 The front-end loader plays a critical role in road maintenance activities, and without it, work can come to a complete stop. A skillful operator and a well-maintained loader can increase job productivity. Helping to keep your equipment working at its best means following your daily operator maintenance procedures. Following these procedures will provide efficient performance over a longer period and extend the service life of the equipment. Each agency has their own specific maintenance checks. It's your responsibility to ensure that they are followed on your machine. This videotape will show you the correct procedures for operator daily maintenance on front-end wheel loaders. By using a check-off list, you can divide your checks into four groups of activities. These activities are the pre-start check, the equipment warm-up check, the daily operation check, and the shutdown check. If during these activities problems are discovered, follow your local guidelines to determine corrective procedures. Follow along as our operator begins with the first activity. The first activity consists of the pre-start check. This is a walk-around inspection for damaged or worn parts, fluid leaks, and the engine's air filter system. It also includes checking the equipment's fluid levels. Starting with the tires, make sure they are properly inflated. Maintaining the correct air pressure helps provide maximum tire service life. Also look at your tires for excessive wear, cuts, and sidewall damage. If your equipment is fitted with directional tread tires, make sure they are mounted correctly. With the operator standing at the front of the front-end loader, all tires should be mounted with the point of the V pointed toward the ground. Tires mounted in this manner will provide maximum traction when loading the bucket with material. Now that you have checked the tires, you can look for loose or worn parts. Give special attention to the bucket's cutting edge. This is where the majority of wear takes place and should be inspected daily. If your bucket is equipped with teeth, they should also be inspected. If the cutting edge is worn back to the bucket or any teeth are broken, notify your supervisor. The next inspection during the pre-start check is to look for fluid leaks. Fluid leaks will affect the safe operation of your equipment. Leakage can often be found by looking on the ground under the front-end loader. If you see any wet spots or stains, look above the spot to find the source of the leak. Hydraulic brake fluid leaks may be found by looking at or feeling the inside of the wheels. Look for hydraulic oil leaks at the bucket lift and tilt cylinders. Hydraulic leaks are most likely found at the cylinder seals or at the hose connections. Fuel and oil leaks may occur at the filter bowl seals or at connections. Feel the bottom of the oil and fuel filter bowls to see if there is any fluid running down the side of the bowls. Coolant leaks may be caused by loose hoses or a damaged radiator. As part of the pre-start check, you need to inspect the engine's air filter system. Your loader may be equipped with a pre-cleaner. Let us begin with this inspection. If dust or other material has accumulated in the bowl, clean it. Dump out the dirt and wipe the bowl with a clean rag. Be careful if the pre-cleaner is plastic. It can crack or break if you hit it against a hard surface. Daily cleaning of the pre-filter will greatly reduce clogging of the air filter elements. After this has been done, you should check the air filter. The air filter has an indicator. The indicator warns you when to replace the air filter element. When the indicator shows red, the operator should replace the air cleaner element. If no new elements are available, you can clean the old element in the following manner. To clean a dirty element, remove it and tap the element with the palm of your hand. This should remove most of the dust. Don't pound it on a hard surface. It could damage the element. If tapping does not clean the filter sufficiently, use compressed air if available. Directing the air up and down the pleats and blowing from inside to outside will help to clean the filter element. You can check to see if the element is clean by placing a light bulb inside and viewing the penetration of light through the pleated paper. If a light is not available, hold the element toward the sun and view the penetration of sunlight passing through the pleated paper from the outside of the element to the inside. After the filter is clean, reinstall the element, making sure that the housing is correctly sealed. This will ensure proper air filtration for the engine. Never operate the engine without the filter in place. This can cause extensive engine damage. Now that we have inspected the front-end loader's air intake system, we must be certain that the fluids are at the correct operating levels. Start at the engine. You should make sure that the oil is at the proper level on the dipstick. If the oil is below the mark, do not run the engine until the proper type and amount of oil is added. The fan will control the temperature of the engine. Proper operation of the fan depends on the fan belts. Hand test the fan belts for tautness and examine the belts for wear. You should also look at the engine coolant. Make sure that the fluid in the radiator is at the level required for your particular machine, as specified by your supervisor. Add more coolant if needed. It is good practice not to perform this check if the engine has recently been operated, since the coolant might be under pressure. This pressure, if released by removing the cap, could cause serious injury to you. Look at the fluid level in the hydraulic oil tank. A dipstick or a sight gauge is provided for this inspection. In this case, it is a sight gauge. Hydraulic fluid is necessary for the proper handling of the front-end loader. It is also necessary for the proper operation of the bucket. And hydraulic fluid if necessary. Important additional inspections are at the battery. If needed, fill each cell to just above the top of the battery plates with clear distilled water. Never fill battery cells to the top of the filler neck. A word of caution. Batteries give off explosive gas. Therefore, no open flame or smoking should be permitted around the battery. Follow your local guidelines when working with batteries. Make sure the battery is securely fastened down. Inspect the battery cables, clamps and connections for tightness and corrosion. Now that you've checked the levels in the fluid systems, you will need to drain condensation and sediment from the fuel tank. To do this, a drain cock is provided at the bottom of the fuel tank. Open the drain until all condensation and sediment have been removed. Never perform this inspection while smoking or with an open flame in