2006/12/25 Caterpillar

Engine:

G3600

New ECM software flash files are now available for G3600 Engines that are equipped with the ADEM III control system.

The new features and improvements are listed below.

Refer to Tables 1, 2, 3, and 4 for the available software for your application.

Other system software:

• 266-3049 ICSM (Software Gp)

• 214-3462 EMS/MIDS (Software Gp)

• 301-4690 EMS/Advisor (Software Gp)

• Caterpillar Electronic Technician (Cat ET) version: ET2006BV1.0

New Features

G3600 Map Adjustment Feature

The Map Adjustment feature is a new tool available to make minor modifications to the following engine performance maps: Desired Air to Fuel Ratio, Desired Combustion Burn Time, Gas Fuel Flow Map and Transient Air Fuel Ratio Limit Map. Use of this feature will enable customizing of factory maps to meet specific site requirements. Refer to Special Instruction, REHS3004, "Using the Map Adjustment Software" for the specific operational and functional details of this feature.

Ignition Multi-Strike Feature Configuration

The Ignition Multi-Strike feature enable status is a new configuration parameter which can be used to enable the Ignition Multi-Strike feature. This is a factory password protected setting, which when enabled provides a second firing of the ignition during the same stroke. This increases the duration of the firing, resulting in improved engine starting and operational performance with low BTU fuels and cold starting problems.

When enabled, the "Ignition Multi-Strike Mode Configuration" parameter is used to configure ignition multi-strike for "Start" or for "Manual" mode. When "Start" mode is selected, the Ignition Multi-Strike is active for the time defined in the "Ignition Multi-Strike Engine Startup Activation Duration". When "Manual" mode is selected, Ignition Multi-Strike is active for the start-up time and when the switch input to customer connection pin (61) and return (8) is closed.

Parameter "Ignition Multi-Strike Status" will display "Active" when the ignition is firing a second pulse and "Inactive" when the ignition firing is standard. Parameter "Ignition Multi-Strike Switch Position" will display the status of the switch, either "On" (closed to ground) or "Off" (open).

Continuous usage of the Ignition Multi-Strike feature will shorten the life of the spark plugs.

Fuel Quality Input Configuration

The "Fuel Quality Input Type Configuration" is a new parameter available in the Cat ET Configuration screen to support the use of either a configured fuel quality value (entered) or a 4-20 mA fuel quality input sensor device (measured). The "Fuel Quality Input Type Configuration" parameter default setting is the "Configured Value". When this is selected, the system will use the "Fuel Quality Configuration" setting as the fuel quality value used in the system calculations. This is the same process that has been available in all previous versions of the control system software. When the "4-20 mA Input" is selected, the "Fuel Quality Sensor LHV Lower Set Point" and "Fuel Quality Sensor LHV Upper Set Point" must be configured to the sensor's 4 mA and 20 mA output respectively. The system will calculate the"Fuel Quality Status" based on a linear equation between these two points.

The fuel quality sensor is measured on the 4-20 mA input on the ECM customer connector pins 22 (+) / 23 (-). A jumper between 23 (-) and (8) may be required to resolve any offset problems with the reading.

The system will store the last known good value at each shutdown and update the "Fuel Quality Configured" parameter. The "2449-5 Fuel Quality Sensor Current Below Normal" diagnostic will be active if the system is configured to use the 4-20 mA input and the sensor is not connected. When this diagnostic is active the system will use the last known good value for system operation.

A new parameter, "Fuel Quality Value In Use", is used to display the fuel quality value the system is using for all calculations. This will either be equivalent to the "Fuel Quality Status" (measured) or to the "Fuel Quality Configuration" (entered).

Control Strategy Improvements

Wastegate Response at Start-up Over-Choke Condition

The airflow control strategy at start-up has been updated to shorten the response time of the wastegate when an over-choke state is detected at start-up. When this would occur with previous versions of software, the speed would stop increasing until the wastegate started moving after about 45 seconds. This delay has been removed in the new software and the wastegate will now start moving as soon as the choke is at 0 percent and the speed is still ramping to reach the desired speed setting. This change improves the engine starting performance when starting under higher load and rich air/fuel ratio conditions.

