allows very targeted marketing
actions to be developed, and then identifies
just how successful these activities are.”
“The REACT! program is constantly being
improved in close cooperation with the
national market co-ordinators and there
will be more exciting enhancements coming
in the near future.”
“As everybody knows - effective service
marketing and performance measurement is
more important than ever. We at Ford
know that dealers actively working with
REACT! are already seeing the benefits to
their business. I can assure those dealer-
ships where REACT! has yet to be intro-
duced, that you really have something to
look forward to. “
The importance of
market share
A difficulty often encountered in plan-
ning marketing actions for aftersales
business, is the absence of market share
information. In the new car business,
market share is the key measurement
that everyone is familiar with. Dealers
and vehicle manufacturers that gain
market share know that their activities
have been successful. For Service depart-
ments market share is just as important.
As you know there is a lot of competi-
tion out there to service or repair Ford
cars, and they all want to capture mar-
ket share.
A key feature of REACT! is that it
provides the dealership with detailed
information on its service market share
and service potential - information that
enables targeted expansion of the
service business.
23

Tyre diagnosis
Black and Round
When did you last check the tyre
pressures on your car? Is it more
than two weeks ago? Yes –
despite the fact that you are a
specialist in automobile matters
and should know just how impor-
tant regular checks are!
Many of our customers don’t have this
knowledge. This is documented by a true
story: A complaint that a tyre was defective
was lodged against a major tyre manufac-
turer. The tyre was 4 years old and had little
use. The company’s specialist recognised
immediately from the tread wear pattern
that the tyre had been run considerably
under-inflated for a very long time.
Confronted by this fact, the customer made
a statutory declaration that he had never
changed the air pressure as set by the fac-
tory at delivery in all of the four years and
had never removed the valve cap!
Therefore, he was not to blame for the low
air pressure and it had to be a manufactur-
ing fault!
Second Nature
Even if this is of course a rather blatant
example, many drivers are not aware of
24
Even if the tyres are
still relatively new, a
systematic check for tyre
damage during Service
Reception is essential.
just how important it is to regularly check Although the tread depth in the middle
tyre pressures. Research has revealed that of the tread area is still deep enough, the
more than 2/3rds of all vehicles are being worn shoulders make this tyre scrap.
driven with incorrect tyre pressures and
the resulting damage to the tyres is often
already apparent. So, whether Service Ad-
visor or Technician, a systematic check of Robust
the tyres on every customer vehicle should Despite all this, tyre construction is
become second nature. And naturally the extremely robust. Otherwise no tyre could
pressure check must not be omitted under ever survive the driver abuse they suffer
any circumstances. without total failure.
Development What must you look out for, if you want
Admittedly, tyres are still black and round, to protect your customer from danger and
but apart from that, tyre technology has future problems?
progressed at an incredible pace over the
last few years. Practically every new devel-
opment in vehicle design has also had an
affect on tyre characteristics.
More powerful engines, for instance, mean
higher speeds that the tyres must withstand,
and these same higher speeds create the
need for larger brakes. In order to accom-
modate the brakes within the wheel rim,
tyres with lower sidewalls had to be devel-
oped – without losing out on ride comfort
of course. In order to support fuel con-
sumption reduction measures, the rolling
resistance of the tyres has also been
reduced and so on and so on...
autoteam 2•2000
 Tyre with full
A thorough Tyre Check goes like this tread depth
at 80 km/h
Is the tyre correct for this vehicle? With non-standard wheels or (50mph): The
Correct Tyre tyres fitted the vehicle may be illegal to use on the road and the water flows off
insurance could be void.
laterally and
Locked-wheel braking at high speed will cause the tyres to scrub to the rear, the
the footprint so violently over the road surface that the tread is surface contact
Flat spots worn down in one area of the tyre (flat spot). Subsequently, the is ensured
wheel behaves as if it is unbalanced. This damage cannot, how-
ever, be neutralised by balancing. (black profile
blocks).
Horseshoe nails in tyres are now rather rare! Nevertheless, you
should examine the tyres for foreign objects such as screws or
Foreign objects
sharp edged stones wedged in the tread. Even hedgehog spines
can damage a tyre under unfavourable conditions!
Tyre with mini-
mum tread
Some tyres are designed to rotate in a prescribed direction only
Prescribed direction and are marked accordingly. This can have been overlooked when depth of 1.6
of rotation tyres were changed (for instance by the customer). Check whether mm at 80 km/h
the prescribed direction of rotation is adhered to. (50mph): The
water can no
longer flow off
There is no general air pressure valid for all tyres and all vehicles. sufficiently, the
Tyre pressure Information on the correct tyre inflation pressure can be found in tyre has a “bow
the Owner’s Guide and of course in the Technical Data booklet.
wave”, floats
up and has
All tyres lose air over time even when undamaged because the air hardly any
molecules permeate through the tyre rubber. To minimise this ground contact
effect, Butyl, which is up to 6 times denser, is used for the inner = aquaplaning.
rubber liners. Nevertheless, every driver should check the tyre’s
Pressure loss pressure when they’re cold at least every two weeks. While driving
the tyres build up heat and the air pressure increases. This is taken
into account when defining the prescribed tyre operating pressure;
never reduce the supposedly excess pressure after a longer jour-
ney.

