When the snow flies, you have to be ready. Fall is the perfect time to perform a little pre-season plow system maintenance to make sure everything is in working order. The last thing you need is a breakdown when a snow event is on the horizon. And you never want to find out that a component isn’t working properly once you are out on the job.
Meyer Products’ maintenance videos offer you simple and direct instructions on how to perform the maintenance yourself, saving you both time and money. Start by checking your plow for any damage to any components, electrical connections and wires, hydraulic hoses, the moldboard and the plow’s cutting edge. If everything looks in order and doesn’t look like it needs to be replaced, you’re ready to begin.
Whether you own a Meyer Lot Pro, Super-V or Diamond Edge, the pre-season maintenance steps are basically the same, although there are some subtle differences. The information is all in your Owner’s Manual, but it can also be seen on easy to understand YouTube videos from Meyer Products.
You want to start by first replacing your hydraulic fluid. This should be done at least once a year, and more often if it is an especially active season.
Make sure you’re wearing the proper safety gear, including safety glasses, shoes and gloves. You also want to makes sure both the vehicle and controller are off before you start any maintenance.
Carefully place a floor jack underneath the plow. Next you want to access the hydraulic unit by removing its cover. Depending on the model of plow you are servicing, this could mean disconnecting and raising the lift arm. Your instructional video will cover all this in detail, but it’s also in your Owner’s manual as well.
Place a drain pan underneath the hydraulic unit and remove the the drain plug to evacuate the oil. The next step is removing the passenger and driver’s side hoses from the hydraulic unit and pacing the ends in the drain pan.
Move the plow slowly to the left and right by hand. This will help push all of the fluid out of the system. If you’re working with Super V, this step will be a little different, but not any more difficult. You’ll simply move each wing by hand.
Re-attach the cylinder hoses left and right and the drain plug, and fill the hydraulic unit using Meyer Products M-1 hydraulic fluid. Once again, this step will vary depending on the type of plow you are servicing. Now replace the hydraulic unit’s cover and reattach the hydraulic unit to the lift arm replacing any components of the system that have been removed.
Use the hydraulic controller to raise the plow, and slowly rotate it slightly left and slightly right, increasing the angle on each pass until the plow reaches its maximum tilt left and right. This will help make sure the angle rams are filled and any air is bled from the system. Check the fluid afterward. You may have to top it off to bring it up to an inch below the opening. The step varies slightly with the Super-V.
With the system off, disconnect the electric plug and give it a cleaning with a spray contact cleaner. Re-connect using dielectric grease. Coat the two blue pins with grease to make mounting and dis-mounting the system easier. Now it’s time to grease up the connections to make plow operation smooth and easy.
Once again, specifics on all of these steps are covered in your Owner’s Manual. If you would like to watch a pre-season maintenance video that is specific for your Meyer Plow, check out the links below. It will take less than five minutes, and it could save you a bundle in the long run.
Lot Pro Maintenance Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Al7y7StcCdg
Super-V Maintenance Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBPUBsK3L24
Diamond Edge Maintenace Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yU7ZTZcHy_8