I should have bought a Tonka

G.R.D.

New member

Equipment
L 3901 tractor
Oct 4, 2022
17
0
1
Uvalde Tx
regaurdless of the garage kept, seriously well maintaind , washed and waxed care ive taken of this L 3901, it continued to be the biggest piece of shit i have ever owned. Kubota discontinued the ecu for this model. I wonder why? $2400.00 later, this piece of shit haqs 0202 code for no reasion the #2 injector isnt firing. Good fuel pump! clean filters!, I am not a rich man and the local kubota dealership Uvalde has been no help at all ! i wouldnt letb those IDIOTS work on my briggs and stratton. and im not even scratching the tip. i regret ever buying this tractor and all the monies spent on the extended warranty is reduiculous,. 900 hrs and nothing is covered! Does anyone want to trade for an older model without all the BULLSHIT ECU problems?????
 
  • Wow
Reactions: 1 user

Fordtech86

Well-known member
Lifetime Member

Equipment
L3200
Aug 7, 2018
4,976
5,917
113
Pineville,LA
Kubota dtcs don’t always match automotive dtcs, but a p0202 is a injector circuit dtc. Possible wire damage between ecu and injector (rodent damage, wires rubbed through on something, etc) or less likely an injector solenoid fault.
 

DustyRusty

Well-known member

Equipment
2020 BX23S, BX2822 Snowblower, Curtis Deluxe Cab,
Nov 8, 2015
6,237
4,816
113
North East CT
So other than your Kubota, how is your day going? My day starts when your day ends. I will be the last to let you down.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user

Jchonline

Well-known member
Lifetime Member

Equipment
Kubota L6060, KX040-4, M7060, RTV X1100C, M62 (sold)
Oct 28, 2018
1,389
602
113
Red Feather Lakes, CO
  • Like
Reactions: 2 users

BruceP

Well-known member

Equipment
G5200H
Aug 7, 2016
851
368
63
Richmond, Vermont, USA
Kubota dtcs don’t always match automotive dtcs, but a p0202 is a injector circuit dtc. Possible wire damage between ecu and injector (rodent damage, wires rubbed through on something, etc) or less likely an injector solenoid fault.
It is scary how many folks do not understand what a CIRCUIT fault is and what it is trying to tell them. Instead, they replace expensive ECUs, sensors and other items instead of diagnosing the REAL problem. ("We dont know what is wrong but we should charge the customer to replace something" (n))

With the proper tools, it is trivial to troubleshoot, diagnose and isolate such a fault.

May I suggest viewing some uTube videos from one of the following. Both Eric and Ivan do this kind of work every single day. (infact, Ivan makes house-calls to troubleshoot equipment...he has been known to drive many hours to a customer's location.)

I truly hope you KEPT the old ECU which was most-likely in fine shape.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: 2 users

North Idaho Wolfman

Moderator
Staff member
Lifetime Member

Equipment
L3450DT-GST, Woods FEL, B7100 HSD, FEL, 60" SB, 743 Bobcat with V2203, and more
Jun 9, 2013
30,212
6,384
113
Sandpoint, ID
Are you looking for repair help or a psychologist? I could not quite tell from your post.

If you arent comfortable doing it yourself you may want to find a better dealer that will really find the issue.

Pretty sure you can find an ECU on fleabay just make sure its the correct part number. Messicks also looks to stock it https://www.messicks.com/ku/93300?modelId=93300&sectionId=233611&diagramId=505138&searchTerm=ecu
So your asumming it's and HST?
There are different ECM's for each different sub model.
Would need the serial Number to get the right ECM!
 

North Idaho Wolfman

Moderator
Staff member
Lifetime Member

Equipment
L3450DT-GST, Woods FEL, B7100 HSD, FEL, 60" SB, 743 Bobcat with V2203, and more
Jun 9, 2013
30,212
6,384
113
Sandpoint, ID
regaurdless of the garage kept, seriously well maintaind , washed and waxed care ive taken of this L 3901, it continued to be the biggest piece of shit i have ever owned. Kubota discontinued the ecu for this model. I wonder why? $2400.00 later, this piece of shit haqs 0202 code for no reasion the #2 injector isnt firing. Good fuel pump! clean filters!, I am not a rich man and the local kubota dealership Uvalde has been no help at all ! i wouldnt letb those IDIOTS work on my briggs and stratton. and im not even scratching the tip. i regret ever buying this tractor and all the monies spent on the extended warranty is reduiculous,. 900 hrs and nothing is covered! Does anyone want to trade for an older model without all the BULLSHIT ECU problems?????

0202 is an open circuit or coil, unlikely a ECM issue.

It's more than likely wiring damage or Injector coil failure.

