Hey folks I’m new here so please bear with me. Please don’t feel the need to bash me for what I’m about to post. I fear I made a serious mistake and I will have to deal with the consequences. I hope I’m wrong but we shall see. I received a call the other day from Proxibid stating that I had failed to pay for an auction I had won. I didn’t initially remember signing up for Proxibid but I now remeber I had the week before while looking at various equipment auctions. I was put in contact with auction house who informed me that I could wind up in jail for fraud if I didn’t follow through with the auction. I remeber looking at the auction and placing a low low bid and I think that my young son continued to bid on the item while I was helping my mother move (I kept him busy watching videos on my iPad). So I followed through because I have been in the market for a skid steer to use on my property for snow removal and various projects and I believe a contract is a contract. I also got a brand new 66” brush grapple with the machine in addition to the bucket pictured below. Long story short I just bought used 2012 Cat 236b3 with unknown hours. Here is the listing that shows the, item sold 2 weeks prior (I don’t know why he has sold the machine multiple times unless he is shill bidding because a lot of his equipment gets “sold” but relisted) on AuctionTime that I found by searching for the machines serial number. https://www.machinerytrader.com/lis...pment/auction-results/24581613/2003-cat-236b3 The owner never mentioned anything about needing a jump to start when I asked him about the machine and he insisted it was a good running skid steer and he had been using it around the yard. The auction I got it from never mentions the need for a jump and it had less pictures. I know people paint used machinery in the hopes of hiding abuse and neglect and I understand that often the appearance of abuse and neglect will be reflective of preventative maintenance. I know when this arrives I will need to go over it head to toe and hope for the best. My plan of action is as follows: Replace ALL fluids and filters Take it to cat for an inspection after fluids are changed. Have cat adjust valves in engine appears healthy Have drive chain tension inspected and adjusted Have auxiliary lines reattached where they are supposed to be (auction house says they are present but not reattached after being painted) Replace all missing windows Install replacement boots on the pilot controls Replace all rear lights Am I missing anything? Can actual hours be pulled from the computer? The reviews online of this auction house are not good. Frankly I’m very very worried at the moment. I’m not buying this machine to make money. I’m only buying for use around my property and house. I anticipate 50-100 hours of use a year. I’m $14k into the machine. I’m budgeting $5k for initial maintenance and plan to do whatever I can myself. Thought or ideas? Anything you guys see in the photos the are glaring at you and I’m missing? Thanks in advance 710
Welcome to the forum.....I hate to say it, but it doesn't sound good.... You say 2012 and the ad says 2003....you haven't received it yet? How are you getting it, did you arrange shipping or did the "auction house" arrange shipping? I hope you get the machine, when you do, then you can make an assessment of what the unit needs.
It’s a previous auction from him selling it on AuctionTime 2 weeks prior to him reauctioning it on proxibid. It’s actually it a 2012 and he wasn’t listing it as a 263b3 just a 263b. He has had it listed on multiple websites as a “call for price” type listing. He has since began removing those I’ve noticed. They arranged shipping for the skidsteer and grapple. I’m actually not too waitress about getting it. What worries me is what will I get..... If you don’t mind me asking is it just red flags that weee worrying as far as fraud or what you were seeing in regards to the machines overall condition?
Not that it helps you now, but the only online auction I am comfortable with is Iron Planet. I am sure some of the others are good as well, but I have bought a lot of equipment off IP and never had an issue with anything. As to the machine, you have a lot to be concerned about. You cant really know what you will be faced with until you see the machine. I hope you actually see the machine. You also should call your local Sheriffs Office and have the PIN number checked through NCIC and confirm that it is not stolen. The multiple listings and relisting of the machine is a serious concern to me. He could have bought it back numerous times, depending on the auction house that may be within the rules and may not be. Assuming you get a working machine you may come out ok price wise. Was transport included in the purchase price? I find that odd in an auction scenario if that is the case. If it were me, I would take the machine to CAT when you get it and spend $500 on getting it looked over and let them tell you what it needs. Then decide what you want them to do and what you can do yourself. Please keep us informed I would like to hear how this goes.
