Don’t let parasitic loads take a bite out of your truck batteries
More on-board, electronically-driven and controlled systems means more strain on your batteries that are already faced with tackling tough applications and pandemic-driven changing duty cycles. “Parasitic loads are ever-increasing,” said Vicki Hall, director of transportation technical solutions for EnerSys. “The more electronics and creature comforts are being added to trucks, especially sleeper cabs, the higher
How summer heat drains your truck batteries (and what you can do about it)
Ask any heavy-duty truck battery or electrical system expert about the summer heat’s adverse impact on battery performance and they’ll likely share the age-old adage: “Summer heat and sun are what kills a battery; it just doesn’t know it’s dead until it gets cold.” (Seriously, I asked five experts and that was every single answer.)
How electrical system reliability impacts aftertreatment performance
Proper maintenance leads to long battery life and less downtime.
Combating cold weather electrical issues
Proper preventive maintenance can go a long way toward eliminating battery and other electrical issues.
Commercial vehicle battery testing and maintenance
It is critical that vehicle electrical systems have a stable voltage supply, and the battery plays a big part in this.
Test your truck triage skills
Fleet service managers, start your diesel diagnosis engines!
Power outage prevention: How fleets can combat the growing problem of hotel loads
When we talk about parasitic loads, we are quick to point the finger at drivers and their expectations of home-away-from-home creature comforts. That means TVs, microwaves, refrigerators, game systems and DVD players—all of which end up putting significant strain on a truck’s battery and electrical system. However, there are other power-hungry parasitic monsters lurking within
Answering your electrical load questions
Q: What specific battery maintenance is necessary to stave off low voltage concerns? A: For battery maintenance, diligent and frequent monitoring of battery voltage when the engine is switched off for more than several hours is very important. Also, be sure to maintain clean battery terminals that are torqued solidly. These clean, tight connections are
Low voltage lowdown: Dealing with growing electrical load demands
With the massive amount of electrical demand placed on today’s trucks, the dangers of low voltage demands are a real consequence faced by today’s fleets. The entire start and charge process of the truck’s electrical system is impacted by low voltage situations. You’ll see the effect in lift gates, electric APUs, hotel devices or any
Keep the truck running: Fighting parasitic loads
Recruiting and retaining experienced, high-quality drivers is a challenge. The job demands long hours on the road away from family. To keep up with driver demand and support recruitment efforts, many of today’s trucks are decked out with all the latest in technology: GPS; TVs; refrigerators; entertainment systems; you name it. While this is certainly
