For those who work in cold climates, winter seems to never end — but the snow eventually stops falling and temperatures rise. When that happens, it’s time to get your excavator ready for the work ahead.

Checking your equipment and getting ready for spring will help you set the tone for a great year.

With that in mind, here are eight spring start tips for excavators:

1. Fluids, filters and grease: check hydraulic oil, engine oil and coolant levels, fill them up accordingly, and replace all filters. Thoroughly lubricate the main parts. Check hydraulic fluid, engine oil and coolant oil levels, top up accordingly, and replace all filters before the start of spring.
2. Seals: find leakage or damaged seals and replace them as needed. Note that black rubber (Nitrol) O-rings will contract when cold, but they may reseal after cleaning and heating. So make sure they are actually damaged before replacing them or getting someone like me to fix something that is not a problem.
3. Undercarriage: Clean landing gear free of debris and adjust tension. Check for loose track boards and repair as needed.
4. Boom and arm: Look for excessive pin and bushing wear and any damage to hard lines and hoses. Replace pins and bushings if there are signs of excessive “clearance”. Don’t wait; This could lead to extensive repair work that could cause significant downtime this season. In addition, the boom, arm, and bucket are gasketed to eliminate side swim.
5. Engine: Check all belts to ensure they are properly tightened. Replace any cracked or otherwise damaged. Also check all hoses for integrity and look for signs of damage from wear, cracking, swelling or scrapes. Replace as needed. Assess engine for oil and coolant leaks and resolve them immediately. These are signs that, if ignored, could become a bigger problem later on.
6. Battery: Even if you remove the batteries at the end of the season, check the terminals and terminals and clean them if necessary. Check electrolyte level and specific gravity, then charge.
7. Interior and exterior: clean cab thoroughly and replace cab air cleaner. This helps protect the machine’s electronics and makes your space more comfortable. I have removed the cab air filter from a nasty machine — this is the air the operator breathes. Remove snow with a broom or blow it off with compressed air. If possible, move the machine to a warm storage facility to defrost any ice. Check for ice around swing mechanisms, motors or drives as it can tear seals and cause damage and downtime.
8. Additional functions: Make sure to check that lights, wipers, heaters and air conditioning are in working order and make repairs as needed.

Preparing for Even Higher Temps

Summer can also be harsh on equipment, so here are a few extra uptime tips to keep track of temperatures that continue to climb. Fuel tanks and DEF tanks are refilled at the end of each day to minimize the risk of water entering the fuel system.

• Run your AC properly. One of the biggest problems we saw in the summer was operators opening doors and Windows while running the air conditioning. If you do this, all you do is add unnecessary load to the communication component.
• Fill the fuel and DEF tanks at the end of each day. If you are in the tank for the last quarter or so, the liquid is very hot due to the return cycle. Hot fuel/fluid draws moist air into the tank through the respirator, and even small amounts of water mixed with diesel can cause performance problems and maintenance headaches.
• Manage your greasing intervals during hot spells. Lubrication intervals are outlined in most oems operating manuals. It is important to follow these guidelines, especially if you are in a very dusty or hot application where your grease may thin out faster or be exposed to more contaminants.
• Give machines more time to cool down. The most important component — and the reason for the normal situation, the two-minute idle time before turning off the key — is the turbocharger. Turbochargers are lubricated with engine oil and spin at extremely high speeds. If idling is not allowed, the turbocharger shaft and bearings may be damaged.

Dealer and OEM Experts Can Help

You can choose to perform machine inspections yourself, or have your team members oversee the work. You can also choose to have the excavator inspected by a dealer or equipment manufacturer’s technician. You can benefit from the technician’s expertise in the brand of excavator you are running as well as their experience from multiple customer machine repairs. They can also look at failure codes. BONOVO’s professional product managers and OEM experts are always available for replacement and procurement of excavator fittings.

No matter what approach you take, it’s critical to have a thorough inspection to reduce the risk of downtime and expensive repairs as you head into the next season.