TROUBLESHOOTING IN HYDRAULICS Supervisor:

SYSTEM D. Abdelhady Mustafa

GROUP
Mechatronics:
1. Gehad Mohamed Fathy
2. Alaa Ahmed Ali

Production:
3. Salmeen Abd Elnaby
4. Ibrahim
4. Reham Hassan Ahmed
INDEX
1. Introduction.
2. What should you do during troubleshooting?
3. Common methods of troubleshooting.
4. Guess and Check / Hit or Miss method Pros & Cons.
5. Common problems & solutions.
6. Resources.
INTRODUCTION
•A hydraulic system is a fluid power system that performs work using pressurized
fluids. However, just like in every other system, faults and problems are bound to
arise in fluid power systems.
•Each of these problems can be caused by several factors. And the first step engineers
must take to solve the problem is to troubleshoot the hydraulic system.
•Troubleshooting involves performing a diagnosis of the fluid power system before
outlining the course of action that will restore the machine back to its normal
operation.
WHAT SHOULD YOU DO DURING
TROUBLESHOOTING?
•Use your senses: eyes, ears, nose, … as possible.

•Have schematics, read them, analyze them.

•Ask questions, a lot of questions as possible.

COMMON METHODS OF TROUBLESHOOTING
1. Ten-Step troubleshooting process.

Identify the
Problem.

2. Five-Step troubleshooting process. Gather Information.

Review the
Schematic.

System
Troubleshooting
and Adjustments.

Note:
Reliability
Checklist.

These methods called Guess and Check or Hit or Miss methods.

TEN-STEP
TROUBLESHOOTING
PROCESS

Note:
Select the easy-to-check
ones first.
FIVE-STEP TROUBLESHOOTING PROCESS
Identify the Problem.

Gather Information.

Review the Schematic.

System Troubleshooting and Adjustments.

