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262 Cat = No heat

Camden

Member
Joined
Dec 6, 2015
Messages
12
Location
Minnesota
Hey guys - First post for me so thanks for the opportunity to be a part of the site. I stumbled across this place while researching a problem I'm having with a 262c skid. I was out pushing snow this evening and out of nowhere my heat stopped. The blower still works but there's nothing but cold air coming out of the vents.

Here's a thread I found that sort of talks about some potential causes: https://www.heavyequipmentforums.com/showthread.php?49783-Cat-Skid-Steer-289C-ac-not-blowing-cold

Is the working theory that there's an electric valve that can fail or is there an easier/less expensive solution? Also, I glanced over the fuses and I don't see one that specifically addresses "heat". I saw one for the blower and for the a/c and that's it. Did I perhaps miss something there?

It looks like there are some pretty knowledgeable people on this site so I'm looking forward to your responses.
 

Cmark

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 2, 2009
Messages
3,176
Location
Australia
A 262 has a mechanically operated valve to control the coolant flow to the heater. In your scenario, there are a couple of things to check;

Something failed in the valve/valve operating mechanism. (unlikely)

A/C turned on.

Heater line frozen. Are you running coolant or just water?

Low coolant level.

Water pump failure.
 

Delmer

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 3, 2013
Messages
8,863
Location
WI
Odd that it would stop in the middle of running like that. If you had water it wouldn't work at first and then start heating just when you're done, but you'd have cracked the block by now if it was running water, and Cmark doesn't know how warm it was yesterday.

Any chance you ran over some brush that could have kinked a heater hose? I'd think they'd be pretty well shielded but?

If the coolant level is correct, and the AC compressor isn't running, then the valve looks more likely to me.

Sometimes fluffy snow builds up on an intake filter and blocks the airflow, but you said you have cold air blowing, and the snow wouldn't have been fluffy around here yesterday?
 

BradAZLR

Active Member
Joined
May 18, 2015
Messages
25
Location
Northern Arizona
I owned a 07 272c. It had an electric type valve that opened when you turned the heat on and allowed the hot water to flow through the system. On mine it quit working midday once I found the valve it had shorted out. I don't remember but I think after you tilt up the cab you have to remove the steel floor plate to get it I want to say it's on the upper left hand side when your looking at it. Brad
 

Camden

Member
Joined
Dec 6, 2015
Messages
12
Location
Minnesota
A 262 has a mechanically operated valve to control the coolant flow to the heater. In your scenario, there are a couple of things to check;

Something failed in the valve/valve operating mechanism. (unlikely)

A/C turned on.

Heater line frozen. Are you running coolant or just water?

Low coolant level.

Water pump failure.

G'day mate - I'm running 50/50 antifreeze and you're right it was a little low this morning and now I have heat again. It's very bizarre, I didn't think that these machines were so touchy. But that still doesn't explain why I had heat and then it went away just like that. I might have more of a problem than I first realized. There's no fluid inside the engine compartment or under the machine.

Odd that it would stop in the middle of running like that. If you had water it wouldn't work at first and then start heating just when you're done, but you'd have cracked the block by now if it was running water, and Cmark doesn't know how warm it was yesterday.

Any chance you ran over some brush that could have kinked a heater hose? I'd think they'd be pretty well shielded but?

If the coolant level is correct, and the AC compressor isn't running, then the valve looks more likely to me.

Sometimes fluffy snow builds up on an intake filter and blocks the airflow, but you said you have cold air blowing, and the snow wouldn't have been fluffy around here yesterday?

I agree that it's bizarre. One thing I didn't mention up above is that when I took the radiator cap it was under A LOT of pressure. Quite a bit of air hissed out of it before a big POP once I got it all the way off. I thought that was strange. I've of course encountered a little bit of air when doing that before on other machines but nothing like this.

I wasn't in any sort of fluffy snow and I wasn't driving over any rough terrain so I think I can rule out any trauma to the lines. I'm going to run around with it for a while and recheck everything.
 

Camden

Member
Joined
Dec 6, 2015
Messages
12
Location
Minnesota
I owned a 07 272c. It had an electric type valve that opened when you turned the heat on and allowed the hot water to flow through the system. On mine it quit working midday once I found the valve it had shorted out. I don't remember but I think after you tilt up the cab you have to remove the steel floor plate to get it I want to say it's on the upper left hand side when your looking at it. Brad

Yeah, from what I've read there's an electric valve but the first person who responded to this thread said it's a mechanical valve. I'm not sure what I've got. It's working again at the moment so we'll see...
 

Cmark

Senior Member
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Jan 2, 2009
Messages
3,176
Location
Australia
Yeah, from what I've read there's an electric valve but the first person who responded to this thread said it's a mechanical valve. I'm not sure what I've got. It's working again at the moment so we'll see...

