april2021 - 18

IN THE BAY
GREMLINS A
How to combat electrical
issues on modern trucks
New technology on trucks is creating new challenges
for proper electrical system maintenance.
Here's how to stay ahead of the curve.
by James Alfred
[ BATTERY & ELECTRICAL ]
D
uring World War II, U.S. aircrews coined the term " Gremlin "
to describe random, untraceable technical issues that arose
on their airplanes - problems that were very often electrical
in nature and exasperated by the extreme temperature and
environmental conditions the aircraft performed in.
Sound familiar? Well, thankfully, the risks involved in
trucking are considerably less than onboard a military
aircraft; getting out of a stricken vehicle doesn't involve a
parachute, for one thing. But fleet technicians today can
surely relate with those 1940s aircrews when it comes to
chasing down ghosts and gremlins in modern electronic
systems on vehicles.
Electrical issues have been giving truck technicians sleepless
nights ever since the first magnetos and primitive wiring
harnesses were run through a chassis to provide power for
lights, instruments, and other vehicle systems. Today, with
trucking in the midst of an accelerating technological revolution
centered on ultra-fast, highly complex electronics, the
nature of electrical system maintenance is undergoing its
own transformation. And while truck electronics systems
are becoming increasingly critical for vehicle uptime, they
don't seem to be getting any easier to troubleshoot and repair.
Getting past the pain points
" Electronics have always been a pain point for fleet maintenance
professionals, " says Kristi LaPage, business manager, commercial
vehicle group, Mitchell 1. " To a large extent, the electrical
system has always been the nervous system of a vehicle. And
they've always been complex and difficult to work on. Although
we've seen a lot of advances in electronics troubleshooting over
the past several years, the reality is that these systems will
always be a time-consuming problem for most fleets. "
As vital as electrical systems are in our society, the simple
fact is they do not do well in the harsh work conditions
commercial vehicles are forced to endure. Electrical systems,
wiring, conductors, and connectors do not like excessively
hot or cold temperatures. They don't like the elements. And
they don't like vibrations. Their necessarily delicate protective
casings often allow water, dirt, grease, soot, and other contaminants
in, which quickly leads to failure. And despite countless
efforts to design and deploy wiring that can withstand these
harsh operational realities, the fact remains that electronics
are a vital, yet unbelievably delicate and temperamental operational
system on vehicles that work in some of the toughest,
and most unforgiving conditions on earth.
" Although we've seen a lot of advances in
electronics troubleshooting over the past several
years, the reality is that these systems will always
be a time-consuming problem for most fleets. "
Kristi LaPage, business manager, commercial vehicle group, Mitchell 1
18 Fleet Maintenance | April 2021
»With trucking amidst a
technological revolution
centered on complex
electronics, electrical system
maintenance is undergoing
its own transformation.
144722867 | Psisaa | Dreamstime
april2021

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