Where Water Gets Into Your HOWO Truck: 6 Checks for the Rainy Season

Rain is hard on trucks

In the tropics, the rainy season is harder on a truck than the heat. Water does not need a flood. It only needs a worn seal, a loose connector or a fuel cap that does not sit tight.

Most water damage shows up weeks later, as a noisy bearing, a rough idle or a brake that pulls. Here are the six places water gets in, and what to check after every wet trip.

Six places water gets in

• 1. The fuel tank. Water comes in with the rain, and as condensation in a tank that sits half empty overnight. In a common-rail engine, water in the diesel attacks the injector tips first. A fuel filter VG1092080055 is cheap. A set of fuel injectors or an injection pump is not.
• 2. The wheel hubs and final drive. A hot hub meets cold river water and cools fast. The air inside shrinks and pulls water past the seal. Check the hub and final drive oil after a crossing — milky oil means water is inside. Then plan for a new final drive oil seal WG9231320001 or a rear wheel hub.
• 3. The air tanks and brakes. The compressor packs wet air into the tanks all day. Water settles at the bottom and rusts the valves. Open the air tank drain valve every evening. Wet friction material grabs unevenly, so brake pads and brake linings wear faster in a wet season.
• 4. The air intake and filter. Splash from the front wheels hits the intake. A wet air filter blocks, and a blocked filter pulls dust into the engine. Check the filter after every muddy trip, and never wash a paper element and refit it — replace it.
• 5. Doors, locks and the cab. Water sits in the door seals and inside the lock for weeks. A stiff door lock cylinder or a slow wiper motor is the first sign. Dry the seals, grease the lock and keep the door drain holes clear.
• 6. The electrics. Water in a connector does not stop the truck that day. It corrodes the pins, and weeks later a sensor gives a false reading. Grease every plug you open, and after deep water check the engine wiring harness, the instrument cluster and the tail lamp.

Let the hubs cool before deep water

This rule saves the most money. If the hubs are hot, stop for 20 to 30 minutes before a deep crossing. Never park in water overnight. If you crossed with warm hubs, check the hub oil the same day.

A simple wet-season routine

• Every day: drain the air tanks and the fuel water separator. Ten minutes.
• Every week: check the hub and final drive oil levels, test every lamp, grease the locks and connectors.
• After deep water: dry the brakes with light pressure at low speed, then check the oils, the air filter and the connectors.

Water crossings are normal work

There is nothing wrong with driving through water — sometimes it is the only road. The problem is the water that stays inside a part after the truck is dry again.

Fix the weak parts before the rain

Two things decide what a wet season costs you: the condition of the seals and filters, and whether a few small parts are already on your shelf. For filter and belt intervals, see our dusty-road service schedule. For what to carry on board, see the roadside spare parts kit. And if a truck will not start after a wet night, work through the no-start sensor checklist before you buy anything.

Send us your truck model and the part numbers you need through our inquiry page. Seals, filters and sensors ship in small boxes, and we confirm every number before we quote.