Tired of expensive downtime due to an excavator problem? Learn how to solve problems smartly before your next project suffers.
The most efficient way to solve an excavator problem is through routine inspections, predictive maintenance, and timely parts replacement. Diagnose issues early using onboard diagnostics or remote tools to avoid downtime and reduce repair costs.
Let’s go through the specific excavator problems and how to solve them, step by step.
What Causes An Excavator Not To Start?
There is nothing more frustrating for an operator than an excavator that won’t start. Whether it’s a Cat excavator, Komatsu excavator, or Volvo excavator, our construction site is at a standstill, costing us time and money. When you are buying and renting used excavators, among other things, you are selling reliability. An excavator that won’t start will shake that feeling of reliability pretty quickly.
If an excavator won’t start, the cause might be low battery voltage, corroded terminals, or a bad ignition relay. Often, the starter motor or fuel lines could be clogged. To diagnose and fix this excavator problem, start by testing the battery with a digital multimeter. If the battery shows less than 12.6 volts, the battery is low and needs to be recharged or replaced. Test the starter solenoid, ignition switch continuity, and look for wiring issues. In Chinese excavators, new wiring specs may be different.
Always consult your owner’s manual or excavator troubleshooting guide for model-specific troubleshooting. For temu excavator models or imported units, only use verified parts. Conducting pre-checks during cold starts or after shipping will significantly decrease your startup delays.
What Are The Hydraulic Problems With Excavators?
A problematic hydraulic system on an excavator is one of the most expensive problems to fix because it can affect the entire machine, from the boom to the swing system. The most common problems associated with the hydraulic system are low hydraulic fluid, a leak in the hydraulic system, the hydraulic pump not delivering the necessary flow, or the hydraulic filter being clogged. Whether it’s a (feline growl) Cat 390 long reach or a Cat 323f, neglecting any of those things can turn into very expensive repairs fast.
When diagnosing a hydraulic problem on your excavator, observe symptoms like weak digging force, unusual noises, overheating, or slow cylinder response. If you see air bubbles in the hydraulic oil, that typically indicates a leak or a seal issue. Make sure you use hydraulic oil that matches the OEM spec. As a benchmark, models like the Mecalac excavator or Liebherr excavator have very advanced hydraulic monitoring systems on the machines that make diagnosis a lot easier.
Use the excavator size guide and compare flow rates to the specs of the excavators. Regular filter changes, maintaining fluid cleanliness, and doing hydraulic pressure tests are a couple of ways to avoid these problems. If the buyer is looking at an excavator for sale and not one of your rental excavators, I would ask about the last time they did hydraulic servicing.
What Is The Main Safety Issue With An Excavator?
Whether you’re operating a railroad excavator, micro excavator, or dragline excavator, safety should be your number-one priority. Although it’s not a mechanical issue, the biggest safety concern is people-related, with visibility, untrained operators, and improper maintenance being the primary contributors to accidents.
Professionally, improperly adjusted track tension or being overloaded can cause a trackhoe to tip over. Failing to perform the proper checks prior to startup may lead to hydraulic leaks or an overheated engine, putting the equipment and your life at risk. Whether you’re running a cat 320 excavator for sale or a mini excavator, make sure to check safety features like backup alarms, seat belts, and ROPS (Roll-Over Protective Structures).
If you have a site where the operators change frequently, you need to have safety briefings and a logbook. Also, if you’re doing something in a high-risk environment like a tunnel, on a railway line, or someplace where you need a lot of stability, you might use a particular type of excavator. Maybe you need a case excavator size with auto-leveling.
For situations where operators regularly change, safety briefings and logbooks should be mandatory. In high-risk environments like tunnels or working near railway lines, using the right type of excavator that’s built for stability is important (such as a case excavator, for instance, which has auto-leveling features).
What Is The Average Life Of An Excavator?
Part of understanding the excavator definition is knowing how long they last. A well-maintained excavator machine can last 7,000 to 10,000 hours. The number of hours an excavator will operate depends on how hard it’s been worked, if it’s been serviced regularly, and what kind of climate it’s been working in. For example, Cat 315 for sale units with documented service history are likely to last longer.
Heavy-duty machines like the Cat 330 excavator for sale or the Cat 308D for sale are designed for durability. Still, worn-out components or delayed service can cut the life short. Keeping a detailed service log, using OEM parts, and doing regular oil analysis will all help you extend the life of your investment.
The price is heavily influenced by total operational hours. A machine with 2,000 hours and perfect servicing records can command a much better price than one with 5,000 hours and inconsistent care. For used buyers, always inspect travel motors, undercarriage wear, and engine blow-by.
How Do You Troubleshoot A Chinese Mini Excavator That Won’t Start?
The marketplace has seen the rapid expansion of Chinese brands. Popular models like the Temu mini excavator, Sany excavator, and the Chinese excavator brands like LONKING or XCMG are doing well. But when they don’t start, it’s typically because of a minor component incompatibility.
Start by checking the starter relay and voltage regulator. Many of these will use slightly different wiring layouts from the one I have; you need to get a Chinese excavator circuit diagram. The imported models will have a slightly different wiring setup. Check the terminals for corrosion and replace fuses. If the engine is cranking but not starting, look at the fuel pump and injector timing.
Language barriers and a lack of documentation are a real problem with these grey-market imports. You should always ask your supplier for an excavator problem PDF. And when it comes to getting replacement parts, only go through verified OEM suppliers, especially with a Temu excavator or these smaller, off-brand imports.
What Should You Check When An Excavator Suddenly Shuts Off During Operation?
