Truck Topics

Winter Wonderland?

That time of the year is upon us again, the season that brings us bitter cold, snow, ice, slush...well, you know what winter is like.

There's really no escape from the cold weather. We've all experienced, or at least have seen the news reports over the past several years, of the freak ice and snowstorms that have hit even the deep southern areas of the US.

As you know, the next expedited load can take you anywhere in this country and many parts of Canada, and your truck (and you) have to be prepared for the weather you'll meet on your journey.

It's a rule that if something might break, it will do so in bitter cold weather. Regardless of the cause of a winter breakdown, it can escalate from an inconvenience into a life-threatening situation.

Although modern trucks are built for a wide range of places, temperatures and climates, and are more reliable than ever, winter weather will find and exploit any weakness that exists in the truck's various systems.

Prime areas of concern would include:

Batteries and Charging System Fuel Lubrication Engine Cooling System Air Dryer Systems Cab and Sleeper

Batteries and Charging System

Next to the problems of fuel, winter is probably hardest on the electrical system of your truck. One of the unfortunate ironies of winter is that the cold temperatures are extremely tough on an electrical system that already has a heavy load, operating the lights, the heater and other accessories.

As the outside temperature drops, batteries generate fewer cranking amps. If your batteries are more than a year or two old, it's best to have them tested for their ability to hold a charge.

If a battery's power is rated at a temperature of 80 F, a temperature of zero degrees will drop its rated power down to only 40 percent of that figure. For those expediters operating in a Class 8 truck, it can take around 1,800 amps to start that big motor - that's why the cold cranking amps rating is important.

The multi-battery arrangement of the Class 7 and 8 trucks is essential to not only provide the heavy amperage draw of starting, but also to furnish the reserve power needed to power accessory items when the motor is shut down. For example, a set of four 675 CCA batteries will provide up to 2,700 amps of starting power at zero. At 32 F, almost 4,400 amps are available. That's reserve power.

While you're doing your battery checks, it's also a great time to pull the terminals and give them a cleaning and coat them (and all exposed wiring) with a dielectric compound.

You should have a qualified technician check alternator output to ensure that it's up to spec's. Examine fan belts for cracks, fraying, polishing and check other accessory drive mechanisms, including brackets. Pulleys are harder to spin during engine start-ups in cold temperatures and that puts extra strain on belts. It's a good time to inspect the pulleys as well for proper alignment.

Wiring should also be checked to see that it's correctly routed and attached and supported against the frame.

Engine Heaters

Though not truly part of the electrical/starting system, engine heaters can ease the strain on the batteries and other components in cold-start situations, and at the same time, reduce metal wear due to cold, thick oil.

One method to keep the engine warm is by the use of a coolant heater, which can be a remote-mounted tank (shore powered or diesel-powered) or an immersion-block design. With both types, the engine's coolant is heated to around 160 degrees and circulated through the engine block. For example, a 17,000-Btu/hr-coolant heater will raise a Class 8's engine temperature 100 degrees above the outside temperature in about an hour.

Fuel

The experts recommend the use of No. 1 diesel or a blend of No. 1 and No. 2 diesel for winter's low temperatures, but availability can be problematic. No. 2 diesel offers better mileage, but it also contains more paraffin wax, which crystallizes, as the temperature gets colder.

Because of its high paraffin content, No. 2 diesel can begin to gel at temperatures as high as 20 to 30 degrees F. Wax first forms at a temperature called the "cloud point." The temperature just before fuel solidifies (usually 5° above that point) is called the "pour point". At that temperature level, the engine is on borrowed time; the wax will eventually clog the filters and fuel lines and the engine dies.

There are no standards for "winterized" or "premium" diesel fuels, so cloud and pour points vary widely between oil companies who blend fuel differently during the different seasons. One solution is to fill the tanks in colder climates whenever possible to take advantage of the lower temperature blends. One drawback of using No. 1 diesel is that fuel mileage will suffer with the use of this kerosene-blended fuel.

A better solution is to heat and/or treat the fuel and burn the much more potent No. 2 diesel. If you decide to treat the fuel with additives, remember that a little goes a long way. Too much of an additive can damage the motor, particularly the injectors.

