You will receive an operating manual for each Forward Lift you acquire. It is located in your hardware box and comes with the Automotive Lift Institute “Lifting It Right Manual” and the Factory Recommended Lifting Points. Should you lose any of these valuable documents – please contact your local distributor, or our Forward Customer Service Department via our toll-free number 800-423-1722 or [email protected].

Although Forward lifts are designed for indoor use, they may be installed outdoors provided it is located under a covering suitable for protection from direct precipitation.

The power unit motor and electrical switches are not suitable for applications where they may be exposed to direct precipitation or any flow of water, such as a wash bay.

When installing lifts outside – all electrical must meet local codes concerning the application. This may include, but is not limited to, Ground Fault Interrupter (GFI) circuit breakers and watertight conduit and fittings.

It should be noted that any lifts installed outdoors will require additional maintenance.

For further information on outside installations, please feel free to contact our Customer Service Department via our toll-free number 800-423-1722.

As typical with power units for vehicle lifts, Forward power units do not incorporate Automatic Thermal Overloads (ATO) in the motors. This is for the following reasons:

• The motors on vehicle lifts have relatively short periods of operation (usually less than one minute) with long periods of rest between these periods of operation. This is defined as Intermittent Duty according to the National Electric Code (NEC) as described in Article 100 – definitions.
• According to NEC Article 430-33, a motor that is used as intermittent service is permitted to be protected against overloads by the branch-circuit short-circuit and ground-fault protection device.
• According to NEC Article 430-33, a motor cannot automatically restart after an overload trip if personal injury can result. An ATO could cause an automatic restart by masking a failed switch that has stayed in the normally closed position. This condition would allow the motor to restart after the ATO reset.
• With Intermittent Duty, the overcurrent protection is more likely to trip before an ATO; this renders the ATO useless.