It’s not running hot, but everytime I shut it off it’ll come out the overflow tube from the reservoir. It’s not hot I can be touched. Gage is dead in middle on monitor. I put water about a gallon every morning and after lunch. It just started doing it everyday. What to check? I was thinkin maybe the radiator cap idk. It’s annoying.
Radiator cap, have it tested. Should be 6-7 psi iirc. If the head and radiator have vent lines to the surge tank, make sure they're not blocked by anything. Some mfrs place restrictions in the hoses to control volume. Aside from that, water? You mean coolant or water. Coolant has an elevated boil point especially when combined with raised pressure of radiator cap. If you're using water, it's probably boiling in the head during shut down. Boiling water expands rapidly. It just pressurizes the rest of the system to purge the overflow. 50/50 boils at 225° F or so, and you get an extra 2½-3° for each pound of cap pressure. Plus the added benefits of reduced corrosion in the heads and liners. Good luck.
Yes I didn’t want to put 2-3 gallons a day in anitreeze before I found the issue. I’ll try to sort through it tomorrow. Thanks for the info!
What funwithfuel just said is what exactly happens. Putting 50/50 back in will never get you to the correct strength of antifreeze. You will have to put in concentrate to get back to 50/50 or what I prefer 60/40. Simon C
I gotcha. Definitely want it at the correct mixture. Wanted to figure out the problem and fix it before o kept wasting coolant. The first few times I did put in 50-50 then switched to water I was able to keep using the machine. Was trying to finish up a section of pecan trees I was removing. Hopefully today I can’t get it corrected. I’m thinking like fwf suggests one of the lines is clogged. There’s like an almost gritty substance that want the top of the coolant tank one when I went to fill it. Don’t know if it’s an additive someone put it or what it was kinda thick.
OK, I checked the lines this morning blew through them and it felt like it could’ve been maybe a little plugged but it’s not much of an opening and it does have a restrictor in it. I guess so the water only goes one way anyway I blew it out my mouth and didn’t wanna damage anything And the only radiator cap is on the coolant tank. It’s not like a regular radiator cap so it must be working because it lets water out when you shut it off, but that could be an issue. I don’t know, but there’s no radiator cap per se on the top of the radiator Anyway I put a gallon of water in. It has basically what it loses. I’m gonna try it again and hopefully that line was a little plugged in. That could be an issue and I can get the mixture back to normal specs in the radiator. We’ll see thank you.
The coolant surge tank cap is an 18 psi cap. Could you please provide a good clear picture of the surge tank if possible thanks.
It sounds like maybe head gasket to me.
Well I hope not on the head gasket. No water in oil. Not running hot by any means and only does it when u shut it down. Definitely took less water to fill it at lunch today. Maybe 1/2 gallon. I’ll get pics of tank when I go back in a few
You r correct says 18 PSI right on it. Since lunch it took gallon of water. I know to put coolant in it but again want to find the issue.
I had a similar experience with a blown head gasket, never run hot, no oil water mix, but would pushout coolant.
Wow. Well we’ll find out sooner or later. Hope it not but that’s my luck fosho
Probably a silly question, but does it keep blowing it out until it's legitimately low? I have a truck that likes the burp tank pretty much empty, it'll run for months like that. Top it up every day, it'll keep pushing that 1/2 to 1 gallon out every day.
No it blows out about a gallon when u shut it off. It will sound an alarm in just a few minutes after it’s started. I guess the audible alarm wasn’t workin to begin with. But it is now lol. It’s loud plus it has icons on the monitor. It won’t quit until u fill the tank. So since this has been happening this week I check the water before I start it and every time after it been shut down. I just shut it down and I didn’t see anything coming out so who knows I’ll check it again in am before starting.
I can not tell from your pictures but check if the inside walls of the surge tank appear to be changing to a charcoal or blackish color it would be a sure sign of compression leaking into the coolant and is a very small leak. Many times when in the field and suspected this problem I would purchase a compression leak detection kit at O Riley’s to confirm my suspicions. Make sure it is for Diesel engine not gas. Follow instructions carefully. Not sure how accurate it will be with water for coolant as I suspect the chemicals are for a correct coolant mixture.