The other fuel system killer is water, which can come from many sources - condensation inside the truck's fuel tanks, rainwater seepage inside the fuel stop's tanks, etc.

You probably know that water in your fuel reduces the lubrication qualities of diesel fuel, it can cause rust inside both the engine and the fuel pump and it generates the growth of microbes that leads to sludge.

One way to avoid this problem is to patronize truck stops that pump a high volume of fuel; you can reduce the likelihood of water-contaminated diesel fuel.

Another solution to the water in the fuel problem is to have a fuel/water separator installed in your fuel line. It's standard on many new trucks, but if you've recently purchased a used truck, look to see if it's separator equipped. A separator will, as the name implies, remove the water and store it in a reservoir. This reservoir must be emptied regularly.

Warming the fuel

One type of fuel heater that raises the temperature of the diesel fuel between the tank and the filters to prevent waxing and gelling uses engine coolant. Coolant heaters circulate heated coolant around fuel lines or into fuel tanks.

Some experts recommend this type of heating system because electric heaters can drain batteries; however, the downside is that they need a supplemental heating device for when the truck spends time sitting in the cold.

The problem with a coolant heater is when the engine is shut down and the fuel heating stops. It's necessary to preheat the fuel/water separator, or the fuel itself. Two types of electric heaters that are widely used are the self-regulating "PTC-type" of heater and the resistance type heater. These can be powered by the truck's batteries or from shore power.

Lubrication

Being a knowledgeable, professional driver, you already know about multiviscosity/multigrade oils, but how about a little refresher course?

The multigrade oils are used because the engine can turn over easier when cold and because viscosity doesn't fluctuate as much as with straight grades.

Take 15W-40, for example. The number 15 indicates how easily an oil will pour in extreme cold - the lower the number, the better. There are 6 different winter classifications - 0, 5,1 0, 15, 20 and 25.

The letter W stands for winter.

The second number indicates how well oil is able to lubricate the motor at higher temperatures. Those classifications are 20, 30, 40, 50 and 60.

Check your transmission and differential fluids to determine if they match cold weather specs. Regular chassis and driveline greasing are important in winter - for lubrication, of course, and to help protect those components from slush and de-icing chemicals.

If you operate in really bitter weather and must start up from scratch on subzero mornings, you might consider synthetic oils for both the engine and the driveline components. Some experts contend that they offer less rolling resistance, increased lubricity and longer drain intervals. They also claim a 2% increase in fuel mileage.

Cooling System

We'll assume that all of the belts have been checked during the electrical system examination, so turn your attention to the hoses and clamps. The coolant hose is a vital, yet sometimes overlooked component in the cooling system. In addition to absorbing the vibration that is transmitted from the engine to the radiator, the hoses carry coolant to and from the radiator. Without flexible rubber hoses, the vibration may break off at the inlet or outlet connections of the radiator.

Hoses are expected to carry more than 7,000 gallons of hot coolant per hour, while they are exposed to under-hood temperatures in excess of 275 degrees F. and under pressure of 15 to 18 psi.

Inspect all hose connections for leaks, cracks and soft spots. If a hose exhibits any of those symptoms, replace it. Maintenance experts recommend the use of long-life silicone hoses, which have become an industry standard.

It might be good time to replace any suspect hose clamps at this point. Recommended are the stainless steel types with screw securement. A rule of thumb would be to not over-tighten clamps, rather, tighten them until the hose just starts to bulge. Run the engine to operating temperature and retighten the clamps.

Thermostat housings can become badly corroded with age and may not seal properly when the new hose is installed. If the housing is rough or pitted, replace it.

The coolant should be a 50-50 mix of soft, clean water and low-silicate (non-automotive) anti-freeze. Your technician can use special gauges to measure the coolant's level of protection.

 A 50-50 mix of ethylene glycol antifreeze and water will protect against freezing down to minus 34 degrees Fahrenheit. If you need greater low-temp protection, a higher percentage of antifreeze is called for, but the experts say to avoid concentrations greater than 60/40.

