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Hot oil and hot components can cause personal injury. Do not allow hot oil or hot components to contact skin. |
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| NOTICE |
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Care must be taken to ensure that fluids are contained during performance of inspection, maintenance, testing, adjusting and repair of the machine. Be prepared to collect the fluid with suitable containers before opening any compartment or disassembling any component containing fluids. Refer to Special Publication, NENG2500, "Caterpillar Tools and Shop Products Guide", for tools and supplies suitable to collect and contain fluids in Caterpillar machines. Dispose of all fluids according to local regulations and mandates. |
The steering system uses hydraulic oil from the hydraulic tank. Caterpillar recommends the use of the S·O·S oil analysis program in order to monitor the condition of your equipment. Refer to Operation and Maintenance Manual, SEBU7137, "S·O·S Oil Analysis" for further information about this program.
If the oil becomes contaminated, premature component failure could result. Contaminated oil can also contribute to overheating. Use the following procedure to sample the oil in the system.
- Drive the machine forward for 60 seconds.
- Stop the machine and shift to NEUTRAL. Run the engine at high rpm.
- Articulate the machine to the right. Articulate the machine to the left. Articulate the machine to the straight forward position.
- Actuate all cylinders through a minimum of ten full cycles.
- Lower all attachments to the ground.
- Lower the engine rpm to low idle.
- Engage the parking brake.
- Open the engine access door (1) on the rear of the machine.
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| Illustration 1 | g00470520 |
(1) Engine access door. | |
- Draw a 50 mL oil sample through the sampling port (2) . The concentration of contaminants must be lower than ISO 18/15. The concentration of contaminants must be lower than the values in the following table.
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| Illustration 2 | g00470521 |
(2) Sampling port. | |
| Hydraulic Oil Contamination | |
| Particle Size (Microns) | Maximum Number of Particles |
| 10 to 20 | 48000 |
| 21 to 50 | 2580 |
| 51 to 100 | 150 |
| 100 or more | 20 |
Note: If the concentration of contaminants are higher than the values in the table, refer to Testing and Adjusting, SENR1286, "Filling and Flushing the Hydrostatic System - Test" for further information.