708-467-7181     16425 Van Dam Rd., South Holland, IL 60473

 

  Proper battery maintenance during the hot summer months is just as important as it is during the frigid winter months. Your truck battery powers your business. Follow this checklist to extend the life of your battery:

Preventative Maintenance
During scheduled preventative maintenance (PM), check and confirm the following:

    Battery connections are clean and free of debris
    Battery connections are tight
    Hold-downs are properly secured
    Battery pack is fully charged

Battery Inspection
Inspect the truck battery pack as part of your regularly scheduled vehicle inspection, any time the operator is experiencing ‘hard starts’ or the truck is being used for shorter runs with hotel loads. When the battery pack is tested, look for the following factors:

    State of charge of the battery pack
    Full charge is 12.6 volts for flooded batteries and 12.8 volts for AGM batteries
    Hold-downs and battery connections are securely fastened
    Batteries are fully recharged and tested with either a load or conductance tester
    Evaluate what loads are being used and how much power is being taken by the additional use of air conditioning during warmer months

If the battery pack is 2-3 years old, the user may want to consider replacing batteries to reduce the risk of a no-start situation or emergency repairs.

Conductance Testing in our Truck Repair Shop.
Conductance uses the battery’s response to a very small signal in attempt to predict the effects of a much larger current. Conductance testing is ineffective on a discharged battery. If the battery is known to be discharged, or if the tester tells the operator to charge before testing again, the battery must be completely recharged.

State-of-Charge
State-of-charge is estimated from the open circuit voltage (OCV) and is used to determine if the battery is in a testable state or to estimate how long charging will take. Worth noting:

    Battery design varies
    Typical values are shown on the charging time tables
    A true 75 percent or better charge state is needed for most testing
   

 

 

Why Should You Have Your DPF/DOC Cleaned?

When left uncleaned, soot and ash will collect and could damage or destroy you filter. While soot and ash burn off as quickly as it accumulates when driving under load, it tends to accumulate and stay when idling or driving through slow-moving traffic.
A few key indicators that it is time for a professional cleaning are a loss in engine performance or an increase in frequency in regeneration cycles. With regular DPF cleanings you could see:

    Increased fuel efficiency
    Extended filter life
    Higher resale value if you decide to sell your truck at some point

A dirty filter may not sound like it could cause a lot of damage if left unattended, you’d be surprised by how costly it could be. This makes cleaning a necessary part of maintenance. When you factor in that replacements cost about $3,000, if not more, plus the cost of unexpected downtime, neglecting this relatively simple process could greatly affect your bottom line.
If you think your diesel is in need of DPF maintenance, visit our service department now. Our body shop and mobile truck service technicians are available to help you in Illinois.

 

Flooring
Flooring in the trailer is another important consideration. Aluminum flooring tends to result in a trailer that’s lighter, but wood flooring lets you secure loads to the planks and eventually replace the boards when they become worn. Aluminum flooring is also adequate for hauling sand, soft dirt, and gravel, but concrete blocks and debris will require steel flooring, which can increase the cost and weight of the trailer considerably.
Reefer Unit
If you’re looking for a used reefer trailer, pay particular attention to the age of the refrigeration components. Typically, sellers will be able to tell you the number of hours the refrigeration unit has been active. An average trailer of this type can rack up between 1,200 and 1,500 hours per year.