Our CAT 150 has the basic Cross Slope system. I don't use it a lot. Mainly when doing the 3rd final pass blading gravel roads. You can set it to maintain whatever cross slope you desire. I set it on 0% slope. Then I run the right end of the blade for height and the left end of the blade automatically maintains whatever you have selected. You can also switch and control the blade with the left stick and the right will automatically set itself. At around 150hrs on the clock of our new machine started having problems. Randomly the display would go from a numerical % to ***%. No logic. Might last a few seconds. Might last several minutes. Nothing I do with the moldboard has any affect. Even shutting off the machine and restarting can't be confirmed as a reset. This first pic is an example of how the display should look when running the machine without the Cross Slope automation enabled. In this case I'm not using the Cross Slope. But it always displays the blade position. The blade symbol and the percentage number in the bottom center of the dash display is the Cross Slope. Also understand, this isn't talking about the position of the machine, it's the position cross slope of the moldboard that is displayed. This pic shows the Cross Slope display when it's not working.
I had been delaying contacting Foley Equipment about this problem. I was actually hoping it would get worse and completely quit working. The unpredictable nature of the problem is a Techs worst nightmare. Wednesday I called Foley and they sent out a Tech Friday. When he arrived we visited for a moment and then I asked him what his thoughts were. He smiled and said the Service Manager didn't tell me what problems you were having, just that you were having issues. I thought that was odd. We just laughed about it. So I described the situation best I could. He fired up the machine and messed with the blade for a couple minutes and couldn't get it to act up. No surprise. He hooked up his Laptop and then searched CAT for any recalls or Service Bulletins about this problem. None. He then started a complete update of the system. Then tried again to get it to fail. No luck. Then he messed with every electrical circuit plugin that powered the system. No luck. After two hours of trying everything we could dream of he gave up. Said he would go back to CAT with a problem ticket and see if they had any ideas. We agreed that I would put a few days of running on the machine and see if it still is a problem. For all we know the update might have fixed it. Fortunately this machine is used for gravel road maintenance. And the Cross Slope system is not a necessity. If this machine was used to cut grade everyday it would be a disaster. I'm anxious to see what we find as a solution. It will not surprise me if the problem still exists next year. Only way around that would be for CAT to just start throwing parts at it. I'm at 215 hours now. Anyone had issues with this system?
Unfortunately I have the same issue on both of my 150’s does same thing yours is doing only way I’ve found to get it to work again is while cross slope control screen is up hit right arrow to go to cross slope settings scroll through settings and it will have no numbers then all of a sudden the numbers will appear and the cross slope will start working I’ve had my dealer put a handful of times can’t seem to find the issue in my opinion it’s a wire or sensor that goes in and out causing our problem but I’ve pretty much done the same as you I’ve accepted it will just do that and can normally get it working again.
Thanks for the response Mark!!!! This is exactly why I posted this thread. Hoping someone else had these issues. So, sounds like a systematic problem. A flaw somewhere in the wiring or sensor or computer programing. If the update that's been installed in our machine fixes this problem I'll most certainly contact you. Thanks again for adding your comments Mark.
After putting on an additional 20hrs I don't see any improvement in the Cross Slope system. A CAT Factory Rep came yesterday and messed with it for a couple hours with no progress. He submitted a ticket back to CAT. He's guessing CAT will start throwing parts at it until they hit the problem. Says they'll probably start with the main computer located on the underside of the machine frame, above the circle. Then try the sensor on the moldboard. Then try the wiring harnesses one at a time. We'll see what develops. I'll most certainly post the results as they come.....
Update. 3 Separate CAT Techs and a CAT Product Specialist have looked at our machine. Last one could peck on the blade sensor bracket with a hammer and cause the slope indicator to go crazy. At one point it was reading 8% slope when the blade was level. Seemed to not be tolerant of blade impact. So he suggested the blade sensor be replaced. The Service Manager from Foley Equipment called and said he had been researching this problem. He found an article in an Equipment magazine that described the similar problem I'm having. It suggested replacing the blade sensor and the wiring harness from the sensor to the Cross Slope computer module mounted under the main frame above the table. A Tech came Friday and replaced the Blade Sensor and the wiring harness. I haven't ran the machine yet to see if the problem is resolved. I'll report the findings when I know.
