I have an old client with lots of old iron seeing plenty of corrosion and electrical issues. I've been replacing electrically operated battery disconnects and figure I could make a short video explaining how they work, some types of failures and how to troubleshoot the switches themselves. I hope it helps someone, somewhere, sometime.
Thanks for sharing John
I like the old Cat key disconnects.
I like them also but the Napa store had these for about twenty dollars less and the store was only about ten miles away. The nearest Cat store is about thirty miles away.
Makes sense
Not the same, but when I looked at the video, I was reminded of the old series parallel switches.
Those were fun. We both three trucks from one company. Inside all three the series parallel wires were fried that would charge the other batteries when the parallel switch was not in use. I found out The previous owners mechanic had a big welder. If the truck wouldn't start he'd hook the welder to the positive terminal and stick a big welding rod to the frame.
As long as you could find it! CAT hid some of those pretty well, especially on the scrapers as I recall!
That's why they publish the most unread book in history, "Operators Manual"! At least back in the day before how to tune the radio became more important than how to check fluid levels!
Yeah well, the outfits I worked for had machines made before they cabled the OM to the seat, and most of our "operators" had never seen one before their first day, lol
Well you would have to look a long time seeing as how over 90% don't have them or even have batteries . Bob
You wouldn't be needing to start them then, would you?
The few scrapers that have engines if they have batteries the switch is on the control panel , those that don't the switch is on the tractor. Bob
I don't remember where it was on the 613's but I do remember chasing battery cables to find it.
The 613 scraper don't have a engine. The tractor disconnect is where it is on most tractors. You lean over the seat and it's right there next to the shifter. Bob
You might be confusing people a bit on scrapers and tractors. The bowl is a separate unit from the tractor which in most units has the only engine. That is unless the model number ends in a 7; 627, 637, 657. Then there is an engine in the back of the scraper unit with another set of batteries and a manual ground disconnect. You won't find any of the electrically actuated disconnects in the video unless they are part of the Japanese fleet of excavators and maybe some other stuff that started out being made by Mitsubishi.
I can never keep the 1/4 turn lever style in stock, I replace so many disconnects on equipment and trucks.
On all the late 2015 up Freightliners there is a battery disconnect switch located on the floor-left side of drivers seat. But don't let that fool you-shut it off and it only kills a portion of the power mainly high draw circuits. There is still parasitic power draw for all the on board computers and after two to three weeks setting it may not start.
Yeah, I don't care if the damn bowl has its own serial number, so does the engine and transmission, they're all still part of the "Scraper" to me. YMMV
They are until you try to order parts with just the tractor serial number.
Yep that does happen to many of those cabled manuals!
Lmao, I'm out.
Actually the early powered scrapers didn't have batteries or a alternator and had battery cables from the tractor where the disconnect was. You forgot a 639. Bob
I've never seen one let alone put hands on one. Might be why I didn't know about cables from the front unit.
The early 627s the 637s are the ones with no rear batteries and battery cables from the tractor . You missed the 639 as a powered scraper a 633 with a rear engine . Bob