Hey guys, We have a Mustang MTL16 (same as Tak TL130) that flashes the hydraulic line filter warning light when its cold. This started happening right after we changed the hydraulic fluid and both filters (we put 15w40 in). But before we changed it we were operating at around an 80 degree plus ambient temperature where since we have changed it we are down closer to 50 degrees and below. After warming up for about 5-10 mins it goes off and it seems to run and operate normally. It is definitely directly related to temperature because the colder it is outside, the longer it takes to go off. Is this normal? or is this something I need to address?
Not knowing your machine, my guess would be that when it's cold the oil is too thick to all flow through the filter and it is going through the bypass. When it does this it triggers the bypass warning switch and your light comes on. Our Bobcat 873 does the exact same thing when it gets cold out and once you run it for a few minutes it returns to normal. Hope this helps.
My TL 130 is the exact same way, I would not lose a bit of sleep over it.
check the specs. I bet the hydraulic oil should be 10w30 not 15/40. Should not really create an issue but will be thicker when cold.
Thanks guys. And yeah, there is a big sticker right above the hydraulic tank that says "10w30 or 10w40", I was advised that 15w40 would be fine.
Your experience is not uncommon and some techs recommend the 15w40 diesel oil because it starts with a better base oil and has more aditives to combat the friction associated with hydraulic systems. The oil is actually about twice as thick as 10w at cold temperatures. Using factory fluids are a real plus because they were tested to be compatible at all temperatures and conditions. I would not operate the unit with the light on. I would make sure the unit was warmed up before any load was put on the systems. Some will disagree but I wouldnt risk downtime for a few bucks at service time.