There comes a time in every hydraulic system’s life when it’s just been through too much. You’ve reached the end of our Hydraulic Troubleshooting Guide because you’ve tried everything you possibly could:

• Your Hydraulic Oil Levels haven’t suffered
• Your Hydraulic Filters aren’t old or damaged
• And, you’ve considered the possibility of Air Contamination

Now you find yourself here, at the end of the line – wondering whether you can do anything to improve your system’s condition before it drops off into the red. Well, at this point, there is both good news and bad news. The bad news is your personal margin of error is very, very high at this stage of the process. Without several years of experience in the hydraulic repair business, chances are that any further action you take will do more harm to your system than good. That’s okay though, the good news is – you have us. And we can certainly help.

Before you bring the system in to be repaired (or call us up to come to you) there are a few questions you should be prepared to answer. The longer and more detailed the answers to these, the faster and better we’ll be able to solve your issue. So listen carefully!

Are there any visible leaks?

This is the big one. Knowing the general location of a leak helps us locate the specific problem once we are inside the system. Granted, it isn’t certain that your system is suffering from a leak – but you can never be too careful. Jot down the location of any leaks, the severity of the leaks, and the approximate duration of the leaks. If you aren’t certain how long the leaks have been on-going, don’t worry about the duration; it isn’t necessary.

Any strange sounds?

You’d be surprised how effective sound can be for troubleshooting hydraulic systems. We aren’t talking about creaks and squeaks (those are always going to happen) but loud hums, rumbles, clicks, or knocks are generally indicators of something wrong with the system. It’s great to know which parts of the machine are making odd noises during the repair process – it can help us locate structural disrepair or internal leakage. If you can’t figure out where the sounds are coming from, go ahead and write down the sounds themselves. That alone should speed up the repair process.

Any recent repair work?

We don’t doubt the qualifications of whoever did repairs on your system before you came to us, but it’s always good practice to keep a report on recent repairs and issues. Chances are, your current problem is related to your previous problem. There is also the possibility that your previous repair work is the direct cause of your current issue. This can happen even with professional repair – so it isn’t as uncommon as you might think. Listing any current minor issues (which don’t require repair) would be helpful as well. It’ll help narrow down the cause of your issue in the shop.

How much are you willing to spend?

This often makes or breaks deals in the hydraulic repair business. Some jobs are so extensive that it’s cheaper (and safer) to invest in a new part rather than attempt a fix an older one. We’ll have no problem letting you know which is most cost effective and timely – after all, we enjoy the luxury of offering hydraulic repair alongside new hydraulic parts. Still, keep a ballpark figure in mind when you come in for a repair. We are willing and able to accommodate budgetary concerns (within reason).

Approach us for a repair with these things on hand and you’ll be one step closer to walking out the door with a functional hydraulic system. We meet or exceed repair times 80% of the time, so chances are we’ll get you out before you’re expecting to.

Thanks for sticking with us all the way through this guide.

Hope to work with you soon.