Cat 525 oil light flashing

[Doug802]

Recently got a 1995 cat 525 and it started flashing while idling what I assume is the tranny oil light on the dash and the buzzer goes of every couple seconds. Everything still operates fine. Has a bunch of trouble codes but idk when the last time they were cleared.
623e02
450e02
081
452e05
081
455e01
096e03
030
248e02
030
819e02
030
821e04
081
168eo2

 

[catman13]

1 ) serial number to better give answers.
2 ) when was the hydraulic filter been changed ?
3 ) when was the suction screen cleaned ?
4 ) how does it steer and shift ?
5 ) do an oil sample and see what is running around in there .

 

[rondig]

Put a piece of black electrical tape over the light...works everytime....but in the meantime...check sump screen and change filter as said above....then cut filter open to see what is in it...

 

[Doug802]

Ok I’ll try to change the hydraulic filter today. Not sure when it was last changed but seemed to shift and steer fine before it started flashing. This skidder is new to me. What side and panel do I have to remove to get to the hydraulic filter and suction screen?

 

[Doug802]

Serial number is
07z33674

 

[Mobiltech]

That is a transmission filter bypass light. Change trans filter , if that doesn’t fix it it could be a faulty filter bypass switch or wiring problem.

 

[Doug802]

removed tranny oil filter, the oil is pretty dark for hydraulic oil. Gonna replace both filter and oil and see what happens.

 

[partsandservice]

The oil may be dark but is NOT hydraulic fluid!! Look up the spec oil for transmission and use it. Not sure on that model cat but current cat skidder use TO4 power train oil.

 

[Doug802]

Ya i just referred to it as hydraulic oil but I will put TO-4 spec oil back in today.

 

[Nige]

Serial number is 07z33674

That's the engine. The machine Serial Number is 1DN01158.
By the sounds of it you really need an Operation & Maintenance Manual. It would have given you information on both the warning light and the correct oil to use in the transmission, plus instructions how to change the transmission filter and how to access the suction screen and clean it.
$86 for a pdf download of a genuine Cat manual. $89 would get you a Parts Manual from the same source.

Transmission oil should be SAE 30 TO-4 for your climatic conditions.

 

[Doug802]

Ya that would be handy but I thought this site was for helping each other out?

 

[Karl Robbers]

It is for helping each other out, but when you have a valuable machine the owners operation manual and parts manual are priceless in their ability to provide accurate information when you need it. That's why CAT provide them with new machines. Look at it this way, $170 spent on a couple of manuals could save you $1000's.

 

[kshansen]

It is for helping each other out, but when you have a valuable machine the owners operation manual and parts manual are priceless in their ability to provide accurate information when you need it. That's why CAT provide them with new machines. Look at it this way, $170 spent on a couple of manuals could save you $1000's.

I'll second that Karl!

The best thing about having the manuals, either paper or digital format, is a smart person will take time to read them! Maybe not in one sitting or even in the first week or two but just decide to read a section or two each week. You may be surprised what information there is included in there, many things you may never thought to even ask!

About 45 years ago shortly after I got a job in the shop at the quarry my dad who was also working there was talking to one of the dealer mechanics working on a Detroit for the quarry. This mechanic told my father that if I really wanted to be a mechanic the best thing would be to take home that close to two inch thick Detroit Diesel manual and read it from cover to cover a little every night.

That took a few weeks but I was often surprised what I learned from it. I also made it a habit of flipping through the various service manuals at work during coffee breaks and lunch. Won't claim to have retained even 20% of what I read but it did give me a good idea of what was actually in those books and made it much know where to look and how to find information the the following 45 years!

So Yes, this site is for helping each other out and a good part of that help is having someone like Nige who can let you know where to find the information that over time will save you many times what you may pay up front for the purchase of a couple books.

A book is just like any "Tool". While I or someone else would not hesitate to loan you the "tool" if you need it for a one time job. How ever if you are going to be doing a job that takes that same tool several times a year to expect someone to lend you that "tool" every time is not reasonable. Plus if you have the "tool" for yourself you will also get better at using it and able to see places it can be used that you might not realize at first.

 

[Nige]

Lets' move on to the Diagnostic Codes. To clear them you will need to buy or manufacture a Cat Click Box, aka the 4C-8195 Control Service Tool.
According to the Electrical Schematic the 4-pin Deutsch connector for the Service Tool should be right around the monitor panel, probably under the dash. I've never worked on this particular model, so youll have to do a bit of hunting to find it.
Take a look at this thread, it tells you all you need to know about making and using a Click Box.
https://www.heavyequipmentforums.com/threads/the-famous-cat-click-box.72956/

1st Question, when you first turn on the key and the panel does its self-test you should see the "SERV CODE" icon light up in the top RH corner of the Message Window where the blue circle is. If it comes on during the self-test but then goes off, you have no Active Diagnostic Codes. All the Diagnostic Codes you listed are what's known as Logged which means that each one of them was there once but is not there at this time.
If the SERV CODE icon stays on after the self-test then one or more of the Codes you listed in your OP is Active. In order to erase that Codes (or Codes) you first have to fix the problem that caused the Code to be Active, at which point the Code will go from Active to Logged status. At that point it can be erased/cleared using the Click Box.



Your Codes are/were: -
CID 0623 FMI 02 Rocker Switch (Transmission Direction) Incorrect Signal
CID 0450 FMI 02 Control Switch (Tong Open, Tong Close) Incorrect Signal
CID 0452 FMI 05 Solenoid Valve (Grapple Counterclockwise Rotation) Current Below Normal
CID 0455 FMI 01 Pressure Sensor (Tong Close) Below Normal Range
CID 0096 FMI 03 Fuel Level Sender – Voltage Above Normal
CID 0248 FMI 02 Cat Datalink – Incorrect Signal
CID 0819 FMI 02 Cat Monitor System – Incorrect Signal
CID 0821 FMI 04 Main Display Module – Voltage Below Normal
CID 0168 FMI 02 Electrical System - Voltage Below Normal Range

 

[kshansen]

And just in case "click box" mentioned is something new here is a link that explains it and even has some instruction on how to build one for yourself.

https://www.heavyequipmentforums.com/threads/the-famous-cat-click-box.72956/

 

[Doug802]

Ok thanks for the valuable information, when I turn the key on the Serve code comes on for a second and goes out as if there are no active codes. The transmission fluid bypass light has gone out as well since I have changed the filter and TO-4 fluid.

 

[Nige]

No problem. SERV CODE goes out so you have no Active Codes at this time.
Good to hear the change of transmission oil & filter fixed the warning light issue. If the old oil was a dark as you describe it might be an idea to run the machine for 100 hours or so and drop the oil again, because even draining the transmission housing to change the oil would only have dropped somewhere between 2/3 & 3/4 of the total oil quantity in the system. the value of oil is cheap when compared to the value of the component it's protecting.

 

[kshansen]

the value of oil is cheap when compared to the value of the component it's protecting.

"Oil cheap, Metal Expensive!" and dead machine makes no money!