L3200 Engine Will Turn Over but Won't Start

[mld213]

I have an L3200 DT just under a year old with 98 hrs on it. Has been running like a top since day one. 50 hr service completed by dealer six months ago.

This morning I had been tilling for about an hour and a half when the engine just died. Level ground, half a tank of fuel. No warning--no cough, no sputter, no rough running, it was as if I had just turned the key off.

My first thought was that I'd somehow run out of fuel, even though I had just put a few extra gallons in that morning and the gauge read half full. The engine spool down had the feel of a fuel-starvation / flameout event. Even though the fuel gauge read half full I checked the fuel filter bowl and it was full to the top of fuel.

I disengaged the PTO, put her in neutral and the engine turns over strongly and rapidly but will not even begin to run. To me it "feels" like it is either fuel or electrical.

I towed her out of the field and back to the shop. I pulled the fuel filter and got strong flow from the tank. The paper filter was clean with only mild sediment in the bottom of the bowl. I cleaned it all and put it back on and bled the air out of the filter and bowl. I removed the hose leading out of the filter and got strong flow there. Still won't start.

I checked the fuses in the fuse box by the clutch pedal, even though none of them would seem to cause a problem like this (regardless, none were blown). All the appropriate dash indicators light up.

It *seems* like I'm missing something obvious (and big)--an oil pressure sensor interconnect (don't know if this model has one)? Engine oil reads at the top of the dipstick.

If it were a gas engine I'd look for a spark but that's not applicable here.

Maybe the fuel injector pump? I guess I could crack the nuts on the injectors and see if they seep fuel (I have not gone that far).

Conditions were very dusty, but it was a cool, overcast morning and the engine temp was in the lower half of the gauge (how I wish they would put numbers on gauges).

In my younger days I did all my own engine maintenance, including complete overhauls and rebuilds so I have decent technical understanding and some experience--however that was a few decades ago.

I'm not opposed to having the dealer's service truck out to take a look, I was just hoping it would be something simple and easily fixable by me.

Any thoughts, suggestions or even WAGs are greatly appreciated.

Matt

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Sounds like a fuel stop solenoid or fuel solenoid relay issue.
First I'll send you an email with a link for downloading the WSM for your tractor, a very valuable thing to have for troubleshooting issues.

Then pop back here if you need more help.

 

[mickeyd]

Welcome to OTT Matt. How many hours on your L3200?

 

[mickeyd]

First I'll send you an email with a link for downloading the WSM for your tractor, a very valuable thing to have for troubleshooting issues.

Is that the same one that is on Kubotabooks.com?

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Is that the same one that is on Kubotabooks.com?

Might be, I've gotten my stash of WSM's from all over the place, I have a color version of that WSM.

 

[zippyslug31]

How many hours on your L3200?

He stated...

98 hrs on it.

 

[TexasB21]

On my B21 it did the same thing intermittently some times I could hear it click when I turned the key sometimes it would take a minute to click. Thought it was the fuel stop solenoid. Found out the fuel stop relay was not getting power from the controller box. I would tap on the box and "Click" she would fire up. Replaced box and all is well. Drove me nuts for a while chasing the problem down.

 

[CaveCreekRay]

mid,

Just remember, whatever you do may affect your warranty. I would get that dusty piggy hosed off and wiped down while you wait for the flatbed to arrive. My guess is your fuel solenoid crapped out but, the warranty on that item will cover it. Clean your air filter out and present the machine in top condition to your warranty service center. That way, they know it has been taken care of.

If you start taking parts apart, you may end up on your own... and that can be expensive.

Welcome!

Ray

 

[ShaunRH]

I'm with CCRay on this one. Let the dealer handle it.

I'd have my L3200DT up on my trailer faster than I could blink and sitting in the yard at Abilene New Holland waiting for that warranty work.

 

[mld213]

Wolfman - Thanks for the pointer to the solenoid and relay. I checked to ensure the connector on the solenoid hadn't come loose. Also thanks for the WSM, very helpful.

Mickey - Thanks for the welcome. 98.6 hrs.

Texas - Thank you for the tip on your B21, I will keep that in mind.

Ray - Yes, good advice, thank you. That fact had been on my mind but I was hoping it might be something as simple as a loose connector or busted hose.

I had a call with the dealer this morning and he said his next step would be to recommend I crack the nuts on the injectors and see if fuel is getting there.

As much as I love to tinker, solve problems and fix things, this one is still under warranty and there is a bunch of other work that I *have* to do today. The dealer is sending a service truck out this afternoon and with luck they'll be able to fix it on site. I will be interested to learn what it is, and will post the findings.

Thanks again to all.
Matt

 

[mld213]

I'm with CCRay on this one. Let the dealer handle it.

Thanks Shaun. I'm still learning the life lesson that just because I *can* do something doesn't mean I *should* do it. When it comes to stuff like this it's just almost too hard to resist. And yes, this trait has made my life harder, more frustrating and more expensive than it otherwise would have been! (But I like to think infinitely more interesting

 

[CaveCreekRay]

Matt,

You are just like the rest of us... You're a type-A project oriented guy who tries to solve the immediate issues.