Tread depth is the decisive factor of the tyres ability to force

water backwards and laterally in order to produce grip on wet
Tread depth surfaces. The amount of water four new tyres displace at
100 km/h (60mph) in 6 to 8 mm of water is sufficient to fill
a bath tub within barely 3 seconds.

Under-inflated: increased wear of both

Over inflated tyres deteriorate ride comfort and road grip and the shoulders, internal damage caused by
Tyre pressure too high
tyres wear excessively in the middle of the tread. excessive flexing, spongy handling.

Almost 2/3rds of all tyres are operated at too low air pressures.
The consequences are spongy handling and increased fuel con-
sumption. In addition, increased flexing of the tyre reduces tyre
life and the risk of tyre damage is greater. The wear pattern usually
indicates excessively worn shoulders. But beware, the extremely
Tyre pressure too low high centrifugal forces that very wide tyres develop when driven
at high speeds (up to 1000 g* at 220km/h (140mph)) will force
the middle of the tyre tread outwards even when under-inflated.
This produces a wear pattern similar to that of an over-inflated
tyre.
*) 1 g = acceleration due to gravity 9.81 m/s2.

Often overlooked: Tyre valves are also subjected to enormous

loads and deteriorate with age. New valves should, therefore, be Over-inflated: increased wear in the
Valves middle of the tread area, loss of road
fitted at each tyre change. Did you know that at high speeds the
centrifugal force on the valves is as high as 17 N? grip and comfort.

autoteam 2•2000 25
Selling tyres
Tyres are strongly featured in this
issue of Autoteam. In addition to
the article on tyre diagnosis,
tyres are also play a major role in
the “Around the Wheel” special
insert, distributed with this issue.
As a Service Advisor, make sure
you read both articles to refresh
your technical expertise on this
important product.
Why tyres are important
The other articles in this issue illustrate how
important tyres are for your customers’
safety. But they’re also incredibly important
for your dealership’s business. This is due to
several reasons:
■ Tyres are high volume business in their
own right. Effective selling of tyres can
substantially contribute to your dealer-
ship’s business success.
26
■ The role of your dealership is to be the
prime source for all motoring needs that
your customers have. Without tyres,
your dealership offer would not be
complete.
■ Tyre specialists are your most important
competitor in this business. They attract
many customers with their offers and
each customer they attract is a lost
customer for your tyre business. But
more than that: many tyre specialists
have expanded their business beyond
the supply of tyres. They generally offer
alloy wheels and often other accessories
and they frequently offer repairs, e. g.
suspension, brake and exhaust repairs.
So whenever one of your customers visits a
tyre specialist, your dealership risks losing
more than just the sale of a set of tyres.
Be a tyre specialist yourself
Many customers go to tyre specialists simply
because they consider them “specialists”.
If you want to keep this business, your first
task is to let your customers know that
you’re a tyre specialist as well. This doesn’t
mean that your dealership needs to stock
and offer an extensive range of tyres. What
it does mean is that you need to use every
opportunity to offer your customers the
right products at the right price, the right
service and the right advice.
Utilise the opportunities
A major advantage that your dealership has
versus the tyre specialists, is that customers
come to you for servicing and repairs –
often unaware that they need new tyres –
and give you the opportunity to identify the
need for tyre replacement.
autoteam 2•2000
Make sure you utilise these opportunities.
Careful inspection of all tyres during each
and every interactive reception is not only
essential for your customers’ driving safety.
It’s also a key factor in improving your
dealership’s tyre business.
Offer the right products
Your dealership doesn’t need to stock as
wide a range of tyres as the tyre specialists.
Because your service concentrates on Ford,
your tyre offer can also be tailored to
match the requirements of Ford vehicles.
Experience has shown that the 8 most fre-
quently sold tyre dimensions are adequate
to cover around 80 % of Ford model
requirements.
Of course, you should offer your customers
more than just the tyres. If the tyres need to
be replaced anyway, this is an ideal oppor-
tunity to offer your customers a set of alloy
wheels, complete with tyres, at an attractive
package price.
If you work in a geographic area with cold
winters, winter tyres or winter wheels –
rims fitted with winter tyres – are another
product you should definitely offer your
customers.
In addition, every time you change the
wheels for a customer, you have the oppor-
tunity to check the condition of the tyres,
as well as that of the other “Around the
Wheel” items.
Give expert advice
Market studies have shown that the vast
majority of customers trust the advice of the
Service Advisor – or the salesperson at tyre
specialists – when it comes to replacing
tyres. That’s why your advice is so impor-
tant.
As a Service Advisor at a Ford dealership,
you have a natural advantage versus the
tyre specialists: your expertise is not limited
to tyres. You’re also an expert on all matters
concerning Ford vehicles and the combina-
tion of tyre and Ford know-how makes you
the ideal partner to give your customers
expert advice.
Take the customer, as an example, who has
informed himself of tyre qualities by reading
a comparative test in a motoring magazine.
The tyre that won the test may simply not
be the best alternative for your customer. If
the winning tyre was tested on a different
make or type of vehicle, its performance on
your customer’s car may fall short of expec-
tations.
Because you’re an expert for Ford, your
advice on matters such as this is not only
important, it has great weight for your
customers.
And a bit of promotion
Finally, make sure that alloy wheels fitted
with tyres and winter wheels are displayed
in your dealership, if possible both in the
vehicle showroom and in the service recep-
tion area. Most tyre suppliers offer appro-
priate racks for this purpose, often at
attractive conditions – it’s certainly worth
checking with them. The displayed products
will act as an additional visual reminder for
your customers that tyres are one of your
dealership’s specialities.