Not that this matters to much. I have been operating a Cat excavator with grade control but not using it. The quer thing with that was when the upper works were rotated 180⁰ without moving the machine on the ground the cross slope could be 4⁰ different. I just put it down to more Cat crap.
Thanks for the update my two machines still do as yours has hopefully the can find a fix.
Month or so ago I was cutting a roadbank in front of a house. The guy wanted it laid down to mow it. The part he was already mowing was 20% slope. So I cut the steeper bank to match. When right side downhill it read 20% when done. Left side downhill it read 24%. Go figure.....
If I confirm it's a fix I'll pass on all the information. I'll give you Foley's Service Manager number so your guys can call him. He wants me to confirm the fix before we do that. And I understand that. I'll keep you informed Mark.
And the operator gets the kick in the backside for doing it wrong. It definitely proves the the eyeometer is far more accurate than modern technology for those who have the ability to use it. In the 60s Sperry developed the Grade Master which is probably more accurate than this new stuff.
In my experience of working with grade control systems in mining applications if a system is "off" it's usually down to the level of care taken by the people who originally installed it. Installed correctly they are the mutt's nuts. All I'll say is that we had some good ones.
my experiance with grade control and even a basic slope meter is correct calabration if it is not done correctly its not gonna be accurate. also on sites have a known level check site to check accuracy thru the day
One of the Techs that's been here set an electronic level on the moldboard, using the dash gauge moved the moldboard to level, checked the electronic level and they matched. I don't recall him doing any comparisons thru the range of slope either direction.
What I was referring to was installing a system on an existing machine. This involves quite a bit of welding a number of brackets on various components, etc. I would imagine in the case of your 150 that all the support structures are already on the machine and it is simply a case of bolting on sensors and/or running wire harnesses. Even so, the factory has been known to get stuff wrong before when it comes to welding brackets on structures, especially if the brackets are for something that is an attachment rather than being standard.
i agree nige i had a 12m 2017 year and no matter what the trimble techs done they could not get the left side to do amatching return run, i got pretty good at switching to 2d feathering the left side
Well stated. I believe you are right. In my tenure I have saw factory assembly quality control deteriorate. I truly believe the moldboard sensor cannot handle the vibration and shock of blade use. The first time I saw this one fail was when I installed carbide rotating bit cutting edges. Some of my roads were extremely hard especially in the tracks. First time I lowered the blade it chattered real bad. I stopped to readjust the blade pitch and noticed the asteriks displayed. One time with smooth edge cutters I was cleaning gravel off a paved road and got the same blade chatter. The system failed again. I'm hoping the new sensor is a redesign and fixes the problem. Fingers crossed....
Isn't that extremely aggravating.....
I think that could be your problem right there. I'll bet money that the system designers never imagined the level of vibration that is being transmitted to the moldboard caused by the carbide inserts. Getting them to admit it could be a challenge.
Mark (Graderman) also runs various types of carbide cutters. He's having the same problem with two 150s. I'll get a chance to run ours later this week to see if it's fixed or not.
Ran 5 hours this morning. I never noticed the Cross Slope failing while blading. It failed four times while roading WOT 8th gear. 1st was 10 seconds or so. The other three were 90 seconds to 120 seconds. I reported this to the Service Manager. He said he'd pass it on the CAT.
Update. The moldboard sensor replacement did not fix the problem. Made no difference. Ten days or so ago the Service Manager called me and said they want to try a new ECM download. Said the Tech would be calling me. Couple days later the Tech called said he was looking at a CAT TSB posted by someone with a similar problem as mine. In their case they were using GPS so it was a disaster. He pulled the ECM program they were running, then looked my machine up on his computer and said he were running a different program. Asked if I was willing to try this newer version. I said sure. He showed up a couple hours later and changed me over to the new program. The next day I took it out for a couple hours just playing around and it didn't fail. When it dried up a couple days later I went back out and ran for a couple days. At 20 hours it still had not failed. I felt confident they had corrected my problem. I called the Service Manager and praised him and the Tech for staying with this problem until they found a fix for me. I then called Mark (Cat 140M Awd) and shared the news. I also sent him a picture off my product link screen that showed him all the details of our new program. He's going to contact his Service Tech and discuss the possibility of trying this on his machine. Got my fingers crossed that this problem is fixed on our machine and that Mark gets the same results. Here's the program I'm now running for anyone having a similar problem. Thanks for everyone that participated in the discussion.