Heavy-Duty Tech: Find Electrical System Failures Before They Happen -

Heavy-Duty Tech: Find Electrical System Failures Before They Happen

Ensuring that the electrical system preventative maintenance practices are up to date with today’s technology could mean the difference between trucks rolling productively to their destination or being sidelined on the road due to a CSA inspection.

Ensuring that the electrical system preventative maintenance practices are up to date with today’s technology could mean the difference between trucks rolling productively to their destination or being sidelined on the road due to a CSA inspection. Lighting, in particular, is often cited as one of the most common reasons that CSA inspections take place, as lights are one of the most visible components on the truck.

When performing electrical system preventative maintenance checks, you should be checking trailers for possible failures, no matter the age of the trailer; especially depending on the elements they’re encountering. 

Here are four tips to help you prevent system failures before they happen.

1. Corrosion prevention should start on day one

New trailers can still have issues, so the trailer and its electrical system should always be inspected upon delivery, especially in high-moisture and impact-prone areas.

Any vulnerable areas of the system should be protected with coverings like boots, plastic looms, moldings or tubing. Installing this extra protection will not only help resist moisture and the effects of ice accumulation, but will reduce potential damage from gravel and road debris.

Additionally, make sure everyone on the team knows how to spot corrosion.

2. Work with drivers to perform  pre-trip inspections

Fleets shouldn’t rely on an informal word-of-mouth approach or a driver’s experience level to receive a proper assessment; techs should coach drivers on the process. Training helps the drivers understand they have a critical role in keeping CSA scores under control. Proper training will also mean better overall safety, because the driver will also know that the tecj has made the right decisions on electrical and lighting components.

3. Stick to a planned maintenance schedule to stop water

The common modular connectors in a trailer’s electrical systems are designed with reservoirs that hold water-resistant dielectric grease. As time passes, the silicone oils in the grease evaporate and dry out, enabling moisture to seep into the system. Regular inspections and new grease are just part of a sound PM.

4. Check the Head lights

There is often a debate between the use of LED and incandescent lamps. With the LED technology available today, one could argue it’s time to convert to LED lamps. Incandescent lamps burn out, they’re fragile, and they have filaments, to name a few drawbacks. Plus, failing incandescent lamps cost fleets hundreds of dollars in parts and repair costs, and the potential to cause traffic violations that lead to CSA fines and vehicle downtime. 

On the other hand, LED lights are glaringly bright and often distracting to drivers, causing many drivers and fleets to argue against the switch. With that in mind make sure you are diligently checking incandescent lamps when they come to the garage. It’s a sneaky, and common, failure.

You May Also Like

Ignition Coil Output

To see inductance inside the primary windings, use an amp probe placed around the positive wire for the ignition coil.

Kilovolts or kV is the unit used to measure the output of an ignition coil. Some coils can output 20kV to 40 kV. So, how does an ignition coil turn system or battery voltage into these huge voltages? The answer is inductance. 

The ECM provides the voltage to the primary coil winding. The primary winding might have 100 turns around the coil’s core or plates. When the voltage to the coil is turned off, a magnetic field collapses. The collapsing field will generate more than 100 volts thanks to inductance. The energy is transformed by the windings in the secondary with inductance again, but thanks to the 10,000 windings, the voltage is boosted to 40kV at the spark plug’s electrodes. The best way to see inductance inside the primary windings is to use an amp probe placed around the positive wire for the ignition coil. With this setup, you can see the current ramping in the coil and the collapse of the magnetic field. 

Maximize Your Scan Tool

Are you maximizing your scan tools to their full potential? Don’t let them be just an expensive code reader.

Air Ride Conversion Kits

Air ride and active shocks and struts will eventually fail – succumbing to either damage to or dry rot of the air spring.

Nylon Fuel Line Repair Techniques

Can you repair fuel lines yourself? Yes, if you make quality your number one priority when making decisions.

Understanding Differences Between Aluminum And Cast Iron

Sheer material differences aside, what are the features and benefits of aluminum and iron engine components?

Other Posts

Wheel Speed Sensors and Bearings

The only way to diagnose the sensor and circuit is with a scan tool or scope. 

Timing Chain Systems Need Clean, Quality Oil

Using the wrong oil causes a vehicle’s timing chain to wear quicker.

Threadlocking Compounds For Vehicle Corners

To get the most out of these “liquid” tools, you first need to know how they work.

Battery Charging and Programming Diagnostics

Temperature changes how the battery discharges and the amount of current that can be delivered.