{"id":3225,"date":"2022-06-16T08:00:17","date_gmt":"2022-06-16T13:00:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.usedvending.com\/blog\/?p=3225"},"modified":"2022-06-15T06:44:09","modified_gmt":"2022-06-15T11:44:09","slug":"semi-truck-safe-drive","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.usedvending.com\/blog\/semi-truck-safe-drive\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Tell Your Semi Truck is No Longer Safe to Drive"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s true that big rigs are typically built to take a beating and still run fairly well, no matter what make and model. Because of this, some semi-trucks are still safe to drive even when they\u2019re at least a decade old. That is, if they\u2019re taken care of and the owners remember to follow the recommended maintenance schedule and make sure to replace parts that are worn out or broken.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That\u2019s why it\u2019s important that you ask about such things when you buy a used truck, since how well it was taken care of will affect your final decision. Other things to consider include <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.usedvending.com\/blog\/low-vs-high-mileage-trucks\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">low mileage versus high mileage<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the relative age of the truck, and any features you\u2019re after. But since you\u2019re dealing with a used truck, you need to be careful about pushing the limits too much. Here are a few things to look out for that will tell you your semi-truck is no longer safe to drive.<\/span><\/p>\n<div style=\"border: 3px solid; padding: 10px; width: 100%; border-radius: 25px; border-color: #F4A70F; color: #007bff;\">\n<strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #007bff;\">What&#8217;s Inside<\/p>\n<p><\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a style=\"text-decoration: none;\" href=\"#signs\">5 Signs Your Semi Truck\u00a0is No Longer Safe to Drive<\/a><\/li>\n<ul>\n<li><a style=\"text-decoration: none;\" href=\"#power\">Lack of Engine Power<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a style=\"text-decoration: none;\" href=\"#exhaust\">Excessive Exhaust<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a style=\"text-decoration: none;\" href=\"#noises\">Unusual Engine Noises<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a style=\"text-decoration: none;\" href=\"#brakes\">Hazardous Brakes<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a style=\"text-decoration: none;\" href=\"#oil\">An Increase in Use of Oil and Gas<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p><b><\/b><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"signs\"><strong>5 Signs Your Semi Truck\u00a0is No Longer Safe to Drive<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><b><\/b><\/p>\n<h3 id=\"power\">Lack of Engine Power<\/h3>\n<p><b><\/b><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Truck engines are powerful, but even the sturdiest of engines will weaken over time. A lack of engine power can show up in several ways, such as the semi-truck not pulling the same way it used to. Or perhaps there\u2019s something off about the engine\u2019s sound, or the top speed isn\u2019t what it was before. If you find any and all of these to be true, then it\u2019s possible there\u2019s been a loss of cylinder compression. Other causes of a weakening engine include old piston rings, head gasket, or valves.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If a truck\u2019s engine is significantly weaker than it used to be, then it follows that the truck itself won\u2019t be up to its usual workload. The danger, then, comes from when drivers force the truck to work as much as used to, which can lead to accidents.<\/span><br \/>\n<b><\/b><\/p>\n<h3 id=\"exhaust\">Excessive Exhaust<\/h3>\n<p><b><\/b><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Exhaust is a normal part of truck operation, but sometimes there\u2019s too much of it. Typically, wear and tear on pistol liners or problems with the steel ring will lead to more unburnt fuel and even smoke going into the crankcase. So fixing those problems often takes care of that particular exhaust problem. However, a point will come where even regular maintenance can\u2019t fix the issue, and you\u2019ll either see a lot of exhaust coming out of your truck, or the exhaust is too dark.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When this happens, your engine isn\u2019t as efficient as it used to be, which can in turn lead to a loss of engine power.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"uv-lst\" data-category=\"125\" data-count=\"6\" data-type=\"new\"> <\/div>\n<h3 id=\"noises\">Unusual Engine Noises<\/h3>\n<p><b><\/b><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s true that you can usually hear your engine, but the sound should be closer to a rumble or a hum. In that case, the engine sound usually fades into the background. That\u2019s why you should pay attention if the truck\u2019s engine sounds louder than it usually is,\u00a0 or if there\u2019s something else that\u2019s different about it, such as a loud knocking that wasn\u2019t there previously.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are times where oil contamination or wrong combustion timing is to blame for the knocking sound. Damaged liner seals, piston skirts, and main bearings can also cause a similar knocking.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Given that, it\u2019s important that you get your semi-truck checked. That way, the mechanic can determine the cause and recommend a solution. Any major issues with the engine and it\u2019s highly possible that your truck will no longer be safe to drive.<\/span><br \/>\n<b><\/b><\/p>\n<h3 id=\"breaks\">Hazardous Brakes<\/h3>\n<p><b><\/b><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There\u2019s no question that all vehicles should have working brakes, and that they\u2019re among the first things a driver should check before heading out for the day. This is doubly important for big rigs, because a semi-truck barreling down the highway could deal more damage than a small sedan if the brakes give out.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019ve noticed that you\u2019re holding your breath every time you have to drive down a steep road, there\u2019s something affecting your brakes. Constantly repairing the brakes will eventually become less cost-effective, and in that case, it\u2019s best to retire the truck than continue using it, given how much of a safety hazard on wheels it could be at that point. The same goes for if you try and have the proper repairs done, but they seem to have no effect on how well the brakes work.<\/span><br \/>\n<b><\/b><\/p>\n<h3 id=\"oil\">An Increase in Use of Oil and Gas<\/h3>\n<p><b><\/b><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The older a truck is, the less fuel efficient it becomes and the faster it runs out of engine oil. Having to constantly top up your engine with gas by itself isn\u2019t worrying; that along with having to add more engine oil in between oil changes, however, is a concern. Damaged fuel injectors can be replaced, but if an engine is so damaged that oil starts to leak or ends up being burned, that\u2019s when you need to seriously consider retiring the semi-truck.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These signs may show up now and then, but only one isn\u2019t a big cause for concern, usually because proper repairs can fix the problem. But if there\u2019s more than one sign at once, or you notice them in quick succession, especially if you\u2019ve just been to a repair shop, that\u2019s a different story altogether.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Remember: if there\u2019s something wrong with a part of the truck but it doesn\u2019t interfere with how well it runs, such as the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.usedvending.com\/blog\/problems-dump-truck-hydraulics\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">hydraulics on a dump truck malfunctioning<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, that\u2019s not immediate cause to get the truck off the road. But if the problems have to do with its engine, brakes, or anything that helps ensure it can be driven safely, then risking a drive isn\u2019t worth it and it\u2019s high time to look for another truck.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It\u2019s true that big rigs are typically built to take a beating and still run fairly well, no matter what make and model. Because of this, some semi-trucks are still safe to drive even when they\u2019re at least a decade old. That is, if they\u2019re taken care of and the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":191,"featured_media":3226,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[102],"tags":[103,369],"class_list":["post-3225","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-semi-truck","tag-semi-truck","tag-semi-truck-tips"],"modified_by":"Titus Asher","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usedvending.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3225","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usedvending.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usedvending.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usedvending.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/191"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usedvending.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3225"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.usedvending.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3225\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3230,"href":"https:\/\/www.usedvending.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3225\/revisions\/3230"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usedvending.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3226"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usedvending.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3225"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usedvending.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3225"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usedvending.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3225"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}