No shipping price was not included. CAT will be going through it and I was quoted $250 for the inspection you mention. I’m 14k into this right now. Shipping should be early next week from talking with them. Shipping was $2700 of the price. I’m fairly sure he is shill bidding on his auction instead of setting a reserve because he made a comment about “it wasn’t supposed to sell at that price” and the large number of relisted items. His entire auction stock is listed on machinery trader as “call for price”. Mine has been removed from his upcoming auction already and he does deliver his goods it’s just seeing his reviews he has some complaints about inaccurate machine descriptions. But people only tend to post complaints and not praise. I will keep this a thread updated with questions I have as this moves along. I know I’m going to have plenty!
Holy crap....my scam alert just went off like crazy....even if the auction is ligit....run a lien check right off the bat...i would NEVER buy something auction without seeing it myself...or have someone look at it on mybehalf...man i hope it all works out for you.....boosting it is not that bad....could be bad battery or if not run in long time...battery can drain with clock..etc....good luck and enjoy.
Quick update. Skid steer shipped today and I’m hoping it will be here around the end of the week.
First off did you ask your son if he was bidding on it or you just think he might have? Do you have a history of the bids or did they just put the price at the minimum they wanted and tagged you as the buyer? There's something missing here???
Lol (but only kind of funny). My son is pretty young. I had the page open and that’s my fault. The company that was running the auction is who the bids went through and not the equipment company. 2 separate companies would have had to conspire on one auction that is small time compared to a lot of the equipment on their website. I probably made that sound more confusing than I had too..... L&L equipment only had my email address. I was first contacted by proxibid who was the company that was running the auction for L and L equipment. All the emails were going to my junk email for some reason and honestly I’ve never looked at the file in my life before this happened. I don’t know what alogorhthym google used to declare email junk email but it seems to snare real email at times. My internet history has the auction accessed but does not show individual bids. I’m sure if I wanted to fight these people I could have but honestly I made a mistake and left something open on my browser in reach of a small child, I was legitimately in the market for a skidsteer and if the seller has been truthful with me I will be quite happy. The integrity to accurately describe the skidsteer is the only thing that I am worried about at this point. I will post more when it arrives. I have my local cat dealer scheduled to do a 2000hr service and a complete inspection when it gets here. I’m tempted to do the majority of the service myself but I wouldn’t be willing to take on adjusting valves right away. I’m hoping that will be a good start towards having it ready to use pretty quick.
Well the skidsteer arrived. Started right up with a jump in 20 degree weather. Puff of white smoke and that was it. Idles smooth. Belt sounds bad. They said the hour meter was “broken” but I reattached the wires that someone appears to have taken off. Hour meter shows 7896.8. Yikes. Cat said they will try and confirm this from the ecu. Both boots for the control sticks are torn and fluid is leaking from one of them. I think that will need replaced. Door is missing the windshield wiper, motor and seal. The roof has a dent on it and the top roof window is missing. Only one window is present between the 2 sides of the cab. Rear window will need to be resealed. Equipped with heat and ac but the blower motor doesn’t appear to turn on and it looks like the ac compressor is missing. There are few minor leaks noted in the engine compartment but not enough to drip. There were no noticeable leaks under the ,aching after sitting for 5 days on the back of a flat bed. Auxiliary hydraulics were removed back to the beginning of the boom (no idea why). Machine had just enough fuel to get off of the trailer before it died. We put 5 gallons in and it had no problem continuing to run after that. I ran it around the yard and it seemed to run normal. Tires are brand new caterpillars branded tires. Cat will be doing a full inspection by Tuesday and I will decide on how to proceed then. A 2000hour service will be performed regardless. I’m nervous. The hours are extremely high but the engine seems to be good. The gentleman helping me at cat said this is far from a bad auction machine but I wouldn’t know the difference. I’ll post more when I get my inspection report.
