Winter Operations and Maintenance
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Because the number of acceptable lubricants is limited in arctic conditions, manufacturers like Caterpillar may have special recommendations. Caterpillar also offers an arctic-transmission drive train oil. Ask your equipment dealer to recommend the oil best suited for the conditions, and use a dealer-recommended oil that meets or exceeds recommendations.
Use diesel fuel formulated for cold weather; again, check with the equipment dealer about the type of fuel recommended for the climate conditions. Also, make sure engine coolant is adequate for the coldest possible expected temperatures.
Use the correct hydraulic oil for the expected temperature range. Depending on your location, temperatures may soar in summer and fall considerably below freezing in winter; no one hydraulic oil is good for such a wide temperature range. If the oil is too thick, in cold conditions it will take a long time for it to warm up enough to run. In addition, operating machines at low ambient temperatures with hydraulic oil recommended for warmer temperatures runs the risk of pump cavitation: the oil is not delivered fast enough to the pump, and compressed air bubbles cause tiny implosions that eat away metal components of the pump.
One of the single most important operating procedures is allowing enough warmup time for the machine when temperatures are extremely cold. However, there is no benchmark rule for how long the engine should idle to warm up. In addition to allowing the engine and oils to warm up sufficiently, the equipment should be operated slowly at first.
Pre-heaters can warm up the engine block, and they also can warm and circulate the engine coolant. However, they do not necessarily work well for hydraulic oil because the volume of hydraulic oil is so much greater. It takes considerable time to warm up hydraulic oil. In addition, warming hydraulic oil in the tank does not warm hydraulic oil in boom pistons and elsewhere. For these reasons, use a slow, steady operation to cycle the hydraulic oil and allow it to begin mixing with the warmed oil. Avoid high production operation until the hydraulic oil is about 60 degrees F.
At the end of the shift, clean the tracks properly. Clean any buildup around the track rollers, track slides and the tracks; removing mud, snow, slush and ice will prevent the material from freezing overnight. Also, grease the machine while the components are still warm; joints will take grease better because they've been moving. (The grease gun can be kept in the operator's cab while working to keep the grease warm.)
