I inherited a skid from a landscaper. It sat for 1.5 years in a shelter then I ran it for about 2 hours before the right side failed to operate. After many expensive hours at the dealer, and many misdiagnoses, they replaced the right side motor and gear drive. They were supposed to have thoroughly looked for any other necessary repairs. $$$$$... Now I have run it for about 4 hours and the "do not operate" light is flashing. I have checked fluid levels. My budget is blown for any more dealer repairs. I need to do the rest myself. Any suggestions?
A Serial Number would be a good start. There are various iterations of 257B3, even within the same S/N prefix. Do you have an Operation/Maintenance Manual.? If you're planning on doing your own maintenance it is pretty much essential. Post a photo of the warning light that is flashing please. Is it flashing Amber or Red.?
Model #257B3 ID #CAT0257BVB7H01136 Yes, I have and have been studying manual. I'll go take some pictures...
exclamation light is blinking yellow, no alarm sounding
Here are all the numbers
year is 2012
The Serial Number is everything when it comes to getting parts & service information. Year means nothing. Unfortunately with that design of Monitor panel there is no way to get into Diagnostic Codes without using Cat ET diagnostic software. Can you release the park brake and does the machine move, even with the driver alert flashing.? EDIT: There may be independent local mechanics in your area who have ET, it's not a dealer-only thing. the best thing would be if Et was hooked up to the machine and a Product Status Report (PSR) was downloaded. This is a pdf file with all the diagnostic information plus a whole load more. From the information contained in the PSR your machine could most likely be fixed without needing to resort to the services of a dealer.
Yes, the machine runs fine even though the driver alert is flashing. Thanks for your reply. Yes, I've called every mechanic within 20 miles trying to find one with a CAT ET. So far the closest is a CAT dealer 54 miles away. I will make more calls today because I just can't believe no one in this town has one, but if I can't find someone, I will be hauling the skid up there first thing tomorrow morning.
If you are successful in finding someone with ET please make sure that when they hook up to the machine the first thing they do is to download a complete version (including all the ECMs) of the PSR in Adobe pdf format and show it to you (then email it or put it on a memory stick) before you take the machine away. The PSR is going to be key in all the diagnostics that follow.
The light is not flashing