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If your forklift is not starting, then there could be several reasons for it and not all of them spell the demise of your forklift truck. Many are fixable and even avoidable with the right amount of maintenance and looking after.
It can be damaging for your warehousing and distribution business to go without the equipment needed to make short work of your operations. Downtime isn’t something a warehouse owner wants to experience and so any issues need to be ironed out. But why isn’t your forklift starting? Here are a few of those reasons:
An alert code might be showing
An alert code can indicate where the issue lies in your forklift and why it might not be starting. From battery issues and start codes to cold temperatures and spark plugs, an alert code could point the operator in the right direction by way of pinpointing the problem. If the issue is found, it might be rectifiable thus saving you the cost of a new forklift or even a new fleet of forklifts.
There could be some issues with the battery
If you’re turning the ignition and the engine doesn’t make the expected sound (only a clicking noise), then it’s highly-likely the problem lies with the battery. It can be affected by something as simply as cold temperatures or that it’s simply old and is in need of replacement. It would be worth checking it for corrosion also. Some other battery issues include the following:
The battery might not be plugged in
It might seem like an obvious reason for a forklift start-up to fail, but it’s actually something that’s easily done. Although the battery might look as though it’s in the right place, it may not be plugged in. Make sure you check this before calling out an engineer to help you. It would be worth checking whether it’s been entirely unplugged or if it’s simply come loose.
The battery may not have charged
We do this all the time. Whether it’s our mobile phones or heavy-duty forklifts, we may have thought we plugged them in to charge when, actually, we didn’t. This is a common reason for why electric forklifts might not start. However, it could be that your power supply failed, for whatever reason. It’s a good idea to check this and ask a professional to come and inspect your electricity supply for any issues that may run deeper.
Does the operator have the right start code?
Sometimes, it is necessary to restrict access to the forklift trucks using electronic keys and access codes. Access is then granted to the appropriate employees once they’re provided with the information required to give them such access. If they’re new to the site, then this information might have been forgotten. Be sure to provide them with the information again and check that they can start the machine up using that.
It could be impacted by cold temperatures
LPG forklifts and electric forklifts are most likely to be affected by the cold temperatures. If they’re stored in particularly low temperatures then it can thicken the battery electrolyte which will then cause the battery in an electric forklift to fail.
With LPG forklifts, cold temperatures can weaken the battery and fuel regulators might freeze over too, if it’s cold enough. You might also find that some propane-powered forklifts might need to warm up a little first before the engine will eventually start again, so give it some time.
The emergency power-off might have been hit
All forklifts are fitted with emergency stop buttons by default. If it was activated, for whatever reason, the last time the forklift was being used then it might hinder it from starting up again next time. This is because the emergency power-off might need to be deactivated – simple as that. It might have also been hit by accident by one of your operators without releasing so don’t rule it out as a probable cause.
If it’s fuel-powered, it might have been sat idle for too long
Forklifts with combustible engines can cause problems when left in the tank for a long time. It can also mean trouble for the oil that runs through the machine so it’s important that you check the oil levels as well as the fuel in the tank.
Have you suffered a power outage recently?
Power cuts aren’t a common occurrence these days, but they can happen. No matter the reason for a power outage, it can cause disruption. Therefore, it’s worth checking if there’s any problems with the electricity supply because it might have affected how well your electric forklift has charged and if it managed to charge at all.
There could be a problem with the spark plugs
Spark plugs are a common reason why forklifts might not start up. If you find forklifts failing to power up is a common occurrence, then it might be worth buying a spark tester in order to test how strong the spark actually is. It might be that there’s not enough of one to start the engine. So, if it’s weak and yellow, then the spark plug will need to be replaced. A solid blue spark constitutes a good one.
There are other parts of the ignition system that might need to be tested if the spark plugs seem to be in good condition. This includes the condenser, the rotor and also the coil wires. If you find that any of these parts and components are damaged then they’ll need to be replaced. Good and regular maintenance can mitigate the problem altogether as wear and tear will be noticed and rectified before any serious problems can occur.
Multy Lift are proud to have supplied high-quality material handling equipment to customers throughout the UK for three decades. We continue to supply our valued customers, both new and returning, with either new or second-hand forklifts, reach trucks, order pickers, pallet trucks and more. For more information about how we can help you today, get in touch with a member of our expert team today – we’re always happy to help you.
