I have a 01 cat 302.5 mini x that suddenly lost all power then stalled. First time it did this, I had been running it for a good 40 min and noticed when raising the boom to dump in my truck it was losing power. My first thought was overheating as my guage isn't working. So I shut it off, and started it the next day, but engine was cold and still losing power. Was worse under load until it finally stalled. Can someone give me some pointers on where to start looking? Thanks in advance!
Start with the basics. Air filters plugged? Fuel filters? When was it last serviced. Are the coolers getting good airflow? Are the boost pipes and joints in good order? Is there a possibility somebody threw a tool or bucket tooth against a fuel line? Is it throwing any codes? These are a few of my favorite things.
BTW, welcome to the forum, maybe swing by new member introductions and tell folks what yer up to.
I will definitely start with those things! I am going to pick up a water separator and fuel filter tomorrow. I checked the air filter and it seems fine. I dont have any way to check codes. Thanks for the advice!! Really appreciate it!
I can't help with Cat specific stuff but will offer up help on the basics. Lots of Cat guys here.
Also a good basic would be a Serial Number. 4AZ or GBB-prefix.? Is this your fuel filter.? If so, try opening the valve at the bottom and see if you get any water out of it. If you do find water in the bowl, go to the fuel tank area and look under the machine. You should find a drain plug #1. Carefully remove that and see what you get out. You might be somewhat horrified. While you are replacing your fuel filter element, remove the head (basically everything above the ring marked #3) and all the fittings that are screwed into it. Then blow through all the ports with compressed air or push a wire through them, they can get debris packed into some of the small passages.
Mine is a 4az. And yes, that is what my fuel filter looks like. And there is also a drain tap under my tank. I will look into all of this very useful knowledge. Thank you for your help!
It sounds like maybe your best investment could be an Operation & Maintenance Manual. Click this link - Cat Pubs Click on "Continue as Guest". Type SEBU7203 in the box and click "Search". You should see the image below. $52 for a downloadable pdf copy. This suits all 4AZ-prefix machines.
Thank you! I am going to purchase this right now!
Just wanted to post an update. I replaced all fuel filters and she is purring like a kitty! It actually runs better than before. The engine used to really shake at a low idle. Now it is smooth. I want to thank you guys for the help! And the manual is a big help. I would like to get a more detailed repair manual but they look very pricy!