Group 177 General General Preventive Maintenance, General Introduction Maintenance Coverage This manual describes inspection and lubrication re- quirements during the Basic Service of Volvo VN/VHD vehicles. The purpose for doing the preventive mainte- nance is to ensure that the vehicle is safe and roadworthy over its full lifetime. There is no firm maintenance program that will apply to all operations. A basic maintenance program is not diffi- cult to set up; to make the program the most effective takes time and effort, and is based around the needs and experiences of each individual operation.
The pro- gram in this service manual covers all types of Volvo VN/VHD vehicles with medium to high mileage and sometimes high loads. The driver is taking part in the continuous preventive maintenance program by completing the required Daily Pre-trip Inspection. This is a purely visual inspection that is designed to detect any obvious problems that would make the vehicle unsafe to take on the road. Added to the Pre-trip Inspection is the Preventive Maintenance Program that is typically carried out by trained personnel using a systematic approach to cover all important com- ponents of the new vehicle.
Use this established maintenance program as a base to tailor an individual maintenance program for customers that have requirements that are outside of the scope of this program. To establish an individual program, look at information sources that are usually available, such as: Preventive Maintenance is a planned vehicle mainte- nance program that provides an orderly series of servicing and inspecting procedures. A well applied maintenance program realizes the investment made in the vehicle. The difference between a poorly maintained vehicle and a well maintained vehicle will not show up until later mileage.
Good maintenance is necessary to assure the designed life expectancy of the vehicle and its individual components. Driver’s repair or complaint reports. Unusual parts usage. Repetitive failures or problems found in inspection. Unscheduled maintenance or repairs. Road failures. 3