As tough as it appears to be, heavy equipment doesn’t like the cold. When the temperature begins to drop, lubricants can be transformed into thick sludge. Moisture in the brake system can turn to ice. And metal parts of every sort will be exposed to layer upon corrosive layer of chemicals that are used to clear ice from North American highways.
Providing customers with comprehensive preventive maintenance geared toward cold-weather operation is essential to protect them and their equipment against this onslaught.
At a glance, service technicians should be looking for early signs of corrosion (something that will only get worse as the winter progresses) or the weakened tie wraps that could break once air lines and wiring harnesses are coated in a heavy accumulation of snow. Batteries should be tested to ensure they will have the cold cranking amps that are required to start an engine in colder climates.
A switch to synthetic fluids, meanwhile, could help ensure a proper level of lubrication as temperatures begin to plummet. In the transmissions and differentials alone, a synthetic 75W-90 fluid will offer protection in temperatures as cold as -40