To be successful, these products obviously

need to be available at the right competitive
prices. The Ford tyre programme offers very
attractive prices to support you tyre busi- TYRE SERVICE
ness.

Provide the right service

If you sell winter wheels, an important
service to offer your customers is to store
the set of wheels not in use. Many cus-
tomers simply don’t have the space at home,
and even if they do, it is always an inconve-
nience you can take off their hands. Special
containers are available for tyre storage
from many tyre suppliers, for example
Michelin. And if the necessary space can’t
be found in your dealership, it is often
possible to rent the space elsewhere. This
is a service that won’t only benefit your
customers, it will benefit your dealership
as well. If you store the unused wheels for
your customers, they will visit your dealer-
ship at least twice a year to have their
wheels changed.

And that provides you with additional busi-

ness opportunities. The timing of the wheel
change is ideal to offer your customers
seasonal accessories – for example roof
carriers for ski or snowboards in the winter
or for bicycles or surfboards in summer.

autoteam 2•2000 27
 The “log book” for the road test is
opened: Signal selection.

No go without training: The

Datalogger is brilliant, if you
know how to use it.

WDS 5: Datalogger

Log Book
The Datalogger within WDS, the Ford World Wide Diagnostic System, is a powerful diagnostic tool, but
requires a good understanding and experience of the system to be effective. Autoteam is, therefore, dedi-
cating several articles to the operation of Datalogger in WDS. First: Field of application, signal selection,
configuration and displays.

“Log Book” is the seafaring term for the a vehicle’s electronic systems and store Insidious
document in which all occurrences and these for later analysis. By “Dynamic Insidious faults especially, those only
observations are recorded during a journey Measurement” we mean, monitoring fast occurring from time to time (intermittent)
(to log = enter in the log; record of occur- running control processes on running can be tracked down faster with the help of
rences). WDS’s Datalogger has a similar components in the workshop or during a Datalogger. You should forget the practice
function, but its functionality is far greater. road test. of diagnosis by trial and error, and that of
It can carry out dynamic measurements on replacing parts until a cure is achieved.
This method is not only time consuming
and expensive, but will almost certainly
Sampling Interval ‘guarantee’ repeat repairs and dissatisfied
customers.
The display on the WDS screen is normally sampled ten times per second, i.e. each
signal “is scanned” in this rhythm (sampling interval = 0.1 s). Datalogger can, there- What can it do?
fore, always show the current value even when dynamic measurements of fast changing The Datalogger can measure the signals
values are being carried out. received from practically all sensors and
actuators, display them in various modes
However, if the number of selected signals is too high, the sampling can be slowed and on command at the crucial moment,
down to 0.5 of a second: The value of each signal is then updated “only” twice per record the fault – before, during and after
second. An intermittent fault could “slip through” in the meantime and would not be the fault occurred. The Datalogger thus
shown in the display. It is, therefore, advisable to select to display only as many signals enables you to check:
at one time as is absolutely necessary.

