HELP - CAT 303 Mini EX issues

Code54 · Mar 24, 2012

A very good friend recently purchased a used rental CAT 303 (CR I think) mini EX and I ran it recently and noticed a few things and was looking for some help

1) The CPU light is flashing - what the heck does this mean? Is it an error code or a "Bad" thing....

2) There is a small up and down "arrow button" on the control panel where you start it. The writing is in Japanese (I think) - what does this change. When you press the little arrows a little digital display changes but can't really tell what it says - also look non-english

3) There is a button in the fuse panel under the seat marked "60" and is red -is this a breaker ?

4) By the "60" is a small knob that turns and you can select something - it has about 4 or so positions - what does this select?

5) On the panel where the key is there is 3 black push buttons - 2 are missing and the one farthest from the operator is there - any idea what is supposed to be there and what easy do?

Needless to say I can't find a manual that shows what all these things do. I found a maintainance manual on CATS site that helps with service but nothing that shows what everything does.

I have operated Mini Ex's in the past but they never had these switches and everything was in English to that helps quite a bit also..

Any ideas why some of the writing is not in English? The machine has 3000 Hrs on it and I am guessing is less than 10 years old (I don't know for sure). Are there certain problems with CATs that should be addressed or looked at?

Wnc3 · Mar 24, 2012

Sounds like a gray market machine. It may have some non-US features.
Have a cat dealer run the serial number and you will know for sure the origin.

Sorry can't help with the other questions.
CPU ....computer processing unit???

Code54 · Mar 24, 2012

Never gave gray market a thought....... Interesting - I do know it was a rental unit so the possibility is there.
Thanks for the idea

MHarryE · Apr 5, 2012

I can't find any reference to ECM on the 303 Operator's Manual. I have attached the Monitoring System as a pdf. Pretty simple system - water temperature and fuel guage plus warning lights for oil pressure, alternator, low fuel and glow plugs.

I also attached information for the replacement 303.5C. There is an addition that came to mind when you talked about ECM. It is the AES or Automatic Engine Speed Control.

The button with 60 by it is the main circuit breaker. The 60 indicates the amperage rating of this breaker. Push to reset.

In general the Japanese turn their equipment over pretty regularly. They don't run their equipment until it is ready for the scrap heap. Instead used equipment is generally exported, and some of that ends up in the USA. Sea transport is pretty inexpensive. In addition some people deal in new equipment. Equipment companies don't have the same price tag on products for all countries. For instance a dozer might sell for XX in the USA but in another country it might go for 75% of x. Large worldwide construction companies are probably the ones that take the most advantage of this. At one time you could find machines sold in a place like Thailand coming back to USA brand new. Now emissions has stopped a lot of that because customs inspectors look for emissions stickers on all the engines and if the engine doesn't meet the spec that was in effect for that machine, it can't come in. In Japan when a new emissions law comes into effect contractors are given a limited time in which they can use machines that don't meet that spec. It is not like most of North America where you can continue to use the machine as long as it was legal at the time it was built. Those machines go on the gray market and since the machine is no longer usable in Japan, it gets shipped to the market where the customer can get the most money for it. Once the machine goes on a ship, it doesn't much matter where in the world it ends up. Like I said, sea freight is cheap. My neighbor has one of these, a Cat excavator originally sold in Japan that he bought at a importer in Texas for such a good price he could easily pay to have it trucked to Minnesota and still get it for an unbelievable price.