Towing Tips: 7 Reasons Your Semi Truck May Break Down

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You drive your semi truck when necessary, but the truth is your truck could stop for a number of reasons. You can take preventative measures, such as keeping the number of your towing specialist handy. The following are 7 reasons your truck may stop on you that you might be able to prevent by having your mechanic regularly inspect your truck.

1. Bad Tires

The first thing you should do is make sure your tires are in tip top shape, so watch out for the following:

  • Tire pressure
  • Underinflated or overinflated tires
  • Missing tread, low-depth tread or warm tread

2. Brake Issues

Brake problems can put you and other drivers in danger and force you to stop your truck in mid-transit. The following are some things associated with bad brakes:

  • Water contamination in the air supply system
  • Oil contamination in your compressor
  • Brake system pressure imbalance

3. Electric

Issues related to your electrical system can cause your truck to stop on you, and the following are some other related problems:

  • Startup problem or ignition failure
  • Battery issues

4. Fuel Problems

Fuel delivery matters and can force you to stop in the middle of nowhere. The following are just some fuel related causes to look into:

  • Clogged fuel filter
  • Malfunctioning fuel pressure regulator
  • Bad fuel pump
  • Incorrect fuel that needs to be drained

5. Cooling Issues

Your truck needs to build up a lot of heat to make sure that every component works well, but that heat needs to be controlled to avoid overheating your truck. The following are some possible reasons for cooling issues:

  • Faulty radiator
  • Clogged or fractured radiator lines 

6. Exhaust Problems

The exhaust system helps get rid of byproducts from your truck's operation, but this system can fail for many reasons like the following:

  • Faulty exhaust pipe
  • Clogged exhaust pipe
  • Leaks in the exhaust system

7. Transmission

Your semi truck is under a lot of pressure as it hauls large items from location to location, putting a lot of pressure on your transmission. You may end up having an issue with your transmission for many reasons, like the following:

  • Clogged transmission filter
  • Excessive gear wear
  • Overheating transmission

You should make sure your semi truck care specialist is on top of these 7 common problems that may lead to a broken down truck. Hopefully these tips will help keep you on the road. But always be prepared for the possibilities and have your tow truck specialist's number handy. 

To learn more, contact a towing company like Glen's Towing & Road Service

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29 October 2015

towing and caring for a 4-wheel-drive vehicle

Owning a 4-wheel-drive SUV comes with more expense and doing things a bit differently. When you put tires on your 4-wheel-drive vehicle, you will have to replace all four at once. The tread-wear must be even to protect the 4-wheel-drive elements of the vehicle. When you have a 4-wheel-drive vehicle towed, you cannot simply hook it up to any tow truck and have it delivered to your local mechanic's shop. This blog will show you what needs to be done when your 4-wheel-drive vehicle needs towed and the other differences of owning a vehicle that goes beyond the basic 2-wheel-drive.