Truck engines are designed with an operating temperature range of around 195 to 200 degrees Fahrenheit regardless of ambient temperature and that's the job of the fan drive and thermostat.

Your mechanic should ensure that the thermostat operates properly. Thermostats often fail in the open position, so the engine will require a longer to warm up time and may run cooler if not under load.

Coolant filters should be checked and cleansed of various contaminants. Many filters also gradually release Supplemental Coolant Additives (SCA's), which are corrosion-fighting chemicals. If your mechanic discovers that the SCAs are gone, the filter should be changed.

The extra-cold air that blasts through the radiator at highway speeds can overcool an engine resulting in damage from carbon and varnish buildup on the valve stems and oil contamination from unburned combustion products.

Winterfronts are useful in maintaining a satisfactory engine temperature in extreme conditions. Because over-restricted flow can raise temperatures in the charge-air cooler, some truck manufacturers allow only certain winterfronts. The restricted flow can lead to high exhaust temperatures, power loss, excessive fan cycling and potential engine damage.

It's also important for the winterfront should be opening directs the airflow from side to side so the engine is cooled evenly. Offset or unbalanced openings also cause fan flexing as blades run in and out of the airflow, risking fatigue damage.

Air Dryer Systems

Moisture in your truck's air system can be a big problem in the frigid temperatures of winter, as anyone who has suffered dragging or non-functional brakes can testify.

Water in the system will freeze and any oil will thicken. The standard practice of opening the drain valve once a day is probably not enough. Water and other contaminants can still enter the system and that's where the air dryer comes into play, in fact, they've been standard equipment for a number of years.

The air dryer's function is to remove contaminants and moisture before the air reaches the supply tank. The two main components in the air dryer, a filter and a heating element, must be occasionally replaced. The filters usually have a service life of two to three years, but if you or your mechanic discovers water when draining the wet tank, it's time for replacement.

Have you technician perform an electrical check on the air dryer's heating element as well as draining the air tanks to remove accumulated residue. Also, ask your tech about the viability of adding air system alcohol to the tanks.

Cab and Sleeper Heat

We've been advised for many years to give our homes an energy makeover, i.e., install energy-efficient windows, add insulation, etc. Well, the same can apply to the cab and sleeper.

Ensure structural integrity: Repair loose sheet metal, replace insulation where necessary and weather strip the doors.

Have your technician check the heater/defroster and it's blower motor/fan as well as any heater hoses that run back to the sleeper.

Idling alternatives

The experts tell us that one hour of idling creates the same wear as 80 miles of highway driving; and one cold start at the freezing point can be as hard on a diesel as 2,000 miles of driving.

There are different technologies available to eliminate idling the engine for cab and coolant heat. These systems work in different ways and of course, have different price tags.

For the complete story,Click Here!

Other areas of concern

Wipers and washers

If the wiper blades are more than six months old, change them. You might consider using rubber covered winter wiper blades or heated blades. Ensure that the arms move through their full stroke at all speeds.

See that the reservoir is full of fluid, and that the washer pumps strongly. The experts strongly recommend the use an ice-melting washer fluid rather than just the traditional blue fluid. Use the washer fluids containing glycol - it will melt thin ice from the windshield.

Exhaust system

Have your mechanic inspect the system for leaks, especially the piping under the cab and sleeper. Leaks often develop near the air intake for the cab's fresh-air system; if these fumes leak in during bunk time, it's a potentially lethal situation.

Most straight trucks have frame mounted exhaust systems; unfortunately, fumes and carbon monoxide settle in low spots. Because of this, it's best to park the truck nose-into-the-wind. If you park with the truck's rear to the wind, the fumes get blown forward and can enter the air intake system and then the fresh air system.

Tires

Inspect and replace any worn tires now. Obviously, you will have better traction with the new, deeper tread, and the cold temperatures will slow the wear rate, yielding more tread life.

Consider installing lug-type treads on drive wheels for better traction on snow and ice. Ensure that all the tires are inflated to proper pressures. Examine the wheels closely for bends and cracks, and check the lug nuts for signs of looseness or breakage.