Bobcat t300 tilt won't work- ACS sometimes

[AndyB]

I tried searching the Forum for anything related to my particular issue but I can't seem to find anything that follows the same problems I'm having. I have a 2001 Bobcat T300 with 2029 hours on it. This unit has joystick controls. I was using it earlier today and everything worked as it should. I shut the machine down and paid the delivery driver and went in the house and got a drink and came back out and restarted the machine and at that time notice the Tilt will not work. If I keep the right joystick moved to the left or to the right for more than a couple seconds which would normally enable tilt the ACS light will come on. If I only momentarily move the joystick to the left or the right but don't hold it for very long nothing happens at all. The boom operates just fine with plenty of power. The bobtatch works fine with no issues. I can drive the unit around with no issues. It's just the Tilt that won't work. Any ideas on what's wrong and how to fix this? When I get the ACS light to activate I get the following error codes: 39-07, 39-05, 40-05. Again I only get these error codes if I hold the left or right position of the right joystick for more than a couple of seconds. I did try calibrating the machine but when I go through the calibration procedure the ACS light comes on as soon as I turn the key to the on position. Thanks in advance! Andy

 

[Centexequipment]

So the computer thinks the joystick isn't in neutral and it thinks it should be there is a procedure to calibrate this I'll try to see if I can find it other wise it might be a joystick issue

 

[AndyB]

Thanks for posting. The thing that's confusing to me is that when I press the green button to activate the Hydraulics I get no errors. It knows the joysticks are in neutral. I only get the ACS light when I hold tilt up or tilt out for more than a second. It would make sense that it's not in neutral because I'm the one moving it out of neutral?

 

[Centexequipment]

Does this unit have a switch to Chang the pattern?

 

[AndyB]

Yes. I can switch between H pattern and ISO pattern. I leave it in ISO pattern all the time.

 

[AndyB]

Something to note.... I've been researching other forums and one of the suggestions was to remove the ground battery connection and leave it disconnected for 15 minutes. I did this and when I reconnected it back up and turned on the machine and everything worked again! I know this is a short term fix and I know I'll have this issue again.

Some other posts have stated it is most likely an actuator issue.

 

[Centexequipment]

Bobcats automatically clear the codes once the issue is resolved. Doing the hard reset really doesn't do much for you

 

[Centexequipment]

When you switch to the h pattern does anything change

 

[AndyB]

I haven't tried switching to the H pattern. Never even thought of that! Next time it happens, and I know it will happen again, I will change the ISO to H pattern and see if the right joystick's side to side motion still activates the ACS light and what errors I get. The machine is at my camp which is 6 hours away from me at the moment and it might be a few weeks before I go back up for the weekend but when it happens to me again I will most certainly post back to this thread with the update. Thank you very much for your guidance thus far.

 

[koko]

I haven't tried switching to the H pattern. Never even thought of that! Next time it happens, and I know it will happen again, I will change the ISO to H pattern and see if the right joystick's side to side motion still activates the ACS light and what errors I get. The machine is at my camp which is 6 hours away from me at the moment and it might be a few weeks before I go back up for the weekend but when it happens to me again I will most certainly post back to this thread with the update. Thank you very much for your guidance thus far.

I have the exact same thing going on with my 2009 T300. You can switch joysticks and if the problem follows the joystick then it needs to be rebuilt. Only people that I could find to do the job was "ISOCELL", ph. 1-401-203-3222 or look up isocell.com. A little pricy but cheap as hell compared to OEM.
If you find anyone cheaper please let me know as I haven't send mine in yet. BTW, I found if I move the right joystick very, very slowly that I can tilt & curl…..but very slowly!

 

[AndyB]

The scary thing is these are "new" joysticks! They were installed a year and a half ago but they're only a couple hundred hours or less on them. I bought the machine used and when I went to the dealership to verify what the previous owner said he had done through the dealership he was telling the truth. I heard of isocell(out of Illinois) as well and yes it's still expensive but cheaper than new. I think I'm just going to stick with the battery disconnect for 15 minutes procedure in order to solve the problem until that doesn't work anymore. From the research I've done through other forums it usually ends up being an actuator but Bobcat wants over $1,200 for those now!

 

[Centexequipment]

Look on Friday parts they might have them. Use the original part number

 

[AndyB]

I found this and it is a very well explained video if one is willing to tear down the actuator. I follow this guy on YouTube and he used to be a Bobcat service dude until corporate had issues with him helping explain how to do so much of the repairs on the different machines. He ended up learning Bobcat and focusing more on the educational videos.