TROUBLESHOOTING
Before troubleshooting can be done, characteristics of normal operation of this
machine must be understood. As discussed earlier in this manual, this system uses
an open center control valve. This can lead to the belief that a problem may exist
when in fact, the system is operating normally.
Normal Operation
With the engine running approximately 1/2 throttle and the core motor turned off,
the lift and shift cylinders will actuate quickly and smoothly. Once the core motor
is started, the cylinder action will slow down dramatically. In fact, if the core is not
contacting the ground, the shift cylinder may not move at all unless the engine is at
full throttle. The lift cylinder should be able to lift the core slowly off the ground but
will probably not reach its full stroke. When slight positive down pressure is applied
to the broom core, the shift cylinder performance should improve slightly but the lift
cylinder performance will remain basically unchanged. As more down pressure is
added, the core will eventually stop spinning. The system will be
“relieving.”
Although these characteristics may sound less than adequate, in real working
applications they are almost unnoticeable. Most of the time that small angle
adjustments are made, the brush is in use and the cylinder operation is adequate.
Most full swing left to right angle adjustments are made while turning the machine
around or while lining the machine up for sweeping. It is best at these times to not
have the brush spinning in order to prevent throwing debris in an unwanted
direction. There is generally no reason to lift the brush while sweeping. Most lifting
is done when the sweep has been completed and the sweeper is ready to be
repositioned. The brush is normally turned off at this time.