Kubota U17 - Operation under Cold Weather Conditions; Preparation for Operation in Cold Weather; Procedure after Done Work

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OPERATION UNDER COLD WEATHER CONDITIONS
PROCEDURE AFTER DONE WORK
Clean the excavator thoroughly after work
and wipe dry. Otherwise mud and earth on
the tracks could freeze if the temperature
drops below the 0ºC mark. Operation of
the excavator is then not possible. Store
the excavator in a dry place; if not possible,
store on wooden planks or on mats. If the
excavator is kept on damp or muddy ground,
the tracks could freeze overnight. Operation
of the excavator is then not possible.
Furthermore the reduction gear may be
damaged.
Additionally, the piston rods of the hydraulic
cylinders must be rubbed dry. Otherwise
severe damage could occur if dirty water
seeps through the seals.
PREPARATION FOR OPERATION IN
COLD WEATHER
1. Replace engine oil and hydraulic oil with
those of viscosities suitable for cold
weather.
2. In cold weather, battery power drops,
and the battery fluid may freeze if the
battery is not sufficiently charged. To
prevent the battery fluid from freezing,
be sure to keep the battery charged
at least 75% or more of its capacity
after operation. To ease next starting,
it is recommended to keep the battery
stored in closed or heated rooms. If the
battery fluid level is too low, do not add
after operation, but add with the engine
running before the next operation.
3. Add anti-freeze to coolant in the
radiator and reserve tank, if the ambient
temperature is expected to drop below
0ºC. Mixing ratio of water and anti-
freeze depends on the expected ambient
temperature.
l Mixing ratio between water and anti-
freeze
IMPORTANT:
l Use permanent anti-freeze or longlife
coolant.
l Drain the coolant completely and clean
inside of the radiator then fill with the
water and anti-freeze mixture.
l The anti-freeze acts as an anti-corrosive,
it is not necessary to add an additive to
the water and anti-freeze mixture.
l See “Coolant check” under “DAILY
CHECKS” in “MAINTENANCE” for
radiator fill volumes.
Ambient
Temperature
°C
Antifreeze %
Water %
–5
30
70
–10
30
70
–15
30
70
–20
35
65
–25
40
60
–30
45
55
–35
50
50