FRANKFURT, Germany, September 12, 2006 – Tenneco manufacturer of Monroe® shock absorbers, launched its new shock absorber tester at the Automechanika show. Developed in conjunction with Actia Muller Services, this new tester allows professionals to rapidly assess the condition of a shock absorber to help provide greater safety on the roads.

Shock absorbers are hidden beneath a car's wheel arches, so unlike tyres they are not easy to check regularly for visible signs of damage and wear without sophisticated testing equipment. Mark Tejedor, Ride Control Product Manager, Aftermarket Europe for Tenneco, said: “Thanks to our cooperation with Actia Muller we have been able to solve this issue and bring a fast, accurate and easy to use product to market.''

The new Monroe® tester consists of a low-profile adjustable measurement bench onto which the vehicle is driven for the test. The three-minute test is designed to analyze the response of the shock absorber around the resonance frequency – the most critical frequency in terms of road holding. The results obtained are used to diagnose if the shock absorber needs to be replaced. 

The Monroe® tester has been subject to numerous tests at the Tenneco center in St. Truiden, and its efficiency has been further evaluated during road shows in France.  Eight mobile testers were used with a range of French customers including distributors, wholesalers, installers, fast fitters and Auto centers.  During 400 diagnostic days, more than 4000 cars were inspected and 16,000 shock absorbers checked.  Out of these tests, 39% of the cars inspected in France revealed worn shock absorbers. 

Experts at Tenneco, advise drivers to check their vehicle's shock absorbers every 20,000 km.

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Tenneco Inc. is a $4.4 billion manufacturing company with headquarters in Lake Forest, Illinois and approximately 19,000 employees worldwide.  Tenneco Inc. is one of the world's largest designers, manufacturers and marketers of emission control and ride control products and systems for the automotive original equipment market and the aftermarket.  Tenneco Inc. markets its products principally under the Monroe®, Walker®, Gillet® and Clevite®Elastomer brand names.

Actia Muller Services with headquarters in Luce in Francewas created on the 22nd of October 2003 as a result of a merger between Meiga and Muller Bem, recently bought out by the Actia group. With 180 employees to satisfy the needs of 20,000 customers worldwide, the company has been involved in car repair for almost one century. First with the brand Muller Bem which was created in 1919 and then with the tools of its mother company, Actia is a pioneer in electronic diagnosis.