At operating altitudes of 1500 ft or 460 m or higher, a Caterpillar diesel engine may require a starting aid.
Caterpillar (www.caterpillar.com) publishes Cold Weather Recommendations for All Caterpillar Machines, (Excerpted from Operation & Maintenance Manual, SEBU5898-11-01). Further, Caterpillar organizes the document about construction machinery and heavy equipment in cold weather and low temperatures in the following five topical sections of information, operation, maintenance, reference information, and index.
In the second of the five topical sections in Cold Weather Recommendations for All Caterpillar Machines, Operation Section, Starting Recommendations, Engine Starting Information, Caterpillar divides cold weather into the following four categories based on temperature ranges. Accordingly, review daily reports, outlook reports, and real-time reports to make better-informed decisions about the probability and intensity of low temperature events.
Categories of Cold Weather
- Category 1
- 48 to 15 °F
- 9 to −9.5 °C
- Category 2
- 15 to 0 °F
- −9.5 to −18 °C
- Category 3
- 0 to −22 °F
- −18 to −30 °C
- Category 4
- −22 to −40 °F
- −30 to −40 °C
In Engine Starting Information, Category 1, from 48 to 15 °F or from 9 to −9.5 °C, Caterpillar notes that “… at operating altitudes of 1500 ft or 460 m or less, a Caterpillar diesel engine will not normally require any starting aids for temperatures in Category 1.” However, at operating altitudes of 1500 ft or 460 m or higher, a Caterpillar diesel engine may require a starting aid. The use of starting aids depends on the engine model and the altitude.
Category 1 Starting Aids
- 0 to 1500 ft or 0 to 460m
- Engine Model: All Models
- Recommended: None
- Optional: None
- Above 1500 ft or 460m
- Engine Model: 3126B, C-9, C7, C9
- Recommended: Continuous Flow Ether
- Optional: None
- Above 1500 ft or 460m
- Engine Model: All Other Models
- Recommended: None
- Optional: None
In summary, Caterpillar states that the fluids in all compartments require a pour point below the outside starting temperature. Further, for engine models 3126B, C-9, C7, and C9, continuous flow ether is controlled by the engine ECM (engine control module). Manual operation during starting is not required. Also, Caterpillar recommends to use only SAE 15W-40, 10W-30 oils or any commercial SAE multi-grade oil that meets the ECF-1 requirements.
(Source: Caterpillar, Cold Weather Recommendations for All Caterpillar Machines, Excerpted from Operation & Maintenance Manual, SEBU5898-11-01)
More in the next blog about heavy equipment and construction machinery in winter weather, cold temperatures and adverse conditions…