The Two Greatest Summer time Downtime Threats for Fleets
A dialog with a upkeep skilled reveals the 2 most typical summer season upkeep pains and methods to forestall them.
The summer season months and their humid temperatures are formally in full swing, which suggests summer season upkeep is, too. Car warmth failures are predictable, and but many fleets nonetheless endure from preventable downtime. Probably the most generally ignored vulnerability, in accordance with upkeep supervisor Jenny Baker from Mike Albert, is cooling methods and “Batteries! Summer time warmth is extraordinarily arduous on batteries, so they need to be inspected earlier than the recent climate hits.”
Warmth accelerates battery degradation, growing the chance of no-start conditions that may take autos out of service unexpectedly. Testing batteries earlier than temperatures rise can assist fleets keep away from expensive roadside service calls.
Cooling and AC Techniques
Past batteries, two car methods are significantly weak through the summer season months: the air-con and engine cooling methods.
“Two car methods that take a tough hit in the summertime are the AC system and the engine cooling system,” Baker mentioned.
Spring preventative upkeep can assist tackle each of those points earlier than they happen.
“AC methods ought to be checked within the spring for each general efficiency and freon ranges, in order that any points are caught nicely earlier than the warmth of summer season creates an pressing drawback.”
Cooling methods deserve the identical stage of consideration.
Car coolant must also be checked within the spring, with specific consideration to leaks and to verifying that the thermostat is working accurately.
Neglecting these inspections can result in one of the widespread summer-related breakdowns: overheating. Mixed with battery failures, overheating occasions account for most of the service disruptions fleets expertise throughout scorching climate.
“The 2 most typical summer season breakdowns that might have been prevented are no-starts brought on by battery failure and overheating from uncared for cooling methods,” she mentioned.
The Small Upkeep Investments that Ship
Relating to preventive upkeep, fleets usually concentrate on inspections, however different practices may also play an necessary position in lowering downtime.
Extra frequent oil modifications can ship a number of the biggest ROI for fleets through the summer season season as a result of oil breaks down sooner in hotter climate, Baker mentioned.
Extra frequent service intervals additionally create alternatives to determine creating points earlier than they change into expensive repairs.
“By getting oil modifications extra usually through the hotter months and pairing them with the correct inspections every time, fleet managers can cut back unplanned downtime,” she mentioned.
Telematics’ Position in Stopping Summer time Breakdowns
Know-how can assist fleets transfer past scheduled upkeep and towards a extra proactive method. Telematics and upkeep platforms present priceless perception into car well being and efficiency tendencies, significantly in periods of maximum warmth.
“Telematics and upkeep knowledge are highly effective instruments for getting forward of summer-related car points earlier than they end in a breakdown.”
By monitoring key indicators, fleet managers can determine issues earlier than drivers change into stranded.
Staying Constant
In the end, the fleets that keep away from recurring summer season downtime are likely to share one attribute: consistency.
When requested to offer fleet managers one piece of recommendation to enhance summer season fleet readiness this 12 months, she was direct.
Baker’s response: “Be constant and formalize that consistency right into a climate readiness coverage.”
That coverage ought to define the preventive measures wanted to maintain autos working reliably all through the season. The coverage ought to particularly embrace extra frequent oil modifications throughout summer season months, scheduled inspections for AC methods, battery testing, and cooling system checks.
The payoff extends past reliability.
“Decrease general prices are each the objective and the results of doing summer season readiness the appropriate method,” Baker mentioned.
For fleet managers, summer season upkeep is much less about reacting to heat-related failures and extra about stopping them by way of planning and inspection.,
About Jenny Baker: With over 30 years of devoted expertise within the automotive trade, Jenny Baker-Ford brings experience to her position as Upkeep Supervisor at Mike Albert. Since becoming a member of the corporate in April 2019, she has leveraged her intensive information of auto service necessities throughout a number of producers to develop tailor-made upkeep methods that reduce downtime and optimize fleet efficiency.
All through her profession, Jenny has maintained a dedication to skilled improvement and trade certifications. As an ASE Licensed skilled, she brings technical credibility to her management position. Her ability set encompasses mission administration, steady enchancment methodologies, and complete information of automotive services.
Previous to becoming a member of Mike Albert, Jenny held service and guarantee roles at Lexus and Toyota dealerships and at Busam Automotive.