No harm in looking for obvious stuff but, nowadays the dealers are under real pressure to find a way out of warranty service -as directed by the manufacturer. Hopefully something simple will get resolved and get you running with that service visit. Keep us tuned.

Ray

 

[kuboman]

Its not to difficult to check if fuel is getting to injectors. (likely not). Also easy to check if power is getting to the fuel solenoid. I am betting either it has failed or something up stream. More than likely a safety switch.
Dealers don't always solve the problem.

 

[mickeyd]

Mickey - Thanks for the welcome. 98.6 hrs. Thanks again to all. Matt

Thanks for the info. I guess when I first read your post, I completely forgot that you had already stated the hours as I got worried about mine as I have 120 hours on it. Thanks

 

[mld213]

Re: L3200 Engine Will Turn Over but Won't Start--SOLVED

...engine just died. Level ground, half a tank of fuel. No warning--no cough, no sputter, no rough running, it was as if I had just turned the key off...

Problem solved. This one involves some embarrassment and some learning--funny how those often go hand-in-hand. Service tech arrived at 0630 this a.m. and it only took him minutes to diagnose and fix it.

Three things that I looked at and should have *seen* but didn't:

Firstly, I failed to notice that when I turned the key to the ON position I wasn't hearing the fuel solenoid click. That would indicate that either the solenoid is bad or it's not getting power. In TexasB21's reply to the original post I don't know why in my mind I was thinking starter solenoid click when I should have been thinking fuel solenoid click--bonehead mistake.

Secondly, while I checked the fuses by the clutch pedal, I failed to check the fuses to the right of the gear shift. I missed these despite when I checked the fuses by the clutch pedal I thought to myself "These are all small / low amp fuses, surely there larger ones around somewhere...well, maybe they are in-line somewhere" and I went off to look for them and got distracted. The 30 amp Key Switch fuse was blown.

Thirdly, when checking the wire connector at the solenoid I noticed that it was pulled very tight and that there was no slack in the wire. I said to myself "Poor installation...why would they build it that way?" I traced the wire from the solenoid back up to where it enters the cowling above the dashboard. I failed to notice that the flex tubing that protects the wire bundle from chafing against a sheet metal cut-out was a hair too short and not providing protection from the sheet metal edge. The sheet metal had abraded the insulation and caused a short, blowing the fuse.

The tech quickly found the blown fuse and replaced it. She fired right up. We stood there and pondered why the fuse might have blown. Certainly we've all seen fuses blow and breakers trip for no apparent reason. But there's always a reason. It may not be obvious and we may not be able to reproduce it, but there's always a reason.

With the engine running he used his fingers to trace the wire from the solenoid back toward the relay. When he got to the area near the sheet metal the engine died. That's the spot. The tech took a photo for the warranty submission.

A light pull loosened the wires a bit to provide some slack. Used some tin snips to enlarge the passage, filed it smooth, took some of the edge roll from the outside edge (where it's not needed) and put it on the inside edge, repaired the wire insulation, added extra flex tube and secured it. It is definitely belt + suspenders, but I'm okay with that here.

If you have a similar setup, I recommend looking at this area and adding some edge protection to the inner edge of the cutout and adding some flex tube to lengthen what you have if it appears that your current flex tube could ride up.

In the first photo you can see the wire bundle was pulled tight against the forward edge of the cutout. You can also see that the flex tube ends just above the sheet metal. The wires were wrapped with electrical tape but the sheet metal went through it and then through the insulation. You can also see that the edge protector is on the outside which serves to keep the wire bundle inside the cutout so as not to get snagged on the hood when it opens, but there is none on the inside to protect from chaffing. You can also see that there are two cutouts in this area but only the forward one is used, and there is more than enough edge roll to cut a piece from the end and use it on the inside of the cutout.

The second photo is after slightly enlarging the cutout and using some of the extra edge roll to line the inside of the cutout.

The third photo shows the final repair. Edge protection inside and out and extra flex tube on the wire bundle.

In the end I'm happy the tech came out--I got to ask him a bunch of questions. And he went straight to the source of the problem--no need to check the injectors, relay, etc. And it was all covered under warranty.

With luck, this thread will help someone avoid a wire chafing problem before it happens.

Thanks again to all.
Matt

 

[Tooljunkie]

Good technician. Did his best to make sure this fault doesent occur again. Hope you tipped him.
Great you got someone out that quick. That would be kind of a dream job as a tech goes- touring around fixing warranty issues.

 

[mld213]

He did say that he loved his job. The local dealer (Garton Tractor) has mobile service trucks and everyone with equipment that I know around here uses them. Great service and keeps down time to a minimum. Most of the time they can come out same-day. He was supposed to be out yesterday afternoon but got stuck on a problem job so he came first thing this morning--06:30 AM--no complaints from me. The downtime was a small issue but I had plenty of other work to get done.

 

[ShaunRH]

Where exactly is that bulkhead pass through so I can look for it on my L3200?

 

[mld213]

Where exactly is that bulkhead pass through so I can look for it on my L3200?

Apologies for the delayed reply. It is on the right hand side, just forward of the firewall. Photo attached.

 

[ShaunRH]

Thanks, gonna have to check that out. Looks like you work that critter hard! Mine probably complains whenever I take it out of its nice storage shed...