What is This Warning Light on My 873?

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zghorner

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Joined
Apr 28, 2017
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17
I noticed this light lit up on my skid steer today and I cannot find in the manual what it stands for. The machine is running as good as ever, all fluid levels are good with new filters. I thought maybe it was hydrostatic pressure and would go out once up to operating temp but it did not. Any help would be appreciated.
text
link to picture of light: https://imgur.com/Si565UB
 
That looks like an engine oil pressure light, if you remove the pin from the pressure sender on the engine, does the light go out?
Senders do go bad, hopefully that is all it is.
 
That looks like an engine oil pressure light, if you remove the pin from the pressure sender on the engine, does the light go out?
Senders do go bad, hopefully that is all it is.
you are right, I unplugged it and the light went out. I had to replace my temperature sensor when I first got the machine...hopefully that is all it is.
 
you are right, I unplugged it and the light went out. I had to replace my temperature sensor when I first got the machine...hopefully that is all it is.
Before you run it too much, verify that it is indeed a bad sender, guy on the TbN tractor forum is dealing with a trashed Kubota mill from missing the oil light. It spun some cam bearings where the block can't be machined, so it's not even useful as a core, and the cost numbers he's getting are gobsmacking.
The sender is a pressure switch, about 5-7 pounds to actuate that opens the ground circuit and makes the light go out. Likely it has developed a tear in the diaphragm that lets the pressure equalize; if the light goes out momentarily and them comes back on this is likely.
Alternately, it could be carboned or gunked up in the narrow passage where it's blocked and not allowing pressure to get to the diaphragm. That would be easy to tell once it's out; a small drill bit dull side in should go to the diaphragm, if it's coked up a bit of judicious mining with a drill bit or stiff wire is in order.
A rubber tipped air nozzle turned down to 20 psi or so and a test light or DMM will bench test a sender, if you can't find a fault in the sender you must determine why the engine isn't making oil pressure.
Another thing - most Asian manufacturers use BSP threads for their senders, it's a holdover from the colonization period, and they look similar enough to US that it has given fits to people with old Datsuns that bugger the threads using the wrong one.
 
Before you run it too much, verify that it is indeed a bad sender, guy on the TbN tractor forum is dealing with a trashed Kubota mill from missing the oil light. It spun some cam bearings where the block can't be machined, so it's not even useful as a core, and the cost numbers he's getting are gobsmacking.
The sender is a pressure switch, about 5-7 pounds to actuate that opens the ground circuit and makes the light go out. Likely it has developed a tear in the diaphragm that lets the pressure equalize; if the light goes out momentarily and them comes back on this is likely.
Alternately, it could be carboned or gunked up in the narrow passage where it's blocked and not allowing pressure to get to the diaphragm. That would be easy to tell once it's out; a small drill bit dull side in should go to the diaphragm, if it's coked up a bit of judicious mining with a drill bit or stiff wire is in order.
A rubber tipped air nozzle turned down to 20 psi or so and a test light or DMM will bench test a sender, if you can't find a fault in the sender you must determine why the engine isn't making oil pressure.
Another thing - most Asian manufacturers use BSP threads for their senders, it's a holdover from the colonization period, and they look similar enough to US that it has given fits to people with old Datsuns that bugger the threads using the wrong one.
to give an update, I gauged it and got 40 psi at idle. Went to bobcat for a new switch and they wanted 80 bucks... so I left and started researching. The deutz 1011 has a minimum operating oil psi of 20# at idle...so your basic SBC switch that grounds out at 5-8 psi wouldn't come on until after the damage was done. I fount an original deutz switch for $20 and contacted the seller (who checked the serial number on my engine) and they verified it was the right one. So now I am just waiting for that part to arrive. the part number for that switch is 01182479 but if someone down the road runs into this problem I don't see why any pressure switch wouldn't work as long as it was set to come on at 20 psi.
 
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