In the thread title said 262, not a 262c. Yes, a 262c has an electric valve which could also be a problem.
 

Nige

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 22, 2011
Messages
28,973
Location
G..G..G..Granville.........!! Fetch your cloth.
Yeah, from what I've read there's an electric valve but the first person who responded to this thread said it's a mechanical valve. I'm not sure what I've got. It's working again at the moment so we'll see...
Simple, they're both right ......

A 262 or 262B has a mechanically-controlled heater valve.
A 262C or D has an electrically-controlled heater valve.

Your thread was titled "262 Cat - No Heat" therefore CMark was correct in his response........... however if you have a C or D model he was incorrect but had no way of knowing because no clear information was given.

A simple way of solving the conundrum would be to give your machine Serial Number. Refer to Cm's signature line in post #2 above........
 

Camden

Member
Joined
Dec 6, 2015
Messages
12
Location
Minnesota
Shoot, I thought I added the serial number to an earlier post but I guess I didn't. It's #CAT0262CAM5T05261

And I definitely should've added a C to the thread title, my bad on that.
 

Camden

Member
Joined
Dec 6, 2015
Messages
12
Location
Minnesota
Do you mean MST05261 ..? That would make sense. Easy to mistake a 5 for an S.

The 258-4271 electrically-operated heater valve on the later models has a habit of going AWOL. It's been mentioned on here quite a few times.

It probably is a S. So that part is known for being junk? I'm not going to play games with it. I need the machine to perform every time it snows so I'll bite the bullet and get that swapped out.
 

mountainlake

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Joined
Apr 28, 2014
Messages
136
Location
mn
Occupation
sawmill operator
With a lot of pressure in the radiator and low on water with no external leaks you could have head gasket or cracked head trouble. To check get it warmed up good then relieve the pressure on the radiator then put the cap back on and run for a couple minutes under load and check the radiator pressure again, if it has a lot again you could be getting compression in the radiator. Steve
 

Steve Frazier

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Oct 30, 2003
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I agree with mountainlake, the last paragraph of your description of the radiator indicates a compression leak into the cooling system. This would allow an air pocket to develop in the heater hose and prevent water flow and at the same time heat.
 

durallymax

Senior Member
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Jun 10, 2011
Messages
666
Location
Wi
Those valves do go bad often enough. I posted a lot more about it in the thread you linked. I don't remember cats price and such but it is a red dot part and is available from them as well.

If you have a lot of pressure in the cooling system, I would be concerned about a headgasket. Bad headgasket will cause erratic heater performance and often enough, no heat.
 

Camden

Member
Joined
Dec 6, 2015
Messages
12
Location
Minnesota
I have a pretty depressing update on this machine...I was just using it at the shop and it started chugging a little bit before white smoke started pouring out of the exhaust. I don't think there's any doubt any more, the head gasket is officially blown.

The only good news is that I already had it slated to go in on Monday for routine maintenance and to have that electric valve checked out. Looks like my bill just got a little bigger.
 

Mobiltech

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Jan 14, 2014
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Sask.
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Self employed Heavy duty mechanic
The funny thing is it's not much more work to do a head gasket than it is to do a heater valve change.
What I'm saying is the head gasket is a pretty easy job. I would do it on the side of the road as long as the head is still flat.
 

durallymax

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Joined
Jun 10, 2011
Messages
666
Location
Wi
Your bill didn't get bigger, the headgasket is the issue. Blown headgaskets are notorious for causing "no heat" symptoms.

Had to put a headgasket in the 262C2 we used to have around 1k hrs.
 

Camden

Member
Joined
Dec 6, 2015
Messages
12
Location
Minnesota
I was hoping to have another update for you guys but my machine is still sitting at the Cat dealer. They've had it since last Monday. The quote for a new head gasket and a complete service was $2800. I'm not upset about that, I thought it would be much more.
 

Delmer

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Jan 3, 2013
Messages
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Location
WI
I bet it will feel a lot better to pay $2,800 for a head gasket etc, than to pay $1,000 or so for the heater valve.
 

Camden

Member
Joined
Dec 6, 2015
Messages
12
Location
Minnesota
Got my machine back and put it to work. I plowed a 2 acre parking lot tonight and aside from some traction issues everything went great. My repair bill was $2425 and that not only included a new head gasket and complete maintenance it also included a new injector! I am extremely happy with the price and I have no idea why it was less than I was originally quoted but I certainly wasn't going to argue when they gave me the total.
Here's a pic of it after I put it away tonight. Thanks to all of you who contributed to the thread.

20151223_182139.jpg
 
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