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Don't risk being marooned on the hard shoulder this winter—take
Page 46
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a tip from Bryan Jarvis and give your vehicles a thorough physical. It could save you a long wait in the dark and the spectre of those dreaded flashing amber lights.
At this time of year, when night-time temperatures drop below zero and freezing roads are covered with highly corrosive salt, extra winter maintenance pays huge dividends, while neglect quickly turns into expensive misery. Every year, several million vehicles—including large numbers of heavy commercials—either fail to start or break down; indeed the Automobile Association, which handled 4.2m car and LCV rescue calls last year. believes most of the problems could be avoided through regular checks.
To collect a few tips on how to avoid having your trucks stranded, we visited Scania's Darlington dealership, Union Trucks, to watch a senior mechanic check over a two-year-old Scania 4Series 4x2 tractive unit.
Union's general manager Singh Ghundoo is a former Iveco Ford technician who has managed both the contracts and service departments at the Whessoe Road garage, and over the past eight years he's seen how neglect can affect a vehicle's performance.
Union Trucks provides 24hr/365 day roadside assistance under the Scania Lifeline rescue programme and has a
fully equipped van with trainee crew on hand around the clock.
"Major problems like an expired clutch or differential are recovered here onto the nearest Scania workshop," says Ghundoo, "but we attend to everything else on the spot."
Many failures are down to driver or owner neglect, he adds; just small jobs that could and should be picked up on daily checks.
Electrical
"Most of the call-outs are caused by electrical failures," says Ghundoo. Batteries are flat, cells dry, terminals corroded or alternator drive belts are loose. Sometimes lights have shorted out as a broken lens has let in salt and water. The inspection programme on Union Trucks' preventative maintenance sheet is an all-seasons schedule but when the weather turns especially thin, extra attention is focused on certain items such as the cooling system anti-freeze and windscreen washer fluid,
John Pickard, one of six master technicians at the Darlington dealership, carried out his usual pre-inspection check on the tractive unit, which belongs to the SVM (Smile Vehicle Management) rental fleet.
His routine is a familiar one and covers the usual problem areas like lighting, brakes, tyre equipment and steering, but he also added a few extra considerations that should ring a few bells, somewhere...
• Union Trucks Group: 0191 256 1900.