Summer is the season of outdoor fun with family and friends- pool parties, cookouts, and baseball games galore. But the other part of the season that can be less than fun is the heat that accompanies summer. Louisville Switching wants to give you all of our top tips and recommendations for keeping your yard truck in the best condition this summer season. Our main priority and goal is keeping drivers safe and knowledgeable on and in their yard trucks. We hope this blog will act as a guide to summer truck safety. 

Tips For Keeping Your Yard Truck in Check

Keep Your Engine Cool

While temperatures in the southern part of the United States reach well into the 100s during the peak of summer, there are ways to keep your engine cooled down even in the heat. Vehicles have cooling systems to keep the engine from overheating and exhaust itself in the heat of summer. As a truck owner, be sure that you flush out your cooling system every so often and follow instructions recommended by the manufacturer. In  between flushes of your systems, check to make sure the coolant is at an appropriate level. It is best to check these things before overheating happens and its too late. 

Make Sure Your Tires Are Properly Inflated

Most of us have experienced a flat tire in our lifetime and understand the pain of having to stop what you are doing to handle a flat tire. One tip to prevent a flat tire or hole in your tire from happening is checking your tire pressure is appropriate and your tires are properly inflated. Much like many other aspects of your yard truck, when things are left unattended or not properly taken care of, it can cause a higher chance for disaster or risk of danger. When you drive on under-inflated tired, it can cause your truck to work harder and overheat. Especially during summer, the high temperatures can cause low tired to blowout while in use. 

It is best to check your tire's air pressure daily, specifically when the tires are cool because this will give you the most accurate reading. On average, tires will loose a pound of air naturally over the course of a month so do not be alarmed if you notice a slight drop in pressure from one reading to the next. Always follow the specified instructions provided in your operator's manual for safe practices. 

Check All Your Fluid Levels

Fluids for your truck is like water to the human body- it needs it to survive and thrive. Most of the fluids inside of your yard truck are to prevent overheating and divert heat away from the main parts that keep it running. When your fluid levels are too low, it can increase the chance of overheating and reduces the cooling effect they're meant to have. You can find more details in the Maintenance Manual, but here are the fluids we recommend checking and filing up periodically:

• Brake Fluid
• Motor Oil 
• Power Steering Fluid 
• Transmission Fluid
• Windshield Wiper Fluid.

Asses Your Battery

A healthy truck battery life is crucial to successful driving during the summer. Any heat and vibration that your battery experiences during summer can lead to breakdown and battery failure if it is not checked properly beforehand. Unfortunately, once a battery does experience heat, there isn't much that can be done to reverse it. What matters is the work you do prior to battery failure to prevent it from happening. To prevent battery vibration from occurring, be sure to securely mount it in place to minimize the chance of it rattling around inside your vehicle. 

Another tip is to check your battery fluid- whenever fluid evaporates faster than noHazrmal, it can lead to corrosion on your truck's internal systems and connections. To avoid build-up of corrosion, clean the cables and battery connections often. If your battery is 3 or more years old, you may want to get it tested by a technician to assess the estimated remaining battery life. Replace your battery when it needs it to prevent damage later on. You can contact our service department to learn more.

Download our Daily Maintenace Checklist

Some maintenance needs to happen daily, especially when the weather is especially hot. Our Daily Maintenace Checklist has over 30 items that are important for proper care of your yard truck. From checking the tire pressure, fluid levels, and more- you can find details of what needs to happen daily in our downloadable Daily Maintenance Checklist. 

We hope this blog will serve a guide in how to be prepared for propper care of your yard truck during this summer season. If you notice any parts that need to be replaced of services that your truck needs before the maximum summer heat hits, contact us now. Our team is happy to assist you with all of your yard truck needs.