Feedback Transition Time

When the current software transitions between "Exhaust Temperature Feedback" and "Combustion Burn Time Feedback" modes there is a three second delay. When engines are operating around the 40 percent load point, this can create engine stability issues, due to the changes in the feedback operation. The transition delay time has been changed to 30 seconds, which was the time used by ESS engines when transitioning between "No Feedback" and "Combustion Burn Time Feedback" modes. This time delay increase will improve engine stability when operating around the 40 percent load point.

Configuration Parameter Changes

Pre-Lube and Post-Lube Time Configuration

The "Pre-Lube" and "Post-Lube" time settings are now configurable in the Cat ET Configuration screen. "Pre-Lube" is found in the "Start/Stop" settings and "Post-Lube" is found in the "Monitoring and Protection" settings. The default and ranges for each parameter are listed in Table 5.

Engine Start Fuel Burst Command Configuration

Currently all G3600 engine software adds a burst of fuel two seconds after start-up for a short duration to improve starting performance. This was developed for the Vee engine applications because of the design of the fuel system. The inline engines inherited this feature because of the commonality of the control system software. Field testing to resolve the G3606 hard starting problems led to the problem identification that this additional fuel puff at start-up was actually creating a too rich condition which made it more difficult for some engines to start. The "Engine Start Fuel Burst Command Configuration" parameter was added under the "Start/Stop" settings in the Cat ET Configuration screen to allow for adjustment of this parameter for engines with starting performance issues. This parameter defaults to 30 percent and is configurable between 0 percent and 30 percent. Reduce this parameter to provide leaner starting and to reduce engine backfires in the exhaust stack.

Engine Start Turbo Wastegate Position

For start-up and for low loads, the control system uses the air choke to control the airflow. For normal operation under a load, the air flow is controlled with the wastegate. Field-testing identified that for some engines starting under cold and loaded conditions at higher altitudes, just using the choke was not sufficient to start the engine. Testing identified that by setting the turbo wastegate to a more closed position during start-up would improve engine starting performance under cold and loaded conditions. The "Engine Start Turbo Wastegate Position" defaults to 90 percent and is adjustable between 50 percent and 90 percent in the Cat ET Configuration screen, "Air/Fuel Ratio Control" group. This should be changed to a lower value if the "Start Choke Position" has already been dropped to between 15 percent and 30 percent to provide additional air flow during the start-up process. Once the engine has started and reached desired speed, the turbo wastegate will return to its normal 90 percent open position and allows the choke to control the engine until the choke returns to 0 percent and the wastegate starts to control to the desired air pressure.

Engine Start Exhaust Temperature Feedback Time Configuration

At start-up, the control software will operate in "No Feedback" until conditions are met to transition to either "Exhaust Temperature Feedback" or "Combustion Burn Time Feedback". With engines that are starting under loaded conditions, the control system could transition to "Combustion Burn Time Feedback" directly from "No Feedback". Testing has shown that when starting a cold engine, this time in "No Feedback" may not be sufficient to ensure the correct burn times and can create problems when loading the engine. The control software has been changed to transition through "Exhaust Temperature Feedback" regardless of the load. After start-up, the system will remain in "Exhaust Temperature Feedback" mode for the time defined in this configuration parameter. The default setting is 180 seconds and the range is 60 to 360 seconds. If the engine load is above 40 percent, the control system will remain in "No Feedback" for the duration of this configuration. This setting should be used to improve loading performance when loading a cold engine.

Monitoring System Improvements

E384/E385 (1,3) Left/ Right Air Inlet Restriction Alarm and Shutdown

The air inlet restriction alarm and shutdown events have been added to the monitoring system. The alarm and shutdown are triggered when the switch input is open for the defined time setting in the monitoring system screen. The alarm cannot be turned off, but the shutdown can be turned on or off depending on customer requirements. Usage of this feature will trigger the following event codes:

• E384 (1) Left Air Inlet Restriction (alarm)

• E384 (3) Left Air Inlet Restriction (shutdown)

• E385 (1) Right Air Inlet Restriction (alarm)

• E385 (3) Right Air Inlet Restriction (shutdown)

