Hello everyone,
I've been having a problem with my '99 863 G series Bobcat, where my seat bar light will not come on and shuts off intermittently while driving, causing a lockout of hydraulics and traction. I'll try to detail as best I can the scenario, and hopefully someone here will be able to point me in the right direction.
If I first go to start up the machine, I'll often get no seat bar light when the seat bar is put down. Then, after say 30 seconds or sometimes longer, it will come on, with the corresponding unlocking click of the solenoids for the hydraulic controls. Often it will stay on and operate fine for a while. Then it will flash on and off, locking me out while operating, but almost always flashing/switching and staying on, not flickering and staying off.
When the seat light is activated, the rest of the lights will light when the green operating button is pressed and all else works. I'm also able to override traction, when the seat bar light won't come on. (And I can override with the bar down, even though it's supposed to be up.)
I at first thought it might be the connector to the seat bar switch, as I noticed the protective mesh end was in the way slightly of the seat bar when it would be put down. I cut off the excess mesh to clear the bar and I closed the pin connectors a bit inside to make better contact (they seemed a bit spread from the seat bar rubbing the mesh). Anyway, that didn't change anything.
I cleaned and checked my battery negative, as that's caused me issues in the past, and I cleaned the main frame ground at the battery and checked for continuity to ground, and everything seemed fine.
Then, I opened the cab to inspect the wiring for chaffing, and to jiggle the wires a bit to see if I could stimulate the problem, but nothing proved consistent. I did find some chaffed wires, in particular a black ground after the cab harness connector to main harness down by the hydraulic reservoir. The wire was about 25% worn, but it did check out okay to the chassis for ground. I don't have a wiring diagram, but figuring I'd repair it anyway, I cut it to see if that would break the seat circuit, but it didn't, so not sure what it's for.
Anyway, I also removed the 7/16" or so retaining bolt on the seat switch itself and tried moving it about to see if maybe the magnet shifted, but that in combination with trying to move the seat bar up and down a bit did not make any difference with the seat bar light. I haven't actually removed the switch itself yet, but I'm not sure if anything could have shifted that much out of place on it or if being dusty perhaps would really affect it (and I did blow it out as best I could from the outside).
Now, seat bar switch itself aside for a moment, I pulled off the left hand control panel on the top left of the cab inside. I pulled off the connector and checked the ground there, and with key off I'm getting continuity to the frame fine. I'm also reading with the seat bar up 12.34 volts or so. But, when I put the seat bar down (and key on, not started), I'm getting fluctuating voltage, rapidly from 12.34-12.16 V then 12.2-12.09, etc. Now, I'm not sure if this is normal for the way the seat bar switch work, or if it's an indication of the problem. Maybe it's locking out when the voltage dips momentarily below the necessary voltage. That would seem to make sense
I'm able to check certain things with my multi-meter, but I'm not terribly good at diagnosing electrical issues. So, I'm not quite certain what to make of the voltage fluctuation. Is that normal? Or is that an indication of another bad ground elsewhere, which only becomes apparent when switch is on (seat bar down).
Also, on another possibly related note, I have a bit of leaking at my control valves, not much, but some. While I assume that could be messing with the solenoids, I don't think it would affect the lighting up of the seat bar circuit itself. Or am I wrong?
Anyway, I hope I've been clear in explaining my scenario. I'd appreciate any assistance you can offer.
Thank you very much.
Joe
I've been having a problem with my '99 863 G series Bobcat, where my seat bar light will not come on and shuts off intermittently while driving, causing a lockout of hydraulics and traction. I'll try to detail as best I can the scenario, and hopefully someone here will be able to point me in the right direction.
If I first go to start up the machine, I'll often get no seat bar light when the seat bar is put down. Then, after say 30 seconds or sometimes longer, it will come on, with the corresponding unlocking click of the solenoids for the hydraulic controls. Often it will stay on and operate fine for a while. Then it will flash on and off, locking me out while operating, but almost always flashing/switching and staying on, not flickering and staying off.
When the seat light is activated, the rest of the lights will light when the green operating button is pressed and all else works. I'm also able to override traction, when the seat bar light won't come on. (And I can override with the bar down, even though it's supposed to be up.)
I at first thought it might be the connector to the seat bar switch, as I noticed the protective mesh end was in the way slightly of the seat bar when it would be put down. I cut off the excess mesh to clear the bar and I closed the pin connectors a bit inside to make better contact (they seemed a bit spread from the seat bar rubbing the mesh). Anyway, that didn't change anything.
I cleaned and checked my battery negative, as that's caused me issues in the past, and I cleaned the main frame ground at the battery and checked for continuity to ground, and everything seemed fine.
Then, I opened the cab to inspect the wiring for chaffing, and to jiggle the wires a bit to see if I could stimulate the problem, but nothing proved consistent. I did find some chaffed wires, in particular a black ground after the cab harness connector to main harness down by the hydraulic reservoir. The wire was about 25% worn, but it did check out okay to the chassis for ground. I don't have a wiring diagram, but figuring I'd repair it anyway, I cut it to see if that would break the seat circuit, but it didn't, so not sure what it's for.
Anyway, I also removed the 7/16" or so retaining bolt on the seat switch itself and tried moving it about to see if maybe the magnet shifted, but that in combination with trying to move the seat bar up and down a bit did not make any difference with the seat bar light. I haven't actually removed the switch itself yet, but I'm not sure if anything could have shifted that much out of place on it or if being dusty perhaps would really affect it (and I did blow it out as best I could from the outside).
Now, seat bar switch itself aside for a moment, I pulled off the left hand control panel on the top left of the cab inside. I pulled off the connector and checked the ground there, and with key off I'm getting continuity to the frame fine. I'm also reading with the seat bar up 12.34 volts or so. But, when I put the seat bar down (and key on, not started), I'm getting fluctuating voltage, rapidly from 12.34-12.16 V then 12.2-12.09, etc. Now, I'm not sure if this is normal for the way the seat bar switch work, or if it's an indication of the problem. Maybe it's locking out when the voltage dips momentarily below the necessary voltage. That would seem to make sense
I'm able to check certain things with my multi-meter, but I'm not terribly good at diagnosing electrical issues. So, I'm not quite certain what to make of the voltage fluctuation. Is that normal? Or is that an indication of another bad ground elsewhere, which only becomes apparent when switch is on (seat bar down).
Also, on another possibly related note, I have a bit of leaking at my control valves, not much, but some. While I assume that could be messing with the solenoids, I don't think it would affect the lighting up of the seat bar circuit itself. Or am I wrong?
Anyway, I hope I've been clear in explaining my scenario. I'd appreciate any assistance you can offer.
Thank you very much.
Joe