For most people their truck is one of the most prized possession and they take care of it like they take care of their loved ones. Surely, your truck has bailed you out of many a sticky situations, and that’s precisely why you must take care of your truck before it breaks down. Studies have show that you save 2 times the amount in repairs when you conduct routine maintenance activities on your truck and it adds up to 5 years to your truck’s life.
With that in mind, we’ve complied a list of maintenance activities you must conduct in order to keep your truck running like new:
- Oil changes, regularly !!
Don’t ever miss an oil change. The oil in your truck is like the blood in like in your body. You would not want to have crappy, worn out, degraded blood flowing in your system – then why do you want to have that kind of oil circulating within your truck. Check your OEM manual, or call us to find out when is a good routine oil change frequency. In general you must change your oil every 5000 – 7000 miles depending on your idling usage. This is one of the simplest things but often overlooked by many operators and owners. And this one thing alone can tremendously increase the life of your engine over the long run. - Conduct routine wheel alignments
When you start to notice your truck pulling in one direction or the other, know that it is time for wheel alignment. A misaligned truck can increase the wear and tear on the tires, in severe cases cause damage to the chassis and be very hard to control and high speeds. You can also end up paying a lot more in gas. It always a good idea to get your alignment checked when you bring in your vehicle - Rotating you tires
You truck’s tires can wear out unevenly depending on your driving methods and cargoes that you haul. It is always a good practice to check and rotate your tires when getting an oil change, just so that your tires are wearing out in an evenly fashion. We have seen uneven wear out on tires costing our customers in diesel usage, alignment issues and suspension damage. This is a very forgettable part of the truck that can cause very serious damages if not maintained well - Keep the lights on !
Just about the time that you are checking your oil and getting it changed, you should also be walking around your truck and checking for other items/wear and tear that may need your attention. One such thing that needs your attention and can be a real nag are lights. You can get levied a hefty fine if one of them is not working. A dim light may indicate an electrical problem that may draw your attention to a larger problem. Check all of your interior and exterior lights every time you go in for an oil change - Breathing in fresh air
Just like us, our trucks deserve to be breathing in fresh air. An the quality/quantity of air a truck
intakes, can have a vast impact on the mileage. It is bets practice to replace a fresh engine air filter
every 15,000 to 20,000 miles. Your truck’s filter can get clogged up with debris, pollutants, dust and
contaminants – specially if your truck is working in a construction zone or any such site where there is a
lot of loose debris - Let those fluids flow
This is a no-brainer but for the sake of completeness, it must be listed here. Make sure all of the vehicle
fluids are topped up each time you visit your repair shop for an oil change or other services. Fluid
leakage can often be an early sign into massive wear and tear on the vehicle and can save you many
repair dollars and downtime. Make it a habit of checking your gauges and dip sticks every time you get
on the road for a long journey - Balancing the tires
Rotation and alignment are all must-do’s. With it, balancing of the tires is also a very important task.
Make sure your tires are balanced properly around the axle. Work site zones, off road vehicle driving,
heavy load transportation can all leave your tires unbalanced. And unbalanced tires can have a very
drastic affect on your suspension and chassis.
A little about me and my business
My name is Brandon Mendell. Owner, leader and diesel engine enthusiast at Brandell Diesel Inc. I take great
pride in running, fixing and appreciating diesel engines. As a boy growing up on the farmlands on Southern
Alberta with my father I developed a love for these machines and have carried on, on the path for the past 20+
years.
We proudly serve companies, fleets and individual owners of diesel engine vehicles and personally look to it that
we do whatever it takes of save our customers any downtime. We are known all across the province of Alberta
for our fast turn around times on diesel engine vehicle repairs and the rescue service we provide on the roads
with our trucks.
Don’t hesitate to call me at 403 271 0101 for repairs or consultation on your diesel engine vehicles.
I look forward to hearing from you my friend !!
