These maintenance tips will help you keep your Columbia fleet in service safely and effectively.

1. Perform a thorough inspection of all wiring harnesses with particular attention to evidence of rodent habitation. If evidence is found, it may be necessary to remove vehicle components for a more detailed inspection. Rodent damage to wire harnesses can cause severe failures.
2. Inspect electrical connections for corrosion and clean, as necessary.
3. Operate the brakes and monitor for correct performance. After operating, ensure the pedal returns to its correct ready position.
4. Operate the throttle and monitor for correct performance. After operating, ensure it returns to the correct ready position.
5. Measure battery pack voltage. Extremely low voltages may require independent charging before the vehicle charger will charge the battery pack. Extreme low voltages will fall in these ranges: 5.3V and lower for 6V batteries, 7.2V and lower for 8V Batteries, 10.3V and lower on 12V batteries.

These simple tips will help ensure your vehicle is ready for the toughest conditions. If you find any damage during these inspections, make sure to contact us and we can provide the parts and service that may be needed to get your vehicles back to peak performance.

To view the complete line of Columbia Utility Vehicles, click here!

Running a material handling business is a tall task – not only do you have to monitor your product, your sales, and your employees, you also have to ensure your forklift fleet is operating at its best capacity. Malfunctioning and overheating forklifts can skyrocket your operating costs and require expensive repairs. So what do you do if you’ve followed all maintenance suggestions and they are still overheating? Here are three areas that may be the cause of your forklift running hot:

Maintenance

The first area to check is also the easiest to fix: are routine maintenance tasks being completed correctly? Issues such as low coolant levels or worn hoses can contribute to a forklift’s overheating. If your on-site tech stretches parts past their optimal use, such as clogged filters, your forklifts could be choking on thick, dusty air. Worn fans or damaged radiators can also contribute to high running temperatures in material handling equipment.

Environment

The same advice for workers in high temperatures applies to your forklifts – give them frequent breaks and make sure their fluids are topped off.

Is your work yard paved or on packed dirt? Excessive dust, debris, and rough terrain can put additional demands on your forklifts and cause unforeseen maintenance problems. If this is a recurrent summer problem then the outside temperature can even be to blame. The same advice for workers in high temperatures applies to your forklifts – give them frequent breaks and make sure their fluids are topped off. If your forklifts are overheating indoors then you’ll want to survey your work area to find issues. Is the floor dusty or dirty? Are pieces of paper, pallet wrap, or other debris being left on the ground where they can clog filters? Once you find these issues then you can optimize your work areas to prevent damage.

Operation

If it’s not maintenance or environmental issues causing your overheating problems, then you need to check on how you are driving the equipment. If you are overloading the forklift with loads above capacity, this can cause overheating and create unnecessary risks for product damage and accidents. Are you driving forklifts constantly at top speeds? This can also contribute to high heats.

Many IC forklifts come equipped with an inching pedal to use when maneuvering your forklift while raising the mast to retrieve loads. If you are “riding” this pedal while driving it can cause many problems, as it slightly applies the brakes. The inching pedal should only be used when retrieving loads.

Once you’ve identified the cause of the problem and put a fix in place, ask why it arose in the first place. Are you overworking forklifts due to high expectations? Should your work area floor upkeep be added to existing maintenance plans? Don’t just solve the problem. Find a solution to keep it from happening again.

Because liquid propane (LP) is a flammable and explosive gas, changing an LP tank on a forklift can present risks. To keep ourselves and co-workers safe, we must act responsibly.

8 tips for responsibly installing an LP tank

Wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

The fuel inside the LP tank is contained at a high pressure and has a temperature of 44 degrees below fahrenheit. Contact with the fuel can damage your eyes and skin and cause frostbite. Avoid contact with wrap-around safety glasses and thick, rubber gloves.

Check for remaining fuel

Never assume that because the forklift engine died that fuel isn’t present. Ensure the line and fitting have no remaining fuel that can spray on your hands or face when you disconnect the coupler.

Disconnect

Unscrew the fitting off the tank. Remove the empty tank and store it properly.