28 autoteam 2•2000

This is how it’s done
Switch Datalogger on
1. Activate the Toolbox Icon.
Note: The Datalogger belongs to the speci-
fied tools and is available only in the
“Toolbox”, if WDS is specified, i.e. the vehi-
cle to be checked must be identified and
recognised by WDS at the beginning of the
session.
2. Select Datalogger and confirm.
3. Select the system or module to be
checked. For example, “Module”, then
“PCM”. Datalogger starts in the Signal
Selection screen with a basic menu dis-
play, which is tailored to the selected
system or module.
Select the Signal
4. From the list you can select or de-select
signals. If you need only individual sig-
nals, you can delete all with the CLEAR
Icon (Eraser) and select again.
5. If necessary select type of display (Unit).
Example: with the coolant temperature
sensor (ECT) Volts, Degree or Mode can
be displayed. (Mode here means Status,
e.g. in/out, cold/warm, open/closed).
Caution: The newer PCMs use standard values
when sensor signals are missing. E.g. if the
ECT is defective, and you have selected
“Degrees”, the Datalogger displays this stan-
dard value, although no signal is received
from the sensor! With “Volts”, however, the
value “0” or “5” immediately betrays the
fault.
6. Activate the Datalogger Icon: the
Datalogger display screen shows the
selected signal processes. If the number of
required signals exceeds the capacity of
the display, a scroll bar appears to scroll
up and down the screen.
Caution: With too many signals selected at
the same time not only is the clarity
impaired, but also the display speed is
reduced (see “Sampling Interval”).
Changing the Signal Display
7. Select the Signal by pointing to it and
pressing the Display Icon (right menu bar).
8. From the menu select Digital, Bar Graph,
Line or Waveform (curve); confirm.
Changing the Signal Order
9. Select the Signal by pointing to it and
pressing the Order Icon (right menu bar).
10. Point in the display to where the signal is
to appear.
Changing the Signal Scale
11. Timescale on the horizontal axis: Press
either Zoom in or Zoom out Icons (right
menu bar); the timescale changes for all
displayed signals.
12. Vertical scale: Pointing and pulling the
signal up or down changes the display
height of the selection (amplitude scale).
Furthermore, you can:
■ use the CLEAR Icon to delete the spread
of the signal, the signal shadow (grey lines),
■ later on use the “i” Icon to call up infor-
mation about the displayed signals.
More about special adjustment features will
follow in the next WDS articles.
Note: Screen texts are shown here in
English. WDS will of course show these in
the selected language. The operating
autoteam 2•2000
■ whether a sensor delivers the correct
input signals to the control module,
■ whether the control module sends the
correct output signals to the actuator,
and
■ whether the appropriate instruction
from the control module is executed by
the actuator.
Although Datalogger records all signals
correctly and accurately, it does not tell you
what is right or what is wrong. It provides
➊ no information on what is within limits
and what is outside limits, nor whether a
signal is missing. Datalogger does not
explain each step as in the Menu Walker
of guided diagnostics.
Profound knowledge
It’s up to you to decide what you call up
on the display to address a particular com-
plaint. If, for example, a sensor’s signal
value is too high, too low, too late or just
missing, or if a module sends a false signal
➋ or none at all, if an actuator is not reacting
or is running erratically – you have to find
all of that out by yourself.
In order to evaluate the results, you and
your knowledge of the electronic systems
in Ford vehicles are called for.
Brilliant
But with the appropriate background know-
ledge, WDS-Training and some experience,
you’ll lose your fear of “mysterious” vehicle
electronics thanks to Datalogger. The pro-
➌ cesses within and around the “black boxes”
become transparent, and faulty functions
are no longer hidden from you. So don’t
shy away from Datalogger! Use this brilliant
WDS tool to your advantage as soon as
possible.
➍
➊ Choose your signals.
➋ Many signals.
➌ Changing the signal display.
➍ Four signals as Line, Bar Graph,
Waveform and Line; top signal selected.
The horizontal scroll bar means: record-
ed display.
➎ The same signals as Waveform, Bar
Graph, Waveform and Bar Graph.
➎
29
 Still an unusual sight:
Transit with front wheel
drive.

