2016 - The Year Ahead

The year in review and what is to come from OTR Performance. 

We are thankful for this past year. OTR Performance has been able to grow and expand beyond our expectations. We want to give a special thanks to our customers because without you none of this would have been possible. This year has allowed us to expand many departments to ensure that we are giving you the best customer experience. We thank you for your continual support.

2016 comes with new opportunities and new products for you to enjoy. One of the products we will be releasing are the various LED products. Not only this but we will be releasing more how-to YouTube videos for your Volvo truck this upcoming year. Furthermore, we will be displaying our products at the MATS 2016 show (Largest Trucking Show in North America), if you are in that area come check us out. We would love to meet you.

Everyone at OTR Performance would like to wish you and your families a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! We look forward to working with each one of you to make 2016 unforgettable.

5 Common Inspection Tips (every oil change)

1. Drive Belt Condition
2. Transmission Oil Level
3. Differential Fluid Level
4. Coolant Level
5. Brake Adjustment

Drive Belts Condition

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Drive belts need to be checked periodically to ensure they are in good working condition. The typical drive belt should be replaced every 1-½ year to 2 years depending on the condition.
The drive belt can be worn a few different ways:
• Normal drive wear that the components (A/C compressor/Alternator/fuel pump) put on the belt
• Weather worn belt, which includes cracking and belt squeaking
• Belt has too much free play
       o The specification for the belt should have no more than ¾ inch free play measured in the middle of the belt.

Transmission Oil Level

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Making sure you periodically check the transmission oil level - it's critical.

Common issues include:
• Bolt / sensor fluid leaks
• Transmission oil cooler
• Transmission rear yoke seal
• Transmission case leaking
       o The transmission needs to have the proper lubrication to ensure that the components are properly lubed. The oil helps reduce the operating temperature inside the transmission.

Measure your fluid level:
• Remove the side plug on your transmission using a ½in ratchet.
• Insert your finger in the transmission and you should feel the transmission oil on the bottom side of the hole. If you do not feel any oil, then you must add oil until the oil is leaking out the side.
• Synthetic 50 WT transmission oil is usually recommended for Volvo trucks.

Differential Fluid Level

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The most common issue with low differential fluid leak is the wheel seal that has been blown out and is causing the oil to leak out of the wheel end. The wheel seal separates the differential oil that is inside the wheel bearing and the hub assembly. When the wheel seal fails you will notice oil on your brake shoes and oil on the inside part of your tire. The ring and pinion gears inside the differential need to have the proper oil to ensure the rear end does not fail prematurely.

Measure the fluid level:

• Remove the plug located in the middle of the differential. Tool: ½ ratchet
• Remove the magnetic plug and make sure you feel oil on the bottom side of the hole.
• Inspect the magnetic plug for any obvious sign of heavy metal in the oil. If you find any abnormality replace differential oil and inspect further.
• Synthetic 75w-90 for differential oil is usually recommended for Volvo trucks.

Coolant Level

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Checking your coolant level at the expansion tank is a good habit. You can be sure to find a coolant leak or any other defects if you periodically check the system. If the cooling system is unable to draw coolant back from the expansion tank you could easily end up with a empty radiator or worst of all an over-heated engine.

Common issues could be a cracked radiator, the egr cooler leaking internally, the coolant hose leaking, the expansion tank leaking, the transmission cooler, the air compressor head gasket blown, injector cups leaking, etc. Please check the level in the expansion tank only when the engine is cold to avoid being scalded by hot coolant. We recommend your coolant is replaced every 300,000-500,000 mile intervals to insure the proper pH levels in your system.

Brake Adjustment

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The brake system on your Volvo is the most important item that should not be overlooked. If these are not in correct working order and properly adjusted the best-designed air brake system will not safely stop the truck. The reality is that brake failures are almost never caused by an air system failure, but by neglecting maintenance. The driver may be held responsible if the brakes are incorrectly adjusted or not working properly. The most common method for checking your slack adjusters for proper adjustment is the pry method of free stroke measurement.

To begin, make sure air pressure is over 100psi in both tanks.

• Make sure you wheel chock the front and rear tire and release the parking brake
• Make a mark on the pushrod where it exits the brake chamber
• Pull the pushrod out from the brake chamber, using a tool for leverage
• Measure the distance between the chalk mark and the face of the brake chamber – ½ to ¾ of an inch of free stroke is a good range. If this distance is more than ¾ of an inch, the brakes need adjustment. 

Common causes of brake failure is over-adjustment, inaccurate adjustment causing an overheat condition, cracked brake shoes, parking brake not holding vehicle (spring broken), cracked air hose causing loss of air pressure, brake valve not working properly.

These 5 quick checks ensure that you are catching the issues early on so that the repair does not get any worse and cause breakdowns or unexpected repairs. We always want to be working towards preventative maintenance when it comes to maintaining a Volvo Truck.