I’ll give it a look see tomorrow. I do know I had it running with the cap off pouring water in it to make sure everything was getting filled and there wasn’t any water pumping out. But it may not be pressurized with the cap off I reckon.
Ok it’s raining like a mo! That’s good I have plenty fire piles to burn. I’m gonna get a gallon of concentrate and pour it in there and maybe run it for a few minutes or just go ahead and pour the dye in there and see what happens question is if it does have a small head gasket leak can I still run it? I’d like to finish this job. I probably have about a weeks worth of work And then I can have it dealt with course hard to tell that without knowing what kind of leak it actually has but as long as it’s not running hot and I’m not getting water in the oil, I should be able to nurse it along. I’m hoping.
Head gasket would be purging while running, not purging at shut down. Plus it would fill yer system with air/combustion gasses. I don't think a gallon would be enough to change color, let alone raise the boiling point. I'd finish the job with water then address your issues. As long as yer not overheating, transferring fluids or blowing hoses, let her ride. Good luck
I think I'd be getting a temp gun and verifying that it isn't running hot, even though the gauge says it's fine. Only thing I can think of that would cause pressure with it shut off is boiling water. You should also either test the cap, or put a new one on.
Tenfo. I put a 1/2 gallon of concentrate in this am. That’s all it would hold so it didn’t spit much up yesterday. I haven’t run it yet it’s raining here. But I will shortly. I’m with FWF on the symptoms. And shimmy on the temp gun! A cap is what I’m gonna try as well it makes sense that would be the issue. Fingers crossed!
I have a CAT 320 CL. I just had CAT replace the head gasket a few months ago. That is a long story for another thread. Short version, we discovered a small head gasket leak when we bought it. I ran it for 2 years, monitoring the temps, water, etc. and it did fine until it didn't....out in the pond/swamp and the 3 red warning lights came on and it was officially running hot. I could hear the pressure bubbling into the overflow tank as I shut it down and then watched the tank overflow as coolant bubbled out. I waited a few hours, cooled it off, topped up the water and tracked it out of the pond and back to the shop about 1/4 mile away...never ran hot that trip. I got Yancey CAT involved and got the head gasket replaced. Here is the thread about that. HeavyEquipmentForums And this is what the leak looked like when I bought it and 2 years later when it finally started running hot...I figure the leak finally got big enough internally that I lost enough coolant to start running hot.
Eventually you will have to dump all the coolant, then will have to add quite a lot of concentrate or you will never make it to 50/50 or 60/40. There is way too much left behind in block and coolers to get the percentage up without concentrate. Simon C
Tenfo definitely want to get it to the correct mixture.
Running with 30/70 versus 40/60 versus 50/50 versus 60/40 is a big difference in the boiling temperature by about at least 20 degrees or more. I always go with 60/40. Simon C
Well hehe. This morning decided to go ahead and add the 50/50 concentrate. It only took 1/2 gallon. Ran it bout 4 hrs went to eat. Topped it of and it only took a quart. Its healing haha! Cool temps today so maybe that has something to do with it. Idk don’t have a heat/temp gun here so couldn’t do that. The monitor showing dead at 1/2 way. No numbers to see. I’ll check again in am and go from there. Also don’t know but the cap wasn’t bottomed out tight. Not sure that made a difference either. I ordered a cap it’ll be in in the am.
Under ”monitoring“, coolant temperature is on the list .Can re-confirm when you have the heat/temp gun in hand.
I looked through the monitor only thing I could find was the rpm’s I figured it would have it in there I’ll look again tomorrow
Looked again today only thing under monitoring is rpm (tach) I don’t have a book to look it up. Maybe I’m doing something wrong. It only took a quart of coolant this morning. I’ve shut it down a few times today. When I get back I’ll see what it takes. If it takes just a quart that may be where it rides. We’ll see
You can leave the cap on the over flow bottle a little loose to bleed of a little pressure and it should stop puking anything.
Sorry , I assumed you were in “Service menu “ . To access service menu the details are in the screenshot below. .
I wouldn't do that, but that's just me.
Sometimes it works to get by but I myself would rather fix it also. Seems he’s on a job and trying to get done. I ran a Ford ranger with a head gasket leak for quite a while before I got to it, like that.
I don’t know what it is yet but I’m ok with adding a quart at a time for now. Once I finish deal with it. I’ll leave the cap on tight.