the area. Now, for your last pre-start check, record your hour meter reading. The hours registered will determine when you need to notify your supervisor that periodic maintenance of the front-end loader is needed. Before we go on to the next set of checks, you may wish to stop the videotape at this point and review the pre-start inspection steps. In the last segment, we finished our pre-start check. Now let's go on to the second activity, the equipment warm-up check. The equipment warm-up check helps you determine if the loader is operating properly before you leave the parking area. Before starting the engine, be sure all persons are clear of the loader. All control levers are in the neutral position. The parking brake is on and the bucket is grounded. Now, start your engine. Let the engine warm up for 5 to 10 minutes, even in hot weather. This allows the oil pressure to build up and lubricate all the moving parts of the engine. It also allows the cooling system to reach its operating temperatures. If your equipment uses air pressure, this warm-up will allow the air compressor to build up pressure in the air tank. Listen to your engine. If you hear anything unusual, shut the loader down and call your supervisor. The panel gauges give information about the engine operation. Look at these gauges to make sure they are operating in their normal ranges. Does the app meter read positive? Is the oil pressure in the safe zone? Is the fuel tank gauge functioning? Is the tank full? Is the temperature gauge reading in the safety zone? If your loader is equipped with additional gauges, these should also be checked to verify their operation. Before making any additional checks, be sure that anyone in the area is a safe distance from the machine. First, lift the bucket from the rest position. While doing this, you can also check the bucket's performance. Move the bucket through a normal series of operations. Does the bucket raise and tilt normally? Do the pistons extend smoothly, allowing full bucket extension? These movements are important during daily use. An additional part of the hydraulic system is the steering. Does it have a smooth and even movement in response to your controls? For our last warm-up check, test the brakes before starting out. Release the parking brake, put the front end loader in motion, then apply the foot brake. Your brakes should feel solid. If they do not hold, or if they need to be pumped, shut down your equipment and notify your supervisor immediately. All of these pre-start and warm-up checks are critical to safe and efficient equipment operation. Don't leave the parking area until the list has been completed and all checks have proven satisfactory. The third operator maintenance activity, the daily operation check, is carried out while the loader is working. During these operations, you should monitor your equipment's performance. Specifically, listen for unusual noises. Check your gauges and be aware of changes in the performance of your equipment. We can look at these individually. Listen for unusual engine and equipment noises. These noises warn us of problems that could damage the front end loader. Look at your gauges during operations. If any gauge reads in the danger zone, shut down the loader and check the system. Be aware of any changes in your equipment's performance and report them to your supervisor. The fourth and last daily maintenance activity will be your shutdown check. The shutdown check helps prepare your loader for the following workday. If your agency provides a fueling station, pull in there and fill your tank. Filling your equipment's fuel tank is a good maintenance practice. It minimizes the water condensation. When refueling, be sure all equipment is clean. This prevents any contaminants from entering the fuel tank. Since these are flammable liquids, do not smoke or have an open flame in the area. Many agencies have designated cleaning areas for their equipment. If one is available, drive to this area and clean away any excess dirt or material from your loader. After the cleaning has been finished, find a level area to park your equipment. Rest the hydraulic bucket on the ground. And set the parking brake. This secures your equipment and prevents injury to anyone tampering with the machine while it's parked. Now let the engine idle for approximately 5 minutes before shutting down. This reduces the pressures in your hydraulic system that could cause leaks or damages to the seals or hoses. After the engine has been turned off, record the time registered on the hour meter against the time recorded at start-up. This is important in keeping a record for your equipment's periodic preventive maintenance. Now, using a grease gun, grease your mechanical joints. Proper lubrication extends the operating life of your front-end loader. Follow guidelines for proper lubrication procedures. One way to make it easier for you to identify the daily lubrication points is to have them marked. If your water pump is equipped with a grease fitting, don't forget to grease the water pump shaft. That completes the detailed description of the four major daily operator maintenance activities. Now let's review each activity once more. The first activity is the pre-start check. This is a walk-around inspection. Look for damaged or worn parts, such as bucket, cutting edge, teeth, or tires. Check for fluid leaks from the lubrication, cooling, hydraulic, fuel, and brake systems. After inspecting for leaks, you should check the engine air filter system. Also check the fluid level in the engine, radiator, battery, and hydraulic tank. Finally, drain the fuel tank of dirt and condensation. The second activity is the equipment warm-up check. This is made from inside the cab while the engine is warming up. Be sure to read the gauges. Listen for unusual noises. Test the hydraulic system before leaving the parking area. The third activity is the daily operation check. Operating checks during the workday include reading gauges frequently, listening for unusual noises, and being aware of changes in the performance of the equipment. The fourth and last activity is the shutdown check. Fill the fuel tank. Clean away dirt and debris. Park the loader on a level surface. Rest the bucket on the ground. Set the parking brake. Idol the engine for approximately five minutes prior to shutdown. Record your hour meter reading. And grease all mechanical joints. These procedures are general and may be modified to meet the individual requirements of your agency. There may also be additional safety inspections required. Check your operator maintenance guidelines. This concludes the program on front-end loader operator daily maintenance. Following these procedures will help ensure that your front-end loader is properly maintained and stays in good operating condition.