What does Kaeser warning 0036 W (too many motor starts) mean?
Short answer: Too many motor starts per hour. If your Kaeser Sigma Control 2 is showing 0036 W — Motor starts/h ⇞, the controller has logged a specific, documented condition. This page covers what it means, what causes it, what you can safely fix yourself, and when — and why — it takes a technician.
What exactly is the machine telling you?
The permissible number of motor starts was exceeded in the last 60 minutes — the machine is short-cycling, which overheats the motor and contactors. Documented remedies are longer idling periods and more storage volume.
Which machines show this?
the wide range of current-generation Kaeser rotary screw compressors — ASD, BSD, CSD, DSD, ESD and related series — built since roughly 2011 with the Sigma Control 2, the industrial-PC controller with a text display and RFID access. It reports faults as a four-digit number plus a letter: 'A' messages are alarms that shut the machine down, 'W' messages are warnings or service reminders it keeps running through, with arrows marking whether the value went over or under its limit — so 0015 A is the airend-overheat shutdown while 0013 W just asks for an air filter. Practical tip: the same subsystem often has a W and an A code (0004 W before 0022 A on the separator); acting on the W message is how you avoid the A shutdown.
What causes it?
- More motor starts in the last hour than the motor is rated for — classic short-cycling
- Air demand swinging faster than the storage volume can buffer
- Idling period set too short for the demand pattern
Can you fix it yourself?
Partly — extending the idling period is a settings change staff can make per the manual; the real fix is often more receiver volume or piping.
Step by step — what to try, in order:
- Extend the idling period setting per the manual.
- Consider a larger air receiver or larger piping between compressor and receiver.
- Review whether air demand swings can be smoothed.
When do you need a technician — and why?
Chronic short-cycling overheats the motor and contactors, and sizing a receiver or reworking the system is distributor engineering work, not a reset.
If it does come to a service call and you're in Nashville, TN or Birmingham, AL, we maintain independently compiled lists of local companies that service industrial air compressors — real businesses with verified contact information, none of whom paid to be listed.
Related questions
What does 0036 W — Motor starts/h ⇞ mean on a Kaeser Sigma Control 2?
Too many motor starts per hour. The permissible number of motor starts was exceeded in the last 60 minutes — the machine is short-cycling, which overheats the motor and contactors. Documented remedies are longer idling periods and more storage volume.
Can I fix 0036 W — Motor starts/h ⇞ on a Kaeser Sigma Control 2 myself?
Partly — extending the idling period is a settings change staff can make per the manual; the real fix is often more receiver volume or piping.
When does 0036 W — Motor starts/h ⇞ on a Kaeser Sigma Control 2 need a technician?
Chronic short-cycling overheats the motor and contactors, and sizing a receiver or reworking the system is distributor engineering work, not a reset. Ask your Kaeser distributor to review system sizing if short-cycling continues — chronic cycling shortens motor and contactor life.
Verified against service documentation: Kaeser Sigma Control 2 documentation for 0036 W — Motor starts/h ⇞ (airsolcan.com)