Troubleshooting a Humming Noise in a Guide Rail Lift

A customer recently noticed a humming “woo-woo” sound when a newly installed hydraulic guide rail lift was moving upward.

After checking the situation, we suspected the hydraulic cylinders, especially the piston rods and sealing system. For a lift with two cylinders, proper alignment and parallelism are important. If the cylinders are not perfectly aligned, additional friction can occur. New piston rod seals can also be relatively tight during the initial running-in period.

We recommended two simple steps: lubricating the exposed piston rods with suitable oil and adding approximately 10 liters of suitable hydraulic oil to the tank according to the system requirements.

The sound did not disappear immediately. However, after several days of normal operation, the customer reported that it had become much quieter and then added several more liters of hydraulic oil.

This case shows why troubleshooting a new hydraulic lift should start with checking cylinder alignment, lubrication, oil level and running-in conditions before replacing major components.

Sometimes, a new hydraulic cylinder simply needs proper lubrication and operating time for the sealing and sliding surfaces to gradually settle into normal working conditions.