Pulling Power
Starting with 2001 model year, the new Ford Transit model range in-
cludes a 1-ton variant. For the first time in the Transit’s long success
story, this variant will be “pulled”, i.e. it is front wheel driven. Autoteam
had the opportunity to take a look at a pre-production vehicle to find out
what makes it different from the rear wheel drive version featured in the
last issue.

Not only are the front wheel drive system
and axles new for the 1-tonner, but there are
also two 2 Litre variants of the new
DuraTorq-16V-Turbodiesel with 55 KW (75
HP) and 74 KW (100 HP). And the trans-
mission for the transversely mounted drive
unit is of course new too.
Front Axle
When Ford’s engineers designed the
McPherson front axle for the new Transit
with rear wheel drive, they included the front
wheel drive version in their plans. Thus the
axles for both systems are to a large degree
similar. Some examples of what is new or
what has been changed for the front wheel
drive
system are:
■ Front axle cross member and transmission
mountings are reinforced and modified to
accommodate the transverse engine and
transmission assembly.
■ The coil springs are of the single rate type
(the turns have the same spacing over the
entire length of the spring). They are not
progressive in contrast to the rear wheel
drive variant which has dual rate springs.
This makes it possible to obtain the higher
spring rate needed due to the increased Transverse installation: The 2-Litre-
load at the front end of the vehicle. DuraTorq engine was modified for its new
■ A stabiliser bar on the front axle is position.
optional, on some variants standard.
■ The internally ventilated brake disks are
smaller and, therefore, lighter (276 mm
diameter instead of 294); the brake pads
in the two-piston type brake calipers are
modified to suit.
■ A new element is the drive shafts.
Axle Drive shafts
The axle drive shafts also function as the
stub axles on the front wheel drive Transit.
These drive shafts also secure the wheel hub
to the wheel spindle. The drive shafts are
carried in a centre bearing fitted to the engine
reinforcing frame and the constant velocity
joints are greased for life. Universal front axle: “only” the drive shaft
was added.
Important: Always make sure that all rubber
gaiters on the axle drive shafts are free from grease pack.
damage. Leaking joint gaiters reduce the life The wheel bearings do not need to be
of the constant velocity joints considerably. adjusted. The front wheel drive Transit
A repair kit is available in service which always has 5 wheel studs for wheels of both
consists of a gaiter, two hose clamps and a 15 and 16 inch rim diameter. Optional alloy