Wow that is a lot of hours on the meter! Firing right up with no smoke is a good sign though. As is no leaks. I wouldn't be surprised to hear the engine's been replaced. That might explain the A/C compressor and belt situation. Torn boots and leaky pilots are to be expected. Sounds like you didn't get a totally raw deal at least.
As above, the hours on the meter and the visual condition of little or no smoke when fired up lead to a conclusion that the engine may not be the original. Post a S/N from the machine and the engine - I can tell you if that engine was in it when it left the factory.
I looked at the pictures on the auction and the one you posted, it doesn't look like anything out of the ordinary, just been used hard. The dents and dings are to be expected on a hard used machine, probably from a concrete paving outfit or something like that. Doesn't look like a bad machine for $14,000 to your door.
I hope you get lucky. I've seen some really bad stuff come from auctions.
I hadn’t considered the engine having been replaced until you mentioned the AC compressor. I thought it was odd to be missing. Normally people just remove a belt if it’s an individual belt. From quickly looking at the engine it appeared that there is a pulley with two grooves and my simple assumption is the a second belt drove the compressor. I will be replacing at least one of the pilot controls. Only one was leaking the other just had a small amount white looking corrosion around the valve but no obvious leaks. It may have even been frost. It was really cold. Yeah you guys are leading me to believe that the engine is not original (which is good in this scenario). I don’t have the machine at home until next week at the earliest. I’ll post if cat catches the status of the motor (original vs replaced) on the inspection and if they dont say anything I’ll post the numbers when it’s at my house. The yard guy at cat and the delivery driver kept saying that it’s nice machine compared to a lot of deliveries they make and receive from auctions. The inspection and time will be the true test. One thing I noticed initially when the machine was first started is the left side wheels were reluctant to move. It may have been the pilot controlls sticking or really cold hydros. But after the yard guy attempted to move or twice with very brief pushes on the sticks everything came to life and rolled smooth and straight. Could that be due to the cold or is that a symptom of a bad drive motor? The yard guy said they are really twitchy when cold so he didn’t have any concerns about that initial moment. Does anyone know any good resources for parts diagrams online? I’m disappointed assuming the hours are accurate (which I do) but hopeful that the machine will be good to me. I’m begining to think my original budget for maintenance won’t be enough but I’ll know soon enough. I’ll keep posting as things progress and thanks everyone for your input.
It could blow the engine or pumps tomorrow. That's equipment. But you aren't counting on this thing to make a living. At 100 hours a year, it would take you 70 years to put the hours on it that it has now. I wouldn't spend much $ on it until you get it running for a while and see what you have. The cat man can do a "inspection" on it, but he doesn't have x-ray vision to see inside the engine pumps and cylinders. You're in the same boat as any of us, you're going to run it until something breaks, and then fix what's broke. It starts, goes back and forth and up and down, I don't think you can ask much more out of auction equipment. I've run way older stuff, that looked way more beat on than that thing looks. I think you did okay. You can't spend too many hours fretting about what might go wrong. Run it. "
I agree completely. Main thing I want is the cab intact and the heater running while plow. I’ve shoveled, ran a snow blower and plowed with a 4 wheeler for long enough. I ready to be a tad bit warmer mid winter! Even cat said I don’t have to worry about leaky pilot controls until they stop working. The leaking is just a matter of cleanliness.
A genuine Cat Parts Manual and Operator Manual would probably be the best investment you could make when it comes to running and looking after it. I'm assuming the machine Serial Number is the A9H02916 listed in the auction , which makes sense because it takes me to a 236B3 machine. Go to the link below: - https://catpublications.com/ When the popup window appears select "Continue as a Guest" Parts Manual - Type SEBP5921 in the box at the top of the screen and hit Search - $89 for a downloadable pdf. Same price for the same document on a CD but it will cost you shipping & handling on top. $104 for a paper book (plus S&H at a higher rate obviously) Operation & Maintenance Manual - Type SEBU8495 in the box and do the same. $66 for a pdf download.
