APRIL 24, 2025

Waltco Liftgate Service | EM-Series Preventative Maintenance: What to Inspect Every 3,000 Cycles

Your Waltco EM-Series liftgate is engineered for reliability — but delivering optimum performance depends on consistent maintenance. This means, you’ll need to do some servicing from time to time. Whether you're managing a fleet of lift gates or operating a single unit, following Waltco lift gate official service intervals is essential to avoiding unplanned downtime and preserving safety features.

This guide outlines all preventive maintenance tasks required every 6 months or 3,000 cycles, specifically for EM-25 and EM-33 flipaway liftgates. As always, please use your liftgate’s specific manual when performing any tasks to ensure you follow your liftgate’s specific guidelines.

• Documentation Resources from Waltco
• Maintenance Intervals Defined
• 6-Month 15-Point Maintenance Checklist
• Divergence from the tuck under C-Series Model
• Hydraulic System Checks & Fluid Types
• Bleeding the Hydraulic System
• Monthly Inspection Recommendations
• Decal & Label Replacement
• Lubrication Guidelines
• Notes for EMTC Twin-Cylinder Liftgates
• Conclusion: Why Maintenance Matters

Documentation Resources from Waltco

Information in this article is sourced from Waltco’s manuals and technical guides. Always refer to your specific liftgate’s manuals for complete procedures and serial number, model, and year-specific details.

Reference PDFs used:

• EM-Series Install Manual.pdf
• 80126403 REV 09.pdf (EM/EMTC Parts Manual)
• PB-WALTCO-EM-EN-US 231201.pdf (EM-Series Brochure)
• EM-Series Owners Manual

Maintenance Intervals Defined

Waltco liftgate service intervals are defined specifically to catch issues before they become problems.

For Waltco’s EM model, maintenance must be performed:

• Every 6 months or 3,000 lift cycles (whichever comes first)
• Monthly visual checks between formal service intervals

If your unit includes a cycle counter, Waltco specifies that it will increment each time the lowering switch is held for four seconds or longer — a helpful built-in log of liftgate usage.
→ File: EM-Series Owners Manual.pdf, p. 16

6-Month 15-Point Maintenance Checklist

This checklist is the core of Waltco’s EM-Series maintenance recommendations. Each item is designed to catch mechanical, hydraulic, or safety-related failures early — minimizing liftgate downtime.

File: EM-Series Owners Manual.pdf, p. 11–12

Divergence from the tuck under C-Series Model

While the EM and C-Series may look similar and share similar maintenance cycles, there are seven distinct differences in procedure, layout, or inspection tasks that apply only to the EM-Series.

Hydraulic System Checks & Fluid Types

Waltco recommends inspecting the hydraulic system for leaks and verifying oil levels during each PM cycle.

Fluid checks depend on your pump style:

• Gravity down: Check fluid with platform at ground level
• Power down: Check with platform at bed height

→ File: EM-Series Owners Manual.pdf, p. 14

Approved hydraulic fluids:

🚫 Do not use ATF, brake fluid, or power steering fluid.

Bleeding the Hydraulic System

Air in the hydraulic system causes jerky movement or uneven lowering. Bleeding instructions vary depending on whether your unit is gravity-down or power-down.

→ File: EM-Series Owners Manual.pdf, p. 17

For Gravity-Down Units:

• Lower platform to ground
• Disconnect raise line and catch fluid
• Activate pump until air-free stream flows
• Reconnect and refill reservoir

For Power-Down Units (additional step):

• 5. Also bleed the lowering line
• 6. Repeat pump activation until air is cleared
• 7. Recheck and top off fluid

Monthly Inspection Recommendations

Between 3,000-cycle intervals, Waltco recommends running a full operational cycle monthly and checking for:

• Structural distortion or weld damage
• Pin and bearing wear
• Cable corrosion
• Unusual vibration or noise
• Correct function of all control switches

→ File: EM-Series Owners Manual.pdf, p. 12

Decal & Label Replacement

Per Waltco warranty terms, all safety and operational decals must be in place and legible. Use the part numbers listed on p. 18 of the Owner’s Manual to order replacements.

→ File: EM-Series Owners Manual.pdf, p. 18

Lubrication Guidelines

Every 120 days, apply:

• Grease to all major hinge fittings
• Light machine oil to pivot points (avoid bearings inside the platform)

→ File: EM-Series Owners Manual.pdf, p. 19

Notes for EMTC Twin-Cylinder Liftgates

If you're maintaining an EMTC model (such as the EMTC-25 or EMTC-33), most preventive maintenance tasks are identical to those outlined above for the single-cylinder EM-Series. However, there are a few key differences worth noting:

1. Dual Cylinder Inspections

EMTC models use two hydraulic cylinders, which means:

• Check both cylinders for leaks, wear, and corrosion.
• Inspect all mounting pins, bearings, and grease fittings for each side.
• Ensure that both cylinders are operating in sync — uneven lowering can indicate air or flow control issues.

→ File: 80126403 REV 09.pdf, PM-784A/B diagrams, p. 26–29

2. Bleeding Hydraulic Lines (Both Cylinders Required)

During hydraulic system bleeding:

• Gravity or power down, you must bleed each cylinder individually.
• Disconnect and purge both raise and (if applicable) lowering lines to ensure consistent fluid flow on each side.

→ File: EM-Series Owners Manual.pdf, p. 17 + Install Manual p. 28

3. Additional Hydraulic Plumbing

EMTC units include:

• Two flow control valves (one per cylinder)
• Extra hydraulic hoses and fittings

While Waltco’s service intervals remain unchanged, allow more time for inspection and fluid checks due to the dual-cylinder setup.

Conclusion: Why Maintenance Matters

Servicing your Waltco tuckaway liftgate EM model every 3,000 cycles is more than just routine — it’s essential for preserving uptime, ensuring safe operation, and protecting your investment. By following Waltco’s official maintenance guidance, you’ll avoid costly repairs and keep your delivery operation moving smoothly.

Whether you're a fleet operator, technician, or owner-operator, make preventive maintenance a habit — your liftgate (and your budget) will thank you.