What To Watch Out For With Warming Weather

As the weather gets warmer routine forklift checks are always a good idea. Keeping up with regular maintenance on your vehicles can save you a lot of trouble and money in the long run. One of these routine checks that often gets surpassed as the weather starts to get warmer are antifreeze checks. Although the name may be deceiving, antifreeze does not only keep your forklift from freezing, but also from overheating. Thus, making it an important thing to check and change as summer approaches. 

How Much Do You Know?

1.     Why are coolant checks crucial as the weather starts warming?

A.     They are not important because coolant is used to keep your engine from freezing.

B.     It’s always good to make sure your vehicle's fluids are filled as instructed.

C.     Summer coolant checks are important because coolant keeps the vehicle from overheating.

2.     Overheating of an engine can cause transmission failure.

A.     True

B.     False

3.     Knowing the type of antifreeze your vehicle needs is important.

A.     No, they are all the same, pick which one you like best.

B.     Yes, different types of antifreeze are made for different vehicles.

C.     I have no idea.

4.     Does antifreeze need to be diluted?

A.     Yes, many vehicles require a mixture of antifreeze and water.

B.     Yes, many vehicles require a mixture of antifreeze and sodium hypochlorite.

C.     No, antifreeze is already diluted upon purchase.

D.    No, if you add other solutions to antifreeze it will be counteractive and cause freezing.

Get This…

·      Antifreeze, also known as coolant has two main purposes!

1.     One purpose is to keep the temperature of the radiator above freezing in the winter months.

2.     The other purpose is to keep the engine from overheating.

☺ Don’t be fooled by the name “antifreeze”!☺

·      There are many different types of antifreeze, so make sure you’re choosing the right one!

-       Typically, the type of antifreeze needed will be stated in the vehicle's owner manual.

-       Mixing different types of antifreeze can create particle build up that cause radiators to clog.

·      When putting antifreeze into your forklift use a 50/50 mixture of antifreeze and water.

Can You Answer This Question???

How often should a Forklift’s antifreeze be changed?

    A. Four times a year

    B. Three times a year

    C. Two times a year

If you chose C, then you are correct! As mentioned before there are two main purposes of antifreeze. With that said, the best times to do antifreeze checks are when the weather is starting to get colder, and again when summer is approaching!

Fast Facts!

When low levels of antifreeze cause an engine to overheat several things can happen. Along with the engine overheating, head gaskets can be blown, and your forklift’s transmission could even fail! These are costly repairs. For example, replacing your forklift’s head gaskets can cost anywhere from $1,000 to $2,000! But these costly repairs can be avoided with bi-yearly antifreeze checks!

…So Call Us!

Omega does a wonderful job at responding quickly to their customer’s needs. So if it’s time for your forklift’s antifreeze to be checked and changed give us a call! Feel free to call Dave directly at (513) 266-3066, or call our office at (513) 842-2012.