Nige I appreciate all of your help and advice. When using the parts manual should I be using each individual part number or does the parts number at the top of a page cover all parts on the page as a whole? Is there anywhere online that you recommend buying parts? Thanks
I wouldn't be too concerned about the hour meter. Someone could have left the key on or there was an electrical problem and it didn't shut off. Maybe that's why it was disconnected? Still don't understand how your young son could have kept upping the bid. Somebody has a record of the bidding.
The answer to that question is - "It depends............." Allow me to elaborate a little. The number at the top of the page (see illustrations below which are from your machine) is referred to as the Group Number and it includes all the individual items that are listed below the title. Some Groups, such as the example below, will never be sold under the Group Number because there is really no relation between the individual parts. Therefore they are sold separately and you have to ask for each individual Part Number that you require. If you want to buy everything contained in a Group it's always worth asking first "Is this sold as a complete Group?". If the answer is yes then Happy Days, buy it under one number. It would probably be cheaper that way also. If the answer is no then you have a longer list of individual items to buy to achieve the same objective.
Thank you Nige. So I’ve had the skidsteer at Cat and have been waiting for them to finish the work we had agreed upon. I noticed when the skid steer was coming off the trailer initially the left side wheels wouldn’t turn Almost as if the parking brake was hanging up on one side. After running for 30ish seconds you could get the machine to move (hitting the parking brake button). This has continued while being serviced and Car was thinking there was a parking break issue. Today they called and said they think it’s a drive motor because a parking brake can’t hang up on one side. They are going to test the pressures on the parking brake Monday morning to confirm if it is or is not releasing. My question is: Is it possible for a parking brake to hang up on one side? My hydraulic fluid sample came out good and there is no obvious indication of an issue in the hydraulic system per the car dealership. The machine is sitting outside in 20-30 degree weather and it doesn’t seem like enough time for the hydraulic fluid to heat up. Thanks again in advance.
I have never heard of one side locking up due to a braking issue. If they don't turn it is typically a drive motor. Those temps are not cold enough to prevent a hyd. motor from turning.
Can there be any other causes (besides replacing the drive motor) for a side not wanting to turn initially but beginning to work after up to a minute?
Yes there are other reasons...usually a bad motor gets worse as it heats up...controls can do it. I dont think think it is p brake. Only pressure testing can tell
Ok thanks. Obviously I’m just being hopeful. This issue is only at start up as near as we can tell atvthe moment. Can the drive motor “hang up” on one side? Should I have expected to have seen issues in the hydraulic fluid test? Are there tests that can positively identify the issue as a drive motor? I’m not interested in throwing large chunks of money at an issue to find out it didn’t fix anything.
If a sun gear is chipped or broke it can hang up in motor...problem with 236 motor...it does not have external sun gears....hmmm hope cat doesnt lay it to you. What controls do you have in it...also if the hydrostat pump swash plate is sticking it would do this exact problem.
I have pilot controls.
Yeah...i would look there...they stroke the pump....and they use charge pressure...the are actually variable flow prv's. They have very little flow and low pressure ...even thick oil will cause them to be slow and lag till warm.....motors usually get worse with heat...not better. And the motor is about 2500 bucks...
Do you have any idea what oil is in the hydraulic system right now..? Hint: Look at the viscosity number on the oil analysis report and post it here .......
On the V100 part of the report (which it says is viscosity or 100c) it says 12.4 The fluid and filter was replaced just after the sample was taken with what ever CAT uses stock. Brand type and weight is blank.
Normally I would expect that an SAE10W hydraulic oil would be around 6.0-6.5 viscosity. An SAE30 oil would be 11.0-11.5, 12.4 on the oil analysis probably indicates that it had SAE30 oil before it was changed. That oil is only recommended for ambient temps down to freezing, not below. In comparison SAE10W would be good for ambient down to -4 DegF. I'd give it some time on the SAE10W oil to see how it performs, especially if as you say it improves when it warms up. It may pay you to confirm with the Cat house that they actually put SAE10W oil in it ..............
