Haas Lube Error Message

[Jim at Gentex]

I have recently assumed responsibility for a Haas Super VF4 in our shop, but I'm not really too familiar with it yet.

 

I got an error message today about 'Low lube oil or low oil pressure'.

I checked the reservoir and the level was fine, but the pressure gage was reading zero.

 

I actuated the oiler by hand and the pressure came up, but then I got the error message again after about an hour.

Does this sound familiar to anyone, and what should I do about it?

 

Thanks.

 

Jim teh Haas n00b.

[Micromoldmaker]

'Low lube oil or low oil pressure

 

I vaguely remember a Haas that did that. There was an oil cup up in the ram are that needed some spindle oil once in a while. Is this an older machine with the amber letters on the screen?

[Jim at Gentex]

No, the machine is fairly new...maybe 3-4 years old.

 

Thanks for the reply though.

I am looking through the manual now to see if there is something I am missing.

 

It seems like the automatic way lube may not be working.

[Delcandoit]

I had the exact same thing happen at a couple of other shops. They both had to have service come out and fix it but they never shared the exact problem behind it. So, call service as it isn't a do it yourself kind of thing from my experience. Unless you want to hand pump it every hour of course.

[Jim at Gentex]

Ok Del, thanks for the input.

I will talk to our maintenance tech tomorrow to see if he has any ideas, otherwise I will probably be asking for a service call from Haas.

[Oscar R.]

I've run into this in the past, but only on an older Haas(VF-3).

I went back and forth with service at Haas and they said all of the above.

Check the spindle lube, pump It manually, etc.

 

I believe it was the auto-lube sensor that went bad.

 

If you pumped it manually and the pressure went down to zero almost right away, it may be that you have leak in you lube lines somewhere.

Check for excess lube in your coolant or lube leaks around your machine.

[Pilot Plant Supervisor]

Found out the hard way that there is a screen in the top of the reservior that needs to be cleaned periodically. Drop the tank from the lube unit, and the screen is up under the lid. If your screen is plugged like ours was, it could be causing your problem.

[Jim at Gentex]

Thanks again for the input, guys.

 

Our maintenance tech is going to check it out today to see if he can find any leaks.

He will also check the actuator to make sure the lube system is cycling as it should, and he will check that screen in the reservoir.

[JeremyV]

Jim, what did he find out? I kinda figure it might be low gearbox/transmission oil?

[Gary]

Have a vf5 doing it now, and other machines in the past. It has always been a leak or leaks in the system for us. The control checks for pressure every so many minutes and if it has a leak the pressure bleeds of and sets the alarm. It usually will finish its cut but alarm on the toolchange. Pain in the A@# on large dnc programs

that have tool changes.

[MrFish]

Make sure you are using the specified Mobil Vactra 2 oil, we had issues when we deviated due to the wrong viscosity causing the pressure alarm.

[Brando]

dont ignore its an easy fix

most likely a leak somewhere (once the lube pump cycles it should hold pressure for about 3min from memory ill check the parameter tomorrow if i remember),or the suction filter is dirty inside the reservoir, or the pressurized filter is dirty outside the lube pump, or the pressure switch is kaput, or wires for the pressure switch are dry rotted and cracked off,

 

 

on our vf1 the lube line corroded along the base and nothing was getting lubed, ended up getting ignored for a long time , it trashed the thrust bearings and the ballscrew in the x and y and only took me about 2 or 3 hrs to diagnose and fix the lube line

[Jim at Gentex]

Jim, what did he find out? I kinda figure it might be low gearbox/transmission oil?

 

The oil levels are all good, so that's not an issue.

The good news is that the actuator does work as it should to pressurize the system.

 

One of the maintenance guys is taking the covers off today to look for a leak.

 

The on-screen error message is saying the system should hold 35-40 psi for 8-10 minutes, then return slowly to zero.

 

What we are seeing is an initial reading of almost 50 psi that drops to about 35 after 2-3 minutes, then down to zero in another 2 minutes or so.

I think that indicates a leak somewhere and our maintenance tech believes that is the case as well.

[Thee Dragracer1951]

If this is a newer machine, the ways dont use way oil. It's grease.

there is an air valve that opens and cycles the grease pump.

Both of our VM2's have had issues with that valve.

[Jim at Gentex]

If this is a newer machine, the ways dont use way oil. It's grease.

there is an air valve that opens and cycles the grease pump.

Both of our VM2's have had issues with that valve.

 

Thanks, Jim.

The machine is about 3-4 years old.

There is an oil reservoir in the back, and the operator's manual calls specifically for Mobil Vactra #2 way oil.

Our Deckel DMU-80 has a grease reservoir, but as far as I can see the Haas does not.

 

Our maintenance tech is still tracing each oil line and looking for a leak somewhere.

It's a tedious job but I'm not sure how you would find it other than systematically checking each one.

[Eric@HorsepowerInc.]

If it is in fact a way lube system, you can use UV oil dye and a black light to find your leak. This is compatible with oils and can be found at Summit racing or most major auto chains. Still would not be my first step in sourcing the leak, as I am not a huge fan of adding anything to a system other than the specified oils. But we have done this and it does work. Good luck.

[Thee Dragracer1951]

Jim

On our VM2's, the oil is for the spindle only.There is a grease resevoir above the oil resevoir

Looks like a water trap only bigger.

But then, we have the ECOCNC machines, so that may be the difference

[Jack Mitchell]

This continually happened to me on a VF6.

I requested the oil pump be replaced - that was it, no more errors

[Jim at Gentex]

Update:

 

The maintenance tech did find a leaky line between the pump and one of the axes (X or Y, I'm not sure which).

He replaced that whole section of line and installed new fittings.

The system now holds full pressure as it should for 8-10 minutes, then slowly drops back to zero over almost another 10 minutes.

 

He is re-installing the covers now, so we will run some parts later this afternoon and see if the error message is corrected.

[Jim at Gentex]

Well we're back in business with the Haas.

 

After repairing the leak I ran 5 cycles of the current production part with no error messages.

It went through 2 full oiling cycles during that time and it appears as though we're OK.

 

Thanks again for all of the good input here.

[Brando]

If it is in fact a way lube system, you can use UV oil dye and a black light to find your leak. This is compatible with oils and can be found at Summit racing or most major auto chains. Still would not be my first step in sourcing the leak, as I am not a huge fan of adding anything to a system other than the specified oils. But we have done this and it does work. Good luck.

 

thats cool , i have a kitamura hx400 with a slow leak somewhere in the temperature control oil system, and its somewhere on the headstock and its been impossible to find where its been coming from with the waylube and residual coolant drips allover the place

 

do you think it would work in a hydraulic system? i have doosan dhp400 that also slow leaks hydraulic oil, and i think its coming out of the unclamp cylinder and again its near impossible to find with the waylube drips allover the headstock