Heat can damage forklift systems and materials.
Forklifts work hard every day to keep production moving and deliveries on time. That’s why proper maintenance of equipment is not only important, but essential.
As seasons change, so do the needs of equipment. Summer months producing tempertures over 100 degrees can be brutal on a forklift. That’s why you should know the systems and parts that may be negatively affected by heat.
6 Forklift Systems
& Components That Need Monitoring
1) Engine & cooling system (IC forklifts)
Most common failure point
- Radiators, water pumps, fans, hoses
- Engines overheat faster in high ambient temps
- Heat breaks down engine oil → less lubrication → wear/seizure
👉 Typical failures:
- Overheating shutdowns
- Blown hoses / coolant leaks
- Warped engine components
2) Hydraulic system (VERY heat-sensitive)
- Hydraulic oil thins out in heat → loses viscosity
- Causes metal-on-metal wear in pumps/valves
- Seals, O-rings, and hoses dry out, crack, and leak
👉 Typical failures:
- Weak lifting / slow hydraulics
- Internal pump damage
- Hose blowouts
3) Batteries (especially electric forklifts)
- Heat accelerates battery degradation and reduces capacity
- Risk of overheating or “thermal runaway” if charged hot
👉 Typical failures:
- Shortened battery life
- Sudden power drop
- Complete battery failure
4) Electrical components & wiring
- Heat damages insulation on wires → cracking and shorts
- Controllers, sensors, and circuit boards overheat and shut down
👉 Typical failures:
- Intermittent faults
- Controller/inverter failure
- Random shutdowns
5) Rubber components (hoses, seals, tires)
- Heat accelerates aging and brittleness
- Expansion + pressure increases → leaks or blowouts
👉 Typical failures:
- Hydraulic leaks
- Tire blowouts or cracking
- Seal failures (oil/coolant leaks)
6) Fluids & lubrication systems
- Engine oil and hydraulic oil degrade faster in heat
- Loss of lubrication → increased friction and wear
👉 Typical failures:
- Premature wear on moving parts
- Bearing damage
- Overheating cascade failures
What fails the most in the field
- Cooling System
- Hydraulic hoses + seals
- Batteries
- Electrical wiring & controllers
- Tires and rubber components
Top 3 reasons heat
is so hard on forklifts
- Forklifts already run hot under load
- Add 100 degrees ambient+dust+long shifts
- Heat also stacks (engine+hydraulics+ambient) compounding failure risk
If you want to prevent up to 80% of hot-weather failures:
- Keep radiator clean and coolant full
- Check hydraulic hoses/seals weekly
- Monitor battery temps before charging
- Inspect wiring insulation
- Watch tire pressure and condition