Thanks Nige. The amount of information you guys have on this forum is amazing.
Just got the machine home today. Where do I find the serial number on the engine? Issue with the skid steer left side not wanting to move upon start up reappeared as soon as I got home. I played with it a bit and it’s almost as if the stick isn’t sending a signal for the hydraulic fluid to move that side, there is no sound of fluid being attempted to move. I don’t think it’s a drive motor. I’m leaning towards either an electrical issue or an issue in the stick. I turned the machine off and then back on and the issue went away. Never came back yet. I’ll have to keep an eye on it. How do you tell if the machine is single or 2 speed? As usual thanks in advance!
Engine Data Plate is usually a sticker/plate on top of the valve cover. If not it could be on side of the engine cylinder block down close to the flywheel end. I think your problem could well be a dodgy joystick. Bad news is they are not repairable, only replace as a unit. If your machine is equipped with 2-speed it should have a rabbit/tortoise switch on the front side of the LH joystick.
Looks like it’s not a 2 speed. I’ve had the joystick be unresponsive a couple times at start up since I got it home. Today I went to plow with it and it moved 5 feet and stopped. I have neither bucket or drive control. I got it to move 1 more time about 2 feet and it stopped again. The exclamation symbol for the parking brake is flashing on start up now. Any suggestions on how to trouble shoot? The machine broke down in the middle of my driveway. Thanks in advance Serial number is: a9h02916 Edit:machine is running fine but it can’t move (wheels or bucket). Also when attempting to diagnose why my fuel gauge was inoperable I noticed someone had pulled the fuse that controlled it and all of the warning lights on the overhead dash. When I put a fuse in it gave and audible alarm with all of the lights turned on even with the key turned off and removed. So that fuse is currently not installed.
oh man can't help you on a CAT skidsteer...all mine are new Holland.....but I do feel for you....electrical problems are the worse....good luck man
Just to be clear, the symbol that is flashing is the one below. Is that correct..? It's worrying that when you install the fuse for the fuel gauge it sets off all the warning lights even with the key removed. This appears to indicate an electrical/electronic problem somewhere. Thinking out loud I wonder if it would be worthwhile trying to fix that problem first, just in case it has some effect on your park brake issue..? How good are you with electrics and do you have a DMM..? Unless someone else thinks different I am of the opinion that to diagnose fault codes on this machine cannot be done without Cat ET. I can't see any way to do it using any other method.
This machine was in the Cat dealer. Did they not even mention to you that there was a fuse missing while they had it in their shop..? Checking the electrical schematic, the "gauge" fuse feeds 3 locations: - 1. Fuel gauge. 2. LH Action Lamp Gp (high coolant temp, park brake , high hyd temp, plugged hyd filter, arm rest switch, low eng oil pressure. 3. RH Lamp Gp (interlock override, high flow, implement lockout, plugged air filter, alternator) I'm trying to figure why the parking brake light is flashing when the fuse for the power supply to that module is pulled. That doesn't make sense. The more I think about it the more I come to the conclusion this issue has to be fixed before moving forward.
A used machine being sold by a Cat dealer has no more or less chance of being good or bad than one sold by anyone else. Current state of service personnel, internal politics and accounting mean that the dealer can no more afford to put money into used equipment service and repair than anyone else can. That means the iron comes into the lot and just sits until someone comes by to try to make a deal.
But this machine was sent to the dealer by the owner to have work done on it John. You’d have thought if nothing else the lack of warning lights would have been on the dealer service report.
Nice, I understand what you are saying and agree but the people likely paying for the work are the used equipment department and they don't want much money spent.
Maybe I'm misunderstanding the story, but the way I read it is that the OP bought the machine at auction, got it to his place then sent it in to the dealer to have work done on it. You'd think any half-decent service department would be trying to generate other work on top of what the machine owner was paying them to do.
