Excavator Maintenance Tips for Winter

In the low temperature and cold winter, excavators in many areas are still in working condition. In this season, if the excavator is not operated properly, it will cause failure. There are also some precautions you can take if you plan to store your machine for the winter. So how can you keep your excavator well maintained in winter, and what are the misunderstandings in the operation of excavators in winter? MyMROmarts has several tips for making sure your excavator is maintained all winter.

 

Table of Contents

1. SEVEN TIPS FOR EXCAVATOR WINTER CONSTRUCTION
2. NINE MISUNDERSTANDINGS OF EXCAVATOR CONSTRUCTION IN WINTER

 

SEVEN TIPS FOR EXCAVATOR WINTER CONSTRUCTION

1. Choose the suitable diesel for the excavator

First of all, you must change to a suitable diesel in winter. Due to the relatively low temperature, the viscosity of the diesel oil used is relatively high, which makes the fluidity deteriorate and the atomization is poor, resulting in a decrease in the power and economic performance of the diesel engine. In winter, it is best to choose diesel with a lower freezing point, and the freezing point is preferably about 41℉ lower than the ambient temperature. Remember that when changing diesel, the fuel system should be cleaned.

 

2. Oil replacement and maintenance

Secondly, the selection and replacement of engine oil also require special attention. In some severe cold areas, the special antifreeze engine oil will be used, and when changing the engine oil, don’t forget to replace and clean the oil filter.

 

3. Maintenance of excavator batteries in winter

In winter, special attention should be paid to the maintenance of the battery. In winter, the battery should be tested, charged and the density of the electrolyte should be adjusted regularly. Low temperature will reduce the capacity of the battery. When checking the electrode wiring of the excavator battery, if there is green oxide, it should be washed away with boiling water, and it is best to spray a protective agent after drying the water. In winter, the operator should take measures to keep the battery warm. Cover the battery with quilts and other clothes to keep the battery warm, or remove it from the machine, place it in a warm environment, and install it the next day. Another thing to note is that when the battery electrolyte level is too low, the operator should add distilled water in the morning before working.

 

4. Maintenance of cooling system in winter

Under low temperature conditions, it is necessary to pay attention to the maintenance of the cooling system. In winter, antifreeze is generally added to the cooling system of the excavator. The proportion of antifreeze added to the cooling system should be the proportion at the lowest temperature. It is necessary to pay special attention to the relatively long replacement period of antifreeze, generally 1-2 years. In winter, it is necessary to check whether the antifreeze is normal and whether it needs to be replaced.

 

5. Cleaning and maintenance of excavator windshield

The temperature in winter is relatively low. In most areas, the excavator will be placed in a long-term state. At this time, the maintenance of the excavator should not be ignored. The wiper should be kept away from the windshield to prevent freezing. When cleaning the windshield of an excavator, the operator should add antifreeze to the water spray bottle to prevent the water from freezing.

 

6. Check the air conditioner, fan belt, etc.

There is a lot of seasonal maintenance work for excavators. Although the air conditioner is not used frequently in winter, it is necessary to check the air conditioner from time to time in winter to avoid failures that may occur if it is not used for a long time. In addition, check whether the fan belt and air conditioner belt are aging to avoid belt breakage.

 

7. Inspection and maintenance of excavator undercarriage

Check the nuts, bolts and pipelines of the excavator undercarriage to check whether there is looseness or pipeline leakage. It is also necessary to carry out grease replenishment lubrication, paint removal and spray paint anti-corrosion treatment on the lubrication points of the undercarriage, etc.

 

 

NINE MISUNDERSTANDINGS OF EXCAVATOR CONSTRUCTION IN WINTER

 

1. Insufficient preparation for starting the engine in cold weather

It is also one of the wrong operations to start the excavator engine directly in cold weather without doing sufficient inspection work. The operator should first check whether the safety lock control lever is locked; turn the fuel control knob to the low-speed position; keep the start switch key in the preheat position; after the engine starts, if the indicator light of the oil pressure monitor is on, the walking pedal and joystick cannot be operated.

 

2. Use the open flame to combustion-supporting and start the excavator

Pay special attention to the point that it is absolutely impossible to start with an open flame. To put it simply, it is to remove the air filter, then immerse the cotton yarn in diesel oil and ignite it to make a firelighter, put it into the intake pipe and start burning. This is very harmful to the excavator, because the impurities in the air will enter the cylinder, causing the piston and other components to wear and damage the excavator.

 

3. Start the machine in a hurry without preheating

In order to be faster and easier, many operators have wrong ways to start the machine, such as starting the engine in a hurry without preheating, which is also very harmful to the machine. To master the correct preheating method, the correct preheating operation procedures is: first press the preheating switch, start the engine after preheating for 10 seconds, wait for the engine to run smoothly, and check whether the instruments and indicator lights are normal.

 

4. Operate the excavator directly without warming up

After the engine of the excavator is started in winter, the operator goes to work immediately, and starts operating without warming up, which is strictly prohibited. The warm-up operation is essential. The warm-up mainly includes the warm-up of the engine and the preheating of the hydraulic oil. After the engine starts, it should run at a low speed for no more than 5 minutes, and then turn the fuel control knob to the center between the low speed and high speed, run the engine at medium speed for about 5 minutes under no-load condition. Remember to start construction work after the warm-up is over.

 

5. Choose inappropriate diesel and engine oil

Choose diesel, engine oil, and hydraulic oil for the excavator randomly in winter, this is a big misunderstanding in operation. The use of unreasonable oil will affect the service life of excavators. In winter, light diesel oil with a low freezing point and good ignition performance should be selected, and low freezing point engine oil should be selected. The oil filter should also be replaced, and the hydraulic oil that can adapt to the lowest temperature in the local winter should be replaced.

 

6. Let off the cooling water too early

When to put cooling water in winter? First of all, it must be known that it is wrong operation to put the cooling water too early or not put the cooling water. If the operator does not drain all the water, the remaining cooling water will freeze and expand; if the cooling water is released in advance, the engine temperature is still too high at this time, and it will suddenly shrink when encountering cold air, and cracks will appear in severe cases. The correct operation is: let the engine turn off and idle for a while, and then put in the cooling water after the temperature of the cooling water reaches below 140℉.

 

7. Don't care about the insulation work of the excavator

In winter, the operator should treat the machine well. After finishing the work in winter, don’t forget to cover your excavator engine with insulation curtains and insulation sleeves. If necessary, block the incoming wind with cardboard in front of the radiator.

 

8. Improper walking operation

The walking operation is indispensable when the excavator transitions, and more attention should be paid to the walking of the excavator in winter. Remember to drive slowly at a constant speed to avoid slippery slopes, etc. Do not slam the direction and swing the upper body suddenly, which is easy to cause sideways sliding and lead to dangerous situations; when the excavator is walking, try to stay away from surrounding obstacles, to avoid the excavator colliding with obstacles.

 

9. Ignore the excavator after shutting down

Don't think that the excavator can be put aside and ignored after the work is done. After shutting down, the operator should remove the mud and water on the body of the excavator to prevent the mud and dirt from entering the seal with water droplets and damaging the seal. The location of the machine is very important. It should be parked on a hard, dry surface, and the water that has accumulated in the fuel system should be drained to prevent freezing.

 

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