As the clocks go back at the end of October, the industry needs to think about winter products, as drivers need to be prepared for the winter months and not be caught in an unfortunate situation when it’s cold and dark out. Therefore, it’s up to technicians and factors to educate their customers about what to know about their vehicle this winter.
Battery care
Batteries can be negatively impacted by the cold weather, as when the temperature drops to freezing, a battery can lose up to 35% of its power, which is why it’s important for technicians to keep an eye on their customer’s batteries over winter and ensure they have the best tools to prevent the battery from failing.
ULTRABOOST 1500 (RJS030) is Ring Automotive’s most advanced jump starter and is capable of jump starting vehicles with up to 6L petrol and 3L diesel engines, which means it’s suitable for most 12V cars, vans, SUVs and LCVs. Included in the jump starter is the ULTRABOOST button, which when pressed delivers enough power to start completely flat batteries, creating a handy tool for a workshop, as well as a driver.
Another option to invest in is Ring’s compact lithium jump starter (RPPLTC1000), which also has four additional functions, as well as being a jump starter. This includes a tyre inflator, light, 12V DC power supply and a powerbank.
The jump starter feature is capable of starting 12V vehicles, including petrol engines up to five litres, diesel engines up to three litres and can also be used on vehicles with Start/Stop technology. It even has a boost function that will start completely depleted batteries.
The built-in tyre inflator has a digital pressure gauge and auto stop function making looking after tyres easy. There is also a powerful torch to illuminate dark workspaces or when using this tool at night. In case of emergencies, the red flashing light and SOS mode ensures the user is visible and can signal for help, if needed.
There are other handy functions on this jump starter, such as a powerbank to ensure users can charge phones or gadgets when needed and a 12V DC power socket to charge and power a wide range of car accessories on the move.
To ensure Ring’s products remain hassle free, this jump starter will recharge to 100% in just four hours and comes in a handy storage case, to help keep all of the additional cables in one place.
As this jump starter is so lightweight and easy to use, it can also be used by drivers and technicians alike. Due to its compact size, it can be kept in the glovebox and is easy to carry around the vehicle to undertake the different jobs they might need.
Got to pump it up – tyre inflators
Another important element for technicians to educate drivers on, not just during winter, but all-year round, is tyres. The correct tyre pressure is incredibly important, especially in winter when road conditions are more treacherous, so should be checked regularly. To assist, Ring has a range of gauges for quick pressure checks, but if they need to be inflated, it also has a variety of tyre inflators to suit every driver’s need.
One that is incredibly popular and selling well is the RTC4000, which is rechargeable, cordless and compact, so can be stored away until needed. It also has a memory function, so the user can save different tyre pressures and activate them easily from the home screen, and has an auto-stop feature, so there’s no risk of over inflating the tyre. The RTC4000 is easily chargeable via a USB Type C cable or 12V DC cable and is quick to inflate a tyre, even from flat, making this product an easy sell for retailers and reassures drivers if they go back to their vehicle and the tyre is flat, there’s an easy solution in their glovebox.
Alternatively, Ring launched a budget tyre care range earlier in the year. There are three products available, the TYREInflate 10 (RAC611) and TYREInflate 20 (RAC612), the main difference is the former has an analogue display and the latter a digital display. The final product is the TYREInflate GO 10 (RTC1600) is Ring’s most compact digital tyre inflator, which is also cordless and rechargeable.
See the light – bulbs
Ring recently revealed its mega deal promotion in the lead up to lighting season with up to 33% discounts on its bulbs. While its bulb range has never been the most expensive in the market, it is priced to reflect with the quality of the product. However, the business has seen an increase in poor quality cheap bulbs entering the market. To ensure customers still get quality, road legal bulbs that are intrinsically safe for motorists, Ring reduced its prices. Yet, quality has not been compromised.
Ring’s impressive range of more than 900 bulb types covers approximately 99% of the vehicle car parc, meaning there is a bulb for almost every application in a car, motorcycle or truck. All of Ring’s bulbs are E-marked and tested to the highest standards, and Ring’s lighting laboratories have been awarded ISO:9001 for the manufacture and assembly of automotive lighting.
In addition to its core boxed bulb range, Ring offers its performance range, which, puts more light on the road for the driver. The Whiter bulbs give a high spec look, and matches the white light emitted by LED daytime running bulbs, which are road legal and require no wiring change. The Enhanced Performance range covers long life car bulbs and rapid response bulbs.
To further assist drivers in the winter, Ring has introduced new accessories for the cold period. New products include an ice scraper (RIS1), which has a soft grip handle and a tough plastic construction. Finally there is a windscreen frost guard (RWS2) to prevent frost forming on the windscreen. It is made of tough durable fabric, folds into an integrated pocket for easy storage and provides weather proof protection.
