Winterization: A Smart Business Strategy

Freezing temps, tight holiday schedules and heightened customer expectations make winter one of the most demanding times of year for many repair shops. Cold weather exposes weak spots fast — particularly in older truck engines — and a single missed issue can lead to repeat repairs, comeback calls or even tow-ins.

Your customers count on you to catch problems before they escalate, because every hour off the road means lost income. That’s why it pays to make winterization part of your regular routine. Even one proactive inspection can save a Cat^® truck engine owner multiple shop visits and save your shop from time-consuming last-minute repairs.

Follow these tips to help your customers avoid cold-weather emergencies and keep your bays running smoothly all winter long.

What Does Winter Failure Look Like In The Service Bay?

Cold-weather troubles often start small, but they can escalate fast if you miss the warning signs. Keep an eye out for these winter culprits:

• Frozen DEF lines
• Injector issues caused by untreated fuel
• Hard starts, slow cranks or weak batteries
• Cracked coolant hoses
• Overheating after cold starts (often due to a stuck thermostat or degraded coolant flow)

Consider stocking common winter repair parts – coolant, additives, batteries, belts and clamps — so you can make fixes fast and get your customers back on the road.

Don’t Wait For A Tow-In To Start Troubleshooting

With the right tools, you can flag cold-start vulnerabilities well before the first freeze.

Electronic Technician (Cat ET) is a great resource for spotting early warning signs in stored fault codes. You can also use it to run a quick engine health check and clear non-critical codes after service.

Need to dig deeper? Caterpillar Service Information System (SIS 2.0) gives you access to interactive schematics, technical bulletins and step-by-step service instructions. Use SIS2GO to take that info right to the Cat truck engine you’re working on.

Both Cat ET and SIS 2.0 are included with a Level 2 Targeted Independent Account (TIA) membership, giving you powerful tools to stay ahead of winter breakdowns.

Shop Checklist To Prevent Cold-Start Failures

Here’s a quick winter checklist you can build into every Cat truck engine inspection and PM service this season:

• Verify coolant freeze point. Keep dip strips on hand for quick, easy testing.

• Clean and inspect battery terminals and test battery health. Even a few weak cells can lead to no-starts.

• Test the engine’s heater plug or block heater (if equipped). It helps keep engine oil fluid and the engine easier to start in extreme cold.

• Inspect glow plugs, air inlet heaters and starting fluid systems to make sure they’re operating properly.

• Check for signs of fuel filter icing. Change the filter if needed to reduce the chance of fuel plugging.

• Consider switching to a lighter weight engine oil for faster flow to critical components in cold climates.

It’s also smart to offer a few winter tips your customers can follow between shop visits: Be sure to recommend adding an anti-gel additive with each fuel fill, especially when running in temps below 20°F (-7°C), and remind them to keep fuel tanks at least half full overnight to prevent condensation and ice formation.

The Payoff: More Trust, Fewer Emergencies

When you catch a failure before it happens, customers notice — and remember. Keeping Cat truck engines running through the coldest months can earn you repeat business, enhance your shop’s reputation and help you avoid last-minute chaos caused by after-hours calls and parts delays.

Now’s the time to build winter checks into your shop processes. Lean on Cat ET to stay ahead of hidden failures. Rely on SIS 2.0 to access repair steps and part numbers fast. And talk to your local Cat dealer about stocking key parts before the holiday rush.

Looking for more tips, tools and how-to guides you can use all year long? Visit the Cat Truck Engine Repair Pro Resource Center.