Volvo Truck Fault Code List

Get your truck back on the road with diagnosing problems the right away. Fault codes are an important tool you can use to know the overall issue. Misdiagnosing a truck code could lead to extended downtime and parts being replaced that didn't need replacing.

MID, PID, and FMI are the most common codes related to Volvo Trucks. OTR Performance provides you with a quick reference guide informing you what they all mean.

MID Message Identification Description: Identification of a control module.
PID Parameter Identification Description: Identification of a parameter (value).
PPID Proprietary Parameter Identification Description Volvo: Unique identification of a parameter (value).
SID Subsystem Identification Description: Identification of a component.
PSID Proprietary Subsystem Identification Description Volvo: Unique identification of a component.
FMI Failure Mode Identifier: Identification of fault types.

Boost and Pyrometer Gauge

Choosing the Right Boost and Pyrometer Gauge

OTR Performance constantly releases new products that help the performance and the maintenance of your truck.

We have had a chance to check out a few boost pressure gauges and found out that Auto Meter’s Boost Pressure Gauge is one of the industry’s standard and the most reliable gauges on the market for your truck. This means under ideal conditions tracking your boost pressure will be accurate. For example, going up a grade your boost pressure will begin to increase to maximum pressure with the throttle at 100%. This will inform you that your turbo is operating properly.

You make be wondering what a boost gauge is or what it does. According to eHow, “since forced air induction engines rely on injection of compressed air into the vehicles combustion chamber, and compressed air exists at a higher pressure than normal ambient air, boost gauges simply measure the pressure of the air flowing into the vehicle's combustion chamber. This function is achieved by running a small airtight tube from the gauge to the engine's intake manifold; the tube allows a very small amount of air to flow from the manifold into the gauge where the air pressure physically moves the gauge needle.”

You can read more about this here http://www.ehow.com/how-does_5019019_boost-gauge-work.html

So what exactly does the OTR Performance Turbo Boost Gauge do? The Turbo Boost Gauge tells you how your turbo system is performing by reading the boost pressure from the intake system. This will allow you to verify any issues that might arise, which include turbo system and any related fault codes that limit your power. Moreover, if your boost pressure gauge does not increase as you apply more throttle it is because there is either a boost leak or a turbo charger problem. The OTR Performance boost pressure tester can tell you what the problem is.

Give us a call regarding any questions you may have and we will be happy to help you. Also, let us know if you have installed the OTR Performance Turbo Boost Gauge and how it is working. We take each customer’s comments and opinions very seriously.

Trucking: What To Do When It's Below Zero

In this blog we bring to attention some tips and tricks to keep your truck warm, have a quick start in those freezing cold months, and keeping your truck well maintained during freezing temperatures.

Winters are tough for over the road trucks and all truckers alike. Whether living in Northern America or Middle America, truckers are bound to hit cold weather regardless of where they are located. This is why it is important to understand the need to keep your truck prepared for cold weather and what to do when your route takes you through sub-zero conditions.

In this blog we will explain some tips and tricks to keep your truck warm, have a quick start, and keeping your truck well maintained during freezing temperatures. Most by now, have a system starting their cold truck. However, it never hurts to discover new and old alternatives and maybe pick up on something you have never tried before.

First, there are multiple ways in keeping your engine warm. Block heaters, battery warmers, and oil warmers are a few ways to maintain your engine’s temperature. However, it can get expensive especially if you are a local owner/operator that plugs their heaters in their home outlet to draw power. It can be beneficial to get only one of these to start off. 

Having a quick start is not easy to achieve with trucks that have been sitting in the cold over night. Drivers have to watch the type of diesel they fill up with to overcome clumping. Read more about winter and summer blend diesel fuels here. A good tip is to drain your air-tanks and fuel water separators the day or night before. This is a good precaution due to dropping temperatures because water condenses in fuel tanks and increases the likelihood of filter/heater unit to freeze. Also, it is advised that you use a small micron fuel filter, as this is 
the only protection the engine has against fuel contaminants.

Lastly, pay attention to the fuel you fill up with. Many gas stations are equipped with hydrosorb filters. These filters remove water before it gets into your tank preventing any possibilities of freezing.

Some things are easier done than others. However, implementing some of the tips provided may help your truck be up and running faster, which may help you make an on-time delivery. 

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Sources:

Sokolis, G. December 2012. 8 Ways to Make Sure Your Diesel Fuel and More are Ready for Winter. Truckinginfo.com. http://truckinginfo.com/article/print/story/2012/12/8-ways-to-make-sure-your-diesel-fuel-and-more-are-ready-for-winter.aspx

Military.com 2014. Getting Diesel Engines started on a Frosty Morning. http://www.military.com/off-duty/autos/getting-diesel-engines-started-on-a-frosty-morning.html 

Spring Clean Your Truck

Spring has arrived! Here are a few products that we recommend to check out for your ideal spring-cleaning. Some are maintenance parts and some involve the over all safety of driving. Whatever the need it’s recommended to at least check to see if certain parts need to be replaced. 

