Winter doesn’t break machines — it just exposes what was already weak. A battery that somehow started in the summer, fuel with water in the filter, a tire at the limit, a battery that has lost part of its capacity: it all works until the first frost.
That is why the preparation is done in October, while the weather is still normal and the service is scheduled without waiting. This is a list of ten checks, ranked by how often they crash.
Content
- 1. Battery and charging
- 2. Fuel, filters and water
- 3. Antifreeze and cooling system
- 4. Oils and lubricants
- 5. Tires
- 6. Lighting and signaling
- 7. Cabin and visibility
- 8. Floor, tracks and ramp
- 9. Protection against salt and corrosion
- 10. Machines that do not work in winter
- Connections for winter
1. Battery and charging
A cold battery gives less capacity — that’s chemistry, not a malfunction. A machine that works for eight hours in September will work significantly less in January, and that without a single change in work.
What to do before the season:
- measure the actual state of the battery — in the case of lead, the density of the electrolyte per cell, after full charge
- replace the battery that is already at the limit; what barely works in October won’t work in January
- check that the filling is done in a temperate area, not in a cold warehouse
- in the case of motorized machines, check the starter battery — a cold start is the biggest load of the year
Read more about care in the text maintenance of the traction battery, and about the choice of technology in the text lithium-ion or lead-acid battery. You have an offer on the page batteries for forklifts.
2. Fuel, filters and water
With diesel machines, winter has one specific problem: paraffin. Summer diesel fuel becomes cloudy at low temperatures and clogs the filter. The solution is to switch to winter fuel in time and replace the filter before the season, not after the first breakdown.
The second item is water in the fuel. Condensation in the tank is harmless for the whole month before winter, and at minus it freezes in the water separator and filter. A tank that is kept full overnight has less room for condensation.
In the case of LPG machines, check the installation, valves and the tightness of the joints — in the cold, the materials shrink and the places that were sealed in the summer can leak.
3. Antifreeze and cooling system
The level is not checked freezing point. The coolant, which has been topped up with water for years, has an OK level and protection at minus five. The measurement takes one minute and is done with a refractometer.
In addition: cooling system hoses, clamps and radiator cleaned of dust and leaves.
4. Oils and lubricants
Hydraulic oil thickens in the cold — lifting is slower, the pump works harder, and the entire system is under greater stress until the oil warms up. If the machine is operated outside or in an uninsulated area, it is worth checking whether the oil viscosity is suitable for winter conditions.
The same applies to the grease in the grease nipples and the oil in the reducer. And one rule that costs nothing: the machine is not fully loaded for the first few minutes, but let the oil circulate.
5. Tires
A worn tire on dry concrete works. The same tire does not work on a wet, muddy or icy floor. The stopping distance is getting longer, and skidding when moving with a load is becoming a daily occurrence.
Before winter: check the wear on all wheels, the air tire pressure and whether the wear is equal on both sides of the axle. For working outside on rough terrain, solid tires are a safer choice than pneumatic tires. How to read the dimensions and choose the type — in the text tires for forklifts.
6. Lighting and signaling
In December, it gets dark in our area before the afternoon shift ends. A machine that has been working during the day all summer suddenly works in the dark.
Check: front and rear working lights, rotating light, brake lights, reverse horn and horn. If the machine works in a zone where pedestrians move, it is worth considering a projector that casts a light zone on the floor — on a wet, reflective floor, that’s the only thing that can be seen in time.
7. Cabin and visibility
For machines that work outside: heating, wipers, anti-freeze windshield washers, and heated glass if equipped. Misty glass is the most common cause of hitting an obstacle in winter, and it can be solved with proper heating and ventilation.
For the operator — suitable protective clothing and shoes with good soles. Do not get on or off the machine with gloves on; three points of support also apply in winter, especially when the stairs are wet.
8. Floor, tracks and ramp
Part of the preparation is not on the machine but around it:
- a plan for clearing snow from the paths where the machines move, with a designated responsible person
- salt or sand on the ramp and at the entrance to the hall
- drainage in front of the door — water that collects and freezes is a classic
- cleaning the entrance from applied moisture; wet concrete in the hall slides just like ice
- closing doors that are open — the draft between the cold and warm zones creates condensation
9. Protection against salt and corrosion
The machines that pass over the sprinkled surfaces bring salt into the warehouse and onto their own construction. Salt accelerates corrosion in places where you can’t see it—under the machine, at joints, at connectors.
Washing the machine during the winter is not cosmetic. It is only important to dry the machine after washing and to avoid spraying water under pressure directly into the electronics and the battery.
10. Machines that do not work in winter
Seasonal machines that stand from November to March suffer the most precisely while standing:
- the battery is left full, never empty, and replenishes approximately once a month
- fuel tank full — less room for condensation
- coolant freezing point checked
- machine under the roof or at least covered, in the dry
- tires unloaded if possible, so that they don’t stand for months on the same spot
- forks down, mast in down position, parking brake engaged
Connections for winter
If you have a plot that must be passable in winter, a forklift with a plow solves that job without a special machine — we wrote about it earlier in the text how a forklift snow plow saves time. Before getting an attachment, check the load capacity of the machine with the attachment — each attachment consumes part of the load capacity and moves the center of gravity forward.
You can find the offer of connections on the page additional devices.
If you want the whole list to go through expertly, before the frost arrives, schedule a service or call 021/6040-505. October is the last month in which an appointment can be obtained without waiting — since the first frost, everyone calls on the same day. You have the parts on the page spare parts, and the entire maintenance routine in the text forklift maintenance plan.
Forklift service — Jović Viljuškari
Regular service, periodic inspection and repairs. Make an appointment or call us.