I went back and read the thread again to get my self in the right place. I' was confused by some of the prior posts and didn't take this story all the way back. This is taking on the look of a saga. A few things don't add up. Apparently there was a quote for an inspection of $250. That amount of money would not be appropriate for a dealership to "go through it". In my experience dealerships don't quote inspections unless there is a set inspection form the identifies what is done in the inspection. When I was at the dealer the minimum amount for an inspection was $500 and that was limited to readily observable points. It didn't include any troubleshooting or diagnostic tests. The next issue is dealers don't usually put their most experience personnel on a customer's "skid steer". The might use a second or third year apprentice to look through the machine and write down what they see but they usually will not put the seasoned hand on the unit because those hands are making money on machines owned by customers known to pay bills. Put yourself in a service writer or manager's position. A guy brings in a skid steer that was sold to him at auction who wants problems identified and quotes for repairs. First of all Cat dealers don't give quotes for repairs, they provide estimates. The manager sees a bottomless pit of repairs and someone who likely might be a little fuzzy about paying the bill. I've seen machines left at a dealership end up with a repair bill exceeding the value of the machine that way. We don't know what was told to the owner, but this is a disaster that no repair facility wants any part of. Add all that up with the current average state of ability for dealer mechanics and you have a saga.
You gentlemen have covered a lot, and there may very well be distinct electrical issues here. But- on a simpler note like the poster, I had similar park switch mis-operation. I have a 242(A) so similar in age. I weigh 230 pounds, but experienced in cold weather that my machine would screech to a halt with the park brake light on. Long story short- vinyl in the seat was so hard my fat arse could not dependably keep the safety switch depressed. New seat complete with switch (EBay much less than my Cat store) solved the cold weather issue. Silly, but very true
Extremely good point. You can see from the wiring schematic below that the operator present switch and the arm bar switch are linked in series. In other words both have to work for the parking brake to stay off. The correct seat switch Part Number for A9H02916 is 154-3986 because it doesn't have a suspension seat. The 173-2543 Seat Cushion Kit that contains new bottom and rear cushions for the existing seat frame shown in the attachment lists at $168 (switch is not included but only costs $8). I have no idea how that compares with eBay prices.
Sorry I didn’t answer these posts. I never got the email that this was replied to. The alarms went off for about a minute after putting in the fuse and have since stopped. Cat never caught that the fuse was missing but did offer to diagnose why my fuel gauge was inoperable for $119 which I had declined (thankfully). Cat sent out a service truck this morning and they diagnosed the sensor on the safety bar as the issue. It works fine now. He said my seat sensor had been jumped by the previous owner and is non operable. He showed me where the jumper wire was Incase I ever had an issue with that. True hours on the machine are 4092 (per the ECM). The mechanic that came to work on my machine was great. I got more from him than I feel I got from them when it was in their shop. He said there are no other codes thrown and he said that since it fired up first turn over in 15 degree weather it’s good sign for my engines overall health. An interesting thing I noticed when I plugged in the fuse is that my highflow hydraulics are on continuously and I don’t know how to turn them off. The mechanic informed me that my machine has 2 speed programming but thinks it’s not working because the machine is unable to turn off the highflow. When I bought the machine I was told it was 2 speed but the service writer at cat told me that wasn’t true because it didn’t activate when he pulled the trigger button. The mechanic took a quick look for the auxiliary hydraulics electrical connection but noted that they had been disconnected and removed. He said he was more than happy try and diagnose it but felt I would spend more money than necessary due to the cold weather and the cab likely being frozen down. He said it’s possoble someone has jumped the highflow hydraulics to always be on. What he wanted to do was disconnect the highflow hydraulics from the ecm and see if thatvturned it off. Does anyone have any thoughts about this and how to do this? Thanks in adavance.