E386 (1,3) Low Engine Coolant / Oil Level Alarm and Shutdown

The Low Engine Coolant / Oil Level alarm and shutdown events have been added to the monitoring system. The alarm and shutdown are triggered when the customer provided switch input is open for the defined time setting. The alarm and shutdown can be turned on or off depending on customer requirements. Usage of this feature will trigger the following event codes:

• E386 (1) Low Engine Coolant/Oil Level (alarm)

• E386 (3) Low Engine Coolant/Oil Level (shutdown)

E666 (1,3) Low Differential Oil Pressure Alarm and Shutdown

The Low Differential Oil Pressure alarm and shutdown events have been updated in the monitoring system so that both are turned off. The alarm and shutdown are triggered when the difference between the filtered and unfiltered oil pressure is below the customer threshold. Due to the accuracy of the sensors, this alarm or shutdown may trigger falsely if the thresholds are set too low. The alarm and shutdown can be turned on or off depending on customer requirements. Usage of this feature will trigger the following event codes:

• E666 (1) Low Differential Oil Pressure (alarm)

• E666 (3) Low Differential Oil Pressure (shutdown)

Diagnostic and Event Improvements

15xx - 12 Cylinder #xx Detonation Sensor Malfunction Diagnostic

The detonation sensor has a failure mode which can trigger when the engine is running and a cylinder is too quiet to generate the expected vibration signal level. In the current software when this diagnostic occurs it will latch and require an ECM off/reset to clear. In the new software, this diagnostic will clear automatically if the vibration level of the cylinder rises to an acceptable level when the engine is running. If this diagnostic is still active when the engine is shutdown, move the detonation sensor to another cylinder and operate the engine to determine if there is a problem with the detonation sensor.

E228 (1,3) Low Jacket Water Outlet Pressure

The Low Jacket Water Outlet Pressure event has been improved to trigger the alarm when the engine speed is greater than low idle and jacket water outlet pressure is less than 18 PSI for 20 seconds. The shutdown will trigger when engine speed is greater than low idle and jacket water outlet pressure is less than 15 PSI for 40 seconds. These settings are not programmable, but should be sufficient for all applications to ensure the engine has the appropriate jacket water pressure to operate without causing damage.

E884/885 (1,3) Fuel Correction Factor Upper/Lower Limit Reached

The Fuel Correction Factor Upper / Lower Limit Reached events have been modified to trigger as follows:

These changes will provide more time for the system to recover before shutting down.

E1045 (1) Low Intake Manifold Air Pressure Alarm

The Low Intake Manifold Air Pressure alarm has been added to the control system to provide an indication when the airflow control system has reached its command limit position and still requires more air. This will trigger when both the choke and wastegate commands are at 0 percent for ten seconds and will clear when the wastegate command goes above 0 percent for five seconds. This event provides an indication that there may be something wrong with either wastegate or choke mechanical components as the system has requested the maximum airflow possible and the engine system has not responded appropriately. This is not a shutdown event, as the engine will probably shutdown on a fuel correction factor or on a temperature related event.

Engine Monitoring System Display Software

The EMS panel Advisor display software has been updated to support new parameters available with the low BTU features for the Ignition Multi-Strike and for the 4-20 mA Fuel Quality Input. The Ignition Multi-Strike parameters are displayed on the "Misc" screen. The "Fuel Quality" parameter will display the "Fuel Quality In Use" value, to provide support for both the standard "Fuel Quality Configured" and "Fuel Quality Status" PIDS. The new Advisor software, 301-4690, is only required if the customer is planning to use the Ignition Multi-Strike or 4-20 mA Fuel Quality Input features. If these features are not used, the current software, 266-1639, is fully functional, but will not display the diagnostic and event code text descriptions when new events and diagnostics are active or logged.

There is no software update available for the MIDS display (168-5274). If use of the V2.0 control system software features is required, replace the MIDS display with an Advisor display using the upgrade kit available from the parts department. The part numbers required are as follows:

• 266-0269 Monitoring Display Gp

• 266-2501 Wiring Conversion Gp

ReferenceSpecial Instruction, REHS2347, "Replacing the MIDS Display with an Advisor M2 Display"

Customer Engine Control V2.0 Software Update

Updating customer engine control software to the G3600 V2.0 release is not a warrantable expense. The software improvements should be discussed with the customer and if the customer agrees to the update, this should be completed as part of a scheduled service.