An automotive lift (car lift) is becoming a crucial part of many modern buildings. It is used to transport vehicles vertically to different building floors for parking. In areas where real estate costs are high, automotive lifts help to conserve parking space by enabling more cars to be parked on the same piece of land. For such buildings, an automotive lift installer is necessary, not only for the initial installation but also for subsequent maintenance services.
The Need for Automotive Lift Maintenance Services
Like other machinery, car lifts need regular maintenance to ensure that they are working properly. Due to the heavy nature of their numerous parts and the complexity involved, car lifts require timely inspections.
Proper and timely car lift inspections have the following advantages:
i)Quickly identifying potential problems: Whether you’re running a business or a commercial building, the proper maintenance of your car lift is essential. It helps to ensure that your business is not disrupted or that your building’s tenants are not inconvenienced.
ii) Keeping to manufacturer recommendations: Car lift manufacturers tend to have specific guidelines regarding the maintenance of automotive lifts. For instance, they may require maintenance procedures to be performed every few months. Keeping to such manufacturer recommendations also ensures that you can benefit from any warranty terms.
iii) Ensuring compliance with safety standards: If you have a car lift installed at a garage, you’ll need to adhere to certain regulatory standards. One such requirement could be periodic inspections. Similarly, if your car lift is installed in a residential high-rise building, you may need to perform regular maintenance as part of municipal safety measures.
iv) Gives you peace of mind: Knowing that your car lift is in good working order gives you confidence, knowing that your workers or tenants won’t run into any issues due to malfunction.
For car lifts at a garage or repair shop, inspections are not just a matter of routine. A car lift that passes inspection means that it is undamaged, up-to-date, and in compliance with all requirements. One such requirement may be training documentation. Sometimes, car lift operators may need to undergo additional training to operate them efficiently. Inspections ensure that the operators’ training documentation is current and up-to-date. Of course, car lift operators have some basic training. Such training helps them to visually inspect and identify obvious issues with automotive lifts. However, only qualified professionals can perform a thorough assessment and inspection to identify deep and complex problems.
Vehicle owners have a personal stake in the proper functioning of a car lift. If you’re a vehicle owner, you want to ensure that whichever garage services your car has a car lift that is in good working condition. Such car lifts are designed to elevate the vehicle so that technicians can access its undercarriage during repairs. A faulty car lift could malfunction midway through the car repair process, causing damage and unnecessary repair costs for the owner. If you live in an apartment complex, the last thing you want is a car lift to malfunction with your vehicle on it. Proper and regular inspections help to avoid all such issues. Additionally, a mechanic working on the undercarriage of a car will do so more efficiently, knowing that there is no chance of a tragic accident.
For a car lift owner whose business depends on its proper functioning, timely inspections (or lack thereof) could mean the difference between costly delays and keeping things running. Removing a car lift from service could mean losses for such a business owner. Regular inspections are the best way of avoiding such scenarios.
An unlikely but possible scenario also involves lawsuits due to injuries or damage sustained because of a malfunctioning car lift. If a car technician sustains injuries due to a malfunctioning car lift, the garage owner could find themselves being the target of a lawsuit alleging negligence. Similarly, a building owner or manager could face a civil lawsuit alleging negligence if a tenant’s car gets damaged due to a poorly-serviced car lift. Regular inspections will help to avoid such situations.
The American National Safety Standards Institute (ANSI) is responsible for the conformity of standards for products and services, including car lifts. The ANSI has a code that mandates the proper inspection of car lifts by a qualified lift inspector at least once a year. This code also requires training for car lift operators to ensure that they’re up to speed on all the latest technical aspects of car lifts.
Ultimately, a car lift inspection can save you a lot of trouble.
