PS Magazine - TB 43-PS-576
PS, The Preventative Maintenance Monthly
ISSUE 576
NOVEMBER 2000
Before You Start
1.
Turn off the personnel heater and
shut off the COOLANT HEATER
switch.
2.
Make sure the battery indicator
gauge is in the green range.
M109A2-A5 SP Howitzers . . .
3.
Keep cranking the engine while set-
ting the FLAME HEATER switch to
ON for 1 second and to OFF for 1
second until the tachometer reads at
least 300 rpm.
4.
Let go of the FLAME HEATER
switch. Keep cranking until the ta-
chometer reads at least 500 rpm. The
hand throttle may be increased about
1
/
8
travel to help start the vehicle once
500 rpm is reached.
Do not
use the
foot throttle or the engine will return
to idle once it’s released.
5.
Stop cranking if the engine hasn’t
started after 2 minutes, or you can burn
up the starter. Wait at least 2 minutes,
then repeat steps one through four. If
the engine still won’t start or doesn’t
reach 100 rpm or more after 15 sec-
onds, tell your mechanic.
6.
Release the starter switch after the
engine starts and follow the engine
warmup procedures in the -10 TMs.
Before Shutdown
Just before shutdown, run the en-
gine at idle and turn on the FLAME
HEATER switch. If the heater is work-
ing OK, you’ll see a slight decrease in
engine speed and an increase in ex-
haust smoke. If not, call your mechanic.
Testing the flame heater also ensures
that fuel is in the fuel supply line the
next time you start your vehicle.
To increase the chances of an easy
start the next time the thermometer
takes a nose dive, have your mechanic
install a cold start enhancement kit,
NSN 2990-01-342-7944.
The kit maintains 1
1
/
2
psi of positive
pressure in the fuel lines. That pre-
vents loss of prime in the flame heater
fuel supply line when the engine is not
running.
Make a note of the kit until the parts
manual is updated. The kit will only
work with M109A2-A5 howitzers.
6.
Set the hand throttle to IDLE. Do
not use the foot throttle.
Starting
Now you’re ready to start the vehicle:
1.
Pull out and hold the FUEL
SHUTOFF handle.
3.
Set parking
brake and shift
transmission
to neutral
5.
Turn
FUEL
PRIME
switch ON
for 45
seconds,
then
release
Push the
STARTER
switch to
START and
the FLAME
HEATER
switch to ON
at the same
time. Crank
the engine for
15 seconds.
Release the
FUEL
SHUTOFF
handle.
i'm
so
cold
i don't
think i can be
started!
DRIVERS, IF YOU DON'T
START YOUR M109 HOWITZER
RIGHT
DURING COLD WEATHER,
IT WON'T START
AT ALL
.
...AND
AWAY WE
GO!
2.
4.
Turn
MASTER
switch to
ON.
Indicator
lamp
should
come on
PS 576
25
PS 576
24
NOV 00
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