Komatsu FG20ST-14:
Electronic Throttle Control?

I encountered a problem with one of our FG20ST-14 trucks yesterday. Engine is the Nissan K-21.
The engine starts reluctantly and then will only run at idle RPM with the accelerator in the idle position.
When the accelerator pedal is pushed down, the engine begins to stumble and falter and most of the time the RPM will only go as high as 1,850. Most of the time the engine will stall out and die when the accelerator pedal is pushed down.

When I did the "Key on-engine not running" tests using the Hitachi service reader scanner, I get voltage levels from the 2 accelerator pedal position senors that are "text book" matches to the manual specifications throughout the full range of pedal travel.
The voltage values for the 2 throttle motor (ETC) sensors however are way off base.
Manual states ETC sensor 1 should be.6 V at idle and.7 V at 2,000 RPM. Actual readings on Hitachi are.91 V at idle and.91 V with accel pedal down (engine will not attain 2,000 RPM).
Manual states ETC sensor 2 should be 4.5 V at idle and 4.5 V at 2,000 RPM. Actual readings on Hitachi are.95 V at idle and.95 V with accel pedal down.
I get the same readings when I do the same tests with "Key on- engine off".
The MIL works and is not showing any DTCs.
The Hitachi also shows no stored codes nor any "real time DTCs".
We have not previously had an ETCA to fail.
Also, at the present time, we have no other -14 Komatsu at our location that we could swap out the ETCA with for comparative measure.
All functions of the Nikki LPG regulator are correct with output of 4.5 PSI.
I think I must be looking at a defective ETCA unit, but if anybody has a different slant on this I would like to hear it.
  • Posted 29 Nov 2013 01:36
  • Modified 29 Nov 2013 02:23 by poster
  • Discussion started by L1ftmech
  • Tennessee, United States
Showing items 1 - 4 of 4 results.
The screen disc in the injector holder was clogged almost completely.
But the "clogging material" was a bit different from past experience episodes (on other trucks of the same model).
Usually I find some gummy or oily consistency junk built up on the mesh.
This time was different in that there was a layer of "dry, granular particles" almost like sand in appearance that at first glance hid the screen and circlip entirely from sight.
Because I knew there was no way of pulling the disc up and out of its bore without some of that junk falling into the fuel passage below (and consequently migrating into the injectors) I removed the injector holder and turned it upside down over a clean metal dish on my work table.
Quite a lot (maybe half a tea spoon) of stuff fell out. The grains were easily crumbled when prodded with a finger. I figure the stuff was flaking off of surfaces in the regulator/vaporizer and delivery hose and transporting to the screen. While I had the holder off, I removed the injectors and pressure sensor and cleaned out the stripped holder with spray carb cleaner.
This truck came to us from another terminal back in the spring and so I don't know about how much use it got at its former domicile, but here at this location it is pretty much a "stand by" truck because our operators don't care much for Komatsus.
Out of a fleet of nearly 100 trucks we only have 6 Komatsu trucks, the rest of the fleet are 7F & 8F Toyota.
I think that inactivity is allowing the typically gummy heavy ends of fuel to dry out and subsequently shed off the insides of the regulator/vaporizer.
I removed the Nikki regulator and disassembled it.
The inside surfaces had a lot of dried material coating that is usually very much like tar.
I went ahead and dropped the parts into the soak for cleaning and installed a previously rebuilt regulator on the truck.
All is well now, but I still don't understand the ETCA voltage discrepancies (from the manual) that I see.
  • Posted 1 Dec 2013 02:26
  • Modified 1 Dec 2013 02:29 by poster
  • Reply by L1ftmech
  • Tennessee, United States
Yes the mesh inlet screen to he injector holder s a very good possibility also,have had that one myself also,it is the last chance screen to keep garbage out of the system and does get plugged and clogged. As for the injector,unless you can swap in a known good one ,they don't clean up very well usually
  • Posted 29 Nov 2013 03:39
  • Reply by kevin_t
  • Pennsylvania, United States
Kevin, was there going to be more to that procedure than what you posted?
I can sort of clean the injectors, but as others have stated before, cleaning may or not give good results.
One other thing that occurred to me that I have not looked at yet (only a brief time on this truck before end of shift last night) is maybe the mesh screen in the injector holder casting.
I did observe that the LPG fuel pressure value shown on the Hitachi would fall to around 14 kpa (from around 26 kpa at idle) when the accelerator pedal is pushed down with engine running
I will check that when I return to work Friday.
The voltage values I am getting from the ETCA sensors has me puzzled though,
  • Posted 29 Nov 2013 03:09
  • Reply by L1ftmech
  • Tennessee, United States
I have had a faulty/malfunctioning injector on a Nissan with the K21/25 Engine do this check to see if the injector is sticking/malfunctioning
  • Posted 29 Nov 2013 02:09
  • Reply by kevin_t
  • Pennsylvania, United States

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