Combines Duetz Engine Maintenance

The gauge is for the oil temp and the light is engine head temp. Make sure the fins and oil coolers are clean and check the condition of the fan that it's not worn out.

Our engine head temp light comes on less than a minute, sometimes seconds, after we start the engine in the morning. We have changed the sensor on the engine and blown out the fins and still get the light. I have put electric tape over the little beeper to muffle it and I keep on going. It has been this way for a year now. I keep watch of the engine oil temp light and as long as it doesn't rise, I will keep on going. The dealer said it is probably a problem in the wiring. I guess someday I will break down and rewire it. The key is to keep the beeper from driving you nuts. It makes it hard also to tell without looking when another light comes on. If I were you and the problem persists, I would try changing the sensor. If that doesn't stop the problem, then I would look to the wiring or the fan_fins. These engines need to be blown out often.

We had a similar trouble last harvest on our R60. We eventually traced it to the fact that the head temperature warning actually also picks up the sump temperature, from a sender near the fan end of the motor. The temp was fine, but the sender wire cover had deteriorated and it was shorting out. A layer of insulation tape cured the problem. You may have the same trouble - good luck.

I also have an R60 that requires absolutely no daily maintenance. I do open the plenums after each season to blow out any dust that accumulates in the fins. The key to having a clean engine is to replace any fuel or oil leaks that cause dust to accumulate. Also, you have to open the plenum below the exhaust manifolds to do a thorough job of cleaning. My monitors were giving false alarms so after trying several different things I solved the problem by replacing the engine area harness. Good luck with your R60.

If light is bothering when first started and engine is cold I would look at sender to see it isn't loose in head and or wiring leeding to it including where sending wire may be contacting injection lines. loose, poor or shorting connection on head temp circuit will surely cause light problem. Many senders have failed so don't ignore that. Some of the smallest and most likly passages to plug threw that engine are where sender is located so remove what you have to on top of engine to get a very good look threw there. If it has been years since engine was blown or washed out very well it may take a pressure wash this time to get clean. Concentrate your attention on areas threw head where sending units would be fastened. Be careful not to soak oil cooler areas unless you are ready to wash them 100% also. You don't want to make mud where you can not see it for it will be there until someone washes it out. If it were me and what we do at our dealership is clean engine very well in the first place and then it can likely go out for years with minimum blowouts to keep engine very clean. I think these sending units are set very close to coming on even when everything is right especially on turboed V8's. Turboed V8's are sucking in very hot air from under hood air cleaner and piping ect. and there turboed which heats air another 100ish F degrees. This temp has a part in what head temp is running and add the extra heat a higher HP engine will put in engine compartment and bang we have borderline problem on the hottest days. When light starts to bother going one way down field and fan ain't blowing as much as new and partial blockage in head is all causing temp to approach light coming on level it is time to do something. I have a few turboed air cooled machines that I have installed a 6 or 7" pipe about 12" long just ahead of air intake box on top of hood. It does not stick up above air intake box and doesn't look out of place but it acts as a chimney to remove build up of excess heat. It's been a couple years on these machines and it has seemed to reduce head temp light problems when very warm out. I also did this in an effort to see if intake valves will hold their clearance better. Even though the air cooled inline sixes and naturally aspirated V8s don't seem to have the same high under hood temps as turboed V8's they may benifit plenty from tring to vent off more hot air. I'll be going in to reset valves on some of these engine this year I believe so we'll see if we helped that situation. Anyway check oil properly and service engine as well as other engines and she'll likely keep going as long as you have her. Good luck