Winter Forklift Start-up and Antifreeze Skills: Fuel Grade Selection for Internal Combustion Vehicles and Battery Insulation Methods for Electric Vehicles

Low-temperature weather in winter poses a severe test to the operating performance of forklifts. Low temperatures are likely to cause problems such as difficulty in starting internal combustion forklifts, fuel waxing, reduced battery capacity and shortened range of electric forklifts, directly affecting operational efficiency and equipment life. According to industry operation and maintenance data, the incidence of forklift failures in winter is more than 50% higher than that in normal temperature seasons, of which start-up failures and component damage caused by low temperatures account for more than 70%. Combined with the characteristics of winter operations and daily forklift maintenance requirements, this article sorts out practical winter forklift start-up and antifreeze skills, focusing on fuel grade selection for internal combustion vehicles and battery insulation methods for electric vehicles, to help enterprises solve winter operation and maintenance problems and ensure stable and safe operation of equipment.

The impact of low winter temperatures on forklifts is targeted: for internal combustion forklifts, low temperatures will reduce fuel fluidity and increase oil viscosity, which not only increases engine start-up resistance, but also may cause faults such as fuel line waxing and oil circuit blockage; for electric forklifts, low temperatures will significantly inhibit battery activity, leading to decreased charge and discharge efficiency, sudden reduction in range, and even failure to start normally in severe cases. However, some enterprises lack winter-specific operation and maintenance experience and fail to take targeted antifreeze measures, such as using fuel with incorrect grades for internal combustion vehicles and ignoring battery insulation for electric vehicles. They often passively maintain after equipment failures, which not only increases maintenance costs but also delays the operation progress. Professional equipment operation and maintenance engineers emphasize that winter forklift operation and maintenance need to predict in advance and implement precise measures, focusing on two cores: "start-up guarantee" and "antifreeze protection", among which fuel grade selection for internal combustion vehicles and battery insulation for electric vehicles are key breakthroughs.

1. Internal Combustion Forklifts: Scientifically Select Fuel Grade to Ensure Smooth Start-up and Safety of Fuel System. Fuel grade directly determines the low-temperature fluidity of fuel, which is the basis for the smooth start-up of internal combustion forklifts in winter. The selection of fuel grade must strictly follow the principle of "adjusting according to local conditions and temperature changes": first, accurately match the grade according to the minimum local temperature. In severe cold areas in northern China (minimum temperature below -20℃), it is recommended to use -35 or -50 diesel, which has strong low-temperature fluidity and is not easy to wax; in moderately cold areas such as North China and Huanghuai (minimum temperature between -10℃ and -20℃), -20 diesel can be used; in warmer winter areas in southern China (minimum temperature above -10℃), 0 diesel is sufficient. Second, take auxiliary fuel antifreeze measures. If the suitable grade fuel cannot be replaced in the short term, an appropriate amount of diesel anti-coagulant can be added to the existing fuel to improve fuel low-temperature fluidity, but attention should be paid to the proportion of anti-coagulant to avoid excessive impact on fuel combustion efficiency; before starting every day, the fuel line can be preheated (some models are equipped with preheating function) to remove possible wax deposits in the line and ensure smooth oil flow. In addition, regularly check the fuel filter and replace the blocked filter element in time to avoid oil circuit blockage caused by impurities and wax deposits, affecting start-up.

2. Electric Forklifts: Precisely Insulate Batteries to Maintain Activity and Ensure Range and Start-up. The battery is the core power source of electric forklifts, and the insulation work in low winter temperatures directly determines battery performance and start-up status. Battery insulation for different types of electric forklifts requires targeted measures: for lead-acid battery forklifts, after daily operation, the forklift should be parked in a warm indoor environment (temperature maintained above 5℃) to avoid long-term exposure of the battery to low temperatures; when charging, ensure that the charging environment temperature is not lower than 10℃. Before charging in a low-temperature environment, the battery can be preheated indoors for more than 30 minutes to improve charging efficiency; regularly check the tightness of the battery case to prevent cold air from entering the battery and affecting insulation, and clean the dust on the battery surface to ensure smooth heat dissipation channels (heat generated during charging needs to be dissipated in time). For lithium battery forklifts, in addition to good environmental insulation, it is necessary to focus on checking the low-temperature protection function of the Battery Management System (BMS) to ensure that it can automatically adjust charge and discharge parameters and avoid over-discharge of the battery; in some severe cold areas, a professional insulation cover or insulation box can be installed for the battery to reduce heat loss. If the forklift is equipped with a battery heating function, it is necessary to test whether the function is normal in advance, and the preheating mode can be turned on to increase the battery temperature before starting. In addition, electric forklifts should avoid long-term idleness in winter. If idleness is necessary, ensure that the battery power is between 50% and 70%, and recharge every 15-20 days to maintain battery activity and avoid permanent battery damage caused by low-temperature power loss.

In addition to the core fuel selection and battery insulation, forklifts also need comprehensive antifreeze protection in winter: regularly check the engine coolant to ensure that its freezing point meets the requirements of the local minimum temperature. If the freezing point is insufficient, replace the antifreeze with a suitable model in time to avoid freezing and cracking of components in the cooling system; check the oil viscosity and replace it with special low-viscosity oil for winter to reduce engine start-up resistance; electric forklifts also need to check line interfaces, clean frost and dust at the interfaces, and apply special conductive paste to prevent interface oxidation and poor contact affecting start-up; after starting every day, do not carry out heavy-load operations immediately. Instead, perform idling preheating (for internal combustion vehicles) or low-speed driving preheating (for electric vehicles) for 5-10 minutes to allow all components of the equipment to gradually adapt to the low-temperature environment before putting into formal operations.

Professional personnel remind that enterprises should establish a special winter forklift operation and maintenance account, record fuel replacement, battery insulation, implementation of antifreeze measures, etc., regularly conduct comprehensive inspections of equipment, and timely find and deal with potential hazards caused by low temperatures. At the same time, strengthen operator training on winter operations to enable them to master correct start-up procedures and antifreeze maintenance skills, such as preheating steps for internal combustion vehicles and precautions for battery insulation of electric vehicles. Through scientific and standardized winter operation and maintenance measures, the incidence of forklift failures can be effectively reduced, the service life of equipment can be extended, and the efficient and orderly conduct of winter operations can be guaranteed.