TECH TIPS

Cold Weather Ahead! Check Your Ignition System

One of the most common questions we get at C-Tech from customers involves the ignition system and components this time of year.  Let’s walk through some of the primary ignition parts for the most popular aerial lifts and scissor lifts in the market.

As the weather gets colder in many parts of the United States, carbureted engines may experience difficulty in colder weather conditions below 32 degrees Fahrenheit.  It might be time to start troubleshooting the ignition system, including the following:

TECH TIPS

Joystick Troubleshooting

Over the year’s the C-Tech customer service team has received numerous calls about possible joystick problems.  How do you know when it’s time to replace your Genie or Skyjack joystick or when it could be a sign of another issue?

ENCOURAGEMENT

Since the COVID-19 pandemic spread across the world, our lives have all been turned upside down, and many of us are more than ready to go back to normal.  Through it all, even though keeping essential business such as yours up and running is vital and a responsibility we take pride in, IT shouldn't be our main concern.  

TECH TIPS

Tires and Tire Quality

Mobile elevating work platforms (MEWPs) will typically use 3 to 4 types of tires: moulded, pneumatic, foam filled, or solid.

Moulded tires are usually solid rubber tires that are moulded onto a steel rim. These tires are available in smooth or treaded surfaces and black or non-marking designs. Moulded tires are most commonly found on slab scissor lifts.

TECH TIPS

1600403 JLG Joystick Calibration Process

A customer recently contacted C-Tech who had purchased a 1600403 replacement joystick for the JLG 260MRT, 3369LE, 3394RT, or 4394RT scissor lifts, and was having some trouble with the joystick. Having issues with your joystick can be frustrating, but sometimes the fix is as easy as performing a calibration procedure using the JLG analyzer. In this article, we will go through the calibration process steps in order to install a 1600403 JLG replacement joystick.

TECH TIPS

Winter Clean Up

Now is the perfect time to clean your equipment for the upcoming year! In addition to the required annual inspections, why not make your equipment look as good as new? A clean piece of equipment will result in better performance and efficiency with competitive prices on quality parts from C-Tech!  

TECH TIPS

Battery Troubleshooting

Batteries and battery products are the heart of your Mobile Elevating Work Platform and are responsible for ensuring your electric scissor lifts and boom lifts are working throughout the day. Most electric boom and scissor lifts are designed to offer a complete day of work on a full charge. A battery pack not showing a full charge after being plugged in overnight, or a machine running out of power well before the end of a workday, are red flags that some maintenance or replacement of battery system products are required.

TECH TIPS

Types of Switches and How They Work

Switches are very simple components that are typically open or closed and act to interrupt or complete an electrical circuit. Some switches are self-contained and others require multiple pieces, such as an actuator, base, and contacts. The most common switches are push button, toggle, and rotary and C-Tech has you covered with a huge inventory of switches for your construction equipment. Let’s dive into the different types of switches and how they work.

TECH TIPS

ENGINE WON'T START?

Imagine you have just tried starting the engine of your boom lift, rough terrain scissor lift, or telehandler but it spits and sputters. Have no fear! The experts at C-Tech are here to help!  We carry a wide array of ignition associated parts from oil pressure switches, spark plugs, solenoids, glow plugs, and sensors to fuel related parts and engine governors.

It’s common that machines equipped with carbureted engines may encounter difficulty starting in weather conditions of 15°-20° F or colder.  After a few unsuccessful attempts of starting the engine, you should troubleshoot the cause of the starting difficulty by checking the carburetor, ignition system, and fuel system. 

TECH TIPS

FILTERS

Filters are often an overlooked part in most daily maintenance checklists, but it is important to know that it only takes a tiny amount of dust to ruin engines or contaminate hydraulic systems. With your equipment on the line, daily inspections of your filters are critical.