It is not new that a truck needs a close eye on maintenance when the spring season comes along. Many aspects of a truck that need to be changed or upgraded regularly are often forgotten or just pushed off during the winter months. For example, a basic cabin air filter is one item on the truck that’s often not changed regularly. In this post we hope to explain some of the products that could need replacing as winter ends. 

We have found three items that are often in need of replacing as winter comes to an end. Cabin air filter, performance air filter and the suspension-leveling valve prove to be in need of attention as spring approaches.

The first item on our list is the cabin air filter. Do you have allergies? This is a simple and inexpensive fix that can improve the quality of the trucks cabin air. Cabin air mainly fixes the issue with fatigue and nasty odors in the cab.  Another benefit of replacing your cabin air filter is to remove pollen and dust from the cab. The cabin air filter will be beneficial to your health.

Click here to View.

Second is the performance air filter. This filter is meant to increase the way your engine breathes. A filter, such as the performance air filter, will enhance your performance and at the same time the cleanliness of your engine. Every year your filter needs to be checked or replaced due to the road condition during winter months. This performance filter is a washable filter and is lifetime guarantee to last on your truck.

Click here to View.

Finally, the suspension-leveling valve should always checked. Remember to keep an eye on this part as often times leveling valves can fail transitioning from cold to warmer climate. During the winter your driveline angle on your truck is the most important factors that if not angled properly will cause transmission differential and suspension issues. Checking your driveline angle (suspension valve) is key in making sure your truck is ready for the spring.

Click here to View.

As mentioned above the transition from winter and spring can be a matter of health and safety. Taking care of small, inexpensive parts to improve your truck’s overall safety have a way of paying back for itself. 

AC Maintenence 5-Part Series

The 5-Part Series on A/C components special. Videos will be up on Youtube.com/OTRPerformance. Check back with us regularly or subscribe to the youtube channel.

A/C being such a major system of a truck, the following few entries will dive deep into diagnosing, checking and testing your trucks A/C System.

In our first series of videos and blogs we will discuss each part and component of an A/C system.

Basic Components of an A/C system. WATCH: Part 1
We will go through properly diagnosing a faulty A/C system.

How to check for A/C leaks. WATCH: Part 2
We will show you how to put dye in your A/C to trace leaks and we will show you the common areas of leaks.

How to replace your cabin and bunk pollen air filter and where it is located.
Step-by-step explanation. WATCH: Part 3

How to diagnose your blower motor control unit. WATCH: Part 4
Check for faults and how to test your system for any common issues.

How to diagnose and replace your A/C compressor.
Step-by-step explanation. WATCH: Part 5

A big part of having a well functioning A/C system is making sure you are maintaining it yearly.

Subscribe to our Youtube channel to view all five (5) videos!

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Winter vs Diesel Blend Fuel

Differences in winter blend diesel fuel and summer blend diesel fuel goes back to almost 100 years of improvements. Though we can’t explain year-by-year we narrowed it down to three different factors. The first is its chemical structure and how it’s made up. Second, how on and off-road vehicles affected the development of diesel and third are its efficiency in winter months.

In the mid 1920s, during the industrial revolution the vehicles and machines responsible for manufacturing everything needed something that can power them quickly. Diesel soon became the liquid that on and off-road vehicles would use to power its machines.

Our first difference is diesel fuel’s chemical structure. Diesel back in the 1920s used to be way different that it is today. You can certainly say it is much more environmentally friendly, to say the least it’s 100 times more environmentally friendly. 

Originally, Diesel when introduced had very high-sulfur fuel. This was due to its need to lubricate the machines while making them run. Fast forward 80 years diesel has been regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and is now much cleaner with its ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD) standards. Meaning, vehicles running today have very little sulfur content in its chemical structure. However, this was different for on road and off-road vehicles up until 2006.

In 2006, on road vehicles were required to have ULSD and off-road to have low sulfur diesel. This made the possibility for vehicles such as tractors to still use the benefits of diesel with higher sulfur content. However since 2011, all on or off-road diesel vehicles are required by the EPA to have ULSD operating their vehicles. Good news for the environment but the efficiency comes with a price. 

The introduction of ULSD meant changing the structure of diesel to make it run during the summer and winter months. 

Being ULSD brings us to our last point and that is its ability to keep diesel liquid in colder temperatures. Sulfur being out of the equation without proper additive during cold temperatures ULSD tends to gel making it difficult to start a diesel engine in the winter months. Manufactures have developed various additives to offset the change in diesel fuel. As future development is constantly improved diesel fuel will remain lower sulfur for a long time.

In conclusion, the three main things different in diesel fuel during the winter and summer changes are the progression of chemical structures, the on road and off-road use of diesel and the ability of diesel fuel to remain liquid in colder temperatures. Just remember during the winter months if you use ULSD in your truck, add some diesel additive. Doing so, will make those cold mornings less of a headache.