Seven major mistakes in excavator operation in winter

Wrong approach 1: Discharging water too early or not discharging cooling water
Serious consequences that can occur: The engine body expands or shrinks suddenly, causing cracks.
Correct approach: Run at idle speed before turning off the engine. Wait until the cooling water temperature drops below 60°C and the water is not hot to touch, then turn off the engine and drain the water. If the cooling water is released prematurely, the body will suddenly shrink and crack when it is suddenly attacked by cold air when the temperature is high. When draining the water, the remaining water in the body should be completely drained to prevent it from freezing and expanding, causing the body to burst.

Mistake 2: Use random fuel
Serious consequences that may occur: reduced engine life and increased chance of damage.
Correct approach: Low temperatures in winter make diesel fluid less fluid, increase viscosity, and make it difficult to spray, causing poor atomization and worsening combustion, resulting in a decline in the power and economic performance of the diesel engine. Therefore, light diesel oil with low freezing point and good ignition performance should be used in winter. It is generally required that the freezing point of the diesel engine should be 7-10°C lower than the local minimum temperature in the current season.

Mistake 3: Using an open flame to assist with starting
It can cause serious consequences: in the worst case, the machine may be burned down, in the worst case, the engine may be damaged.
Correct approach: Do not remove the air filter, dip cotton gauze in diesel fuel and ignite it, then make a fire starter and place it in the intake pipe to start the combustion. In this way, during the startup process, dusty air from the outside will be directly inhaled into the cylinder without filtering, causing abnormal wear of the piston, cylinder and other parts. It will also cause the diesel engine to work roughly and damage the machine.

Mistake 4: Baking the oil pan over an open flame
It can cause serious consequences: in the worst case, the machine will be burned, in the worst case, it will increase the wear and tear of the machine.
Correct approach: Baking the oil pan with an open flame will cause the oil in the oil pan to deteriorate or even burn, and the lubrication performance will be reduced or completely lost, thereby aggravating machine wear. In winter, engine oil with a low freezing point should be used. During startup, an external water bath can be used to heat the engine oil to increase the oil temperature.

Wrong practice five: Improper startup method
Possible serious consequences: Serious damage to the machine.
Correct approach: first cover the water tank with an insulating quilt, open the drain valve, and continuously inject 60-70°C clean soft water into the water tank. When the water flowing out of the drain valve feels hot when you touch it with your hand, close the drain valve and pour water into the water tank. Clean soft water at 90-100℃ and crank the crankshaft to ensure that all moving parts are properly pre-lubricated before starting.

Wrong practice 6: Low temperature load operation
Possible serious consequences: causing serious wear and tear on the machine.
Correct approach: After the diesel engine starts and catches fire, some drivers can’t wait to put into load operation immediately. In a diesel engine that has just been on fire, due to the low body temperature and high oil viscosity, the oil is not easily filled into the friction surface of the moving pair, which will cause serious wear and tear on the machine. In addition, plunger springs, valve springs and injector springs are also prone to breakage due to “cold brittleness”. Therefore, after the diesel engine starts and catches fire in winter, it should be idle for a few minutes at low and medium speeds, and then put into load operation when the cooling water temperature reaches 60°C.

Mistake 7: Not paying attention to body insulation
Possible serious consequences: reduced working life, engine damage.
Correct approach: The low temperature in winter can easily cause the diesel engine to overcool during operation. Therefore, insulation is the key to making good use of diesel engines in winter. In northern regions, diesel engines used in winter should be equipped with cold protection equipment such as thermal insulation sleeves and thermal insulation curtains. In addition, the thermostat plays an important role in raising the temperature of the diesel engine during operation. Therefore, before winter, you should check whether the thermostat is working normally. A failed thermostat should be replaced in time to prevent it from being easily sprayed, causing poor atomization and worsening combustion, which will lead to a decrease in the power and economic performance of the diesel engine. Therefore, light diesel oil with low freezing point and good ignition performance should be used in winter. It is generally required that the freezing point of the diesel engine should be 7-10°C lower than the local minimum temperature in the current season.

If you have also encountered such a situation, I hope this article will be of some help to you. If you need to buy a second-hand excavator or excavator accessories, you can contact us or click on the link directly to browse related products.


Post time: Apr-07-2024