I've got a borrowed skidsteer at home for some late winter snow clearing. I noticed after I got it, the cab heater started blowing not as warm. Then later (maybe next time running it) noticed that the coolant light was illuminated. It was lit very dimly compared to the Parking light that is so blindingly bright that you can't miss. You can barely see that the coolant light is illuminated until the sun goes down. I quickly checked things out while it was running and I could hold my hand on both rad hoses for extended periods no problem. One rad hose was much warmer than the other. The rad is clear, not snow or ice covered at all. Overflow tank is in the lower end of its range where it always has been since I got it. Internet says the coolant light is supposed to be accompanied by an audible alarm, but I'm not getting one. Any ideas? Would a thermostat stuck open cause the machine to throw a code? Would potentially explain the decrease in cab heat. Thanks in advance guys
Radiator hose temperature might not tell the full story. I'd suggest to let the engine cool, pull the radiator cap and physically check the coolant level (not the overflow tank, the rad itself) as a first step. Often an underperfroming heater is the first sign of a lack of coolant.
are the hoses hard, like theres coolant flowing through them or easy to squeeze? also if you have a temperature gun see what the temperature is on both sides of the thermostat to see if its opening or not, and check the radiator to see if it has cold spots like its plugged. checking the coolant level in the radiator like nige said is a good place to start too, sounds too stupid and simple but more often than not it is something stupid and simple that gets over looked.
The thing is that because the system has an expansion bottle and that's allegedly where you're supposed to check the coolant level most people don't go any further than that. Just because the expansion bottle has coolant in it does not mean that the radiator does. Another thought. Usually the heater is fed directly off the cylinder block, not the radiator. That's why the heater gets hot quickly after a cold start, even before the thermostat opens and the temp gauge starts to climb. So I can't see any way that a dodgy stat is causing the problem.