Cat 345B L, 345B L-VG, and 350 L specifications

345B L, 345B L-VG, and 350 L: owner reports

Sources: 3 forum discussions about the Caterpillar 345 excavators (345B, 345D); heavyequipmentforums.com.

• Swing loss, no-start and overheating. A 345B with a shear attachment that lost swing when the oil warmed, until the travel pedal was pressed; a 2003 345B that would not start after a break with an electrical fault (a reply noted more than 30 different 345B configurations and asked for the serial number); and a 2012 345D L that overheated after a full service, where a reply asked about the turbo waste gate and the fan. Threads read: 1, 2, 3.

History and service record of 345B L, 345B L-VG, and 350 L

• A 345B that stalls when implements combine. A 2017 Heavy Equipment Forums thread started by a South African owner describes a 345B that runs perfectly unloaded but drags and cuts out when implements are used together, with slow travel; one forum regular suggested a control fault in the hydraulic system that stops the pump de-stroking under load. 345b excavator, Heavy Equipment Forums.
• What replies checked first. In the same thread replies asked about black smoke, suggested changing the fuel filter and draining the water separator, checking the intake pressure sensor, doing a turbo boost pressure test, and trying the backup switches behind the armrest, and one warned a bypass would leave the hydraulics at snail speed. 345b excavator, Heavy Equipment Forums.
• Engine speed dial stuck at idle. A 2020 thread describes a 345B L whose engine stays at idle when the speed knob is turned even though the monitor counts from 1 to 10, while the switches on the rear of the right console raise rpm in emergency mode and the electronic controller warning light sometimes lights when returning to normal mode. CAT 345B Engine Speed Issue, Heavy Equipment Forums.
• Why used 345Bs sell cheap. A Heavy Equipment Forums thread about the 345B series has an Australian poster asking why they sell so cheaply; a Cat technician replied that used Cat excavators had dropped in price in the U.S., that in the Midwest the 345 is one of the most popular machines used, and that buyers should look at the hours since the last overhaul. Cat 345 B series, Heavy Equipment Forums.
• A dealer family's view. In the same thread the poster says his father owns three Cat 330s (a B and two Cs) and a Cat 375 and keeps watching the market, and that the 345s keep standing out as reliable and cheap compared with other Cat excavators. Cat 345 B series, Heavy Equipment Forums.

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