ANGLE 4W0518 - Caterpillar

Earthmoving machines are constantly being refined to increase productivity, reliability, and serviceability. Electronic control systems are one part of this effort and their use is expanding across the product line.
Many servicemen lack the needed skills, service information and tools necessary to correctly diagnose and repair electrical system problems. Also, many servicemen have some apprehensions about working on these new, sophisticated electrical systems.
This article outlines some of the available resources that a serviceman can use to become more familiar with these electrical systems. It also gives a brief summary of previously issued service literature. This list should help the serviceman to learn of improvements that have been made on some of these systems.
Service Publications And Training Resources
Product support is an important part of the value a customer receives when he purchases a Caterpillar product. As part of this product support, Caterpillar offers a wide range of training and service literature. These are offered to give the serviceman the knowledge, skills and confidence needed to diagnose and repair electrical system problems.
It is important that servicemen make correct use of service literature. This literature will help ensure that service work is performed properly and to the latest specifications.
Service Manual
Service Manuals are available for all earthmoving equipment. These manuals contain detailed and specific information about the vehicle electrical system. The Service Manual describes how the electrical system operates and what the results of that operation should be. It also provides electrical system schematics and gives troubleshooting, testing and adjusting information.
The Service Manual, Form SENR2945, Electronic Monitoring System (EMS), deals exclusively with the EMS. It contains general information about the systems operation and a step-by-step illustrated procedure for troubleshooting the EMS.
Service Manual, Form SENR2947, Starting And Charging System, discusses vehicles equipped with a diagnostic connector. This connector permits the use of the 6V2150 Starting and Charging Analyzer. The Service Manual describes what the analyzer can do and how to interpret the indications. The manual also has a step-by-step test procedure and schematics of each circuit that is tested.
Service Magazine and Special Instruction
Product changes, new tools and new service procedures are announced regularly in Service Magazine. The chart that follows gives a list of some of the recent articles that pertain to electrical systems.
The chart also lists some Special Instructions that pertain to electrical systems.
Service Training Resources
Service Training classroom courses are available at the Caterpillar Service Training Center. These classes help the serviceman learn to troubleshoot and repair electrical systems. Some electrical systems are taught as part of a course on a specific vehicle. As an example, instructions for troubleshooting the electrical wiring harness and transmission electronic switching system are a part of the "Wheel Tractor-Scraper Transmission" course. Other classroom courses offer instruction on electrical systems that apply to a wide range of earthmoving equipment. An example of this is the "Air Conditioning And Electronic Monitoring System" course. Two objectives of this course are, to teach the serviceman how to diagnose problems in the EMS system and how to use the 6V2150 Starting and