In my opinion the best way to temporarily disconnect the high flow would be to disconnect the power to the solenoid valve. Often this will throw a Code but provided you can live with that you should be fine. Do you have the electrical Schematic..? If not I can post something. Thinking about it, all your panel lights flashing when you first installed the fuse could simply have been the panels booting up for the first time after a shutdown if they went off afterwards and haven’t come back again. I’ll have to check to see whether or not your machine was originally built with 2-speed.
Western states cat did the inspection for $250. I got a full pdf document (approx 20-30 pages with pictures). They rated areas as green yellow or red. Green was good, yellow to watch and red needed addressing. There was never a question about me paying the bill. I was left with the impression that the service writer was a go between for the mechanic and I which left a lot lost in translation. As an example I asked for the hours off of the ECM but I was told by the service writer that my machine was too old to store hours, that wasn’t true. I was told the light for over heating was activated on my dashboard, I asked the service writer if there was code stored or it was indicating over heating, he said again they don’t store codes because the machine was too old and the light was activated. So I paid for the diagnosis and repair of an error light that could never have been active because there was no fuse inserted for it. Once I got the machine home and read the mechanics write ups on the bill it was a stored code. My impression dealing with my local cat dealer is that they run there office leanwhich leads to limited time to deal with questions like mine. If I had been able to talk to the mechanic things would have been simpler. The mechanic that came out today from the dealer was great. We could talk face to face and we bith understood what was going on. He said the majority of the dealers customers are bigger outfits who just want the machine fixed and give them the bill. He gave me his card and I will ask for him next time I need service. He told me that anything can happen but overall my mechanically my machine is in fine shape. Also this post is a saga. I felt that leaving everything in one spot is great thing for the next person that’s is looking for an auction machine to see what all it can potentially entail.
I do not have that schematic. Is that an easy operation for me to perform myself? Would that still allow the 2 speed to activate?
Nige, Correct on the bootup per the mechanic here today. All lights turned off EXCEPT for the high flow light. That light is green and doesn’t turn off.
I hope you gave him $50 / $100 for a tip...
I didn’t. It didn’t even cross my mind. I’ll swing by cat with somthing for him
I've never tipped mechanics for something that I believe is their job anyway, especially a dealer wrench. I have thrown a spiff in when they do something special, machine down at 2:00 AM and they show up by 4:00 AM and have the machine running for the morning shift at 6:00 AM kind of thing.
You have a PM. I had a look at the schematic and TBH the easiest thing to do it to pull the relay in the fuse box that controls the high flow. That is easily accesible and also means you'd be able to replace it if you needed it at any time. If you go to Grid D-10 of Page 12 of the schematic it shows the HF relay. If you look in the lower fuse panel of the two in the back RH of the cab above the operator seat the HF relay is the 4th one down, marked 29 in the illustration. I'm also going to make another suggestion here. Sooner rather than later lift the floor palte of the cab and have a good cleanout of the electrical system you find there. The space tends to get full of trash that falls through the gaps and will play havoc with electrical connections, especially if it gets wet.
Will do. Thanks Nige. We tried pulling the fuse briefly yesterday with no effect. But I will leave it out for a day this time. As to cleaning out the machine. I will do that as soon as the weather allows. It’s 15 degrees F here today. It’s cold. I’m sure the machine is filled with “trash”. I’ve pulled out probably 2 cases of crushed dirty beer cans. The mechanic yesterday didn’t believe me until he found 6 himself. They are in every single nook and cranny.
Not the fuse - the power relay. If you pull that with the machine off then when you key on again it can't possibly power up the High flow because there should be no power to the solenoid from that relay. That is - unless somone has been getting "really creative" with the machine wiring ........... Based on your comments a "deep clean" is probably in order. You never know, you might find the solution to your HF problem while you are cleaning.
Will do. Thank you sir.
Thinking a little about it, if the relay contacts were stuck/welded/whatever together then pulling the fuse would not disable the HF because the relay would not drop out when singnal power from the fuse was removed from it. Maybe you need to check the relay while you have it removed.
I don't usually comment on a thread that's over a year old, but in this case, this is a great thread! Very informative.