What to Do When Your Machine Breaks Down: Step-by-Step After-Sales Support

When a machine stops on site, the steps taken in the first few minutes often decide whether the fault ends with a small repair or a large bill. An engine that is forced to keep running, a valve taken apart “just to have a look”, or a service request opened with incomplete information: each of these makes the same fault worse and delays the fix.

In this volume we go through, step by step, the sequence to follow when a fault occurs: stopping the machine safely, recording the symptoms, the safe checks you can do yourself, the things you must never do, contacting EKSFORK service, what information to give the service team, the in-warranty and out-of-warranty process, and spare parts.

At a glance: eight steps when a fault occurs

1. Stop the machine safely; don’t push it.
2. Note down and photograph the symptoms and any warning lights that are on.
3. Do the safe, simple checks: fuel, oil and hydraulic levels, battery, fuses, visible leaks.
4. During the warranty period, don’t open the engine or hydraulic components; don’t have repairs done by unauthorised people.
5. Open a request through the service form or call the technical service line.
6. Send the model, serial number, operating hours, photos and video.
7. Clarify the warranty status; the decision is made after a technical inspection.
8. If a part is needed, identify the right part using the model and serial number.

Below, we explain each step in detail.

1. Stop the machine safely, don’t push it

When you notice a symptom, the first thing to do is to make the machine and its surroundings safe:

• Lower the bucket, attachment or forks to the ground.
• If possible, move the machine onto level, firm ground; if you have to leave it on a slope, follow the parking instructions in the manual.
• Stop the engine, switch off the ignition and remove the key.
• On an excavator, lock the hydraulic safety lever; on a tractor or forklift, apply the parking brake.
• Move anyone nearby away from the machine.

Then apply the hardest but most important rule: don’t push the machine. Carrying on working with the thought “I’ll finish the job and look at it afterwards” can turn a small leak into a pump failure and a slight noise into bearing damage. Additional damage resulting from continuing to work with a faulty machine may be assessed separately from the original fault.

Symptoms that mean you must stop immediately

• The oil pressure warning light coming on
• An overheating warning or steam coming from the engine
• A sudden, new and harsh metallic noise
• Oil spraying from a hose
• A smell of burning plastic or smoke from cables
• Movement contrary to the controls or loss of control
• A fuel leak near hot surfaces

With an overheating warning, follow the cooling instructions in the operator’s manual, and never open the radiator cap while the engine is hot. On an electric forklift or cleaning machine, if you notice swelling, a sharp smell or excessive heat on the battery side, switch the machine off and don’t put it on charge. We explain the possible meanings of the symptoms in detail in our fault symptoms guide.

2. Note down the symptoms and warning lights

A fault is best described by the person who first notices it, but only while their memory is fresh. Straight after stopping the machine, write down the answers to these questions:

• What happened? Describe the symptom in one sentence: a noise, smoke, a leak, loss of power or a function that doesn’t work.
• When did it start? Suddenly or gradually?
• Under what conditions does it happen? With the engine cold or hot, under load, during a particular movement?
• Which warning light came on? Did a message or code appear on the display?
• What was being done just before the fault?

Photograph the instrument panel, the warning light that is on and any message on the display; note the operating hours too. With a fault that makes a noise, a short video gives more information than the most detailed description. If the machine has to run for the video, have someone else operate it while you stand at a safe distance, away from rotating parts and the equipment’s range of movement. If an operator runs the machine for you, record their observations the same day as well.

3. Safe, simple checks

Some faults have a simple cause that a few minutes’ check will find. Only do these checks with the machine stopped, the engine cooled down and the equipment lowered to the ground; don’t attempt any dismantling that requires tools.

If one of these checks turns up something amiss, for example a low oil level or a blown fuse, putting it right may solve the problem. But note the cause as well: oil that runs low quickly is often a sign of a leak, and a fuse that blows again and again is a sign of a short circuit. If a newly fitted fuse blows straight away, don’t keep trying. We explain how to diagnose battery, fuse and starting problems step by step in our electrical faults guide.

Hydraulic oil under pressure can escape even from a pinhole fast enough to pierce the skin. When looking for a leak, don’t run your hand over the hose; an injury like this is a serious medical emergency and you must seek treatment at a medical facility immediately.