Inspect

A leaking tank can result in an explosion. Inspect your fuel tank for frost build-up, dents, gouges, heavy rust, and o-ring condition. Also check the forklift hose and fitting for any visible damage.

Tank position

Put the tank on the locating pin. The locating pin on the forklifts tank bracket serves four purposes: it positions the tank properly for the hose and fitting alignment to connect without twisting or stretching the hose; ensures the pressure relief valve won’t spray LP fuel; aligns the main valve pick-up tube inside the tank to get almost all the fuel out of the bottom; and allows the fuel gauge to read correctly.

Check the valve and o-ring

Confirm the new tank valve is off. If the hose coupler is screwed on an opened tank valve, it could upset the check valve in the tank fitting and spray LP. Also, ensure the o-ring from the empty tank did not pull out, jamming the check valve. If no fuel can pass through the check valve, the forklift will not start up.

Connection and the valve

Screw the forklift fitting all the way and hand tighten it on the tank fitting. Slowly open the valve, being careful not to over-tighten it in cases of leaks, fire or explosions; you need to be able to shut off the valve quickly. With the valve opened fully, the 10% surge valve inside the tank will shut the tank off in case an LP hose or fitting fails.

Look, listen and smell

If you see visible white frost, hear rushing noises or smell a bad odor – You have a leak! Because it is heavier than air, LP vapor pools on the ground and will look for a source of ignition. Shut off the tank valve and ventilate the area.

Forlifts, like cars, require more than just an oil change.  One hour of forklift use is approx. 35 miles of automobile use.  An Annual Service from DTL will keep your lift running safely and smoothly.  Dillon Toyota Lift Service Technicians are here to protect the investment you made in your forklift.  Here is what the annual service includes: 

Electric Forklifts: 

• Drain and flush hydraulic tank, install new hydraulic filter and refill with new hydraulic oil.Install new sump breather cap.

• Drain and flush differential, clean differential with new fluid.

• Inspect condition of all hoses.

• Remove steer wheel bearings, clean and repack with grease and reinstall and set bearing preload.

• Inspect steering system for worn pins and linkage and make minor adjustments as necessary.

• Inspect service brakes for proper operation, leaks and/ or contamination.

• Inspect parking brake for proper operation and condition of cables and linkage.

• Inspect and test the battery, water all cells.

• Clean and inspect the control panel.

• Check for loose connections, corrosion, worn contactor tips.

• Check for proper operation of all motors and insect for brush wear. Blow all motors out.

• Inspect upright, tilt cylinders, forks and associated mountings for any obvious cracks, defects of mission stops, and adjust lift chains.

• Inspect counterweight for proper mounting and that all bolts securing it are in place and tight.

• Inspect for proper operation of all gauges, controls, starting and charging components.

• Pressure wash lift.

Gas, CNG & LP Forklifts:

• Drain and flush hydraulic tank, install new hydraulic filter and refill with new hydraulic oil.Install new sump breather cap.

• Drain and flush transmission and differential, install new transmission filter, clean transmission and differential with new fluid.

• Install new air filter and fuel filter.

• Pressure test cooling system to check for leaks.Inspect cooling system for corrosion, check thermostat for proper operation and test anti-freeze protection level.

• Inspect condition of all belts and hoses.

• Perform engine tune-up with new spark plugs, points, condenser, rotor, distributor cap and ignition wires.

• Adjust valve lifters, install new valve cover gasket and perform engine compression test.

• Remove steer wheel bearings, clean and repack with grease and reinstall and set bearing preload.

• Inspect steering system for worn pins and linkage and make minor adjustments as necessary.

• Inspect service brakes for proper operation, leaks and/ or contamination.

• Inspect parking brake for proper operation and condition of cables and linkage.

• Check for proper operation of clutch or inching circuit and adjust if necessary.

• Inspect upright, tilt cylinders, forks and associated mountings for any obvious cracks, defects of mission stops, and adjust lift chains.

• Inspect counterweight for proper mounting and that all bolts securing it are in place and tight.

• Inspect for proper operation of all gauges, controls, starting and charging components.

• Pressure wash lift.