Keep a close eye on it...this is how my head gasket leak manifested itself: "I got this message today after about an hour of working with the CAT to dredge out our pond. The last 2 times I checked the fluid level in the radiator (I check at start of every day I work the machine), the level has been low in the radiator...at first just below the inner core...today it took about 1/2 gallon to bring the level up to the top of the core...about 1 inch below the filler neck. I have also noticed that the overflow reservoir has been OVER full lately. I warmed the CAT up this AM and then turned it off to check for leaks...no leaks found, hoses all dry. There was a ticking/bubbling sound coming from the coolant overflow tank...a regular cadence. I removed the hose and confirmed it was bubbling into to reservoir. While working the CAT today, I glanced at the ECU, about an hour into work, and saw 3 flashing red lights across the top of the ECU and the message, "Engine coolant temp is high". The yellow bars on the gauge were maxed out. No engine stutters or diminished power but just the message. I shut the machine off, checked for leaks...none. But, the coolant overflow reservoir was overflowing...looks like radiator coolant was overflowing into the coolant tank but not being returned."
Radiator coolant does not go back to the radiator from the overflow unless the coolant is cooling off and shrinking in size. It will then suck back into the radiator when it is getting cooler as long as there is no leak somewhere such as a heater line or something. It is easier for the rad to suck back air than coolant so a loose hose somewhere will mean the radiatoer can keep going down an never suck back. Simon C
That ain't no recovery bottle, it's an expansion tank. The line off the cap should just purge to atmosphere. That's why there's a "hot-cold" or "min-max" line on the side of the tank. It's supposed to be a closed system.
I never seen that exact radiator but understand what you mean. It just goes up and down between the lines unless it is boiling over or getting cumbustion gases in the mix. Simon C
Well it’s been working as it should for at least a week. I’ve been overfilling it when I do add coolant. I’ve been able to run it and not add any at all and it’s at Same level every day. Also its Green so must not have been too diluted. I haven’t checked the octane of it lol.
Ok so having issues again. It’s been running flawless and I’ve put about $200 on it since I was having the trouble back in April this morning. I ran it yesterday afternoon. Everything was fine this morning. I got on it and within 10 minutes the coolant level alarm went off so I got up there. I put about a half a gallon in it, but it probably was only a quart low really either way I filled it up And got back on it and it’s still doing it. I’ve put I keep checking it and it it’s the level says it’s fine but the alarm doesn’t wanna go away it’s not running hot. I mean because when I took the cap off, it wasn’t even hot, but the alarm keeps coming back on low coolant level
Well most likely, the temp sensor is bad.
That’s what I was hoping for I guess I need to call John Deere and see if they have one. I don’t like changing parts but if it’s cheap enough, I may do that cause I know it’s gonna cost me $1000 for them to come out here and tell me it’s what it is I will see.
That was it! New tank level sensor and we good to go. Was super easy to install whew!
On my 290GLC, I would also get low coolant alarms. I kept adding a 50/50 mix, but couldn't find any leaks. Then one day, I climbed up top while the machine was running and saw coolant coming out of the top plastic tank where the two return lines go into the tank. I pulled the hose off and cut off the "fitting". I then drilled a hole for a 1/4" NPT thread, then taped the hole. I then put in a 1/4" to hose barb fitting and reconnected the hose. It's been okay ever since. Does your machine require a "de-airing" procedure?
No de airing that I know of I had a problem with water coming out of it for a while, but I don’t know what happened. It’s everything’s working fine until today when that alarm was going off and it was just a sensor, thank God.
Does the sensor screw in to the tank from the top, bottom or side? Some are read switches with a floaty magnet that closes the switch, some are 2 pin probes and others are glorified 2 pin but look like a single ceramic stick. The last 2, you can remove, wipe em clean, stick em back in and you might be good for a while . The floaty mag one sucks, you can't get inside there to see where the magnet is sticking. Good luck, be careful. Pics of your sensor and where it screws into the tank. Would help. I just saw a whole page of replies, wow. I was late to the party
No worries I wuz wondering where u were hehe! it twists in really simple. I never thought about cleaning it they probably would’ve done it. But no worries Deere Ag dealer here in town (1 mile away lol) had one and for $44 couldn’t go wrong!