4. What not to do

Some well-intentioned interventions when a fault occurs make the problem worse and also make the warranty assessment more difficult:

• On a machine under warranty, don’t open the engine, hydraulic pump or valves yourself. Talk to the service team before removing any part.
• Don’t have repairs done by unauthorised people. Repairs and modifications made outside an authorised service centre may mean that the fault concerned is not covered by the warranty.
• Don’t fit a higher-amp fuse or a wire bridge. The cable can overheat and catch fire.
• Don’t bridge the starter motor to start the machine, and don’t disable the safety lock. The machine or equipment may move unexpectedly.
• Don’t tape up a burst hose and keep working. Tape can’t withstand hydraulic pressure.
• Don’t carry on working while a warning light is on.
• Don’t throw away the faulty part, and don’t clean and paint the damaged area. The appearance of the damage is needed for the diagnosis and the warranty assessment.

We explain which interventions to avoid during the warranty period in our warranty guide, and the situations that fall outside the cover in our warranty exclusions volume.

5. How to contact EKSFORK service

The most orderly way to reach the service team is the service form. The form collects all the information and the four mandatory images in one go: the product label, the operating hours display, the product invoice and the fault image or video. When you send the form, WhatsApp opens and you will see a message ready to be sent to our technical service line; don’t forget to send this message as well, so that your request reaches the service team.

• Service form: service request form
• Technical service line (phone and WhatsApp): 0552 947 92 09 · Message us on WhatsApp
• Opening hours: weekdays and Saturdays, 09:00–18:00
• Your nearest point: 14 authorised sales and service points in 12 provinces and a contracted service network in all 81 provinces; the list is on the dealer and service network page

If the machine poses a safety risk, for example a fuel leak, a burning smell or loss of control, first stop the machine safely, then call the service line. Call too if there is no internet on site; give the details over the phone and send the images once you have a connection.

6. What information should you give the service team?

If the service team can understand the fault from the first message, the right part can be prepared first time. Add the following to your request:

• Machine model: for example R10, R327, R350, QD35, RF20E, K1 or KL860
• Serial number: exactly as on the product label, character for character, plus a photo of the label
• Operating hours: the value on the instrument panel and a photo of the hour meter display
• Invoice: a photo of the sales invoice, to confirm warranty cover
• Symptoms: what is happening, when it started, under what conditions it recurs, which warning light came on
• What you have tried: things you have done, such as checking levels or replacing a fuse
• Photos and video: first where the faulty area is on the machine, then a close-up; video up to 60 MB
• Location: the province and district where the machine is

An example description: “R327, 640 hours. Oil started dripping from the bucket cylinder yesterday afternoon and has increased today. More noticeable during digging and after the engine has warmed up. No warning light. I checked the hydraulic oil level; it’s close to the lower line.” These few sentences answer, right from the start, most of the questions a “machine broken, urgent” message would raise. Put the most important information in the first sentence; we explain how to take the images in our service request guide.

7. In or out of warranty?

At EKSFORK, new machines come with a warranty of 2 years or 2,000 operating hours; how the two limits are applied is set out in the warranty certificate. In both cases the process starts with the same form, but the points to watch differ.

If your machine is under warranty

• Talk to the service team before dismantling the faulty area or trying to repair it.
• Add a photo of the sales invoice to the request; the invoice is requested to confirm warranty cover.
• The warranty decision is made after the service team’s technical inspection.
• Wear parts, consumables and damage caused by use or by external factors are not covered; the details are in the warranty exclusions volume.

If the warranty period has expired

• You can still open the request through the same form or the technical service line.
• Repairs and parts are charged for; ask about the scope and cost of the work before the repair starts.
• Keep up your maintenance and repair records; they give a buyer confidence when you sell the machine later on.

8. If you need spare parts

If the fix for the fault is replacing a part, finding the right part first time shortens the downtime. Our spare parts page lists 382 mini excavator parts under bodywork, fasteners, hydraulics, engine, undercarriage and electrical components; genuine and aftermarket options are available.

• When ordering, state the machine model, the serial number and, if available, the part code.
• Photograph where the part sits on the machine, its measurements and the code on it.
• If your machine is under warranty and the part is needed because of a fault, open a service request before ordering the part yourself; which part is needed is decided as part of the diagnosis.

We explain the details of identifying parts in our guide to finding the right spare part, and the differences between genuine and aftermarket parts in our genuine or aftermarket volume.

Quick checklist

• Machine in a safe position: equipment on the ground, engine off, safety lever or parking brake engaged.
• Symptom, start time and warning light noted; instrument panel photographed.
• Fuel, oil, coolant and hydraulic levels, battery, fuses and visible leaks checked.
• No parts removed from a machine under warranty.
• Service form filled in and WhatsApp message sent, or service line called.
• Model, serial number, operating hours, invoice, photos and video sent.

Most faults are caught through regular maintenance before they grow. To set up your maintenance routine, have a look at our guide to when maintenance is due.