252B sometimes won't move or engage high gear

[rshackleford]

I have a Cat 252B with two speed that has about 700 hours and a cab. I don’t use it often.

Its -10 F this afternoon and I have snow to move. I plugged the skid steer in, and it started really good. I have been having problems with a dead battery and haven’t used the skid steer for any type of work in about nine months, so I have been starting it and letting it run a half hour or so ever few weeks.

I got going on the snow moving and things were going well—well as good as they can go with my skill level of operating. Then suddenly the skid steer stopped moving. The left-hand joystick was just dead. I don’t know about the right hand I was too shocked and not sure if I even tried. Then I **think** the machine died. I might have turned if off. I tried to start but all I got was just low battery type starter clicking. No alarms.

I went back to the house and got the pickup. Battery read (checking the cable not the post) 11.5 VDC. I hooked up some jumper cables and it started right up. After removing the jumper cables, I checked and had 13.5 VDC on the posts and on the cables. I went back to work using all headlights and sometimes the 2 speed.

It died again. I was at the house, so I got out the charger and ran it on 40 amps for twenty minutes then went back to work. I worked without the headlights or the two speed. Eventually I had to get away from the house and went back to the front lights. I accidently hit the trigger and was working with the 2 speed. I went like this for about a half hour then suddenly it geared down and would not go back into 2 speed. I would get an occasional “rabbit” flicker but no 2 speed. No alarms. No alarms.

If I turned off the lights, I could get the 2 speed to work but only for about twenty seconds otherwise with headlights on no 2 speed. Oh, and again the 2-speed rabbit would sometimes lightly glow, sometimes be off, and sometimes flicker. No alarms or buzzers.

I finished up my work and put the batter on a 2-amp trickle charge.

Thoughts? What is causing this? Bad battery, alternator, something more severe?

 

[petepilot]

I`d bet bad battery` as in dead cell

 

[rondig]

Yep ecm controls on any machine is very volt sensitive...any drop and it does all kinds of weird things...my ht 530 ih will spin good but if voltage drops below 12 it wont start...ecm is very picky....and in these days pretty much everything goes through ecm

 

[rshackleford]

After about ten hours on the 2 amp charger battery reads 12.6 vdc.

 

[Bluox]

Load test your battery and your alternator.
Bob

 

[rshackleford]

This is great advice but if I do that I might as well replace while I have it out and in town. On the same note though even if I buy a new one I could have the old one load tested which would give me more confidence that it truly was the battery.

Thanks. I will post a result when I have one.

 

[DIYDAVE]

Don't forget the simple stuff, too, bad connections... If you don't have one, get the battery tested, with an electronic variable load tester, tests the battery better than the old toaster type (heating element) load testers. Most battery places will do this test, for free...

 

[rshackleford]

I trickle charged for 24 hours and then tried running it again last night. I used half the headlights and the 2 speed with success for about 45 minutes. I'm happy to get some snow moved and will dig into batter load testing some weekend when I have time.

 

[rshackleford]

I replaced the battery but I now have a new problem. The machine won't start.

Well, as soon as I replaced the battery the machine started and ran for about 30 seconds then died. I attempted to start again and it ran for about two minutes then died. While it was running it was not responsive to throttle.

Now it will turn over and sometimes I get puffs of white smoke and sometimes I get some puffs of black smoke. It will fire 50% of the time while turning over but won't stay running.

One other thing I find odd is the little motor on top of the fuel filter keeps running after I let the key return to "run" rather than "start". I don't remember this running all the time.

Thanks.

 

[Nige]

Start looking in the fuel system right the way from the tank. Sounds as though you have a blockage somewhere.
When was the last time you changed the fuel filter and drained out/cleaned the water separator..?

 

[rshackleford]

From what I can tell there is only one filter which I assume is a combination filter and water separator. There is no water in the bottom bowl. I do have a new filter and some 911 and will give that a try.

 

[Nige]

You really need to be digging into all the fuel lines as well as the filter. Look specifically at any fitting that looks from the outside as though it's big enough to have a small screen inside it, especially where the fuel lines go into the injection pump.
I'd even be looking in the tank to see if there is any significant dirt or water accumulated in it. There is a drain plug located underneath on the Rear LH corner of the machine.

 

[rshackleford]

Is the little motor on top of the fuel filter a pump? If so does it normally run when the key is in "run" or does it have a pressure switch and it keeps running because it can't get fuel and create enough pressure to shut off?