The winter months are upon us and severe weather conditions can wreak havoc on your business if you are not fully prepared. When the temperatures drop your machinery will need to work harder to perform at the same rate, putting extra pressure on components.
Prepare for winter now with these essential checks to keep your machinery running smoothly;
- Change your engine oil: Cold weather causes oil to move through your engine either too slowly or not at all. Changing to a low viscosity oil designed for cooler temperatures helps the oil to run freely through the engine, providing proper lubrication regardless of the temperature.
- Top up on coolant: When temperatures dip, water in your engine freezes and causes problems. It is usually recommended to have a 50/50 mix of coolant and water, but in very cold temperatures it is advisable to change this to a 70/30 mix to prevent freezing.
- Check tyres: Excessively worn tyres could be dangerous even on vehicles that aren’t driven on the road. Replace all excessively worn tires before the snow and ice arrives.
- Lighting checks: Dull winter weather makes high-visibility essential! Check that the headlights, reverse lights and any other vehicle lights are working as they should.
- Measure chain and fork wear: For safety, chains should not have more than 3% wear and forks must not exceed the legal wear limit of 10%. Also remember to adequately lubricate all chains, channels and grease points.
- Treat your fuel: If your vehicles use diesel you must treat the fuel during the winter to prevent it from waxing. All diesel contains a wax that is usually in liquid form, however when it gets cold enough the wax starts to crystallise and solidify. These crystals can block filters and starve the engine of fuel, causing it to stop working. Use a Exocet’s Anti Wax Additive to avoid fuel waxing this winter.
For oils and greases suitable for a range of applications and vehicles visit our online store.