Reliability Checklist.
1. IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM
2. GATHER INFORMATION
3. REVIEW THE SCHEMATIC
4. SYSTEM TROUBLESHOOTING AND
ADJUSTMENTS
5. RELIABILITY CHECKLIST
GUESS AND CHECK / HIT OR MISS METHOD PROS
& CONS
Pros
1. You might get lucky and make the
correct repair quickly.
2. Everyone can see that you're working
hard on the problem.
Cons
1. You might NOT get lucky - the correct repair
might be hours, days or even weeks away.
2. You are likely to replace a lot of parts
unnecessarily.
3. You might fix the problem causing the
breakdown, but you may not have addressed
the root cause of that problem - the breakdown
might happen again tomorrow or next week.
4. All of the other parts replacements and incorrect
repairs can create new repair-induced failures.
5. You might injure yourself, as often happens when
rushing or when working without a plan.
COMMON PROBLEMS & SOLUTIONS
1. System inoperative.
2. System operates erratically.
3. System operates slowly.
4. System operates too fast.
5. Overheating of oil in system.
6. Foaming of oil.
7. Noisy pump.
8. Blown shaft seal.
9. Leaky pump or motor.
10. Load drops with control valve in
neutral.
11. Control valve does not center
(binding).
12. Control valve leaks externally.
13. Cylinder leaks externally.
14. Cylinder lowers with valve in “meter
up” position.
1. SYSTEM INOPERATIVE
1. No oil in system, insufficient oil in system. Fill system. Check for leaks.
2. Wrong oil in system. Refer to specifications. Change oil.
3. Filter dirty or clogged. Drain oil and replace filter or filter element.
4. Oil line restriction. Oil lines dirty or collapsed. Clean or replace.
5. Air leaks in pump suction line. Repair or replace as necessary.
6. Worn or dirty pump. Clean, repair or replace. Check alignment. Check for contaminated oil. Drain and flush system.
7. Badly worn components (valves, cylinders, etc.) Examine and test for internal or external leakage. Replace faulty
components. Check for cause of wear.
8. Leakage. Check all components, particularly the relief valve for proper settings. Refer to technical manuals.
9. Excessive load. Check unit specifications for load limits.
10. Slipping or broken pump drive. Repair or replace belts, couplings, etc. Check for proper alignment or tension.
2. SYSTEM OPERATES ERRATICALLY
1. Air in system. Check suction side of system for leaks. Repair.
2. Cold oil. Allow ample warm-up period.
3. Dirty or damaged components. Clear or repair as necessary.
4. Restrictions in filters or lines. Clean and/or replace elements or lines.
3. SYSTEM OPERATES SLOWLY
1. Oil viscosity too high, cold oil. Allow oil to warm up before operating machine.
2. Low pump drive speed. Increase engine speed (check manual for
recommendations.)
3. Air in system. Check suction side for leaks. Repair.
4. Badly worn pump, valves, cylinders, etc. Repair or replace as needed.
5. Restrictions in filters or lines. Clean and/or replace elements or lines.
6. Improper adjustments. Check orifices, relief valves, etc. Adjust per manual.
7. Oil leaks. Tighten fittings. Replace seals or damaged lines.
4. SYSTEM OPERATES TOO FAST
1. Wrong size or incorrectly adjusted restrictor. Replace or adjust as necessary.
2. Engine running too fast. Reduce engine speed.
5. OVERHEATING OF OIL IN SYSTEM
1. Oil passing thru relief valve for excessive time. Return control valve to neutral when not in
use.
2. Incorrect oil, low oil, dirty oil. Use recommended oil, fill reservoir, clean oil, replace filter
elements.
3. Engine running too fast. Reduce engine speed.
4. Excessive component internal leakage. Repair or replace component as necessary.
5. Restriction in filters or lines. Clean and/or replace elements or lines.
6. Malfunctioning oil cooler. Clean or repair.
7. Insufficient heat radiation. Clean dirt and mud from reservoir and components.
8. Malfunctioning component. Repair or replace.
9. Reservoir too small. Recommended size is 1 1/2 times pump gpm.
6. FOAMING OF OIL
1. Incorrect, low or dirty oil. Replace, clean or add oil as needed.
2. Air leaks. Check suction line and component seals for suction leaks. Replace.
7. NOISY PUMP
1. Low oil level, incorrect oil, foamy oil. Replace, clean or add oil as needed.
2. Suction line plugged or too small, inlet screen plugged. Clean or replace. Follow
instructions packed with unit.
3. Use of pipe fitting in inlet. Replace with correct fitting.
8. BLOWN SHAFT SEAL
1. Pump: wrong pump shaft rotation. Replace seal. Refer to installation instructions.
2. Motor: failure to hook up drain line. Replace seal. Refer to installation instructions.
9. LEAKY PUMP OR MOTOR
1. Damaged or worn shaft seal. Replace seal. Check for misalignment.
2. Loose or broken parts. Tighten or replace.
10. LOAD DROPS WITH CONTROL VALVE IN
NEUTRAL
1. Leaking cylinder seals or fittings. Replace worn parts.
2. Control valve not centering when released. Check linkage. Check for spool
binding. Repair.
11. CONTROL VALVE DOES NOT CENTER
(BINDING)
1. See Hydraulic Product Safety sheet.
2. Valve linkage misaligned. Repair.
3. Tie-bolts too tight (stack valves). Loosen as necessary.
4. Valve damaged. Repair or replace.
5. Handle bracket screws loose. Tighten.
12. CONTROL VALVE LEAKS EXTERNALLY
1. Tie-bolts too loose (stack valves). Tighten as necessary.
2. Seals damaged or worn. Replace.
3. Back pressure or restriction in tank line. Check quick couplers. Use power beyond
when necessary.
4. Cracked port or body. Replace. (see Hyd. Prod. Safety)
13. CYLINDER LEAKS EXTERNALLY
1. Seals damaged or worn. Replace.
2. Rod damaged. Replace.
14. CYLINDER LOWERS WITH VALVE IN
“METER UP” POSITION
1. Damaged or leaky load check. Replace check.
2. Leaking cylinder seal. Replace seal.
3. Use of a valve without loadcheck. Replace with recommended valve.
KNOW MORE
1. Troubleshooting playlist: “For LunchBoxSessions”
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMPxafX8S1dv7apTlCJ4qsWyojRmMbROa

1. Schematic Reading playlist: “For LunchBoxSessions”

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMPxafX8S1dslVDI4M567Q-u8YX2Jqezn
RESOURCES
https://insights.globalspec.com/article/18985/how-to-troubleshoot-hydraulic-systems
https://www.lunchboxsessions.com/explore/hydraulics/troubleshooting-processes
https://www.machinerylubrication.com/Read/31242/effective-hydraulic-
troubleshooting
https://crossmfg.com/resources/manuals-and-options/troubleshooting-tips