Testing procedures you can follow at the machine

Pressure tests, flow checks, oil sampling, wear measurement and fault-code reading — step by step, with the numbers that decide the outcome.

A test is only worth running if you already know what result would change your mind. Each procedure below is written that way: the tools, the setup, the reading to take, and what that reading rules in or out. Most of these can be done with a gauge set, a stopwatch and a clean container — the expensive equipment is rarely the thing standing between you and an answer.

All testing and how-to guides

How to test excavator hydraulic pressureStandby, relief and working pressure — and what each figure rules out How to test hydraulic pump flowThe measurement that actually proves pump wear — hot versus cold How to check hydraulic oil conditionColor, smell, aeration and water — the cheapest early warning on the machine How to read excavator fault codesCodes narrow the circuit — they do not always name the failed part How to check final drive oilPosition, level, color and metal — the check that saves a final drive How to check swing gearbox oilSwing gearbox level, color and metal — and the brake inside it How to measure undercarriage wearChain, sprocket, rollers and idlers — measure before you replace How to check injector return flowCompare cylinders — the outlier is the failing injector How to test turbocharger boost pressureBoost against specification under load — low boost or too much How to do a compression test on a diesel engineCylinder-to-cylinder variation — and blow-by as the cheaper check How to find air leaks in a diesel fuel systemAir enters on the suction side — and it will not leave a puddle How to inspect a hydraulic cylinderInspect the rod and bore before buying a seal kit — or you will buy it twice