We have a 2006 cat 287b with 2200 hrs. The problem or case study we have is after 38+ straight hrs of snow removal we get a temp light coming on. The first time it came 3 years ago just thought it was t-stat, fixed, run good for 3yrs, winter and summer. Did not run any more 38hr up removal. This year first long run temp light on, another stat. next run temp light. Has to be ice build up on track drive motors, hydro oil. ANY THOUGHTS?
Can you check the block and rad temps with a heat gun to see what the temp is? I have seen 2 cat skidsteer B models that would put the light on when the engine wasn't hot. The problem was the temp sensor had an internal short but it only happened after running for a while. No light on on startup.
You say snow removal. Is there any chance the flow of air through the radiator is getting plugged somehow..? The radiator itself shouldn't plug, it ought to be hot enough to melt the snow, but if the flow of air goes through a duct somewhere before or after it passed through the radiator that's where I'd be looking first. Is it definitely the engine temperature indicator that's flashing, and not the hydraulics..? They are right next to one another.
Have not checked with temp gun, but i dont realy think its overheating. Have owned auto repair shop for 30 years and you dont have the same thing happen 3 times in a row. Its to common of occurance to happen after each long run of 30 plus hours. And be the same thing each time. Does Cat have tech bulletins that you can get access to?
I'll dig around for any relevant service literature but meantime can I ask you this. If as per your post above you don't really think it's overheating then if the temp light is flashing wouldn't the first place to look be the temp sensor/wiring rather than the thermostat..? Your OP has me a bit confused. You're talking about "ice buildup on track drive motors, hydro oil". That seems to suggest you think that the hydraulic oil could be overheating. I'll ask again, is it your hydraulic oil temperature warning light (Ref. 1) that's coming on, or coolant (Ref. 2)...?
Hows this look? 287B (S/N: ZSA1-1396) Service Magazine SEPD0834, May 2006, "Switch Replacement". Disregard this article. See the replacement article that follows. The internal design of the 217-5793 Water Temperature Switch, 217-5791 Oil Pressure Switch and the 217-5204 ESOS has altered in order to improve reliability. This change alters the method of connection of the switches from AMPS to Deutsch. To accommodate this change, 272-9496 Jumper lead is required. If necessary, replace 217-5793 Water Temperature Switch with 231-2999 Water Temperature Switch and 272-9496 Jumper lead . If necessary, replace 217-5791 Oil Pressure Switch with 266-0227 Oil Pressure Switch and 272-9496 Jumper lead . If necessary, replace 217-5204 ESOS with 271-2117 ESOS and 272-9496 Jumper lead . Note: Only replace the failed part
Its #2 Coolant temp, the build up around the tracks and drive motors is what makes me think it has something to do with the hydralics. the machine i believe cools the hydro oil at the radiator.
OK, that's that cleared up and now I understand your thinking. You're correct that the air passing through the radiator package passes through both the hydraulic oil cooler and the radiator. The thing is that looking at the specs of the switches that trigger the temp alarms on your panel, both of them activate at 102 DegC. So if the build up of snow around the tracks and drive motors was causing an increase in hydraulic oil temperature then the high hydraulic temperature light ought to come on before the one for the machine cooling system, but it your case it doesn't come on at all. Just as a matter of interest what viscosity of hydraulic oil are you using in it..? Back to what Mobiltech posted above. There is/was an issue with the engine temperature switch. I suggest you check the Part Number of the switch installed on your machine, it screws right into the base of the thermostat housing. If you can't find a Part Number on the switch itself check to see if there is a short jumper lead connnecting the engine harness to the switch with a Part Number tag of 272-9496 on it. If your switch is a 217-5793 or if you don't have the jumper lead then it would appear that you have the former (apparently unreliable) design of switch. It should be replaced with a 231-2999 switch which will require a 272-9496 jumper harness to connect it to the machine harness. Here a couple of Parts Drawings of the 2 switches to try to help you identify what you have. 217-5793 is the one on the left, reference #5. 231-2999 is the one on the right, reference #3. It appears as though there is a significant difference in the hexagon on the 2 switches plus also a difference in the electrical connector. The 231-2999 on the right definitely has a Deutsch connector, I'm not sure what the other one has but probably an AMP connector.
Just so you know Having snow build up and start to melt on the hoses at the motor is normal ( I have a 287B that plows a lot of snow). Hyd lines should be warm. If you grab your hydraulic filter after working for a while it will feel fairly warm but it wont burn your hand.
I also have a cat 287b with the temp light and alarm going off when warm or cold ? I replaced the temp sensor and still does it? any help
It is most likely a wiring fault somewhere. Unfortunately to get to the bottom of it will require Cat ET hooked up to the machine to read the Diagnostic Codes.
My 277 was always good for having the temp light on after a rain or getting wet otherwise. Could be a similar situation. I never could track down where the water was getting