Last week, Bruce Purkey continued his winter preparation webinar series by sharing with us some tips and best practices for readying liftgate systems for winter.
In his webinar, Bruce gave a simple, three-step process for preparing liftgate charging systems for winter:
- Test the Batteries
- Make sure the OCV is 12.4 volts or higher.
- Take the cables off the battery posts.
- Clean the lead pad area.
- Install lead adaptors.
- Use a good battery tester and test each battery in the box.
- Keep good batteries and replace defective ones.
- Test the Charging System to the Liftgate Batteries
- Use an adaptor that allows you to connect to the liftgate batteries.
- When using a DC/DC converter, use the Purkeys bypass adaptor.
- Pull a 20-amp load for the liftgate batteries and measure the voltage at the liftgate and at the front at the same time. You are allowed a two-volt drop.
- If circuit passes, move on. If circuit fails, repair the circuit.
- Test the DC/DC Converter
- Use a voltmeter to determine the OCV of the liftgate batteries.
- Use a clip-on ammeter around the charging cable from the DC/DC converter.
- Plug in the charging cable from the tractor and start the tractor.
- You will see the voltage rise and current flow.
To view the complete webinar and see step-by-step pictures of the three-step process, you can access the on-demand version here. Just enter your name and email for free access.
Have any questions about preparing your heavy-duty vehicle for winter? Let us know in the comments below!