30 autoteam 2•2000
Lowered: Cranked stub axle ends enable a
lower load bay floor.
wheels are also available.
Rear Axle
The non-driven rear axle is completely new.
The rear axle beam consists of a square
section tube braced to the base frame by leaf
springs and shock absorbers. The mountings
for the stub axles are welded to the beam
ends. The mountings are available in two
versions, either straight or cranked. The
latter, which is intended for the van type
models, simply enables the axle beam to be
lowered in relation to the wheel hubs. With
this rear axle design and the fact that there
is no drive shaft it was possible to lower the
floor of this Transit by 100 mm behind the
B-pillar. The advantages: lower load floor
and more height in the load compartment.
The stub axles are bolted to the axle beam
together with the drum brake back plates.
On the 1-tonner Transit it has been possible
to reduce the brake drum diameter to 10”
(254 mm). On the 2-tonner the diameter is
11”. The front wheel drive versions always
have a single wheel rear axle.
Precise
The Load Apportioning Valve (LAV) controls
the braking force at the rear axle wheels in
order to avoid the possibility of the rear
wheels locking up under braking. At the first
Annual Standard service and whenever the
LAV is replaced, the LAV linkage must be
New, lightweight, solid: The non-driven
rear axle consists of a square section tube.
autoteam 2•2000
Hinged support: Rubber-metal bush and
silent block between clutch housing and
crossmember.
checked and adjusted, using an adjustment
gauge, when necessary in line with workshop
literature.
Important: It is imperative to make sure that
the distance between the axle beam and the
floor of the vehicle is as specified in the
workshop literature by lifting the vehicle.
Even tiny differences can have an adverse
effect on braking and handling stability.
Do not attempt to adjust the LAV itself since
this is set precisely in production and should
never be altered.
Engine and Transmission Assembly
Not only was it necessary to modify the
engines to enable transverse installation, but
a completely different transmission had to be
provided. You are already familiar with the
VXT-75 transmission from the Ford Galaxy.
But before it could begin service in the
1-tonne Transit, it had to undergo numerous
modifications. A few examples:
■ Additional reinforcement ribs strengthen
the housing.
■ The clutch housing is adapted to suit the
new engines.
■ A second speed sensor (VSS), which
LAV: First adjust the vehicle height, then
the linkage.
Shift lever housing (cover removed): Two
cross-over push-pull cables transmit the
shift movements to the transmission.
operates according to the Hall-Principle,
feeds the tachograph (the standard VSS
operates inductively).
■ The transmission has an additional
overhead silent block suspension.
■ A hinged support with bonded rubber
bush at the clutch housing transfers the
torque reactions of the transmission
assembly via a silent block to the cross-
member.
Disconnected
The most important difference is, however,
the ‘disconnecting’ of the gearshift lever from
the transmission: For the first time in Transit,
the gears are shifted through two push-pull
cables (selection and shift cable). Powertrain
assembly movements, vibrations and noises
are thus not transmitted to the shift lever or
into the vehicle’s interior. Furthermore, the
push-pull cables are routed under the vehicle
floor, so that sealing between the engine com-
partment and vehicle interior is no longer a
requirement.
This design represent a major step towards
achieving the 1-tonner’s car like comfort and
will ensure that this “light weight” provides
real pulling power in the new Transit model
Pre-Production
Remarks on the photographs: The
Transit pictured here was kindly made
available to Autoteam by the Research
and Development Department. It was a
pre-production vehicle used for driving
appraisals. It didn’t, therefore, fully
reflect the final production specification
and was fitted with additional calibra-
tion equipment.
31
Ford Facts
A symbol of success
The history of the
Ford oval
What’s behind the famous
Ford oval?
The Ford oval is one of the world’s best-
known trademarks and is instantly reco-
gnisable in every country on the earth.
Throughout history, from heraldic insignia to
modern day logos, symbols have been used
to encapsulate ideas. Because we “think” in
pictures, distinctive symbols have a powerful
ability to communicate values and conjure
up a complex image of all that the symbol
stands for.
Henry’s signature
Following the founding of the Ford Motor
Company in 1903, legend has it that because
script lettering was used, the Ford trademark
was taken from Henry Ford’s signature.
Logical as this may be, in reality, Childe
Harold Wills, Henry’s principal engineering
assistant was responsible for developing a
stylised version of the words “Ford Motor
Company” using a typeface he had taken
from printing visitors’ cards. The lettering
was used first on company communications
in 1903 and its first vehicle appearance was
on the Model C Ford in 1904. The design
was revised further in the following years,
until it took the form as we know it today.
Oval emerges
Ford’s British Agents, Perry, Thornton &
Schreiber (forerunners of the original Ford
Motor Company of Britain) created the first
Ford oval in 1907. However, the definitive
trademark combining Ford script inside the
oval didn’t make its debut until 1911 when
it was used as Dealer identification. Just to
confuse matters, another design came on the
scene for a short while in 1912. All things
Egyptian were in vogue and the new trade-
mark incorporated a dark blue or orange
winged triangle/pyramid.
The motif symbolised speed and grace
together with the permanency of the
pyramid. However, Henry Ford was
not impressed and it was quickly
dropped.
The famous badge
The now familiar oval vehicle badge
with the script Ford on a deep royal
blue background made its first
appearance in 1927 on the radiator
of a Model A. The badge continued
to be used until the late fifties
when it went out of favour. As
part of a worldwide corporate
branding initiative, the oval was
reintroduced on the 1976 Mk IV
Cortina/Taunus range.
Corporate Identity
The Ford oval became the core
corporate symbol not just on
vehicles but as the primary
identification on dealerships,
plants and equipment. Con-
sistency in application of the
oval trademark is all-impor-
tant as it underpins the brand
and what it stands for.
Symbol of success
A simple badge communicates
in a split second the values and
relationship Ford has with its cus-
tomers. This manifestation of the Ford brand
characterises the core values of the company,
its personality and excellence in the areas of
design, driving dynamics, accessibility and
ingenuity. It’s a potent symbol that carries
the company forward. The symbol of a
world brand leader.
1903 1907 1911 1912
IRL