Aerial work platforms are equipment designed for high-altitude operations, primarily used in construction, equipment maintenance, installation, and building cleaning. What should you do if an aerial work vehicle vibrates during operation?

Component aging

The vibration in the aerial work platform is related to the aging of the engine mounts. The engine mounts are actually part of the engine's suspension system, responsible for absorbing the minor vibrations of the engine during operation. If the engine mounts are faulty, these vibrations will be transmitted to the steering wheel and the interior of the cabin, causing the vehicle to shake at idle. It is then necessary to replace the components.

2. Severe Carbon Deposits

Common causes of vibration in aerial work platforms include dirty throttle bodies or excessive carbon buildup in the injectors. When there is too much carbon inside the engine, the gasoline sprayed by the cold-start injectors is heavily absorbed by the carbon, leading to a too-lean air-fuel mixture during cold starts, making it difficult to start the engine.

Under these circumstances, it is only when the gasoline absorbed by the carbon deposits becomes saturated that the vehicle is easy to start. After starting, the gasoline adsorbed on the carbon deposits is then drawn into the cylinder by the engine's vacuum suction to burn, which makes the air-fuel mixture thicker. The engine's air-fuel mixture fluctuates between thin and thick, causing engine idle shake after cold start. The lower the temperature, the more gasoline is needed for cold start, and the presence of carbon deposits has a greater impact on the smoothness of the cold start. At this point, we need to clean the fuel system and check if the idle motor has carbon deposits that should be cleaned.

Hydraulic instability

If you have already cleaned the engine carbon, washed the throttle body, replaced the oil seals, and changed the spark plugs, yet still experience engine vibration at idle, it is recommended to check the fuel supply pressure and the intake pressure sensor for proper function. Abnormal fuel pump pressure or incorrect and faulty intake pressure sensor readings can cause the vehicle to shake.

It's still quite common for aerial work platforms to vibrate during operation. Here's hoping everyone takes the issue seriously, checks it thoroughly, and finds an appropriate solution.