Caterpillar C15 troubleshooting: 11 fault codes and symptom-cause-remedy entries from the manufacturer's own service documentation.
Caterpillar C15 — full specs, parts & maintenance.
| Symptom | Cause | Remedy |
|---|---|---|
| The battery is very warm to the touch. | Reduce the rate of charging by a significant amount. Complete the charging at the reduced rate. | |
| A strong odor of acid is present. | Reduce the rate of charging by a significant amount. Complete the charging at the reduced rate. | |
| The battery emits smoke or a dense vapor (gas). | Reduce the rate of charging by a significant amount. Complete the charging at the reduced rate. | |
| Localized overheating | Radiant ovens sometimes cause localized overheating. | |
| Overheating of the generator too quickly | Do not heat the generator too quickly. Try to limit the rise in temperature of the insulation and windings to 11.11° C (20° F) per hour. | |
| Insulation resistance test failure | Heat the generator to approximately 75° C (167° F). Never exceed 75° C (167° F) until the insulation tester tests correctly for insulation resistance (at least 4 hours). | |
| Internal heating required | Generators are in damp environments and go for long periods of time without operation. Generators operate regularly in an environment with moisture laden air. | The electric space heaters should be installed as part of the generator. |
| Circulating current needed | Drying can be accomplished by circulating low voltage current through the windings. Since the voltage is low, the breakdown of the insulation will not occur as the breakdown might have occurred with normal operation and wet insulation. | |
| Insulation resistance below normal | Cleaning is advisable if heavy accumulations of dirt can be seen or if heavy accumulations of dust can be seen. If excess dirt is the cause of a restriction in the ventilation, cleaning is also advisable. | |
| Dirt accumulation | Cleaning may be required at the point of installation. A vacuum cleaner should be used to pick up dry dirt, dust, and carbon. After most of the dust has been removed, a small brush may be attached to the vacuum hose in order to loosen dirt that is more firmly attached to the surface. Compressed air may be used to remove the remaining dust and dirt. | |
| Insulation breakdown | An insulation breakdown requires repair. A high pressure wash is normally an effective way to clean windings. This includes windings that have been exposed to flooding or windings that have been contaminated by salt. |
Fault codes and symptom→remedy steps extracted from this model’s service/owner documentation; verify against the official manual before servicing.
Documented causes: Radiant ovens sometimes cause localized overheating.. See the table for the matching fixes.
Documented causes: Generators are in damp environments and go for long periods of time without operation. Generators operate regularly in an environment with moisture laden air.. See the table for the matching fixes.