Manage a fleet of vehicles? ENGINE GUARD can save you $$$

We have been providing technical assistance with the roll-out of ENGINE GUARD on the fleet of Northern Territory bush fire fighting vehicles. These vehicles are mixed brands and models, but the majority are Landruiser 79 series utes with turbo diesel V8 engines. These are heavily loaded with equipment and tend to be driven hard under extreme conditions and at high speeds. According to the mechanics, it is not unusual for vehicles to come in with melted side mirrors, etc. The ENGINE GUARD EG01/3 model being installed features the single bolt-on temp sensor with low oil pressure alarm.

To add complexity to the installations, some of these utes had an oil pressure gauge only rather than a low oil pressure warning light on the dashboard. As the ENGINE GUARD requires a signal voltage to operate correctly, the mechanics are looking at adding a warning light circuit and low oil pressure switch via a ‘T’ piece where the factory oil pressure sender is located.

Testing for ideal sensor location has been completed by a road test at very high speed on the (semi…) unrestricted highways, and the best location has proven to be on the tappet cover bolts on the inlet side rear of the engine. The location tends to remain stable in temp but then spikes when the road speed exceeds 130km/h and by that time, the factory temp gauge moves towards ¾ which is very hot by normal standards for that model. Beyond that point, the mechanics suggest the cooling systems become marginal. However, as the vehicles MUST get to the fire grounds as soon as possible, the balance needs to be between putting fires out, and at the same time, not requiring the expensive replacement of engines which had previously been occurring.

We initially supplied 500 ENGINE GUARD EG01/3 systems to a large taxi company in United Arab Emirates. This fleet is comprised of mostly Toyota Camry 4 cylinder vehicles- and these vehicles are known to be very reliable.  However, the most common issues that require significant and expensive repairs are 1. overheating and 2. low oil pressure.

1. The overheating is generally related to radiator leakage or other gradual coolant loss, and this tends to reach a critical point where engine temperature suddenly ‘spikes’. The factory temperature gauges tend to be unresponsive to small incremental changes- and when the sudden spike occurs, drivers tended to miss the delayed reaction from the factory gauge. This is solved by the ENGINE GUARD. The system can be set to warn the driver at ‘just above normal’ operating temperature. This audible warning is designed to show ANY incremental change that may be a sign of impending catastrophic overheating. The vehicle can then be checked over and any gradual leaks or other faults can be identified.
2. The low oil pressure issue relates to the OEM materials employed in the harmonic balancer. At higher mileage, the balancer can erode causing a reduction in the size of the oil galleries resulting in blockages. This situation would normally be identified by the low oil pressure warning system. This would normally alert the driver via an illuminated light on the dashboard. However, in a fleet of heavily used taxis navigating busy streets and highways, drivers can miss this critical warning. The solution provided by ENGINE GUARD is to trigger a loud audible warning to augment the factory light. Low oil pressure is a ‘time critical fault’ so shutting down the engine immediately can potentially save thousands in repair costs.

We recognised that the ‘package’ for this large fleet was important to maximise value and efficiency, so we customised the systems to suit.  Each system had custom length sensor cables and the software was modified to suit the low oil pressure warning system.  We also worked with the customer to provide the product in a bulk package with each ‘kit’ readily identified for ease of installation.  We also minimised the carton size to reduce freight costs and waste.

We have completed another order (6th) for National Taxi with the following change:

Feedback from the Head Mechanic has meant the ‘package’ that we supply has changed over time. Firstly, the total number of engines damaged due to the low oil pressure problems has dropped to the point where adding the low oil pressure alarm is no longer justified. So, we now supply just the single temp sensor system. However, a different issue has emerged. The drivers have tended to ignore the normal volume alarm when triggered- they have just kept driving. We solved this problem by supplying an extra loud (112dB) buzzer. Now the drivers find it unpleasant to continue driving and more engines are being saved!

We were contacted by a mid-size Australian-based service agent for commercial vehicles servicing the mining and other sectors in Western NSW.  They were considering ENGINE GUARD for customer vehicles and their own fleet of 50+ service trucks.

After a sample trial of the systems to be used as overheating alarms, they started ordering ‘in bulk’ to suit large vehicles in particular.  For their customer base, an engine rebuild was not just a large cost BUT in many instances the vehicle down-time created supply chain disruptions that could cost significantly more.

For the majority of vehicles, the total cost of the supply and installation of an ENGINE GUARD would be less than the cost of a standard service!

That makes the decision a ‘no brainer’- especially when vehicles are operating in 45°c or more day in, day out.

This is a response to a request for feedback from our Distributor in Africa by the fleet manager of an NGO that helps drill water bores in Uganda:

Dear Wayne,

Below is my response.

1. When were they installed?  They were installed in October 2017
2. How many units were installed? 15 units
3. What types of vehicles were they installed into? SUV, Landcruiser pickups, 4X4 trucks, Heavy trucks and small vehicles.
4. What problems did you experience on the vehicles prompting you to order the units? We were having a couple of Engine overhauls resulting from over heating of the engines and in some cases total replacement of the engines.
5. Your own technical staff must have installed the units – how did they find the installation process of the units? Our staff installed the devices but the first installation was a collective effort from myself and a wiring technician but once we figured out the first installation, the rest was easy. There is no need for experienced personnel but you can save time if you have one.
6. Did you require technical input from Engine Guard Australia – if so – was the support received good enough to overcome any on-site problems? There was not great need for technical support. We only made a request when one vehicle had the alarm going on regularly so we thought that particular device was faulty but we received the reply in time and it was sufficient.
7. How are the units performing? So far they are doing fine and we have not registered any malfunctioning. They are doing their designed job.
8. Have you experienced any incidents whereby the Engine Guard units have performed as expected – prompting early intervention and thus saving your vehicles – as designed to do? In one particular situation, One of the Landcruiser GX we installed developed some issue on a route with a new driver who didn’t pay attention to the temperature gauges and so the alarm went on then it became too loud that he could not drive anymore. He parked and called me then I told him to let the car cool a bit then he checks, and indeed, he found out that the radiator was leaking and the water had reduced so the engine was starting to overheat. The engine guard helped save the day. In another scenario, we could have lost the engine of Landcruiser VX if it were not for the Engine Guard but we managed to change only the head gasket.
9. Based on the successes would you recommend / purchase additional units should you require them? Definitely we would purchase more devices.
10. Would you be prepared to act as a reference should my client wish to email / call you directly? I have no reservations to this at all.