Hydraulic troubleshooting tips 

Anyone who uses hydraulic equipment for work knows how essential it is for getting the job done. So when your hydraulic systems go down, work comes to a grinding halt. This is a cost of time and money, so your priority will be to get your machinery up and running again. 

Modern hydraulic systems are complex, and diagnosing the problem is always a challenge. Here are some hydraulic troubleshooting tips to help you identify the problem and get you back to work. 

Initial checks 

Do a visual inspection of the machine, including filters, fluid levels and couplings. Look for obvious leaks and check your hydraulic hoses and fittings. 

Diagnosing the problem 

If you can diagnose the problem, you’ll make it much easier for your hydraulic engineer or technician to remedy it. If you use the machine, you’ll be familiar with normal operations, so be as specific as you can when you enlist help for repairs. 

• Is hydraulic fluid leaking from the machine, and can you see where it’s coming from?  

• Did you have a sudden loss or spike of pressure or power, and where did it happen? 

• Is the system overheating or having temperature spikes? 

• Were there any abnormal vibrations, vibrating sounds or noises? 

• Were these problems intermittent, or did they occur only once? 

Next, describe how the failure happened. 

• Did it occur at startup or after the machine had been running for a while? 

• Were you operating the machine outside of standard conditions? 

• Has the machine had recent maintenance, system adjustments or parts replaced? 

• Did you get any alerts or warnings? 

Other useful information for your hydraulic engineer 

• Manufacturer specifications with operating pressures, flow rates, and recommended replacement parts and consumables. 

• Your hydraulic schematics to show how all the parts of the system work with each other. 

Troubleshooting before problems occur 

You can also help your engineer diagnose the problem quickly if you have completed a reliability checklist when the machine was operating normally. If the machine has a failure, comparing the condition of the machine to your checklist can often identify the problem quickly. The checklist will be different for every machine, but it should include information like: 

• The condition of hoses and fittings 

• The cleanliness and levels of hydraulic fluid  

• The state of your filters and when they were last changed 

• Voltage, temperature and pressure readings 

Identifying the cause of failures takes practice and experience. If you take the time to learn how your machine works, you’ll get better at diagnosing problems and explaining what has failed to engineers. The faster this process happens, the faster you’ll get your machine operating. That means you’ll be back to work and making money, not losing it.