The high-performance and hard-working engine in your Cat equipment is designed to work at a specific operating temperature. Once at that temperature, the cooling system keeps it from overheating. To get it to the ideal operating temperature, it’s important to respect Cat procedures for engine warmup. The onboard display indicates when your machine is ready to go and gives you useful information on your engine, coolant and hydraulic temperatures, so get to know your in-cab display monitor.
At MacAllister Machinery, we have the experience and knowledge to help you use your equipment properly. We know that equipment that has been warmed up properly will last longer and suffer fewer breakdowns than equipment that’s fired up and put to work right away. Just as you wouldn’t jump out of bed in the morning and run a marathon without some stretches, your machinery needs a little bit of a warmup to get to operating temperatures and conditions.
We’ve put together a video to explain the importance of following correct warmup procedures:
Video Transcription
Hey, I’m Colin and this is today’s Quick Tip.
Today I am going to show you how to warm up your Cat Mini Hydraulic Excavator.
In the previous video, we talked about all of the steps to take before you start your machine.
Now that the machine is started, lower the engine speed control to the low idle setting to allow the engine to warm up.
Check your monitoring panel to ensure all systems are working properly.
Next, lower the hydraulic control console to activate the hydraulic control system.
Now you should engage and disengage the work tool controls with the engine at low idle, medium idle, and high idle.
It’s also recommended to cycle the hydraulic system before use.
Run the boom, bucket, stick, and blade through a complete system to ensure everything is working as it should.
Now you are ready to get to work knowing that the machine is warmed up and ready go.
As always, consult your operation and maintenance manual for more information.
That was today’s Quick Tip, thanks for watching.
Two Circuits to Warm Up
As the video states, you need to consider two different circuits for warmup: engine oil and hydraulic fluid.
- Engine oil: Once you’ve started your engine, set the idle to the lowest setting so the oil has a chance to warm up. Idling at a higher speed can starve your engine of oil, since oil is thicker when cold and can take a few moments to properly lubricate your entire engine.
Even in cold weather, it only takes a few minutes for the engine oil to get to operating temperature, during which time you can perform your other daily checks to save time.
- Hydraulic fluid: Your hydraulic fluid is also more effective when it’s warm. Cycle through all of your equipment’s hydraulic operations to verify that everything is working properly. Doing this at rest, without a heavy load, can help you detect any problems. It’s better to find out during startup than when you’re out at the job site.
As with engine oil, it’s only a matter of a few minutes to warm up your hydraulic circuit, so take the time every day and you’ll be ready to go for your day’s work.
If you include engine and hydraulic circuit warmup in your daily equipment inspection and startup procedures, it will soon become second nature. Respecting Cat equipment warmup procedures is your best way to ensure top performance and long-term reliability.
MacAllister Machinery Is Your Partner for Proper Warmup
If you have any additional questions, you can contact our team here at MacAllister Machinery by filling in our online contact form or giving us a call. We’ll be happy to go over the steps to ensure proper warmup every time and take care of any engine oil or hydraulic fluid-related service your Cat equipment needs.