Truck Maintenance: Important Points To Know

Truck is a major investment; it is used for transporting goods and supplies to short and long distances. To ensure that your truck continues to give good mileage, you need to maintain it properly. I have jotted down a few points to ensure that your truck functions without complications -

1. Oil Check: Do you know oil prevents your truck engine from wearing out early? According to the automobile experts, it is important to keep a regular check on the engine oil. Wonder why? Read further - Continuous exposure to air, moisture and heat affects the engine oil which leads to oil degradation or oxidation. As a result - engine oil becomes thick and less effective to lubricate the engine properly. Oil thickening takes a toll on the engine. By checking the truck’s oil regularly, you ensure to change the oil on time before it starts damaging the engine.

Do you need to take extra care for heavy trucks? Yes, there are certain additional factors that you need to consider with heavy trucks. Grease the moving parts in the truck’s engine once a week. Consider the number of hours that you are driving. Change the fluid levels accordingly. For instance:

  • change engine oil after 250 hours of driving
  • change automatic transmission fluid after 500 hours of driving
  • change the fluid of the rear differentials after 600 hours of driving
  • change standard transmission fluid after 1000 hours of driving
  • change power steering fluid after driving 1000 miles.

Truck Maintenance

2. Tire Inflation: Monitor the tires regularly for appropriate gas mileage. Do you know by keeping your tires properly inflated, you can save 3.3 percent on fuel cost? (source - U.S. Department of Energy). Driving overinflated tires is a big risk. They can blowout on the road. How can you avoid this? Well, find the proper tire pressure for your truck. Examine the rim of the tire or read the truck company manual for the right tire pressure.

3. Engine Belt Check: There are strong rubber engine belts in a truck that helps air-conditioning compressor and alternator to perform smoothly. These rubber belts wear over time and are required to be replaced. Many truck drivers do not take engine belt replacement as an important part of the truck maintenance checklist. Do not do this mistake. Remember if the engine belts break while driving, they can permanently damage some of the truck parts including the truck engine.

Tip: Check the engine belts after driving 25,000 miles. Ideally they should be replaced after driving 50,000 miles. Don’t ignore the minor problems. Take the vehicle to truck repair and maintenance center as soon as you spot something out of order. If you live in Toronto, then you can visit us. Mobile truck repair in Toronto. Simply Google truck repair Toronto or mobile truck repair Toronto to get a list of reputed truck repair and maintenance providers.