Can’t bear the thought of not using my Toyota SDK8 in the NC mountains next week! I'm getting a Hydraulic Temp light and lost the bucket tip function. I've gotten a flickering Hydraulic Filter warning flicker since I got it (filter is new, oil not changed). 1,400 hours on the ticker. The oil level is normal and radiator and oil cooler are clean (engine temp normal). Bucket lift works fine. You could tell it was trying to tilt (noise from down under). Started to smell hot by time I limped back to shop. The lot I was working at the time was not steep although I worked it pretty hard the days before clearing debris on steep lots without trouble. As long as the ground is not wet, it’s perfect for what we need it for. The golf course mechanic suggested O-rings in the control valve. Don’t know if that would account for cooking the hydraulic fluid. Any thought would be appreciated! Looks like I'll be wrenching instead of driving next week...
The first thing I'd look for is a failed circuit relief cartridge (or failed o-rings on the cartridge) on the bucket function.