Equipment World Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/634023
EquipmentWorld.com | February 2016 35 IGNORE YOUR SERVICE TECHS There are a lot of numbers and reports to watch when setting up an extended oil drain pro- gram. In doing so, a fl eet man- ager can run the risk of ignoring what his technicians in the fi eld are experiencing, says Richard LeFrancois, a heavy equipment fl eet management consultant. LeFrancois says he doesn't discount the value of comput- ers and being able to diagnose machines with telematics and laptops, but the art of listening to a machine is a skill that's fad- ing away as the older techni- cians retire. "I went through that period of transition, from the older guys to younger guys who didn't have that experience. Fleet managers used to seek out the input of the older guys on a daily basis and incorporate them into the process. But, in the past few years, we've lost a lot of that institutional knowl- edge that had been gained over the past 30 or 40 years. The fi eld technicians, fuelers and oilers are ground zero for the machines because they're touching the machine almost every night." SOLUTION: When you embark on an ex- tended oil drain program, make sure you get buy-in from every- body – from the higher ups to the guys in the fi eld. Make sure the guys in the fi eld know what you're doing and that you want their input. Use your computers, as well as sight, sound, smell and touch. maintenance | by Tom Jackson | TJackson@randallreilly.com C ontractors managing fl eets of heavy equipment can save big bucks by extending the engine oil drain intervals. But, if you are negligent, you could seriously damage the engine and pay tens of thousands for a repair or rebuild In the past, 250 hours of engine time was the norm be- tween oil drains, but thanks to changes in oil, engine technology and sump size, many OEMs now recommend 500 hours. But, contractors may be able to stretch out their engine oil life to 750 hours or so with little or no risk to the equipment. We usually approach this subject by reviewing best practices, but this time, we asked several industry experts to tell us some of the worst things you can do to screw up an extended oil drain program. Here's what they had to say: 5 Check into this \ \ \ WAYS TO SCREW UP AN EXTENDED OIL DRAIN INTERVAL 1