Cat caught the FLU

[DragginMan]

2000 Cat C-15 is puking her fluids. Maintenance claimed it was "just the radiator cap", put on new cap, no difference. From a COLD start, within minutes shes puking past the cap thru overflow tube onto the ground. After a days driving she needs 2-3 gallons replaced. She holds a good temp running on flat ground, gets a bit warm (200 +) when climbing, and has kicked on (at 250 deg.) the water warning and stop engine light 3X. I'm thinking injector seals leaking, causing pressure to build in cooling system, but since I'm not the "mechanic" nobody listens. HELP!!

[allan5oh]

is your engine fan turning on?

[heavyhaulerss]

IT IS A HEAD GASKET!

[DragginMan]

Yes fan cycles on/off. I thought about head gasket too, no oil contamination tho. Possible, yes I know.

[Kranky]

From the original post:

From a COLD start, within minutes shes puking past the cap thru overflow tube onto the ground.

That rules out the problem being caused by overheating.

You're getting compression leaking into the cooling system.

Head gasket is a possibility.

I've also seen this caused by an air compressor with a cracked head or bad head gasket allowing air pressure into the cooling system.

If the truck's air pressure is at zero when you start it, and then the "puking" starts as the air pressure builds, it could be caused by the compressor.

[heavyhaulerss]

IT'S A HEAD GASKET!

[DragginMan]

Cold start, warm restart, doesnt matter. If the radiator is full, shes puking her guts up. Air tanks can be empty or full, doesnt matter. Last run from N Alabama to Chicago, filled er up, when at stop, put 4 3/4 gallons back in. Goes in shop Wednesday, will update.

[pdm]

If it has an air operated heater valve don't overlook that. otherwise it sounds like compression in the cooling , head gasket, injector tubes...

[bob h]

Sounds like compression leaking from the head gasket. Block check can be used to detect cylinder gases in the coolant. The compressor can be unloaded to eliminate the air in the cooling system problem.

[DragginMan]

CRACKED HEAD!!

[allan5oh]

yikes, good luck with that.

[Kranky]

CRACKED HEAD!!

Why?

Was it operated in an overheated condition at some point?

[DragginMan]

Was told to drive it like it was for 4 weeks, so YES was driven overheated!! I can CRY CRY it NEEDS 2 BE LOOKED AT b4 something WORSE happens but....................BTW 815K, was told this is 3rd time major engine work. I have put only 70K on truck since getting job in late January, problem was surely present just didnt surface until recently.

[NotSteve]

I'm curious. Since your system was puking and it was a cracked head I'm assuming the overflow of coolant was then caused by diesel fuel mixing in. Didn't you smell it?

[bob h]

I'm curious. Since your system was puking and it was a cracked head I'm assuming the overflow of coolant was then caused by diesel fuel mixing in. Didn't you smell it?

? the overflow of coolant is caused by compression from the combustion chamber... not diesel fuel.

[DragginMan]

I'm curious. Since your system was puking and it was a cracked head I'm assuming the overflow of coolant was then caused by diesel fuel mixing in. Didn't you smell it?

What I noticed was the coolant flowing thru the overflow, and making note of the amount of coolant lost. Then I relay the situation to the higher ups. JOB DONE. They tell me what to do after that. "Drive it" they say. Sure, "but............". They said DRIVE. So I drive.

[allan5oh]

LOL

[partssman]

Sounds like compression leaking from the head gasket. .

We have about 7 O/O who run this engine and all but 2 we've already built with around 500,000 on them.

Cat has really pulled off the biggest turd of all time with the C15/C16. Thankfully they'll be out of the truck engine market in 2010 and begin selling International trucks under their name.

All of our problems started with a blown head gasket and then a few weeks later a complete inframe. We've talked about it and have come to a possible cause sitting around the break table......it's the Ultra Low Sulfur fuel is all we can come up with why the rash of Cat rebuilds. No problems til the fuel changed.

The ULS fuel burns hotter and with the lack of lubricating sulfur, the big yeller motor can't take it.

To give you an idea of the problem, everybody knows how much Paccar loved putting Cats in their trucks.......for the 09's they're pushing the ISX since Cat has so many problems. Seems one Pete dealer has 6 or 7 trucks they can't even get to run and the engineers from Cat say they don't know if they can make 'em run or not. Seems they took the 07 engine and added 23 more sensors as an emission fix and they puked.....

Sure would be nice to buy a new truck with with an ol four and a quarter in it

[Kranky]

We have about 7 O/O who run this engine and all but 2 we've already built with around 500,000 on them.

Cat has really pulled off the biggest turd of all time with the C15/C16.

Where I work, we've got Cat C12's, C13's and C15's in Internationals.

The C12's and C13's are in quad axle dump trucks grossing 73K, and the C15's are in heavy haul tractors used for moving heavy equipment, permitted to 140K.

We haven't had a bit of trouble with any of them, except for a couple of rear crank seals on C13's which were covered under warranty.

The engines are 1999 to 2007 models.

[partssman]

Where I work, we've got Cat C12's, C13's and C15's in Internationals.

I'm sorry


Most of our problems are in Peterbilt 389's...2004 and 2005... and we haul furniture....go figure.