A sudden shutdown in the middle of a job can cause a lot of delays and can even cause damage to the equipment. It is often a problem with fuel delivery, a bad ECU (computer), overheating, or a clogged air filter. The high-performance models like the Cat 390f specs or Cat 308 excavator may have error codes to help you figure out what’s wrong.
Always start by checking all your fuel filters, especially with diesel machines. Dirty fuel can clog your injectors and shut down the engine instantly. Also, with construction digger models operating in really dusty environments, you should be replacing your air filters pretty frequently. Finally, always scan for error codes using a diagnostic tool compatible with excavator cat systems.
Hydraulic lockouts or over-pressurization can sometimes cause this auto-shutoff on these newer smart machines. With mini excavator rental units, a lot of times the rental companies don’t keep the firmware updated, which can also cause erratic shutdowns. In some cases, all that’s needed is a software reset.
Why Won’t My Excavator Start Just Clicks?
When an excavator won’t start and all you hear is click, click, and then it doesn’t start or it tries to start and then clicks again, that’s almost always an electrical issue. The click is the solenoid trying to engage the starter, but it lacks enough power. This problem is usually talked about concerning a mini excavator, a Cat excavator, or a Kubota mini excavator.
The first thing you should do is to check the battery voltage. If it’s under 12 volts, charge the battery or replace it. Next, check the battery terminals for corrosion and your grounds for being tight, clean, and free of rust. Then check the starter solenoid. Starter solenoids often fail due to extensive exposure to moisture or mud. A wire can also come off from vibration in this environment.
On a smaller machine, like the smallest mini digger, you can usually get to the starter and fix it yourself. But when you get to the higher-end machines like the Cat 320F price, have a professional diagnose the problem. You can do a jumper cable test to see if it’s the solenoid that’s the issue or if it’s further upstream of that in the ignition circuit.
What Happens If You Put Too Much Hydraulic Fluid In An Excavator?
Adding too much hydraulic fluid may seem innocent enough, but it’s one of the most damaging things you can do. Overfilling a hydraulic reservoir results in the fluid bypassing the pump, cavitating, foaming, and getting too hot. This will blow out your seals, overpressurize the system, or pop lines off. It doesn’t matter if it’s a 13-ton excavator or a hydraulic excavator with high flow systems; everything has to be in balance.
Start with the sight glass or the dip stick. Keep in mind you don’t want to measure it with the boom up because all the cylinders extended will give you a false reading in the hydraulic system. If you think it’s overfull, you’ll have to pull the plug that the manufacturer put in there to drain out the excess. Any leaks coming out indicate where you’re overfull.
On machines like the Cat 320 excavator for sale or the Komatsu excavator, if the pressure gets too high, there are safety valves that can open up and shut down all movement of the machine. If you’ve got a small excavator, like a brand new Cat mini excavator for sale, use your excavator size guide and follow the instructions in your operator’s manual. The reason you have too much fluid is that it’s going to make everything run hotter, which is bad for a big excavator in deep foundation work in the middle of a hot African summer.
Why Won’t My Excavator Start In Cold Weather?
Cold weather is tough on these machines, especially if you’re working in high-altitude cold weather or doing some excavating in the snow. Here’s what happens: The engine oil gets thicker because it’s cold, making the engine harder to turn over. The batteries don’t work as well. The fuel doesn’t vaporize as well. Whether you’re using a Volvo excavator or Cat 390 long reach, you’ve got to warm them up.
The first thing to consider is to switch to winter-grade diesel and engine oil. You may want to consider installing a block heater or battery warmer to help keep your battery at normal cranking power. Most important is to do whatever the company suggests for cold-weather starts. If your machine has glow plugs, use them. Finally, make sure you have your fuel lines clean and moisture-free by adding anti-gel.
Machines in cold weather areas should be idled for 5 to 10 minutes before operating. If you are renting a machine for an excavation job up in the far north, make sure to use a cold start checklist. If you’re renting a case excavator or a Mini escavadeira for sale, ask if the machine has been serviced with winter fluids.
How Long Does An Excavator Need To Warm Up?
Skipping the warm-up process is one of the most damaging things an operator can do. For most excavators, it takes 5 to 10 minutes to get the hydraulics warm and the internals to expand.
Models like the Cat 323f price or the Cat 315 have a system that automatically warms up the machine by gradually increasing the RPMs. On a mini excavator rental cost unit, especially in cold weather like we would have up here, I would let it warm up for 15 minutes.
While you’re letting it warm up, watch the oil pressure gauge and listen for any unusual sounds. Use this time to check under the excavator, check the track, and see how the boom is lined up. It’s critical to let it warm up if you’re running track hoe units or a dragline excavator, anything with a track, especially in the wintertime.
How Do You Prevent Excavator Problems Through Maintenance?
Preventive maintenance is your best defense against downtime and expensive repairs. Perform daily and weekly checks on your excavator or that cat excavator sale unit you’re eyeing up. Whether it’s brand new or a Sany excavator, proactive care is everything.
Here’s a pre-operation checklist opportunity: check the oil, check the excavator track tension, check the hydraulic fluid, check your air filters, and check the battery voltage. Every week, check your attachments and check the other undercarriage, your undercarriage components. Every month, you’re going to check your electronics and replace worn pads as necessary. I would expect all of these things to be included in the exporter’s maintenance schedules, especially with markets taking used excavator machines.
Do daily inspections, especially for leaks, even when operating the trackhoe models. Keep a log and take pictures of where things were replaced and how they were replaced. Give your customers a translated PDF of problems with service diagrams. All of those preventive maintenance routines build trust, which is what keeps the doors open when you’re selling an excavator for sale in whatever market you choose.
Resumo
Solve any excavator problem with smart checks, proper parts, and timely action. Keep your projects safe, smooth, and profitable.
