hi from rainy scotland, I have a mid 90s (i think) 14,000 hour Hitachi EX 200-3 LC, serial no: 14C - 85306, which seems to have developed an issue with the hydraulics - any help/suggestions with diagnosing and sorting this would be much appreciated. When digging, at times the hydraulics will only function at approximately half their normal speed. If I activate the travel motors even a tiny bit this cures the problem and the boom/dipper/slew hydraulics operate at full speed for a short while, but soon revert to 'go slow' mode, when I have to hit the travel motors again to 're-set' the hydraulics at full speed. At first the hydraulics only went on 'go slow' mode a couple of times a day, but it's got progressively worse until now its happening frequently. The engine doesn't bog down or smoke when this problem occurs. The machine has recently had a full service including hyd oil change. Sometimes there is a quite audible & rapid 'clicking' noise from the pump cabinet when the machine's idling, but this also seemed to occur prior to the fault developing, so I'm not sure if it is related (cavitation? sticky solenoid?). I am new to 360 degree excavators, having run a jcb 3CX on the farm for years, but a friend suggested there may be a fault with the 'high speed solenoid'? Any pointers to diagnose the fault (without paying an arm & a leg for a Hitachi engineer) would be much appreciated. The machine has plenty power otherwise & everything seems remarkably tight given the hours on it. Thanks in advance for any pointers
Well firstly welcome mate to the HEF's but i would also be looking at the Solenoids , maybe give them a hit when the problem happens and see if it fixes them as the magnet in them might be getting worn and stuck in them.
Thanks for the pointer, will give that a shot next time I'm able to get to the machine (I'm away for a few days for work) and see if I can identify a problem solenoid. Would this fit in with activating the travel motors temporarily curing the fault? I haven't got the greatest understanding of how the solenoids function/interact...!
Might want to look at the pump and sensors for pressure and delivery......
Ex200-lc questions - help req! Well I ran the machine for two days and the slow hydraulics problem seems to have (I'm sure temporarily) largely cured itself...! Fitting a new oil cooler in a couple of weeks, so will have a good go over the wiring, sensors, fuses, etc then and see if I can spot any weak points (back story to the new cooler; missing guard + tangles of snapped & windblown spruce trees on a slope with deep mud = a very wonky looking and leaky oil cooler, smashed batteries, bent air con matrix, mangled rad cowlings, etc, etc - all good fun!). Couple of other questions if anyone's able to help; 1. Can anyone tell me how I can determine whether my breaker pipes are dual acting (ie can they be used to run a thumb if I fit one)? I would post photos but being a new user they don't seem to let me... Basically there is what looks like a rocker pedal which is locked off at present, located next to the rhs track pedal in the cab and two large dia hoses capped off on the dipper. 2. Can anyone list all the warning lights on the panel from top to bottom (5 no red, 1 orange, 3 green) - some i know, some puzzle me. Also, if anyone has a diagram of all the button functions I would be grateful (again, i get most of them inc auto idle, cold warm up, lights, wipers, etc, but a few are a puzzle). Finally if anyone has a pdf EX 200-3 manual they could email/link to, that might result in me not having to bother people on forums so much with stupid questions...........
sounds like you are piped for a hammer.There was another post on here about switches on a Hitachi excavator, hope you find what you are looking for
If your monitor is the same as my EX400LC-3 than the warning lights would be starting at the top. Alternator Indicator Engine Oil Pressure Indicator Air Filter Restriction Indicator Overheat Indicator Fuel Level Indicator Preheat Indicator Engine Oil Level Indicator Coolant Level Indicator Hydraulic Oil Level Indicator The four switches below the monitor panel are from left to right: Lights, Wiper, Washer, Buzzer Stop The button and three lights above the washer and buzzer stop switches is the level check switch. You turn the key to the on position and press this switch and it will tell you if the engine oil, coolant or hydraulic levels are low. If one of the lights DOES NOT light that means that fluid is low. To make sure non of your bulbs are burned out on the monitor panel turn the key to the on position and all lights should light for 2 seconds. If one does not light you should replace the bulb. Let me know if you need any thing else.
Excellent, thanks I think the monitors must be the same as that all makes sense looking at the lights. What does the buzzer stop button do? Re the hammer circuit I will search for the other post referred to & hope mine is a dual acting (i assume this means two-way) circuit (I am clearing 20 acres of stumps & brash so a thumb would be a lifesaver!) Cheers
If only one of the lines for your auxilary circuit is "valved" then it has to be one way. If both lines are "valved" then work the valve and check if you can see if BOTH of the rubber hydraulic hoses alternately flex and relax. Maybe move the dipper etc. so there's more or less slack/loop in the lines?
