Troubleshooting And Diagnosing Excavator Starter Problems
One of the most common frustrations on construction sites is excavators with starter problems. You know how it goes, everybody's ready to start their workday, and the excavator won't start. Everyone is stuck standing around waiting for the machinery to cooperate. Meanwhile, your construction company is wasting time and burning money.
As with trucks and other vehicles, excavators frequently have problems with starters. Thankfully, construction equipment starter problems are relatively easy to troubleshoot and diagnose.
If this is your first time troubleshooting and diagnosing excavator starter problems, here's what you need to know.
Ensure the Starting Problem Isn't the Battery
If you turn the key to start an excavator and nothing happens, you might immediately assume the starter is the problem. However, the starter might be excellent, and the situation could very well be the battery or battery cables.
Before looking at the starter itself, take a moment to check the battery cables and ensure that they are free of corrosion. They should also be securely connected to the battery terminals on one end and the starter and grounding points on the other.
If everything looks okay with the battery, start the excavator again. If nothing happens, turn on the exterior lights and see if they are as bright as usual. If they are, chances are good the problem is not with the bat. The and is the starter itself.
Listen for Clicking and Tap on the Starter
If you turn the key to start the excavator and hear a clicking noise, but the excavator does not start, this is a tell-tale sign that the solenoid on the starter is bad.
The starter motor itself is okay because it generates the clicking noise you hear. However, since the solenoid cannot engage, the excavator does not get the jolt of power it needs to turn over and start.
Once solenoids fail, you may still get some starting action before they die. What will happen is you hear a bunch of clicks, and then the excavator starts up. Then you try to start it again; all it does is click and not start.
While it may sound strange, one way to force the solenoid to work is to gently tap on the starter with a hammer. Tapping on the starter is enough to jiggle the internal parts and restore the connection.
Finally, it is essential to note that heavy equipment starters brought back to life in this manner will continue to fail. To ensure that your heavy equipment is available when you need it on the job site, ensure that you have the starter and solenoid replaced as soon as possible.
Reach out to a construction equipment starters retailer to learn more.
