MAINTENANCE BASICS 22.4 LUBRICANTS AND OPERATING AGENTS 22.4.1 DRAINING HOT LUBRICANTS AND FLUIDS There is danger of scalding, when you drain off hot oils or hot coolant and remove the corresponding filters imme- diately after you have switched off the engine. For this reason, wait until the engine has cooled down to approx. 60° C, before you start to perform maintenance work. Do not remove oils when the engine is cold. 22.4.2 CHECKING THE OIL LEVEL AND CHANGING OIL Check the oil level and change the oil and oil filter in a dust-free place to avoid contamination of service fluids by undesired material.
After an oil change or oil filter change, check the oil and oil filter for an unusual high number of metal parts or oth- er undesired material. In case you detect an unusual high contamination, inform your responsible Komatsu deal- er. 22.4.3 CHANGING FILTERS Filters avoid introduction of undesired material into the individual cycles and the equipment where they may cause malfunctions. Regularly replace all filters. For details refer to "23. Maintenance Schedule" for the proper interval. Replace the filters more often, if you work under difficult conditions, depending on the oil and fuel that you use (e.g. high sulphur content). Do not try to clean filter cartridges for re-use.
Always replace used filter cartridges by new ones. Do not open the packages containing the spare filters unless you will mount them immediately. Always use genuine Komatsu filters. 22.4.4 REFUELLING AND TOPPING OFF OIL Always refuel and top off oil in a sufficiently ventilated place. If the machine is equipped with a fuel strainer in the tank filler neck, do not remove the fuel strainer when refuelling. After refuelling or topping up of oil, close the filler openings again. Spilled fuel or oil involve danger of slipping and fire. For this reason, immediately remove any spilled fuel or oil. Do not let oil or fuel seep into soil or water.
Dispose of oil and fuel according to applicable environmental regula- tions. 22.4.5 OIL The oil in the engine and the hydraulic system is subjected to extreme conditions (high temperatures, high pres- sure). Thus, its quality deteriorates the longer it is used. Always use the types of oil specified for the particular use and temperature in the operating and maintenance instructions. Always adhere to the specified intervals for oil changes. Pay particular attention not to contaminate oil and grease when topping them up. A lot of malfunctions are caused by contaminated oil. Do not mix oils of different types or makes. Always top off with the required volume of oil.
If the volume of oil used for topping up is too high or too low, this may lead to malfunctions. If the oil in the work hydraulic system is milky, it is very likely that there is either water or air present within the system. In this case, inform the responsible Komatsu dealer. Always replace the oil filter when you perform an oil change. We recommend that you have the engine oil and the hydraulic oil checked at regular intervals by the responsi- ble Komatsu dealer to get an impression of the machine's condition. 124