Check the pump solenoids.one slashes the pump and the other des washes .You can swap them and check to see if your problem changes.also check the wiring to the pump angle sensor.
Thanks for the advice guys - it is appreciated. I should have thought of that method of checking the aux circuit.....logical! Going to have a good go over the whole machine when the new oil cooler is being fitted and check all the wiring and sensors as advised, I am pretty sure the issue with the hydraulics intermittently running slow is electrical not mechanical based on intuition when running it and having scanned a lot of other EX posts by people with similar issues. Will post back how I get on.
If you sucked a bunch of oil through the radiator when you poked a hole in the oil cooler make sure you give the radiator a good power washing. With the oil residue left in the radiator it will collect dirt like dust mop and you will soon have overheating problems. Might not be a bad idea to take the radiator out and take it to a shop and have them boil it to make sure you get all the oil out as well since you have the oil cooler out anyway.
Good thinking Scrapper, thanks, will do so. As you suspected the radiator got a good soaking with hyd oil which was sucked through & sprayed round the engine bay by the fan blades... On the dash 3 models the rad pretty much has to come out to get the oil cooler out anyway, so I will take it back to the farm & give it a good hot wash with detergent. The rad was re-cored about six months ago to prevent over-heating so worth looking after.
I had a similar accident with my 400-3, I run a salvage yard and the oil cooler got into a fight with a truck frame and lost. I learned the hard way what will happen if the oil is not washed out of the radiator. Since the machine was located no where near a power washer and it was the middle of winter I just replaced the oil cooler. After time I needed to take the oil cooler back out to wash the radiator out since the machine started overheating. I tried to wash the radiator out with the oil cooler in place but that didn't work very well. On my machine we just removed the engine cover, drained the hydraulic oil, undid the clamps on the oil cooler where the oil goes in and out of the oil cooler (compression clamp with rubber seal on one end and bolts with an O-ring on the other if I remember correctly), unbolted the oil cooler from the radiator and lifted it straight out the top leaving the engine cooling radiator attached. There was a loop welded on the top of the oil cooler to attach a clevis for lifting on mine. It was actually not that bad of job. After removing and replacing the oil cooler three times now I think I could have it out of there in less than an hour. (1. remove to try and repair, 2. remove to replace with used oil cooler, 3. remove to wash radiator) If you already have both the oil cooler and the engine radiator removed I would defiantly take the radiator to a shop and have it boiled to ensure you get all the oil out. I'm likely going to have to remove my engine coolant radiator some day and have it boiled, the machine never had an overheating problem before this incident and now when the outside air temp gets warmer (above 90 degrees F.) the machine starts to run warm. The water pump was just replaced so I'm hoping that will help, if not I'm sure the radiator still has some blockage.
Have a look in attached
Excellent, thanks both Scrapper & Diggaman (sorry for late reply, been away a week in Austria skiing, or at least trying to ski, some powder!). All panel buttons making full sense now. New cooler is on the way, will let you know how I get on with it - it's a bitch to remove/replace, as on the 200-3 models, for some bizarre reason, they routed the outlet steel hose at a 90 degree right angle bend to the cooler for about 6 inches, meaning the radiator and an associated mounting bracket all have to come out prior... But as you say, 2nd time round might prove easier...!
Further update on the saga - the new oil cooler went in reasonably easily once the feed pipe was bent back into alignment, and she seems to be running sweet. I took the engine radiator out and gave it a good clean through with detergent to get rid of all the oil sucked through and this seemed to work & cool the engine okay. Fingers crossed all will be well! Quick question someone may be able to help me with, as I'm away from the machine now for the next week or so; Can anyone tell me what size/diameter the bucket hydraulic hoses are on this machine? Ie 1/2 inch or 3/4 inch ??? I am in the process of ordering a hydraulic thumb & need to tee this into the bucket lines with a 6 way diverter valve so need to know what spec valve to order. Any info on flow rate and max pressure in this circuit would also be v useful & much appreciated. Cheers for now
2 wire 3/4 inch should do it.You Have to take your thumb lines off the aux valve on your main control valve controlled by a solenoid operated directional control valve in the pilot circuit.Of course if you want the thumb to act as a grapple you can plumb off the bucket circuit but you still need to limit the pressure reliefs going to the thumb to 2500 psi.The mechanical advantage and larger force created by the bucket cylinder will bend the thumb cylinder rod like a pretzel.Also when installing the thumb anchor make sure to extend the thumb cylinder 1/8 " to stop the rod from bottoming in the thumb cylinder.