Pre-Operational Inspection and Maintenance
What this domain tests
Pre-Operational Inspection and Maintenance checks whether you can find defects before they become field failures, and whether you know which checks are daily, periodic, or shutdown tasks.
Daily walk-around
- Engine off, on level ground, parking brake set. Check engine oil, coolant, fuel, hydraulic oil, and transmission fluid where a dipstick or sight glass is provided.
- Inspect tires for pressure, cuts, bulges, and missing ballast; check wheel lug nuts for looseness or rust streaks.
- Look under the tractor for fresh oil, coolant, or fuel. A leak is a finding, not something to top up and ignore.
- Check guards, PTO master shield, hitch pins and linchpins, lights, SMV emblem, mirrors, and slow-moving vehicle visibility.
- Test brakes, steering free play, parking brake, and horn before moving. Clean the air filter only as the manufacturer permits; never wash a dry element.
Worked example
You find oil on the floor beneath a rear axle. The correct response is to park on a clean surface, clean the area, run the engine briefly, and trace the source with a piece of cardboard. Do not use a bare hand: a pinhole hydraulic leak can inject oil under the skin. If the leak is at a hose or seal, tag the machine out of service and repair it before use.
Traps
Opening a hot radiator cap, checking hydraulic leaks by hand, ignoring sidewall cracks, and replacing a blown fuse with a higher rating are dangerous and often examined. Do not assume a low fluid level is normal; find out why it is low.