This is a simple troubleshooting issue, find the fault, fix or replace parts that are at fault and reprogram the ECM for the new injector if that was what was required.
You can not program the ECM, that is de3aler only, and FYI, you can swap injectors from port to port it will not run like that!

Not knowing the exact model of the tractor I can't tell you which Exact ECM P/N is for that tractor, But it doesn't look like any model has a discontinued ECM!

We find that more times than not there is more to the story that a dealer is completely incompetent, but it's not always the case.
It's possibly a dealer issue, but it's not a tractor issue, or a Kubota issue.
Kubota's are well designed and built, yes thins fail, that's just the nature of anything mechanical or electrical!

You bought the tractor knowing it had emissions and an ECM, so why complain about it now????

Quit being overly dramatic and get down to what the real issue is and fix it!
 
  • Like
Reactions: 3 users

Jchonline

Well-known member
Lifetime Member

Equipment
Kubota L6060, KX040-4, M7060, RTV X1100C, M62 (sold)
Oct 28, 2018
1,389
602
113
Red Feather Lakes, CO
So your asumming it's and HST?
There are different ECM's for each different sub model.
Would need the serial Number to get the right ECM!
Yes thats why I told the OP to check the appropriate part...was just suggesting that because 1 dealer says the part isnt available doesnt mean other sources dont exist.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users

jimh406

Well-known member
Lifetime Member

Equipment
Kubota L2501 with R4 tires
Jan 29, 2021
2,357
1,785
113
Western MT
Maybe you can trade that L3901 for an "ab tonka".

Seriously though, it sounds like you have a lot of good responses here. It's probably pretty obvious, but sounds like you need to look for a different place to service your tractor.
 
  • Like
  • Haha
Reactions: 2 users

In Utopia

Active member

Equipment
L175 FEL
Apr 21, 2013
613
113
43
Utopia,Tx/Pasadena,TX
That's not an easy task in the area he lives in.
He's got one place that works on injectors only, and another full service non dealer repair shop if you ever get them on the phone.
 

G.R.D.

New member

Equipment
L 3901 tractor
Oct 4, 2022
17
0
1
Uvalde Tx
Kubota dtcs don’t always match automotive dtcs, but a p0202 is a injector circuit dtc. Possible wire damage between ecu and injector (rodent damage, wires rubbed through on something, etc) or less likely an injector solenoid fault.
Here in lies the problem. i had to replasce the ecu. kubota has discontinued the ECU that came with the tractor and they want $2400 + for a new one . So i bought one off ebay for $1700 . 30 day guarantee . in order to check the wiring , looks like i need to pull the exaust system , fuel tank and support bracket to get to it. I am on day 15 on the return for the ecu since i am an old school mechanic and am basically unsure what i might screw up next in the process of disassembling it. Uvalde Kubota wanted to charge me upwards of $4K to fix it when it was 3 months out of full warranty for which i paid full pop. i am disgruntled beyond belief. is there another way to check circuitry?
 

Chanceywd

Well-known member
Lifetime Member

Equipment
Kubota L2501DT BH77 VIRNIG URG60-CT 1950 8N
Mar 26, 2021
606
468
63
central ny
It is scary how many folks do not understand what a CIRCUIT fault is and what it is trying to tell them. Instead, they replace expensive ECUs, sensors and other items instead of diagnosing the REAL problem. ("We dont know what is wrong but we should charge the customer to replace something" (n))

With the proper tools, it is trivial to troubleshoot, diagnose and isolate such a fault.

May I suggest viewing some uTube videos from one of the following. Both Eric and Ivan do this kind of work every single day. (infact, Ivan makes house-calls to troubleshoot equipment...he has been known to drive many hours to a customer's location.)

I truly hope you KEPT the old ECU which was most-likely in fine shape.
Those 2 you list are truly 2 of the best. Eric often gets something that other dealers or shops threw the parts cannon at. Ivan even has done at least one with Eric a couple of years back.

Bill
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users

Fordtech86

Well-known member
Lifetime Member

Equipment
L3200
Aug 7, 2018
4,976
5,917
113
Pineville,LA
to
Here in lies the problem. i had to replasce the ecu. kubota has discontinued the ECU that came with the tractor and they want $2400 + for a new one . So i bought one off ebay for $1700 . 30 day guarantee . in order to check the wiring , looks like i need to pull the exaust system , fuel tank and support bracket to get to it. I am on day 15 on the return for the ecu since i am an old school mechanic and am basically unsure what i might screw up next in the process of disassembling it. Uvalde Kubota wanted to charge me upwards of $4K to fix it when it was 3 months out of full warranty for which i paid full pop. i am disgruntled beyond belief. is there another way to check circuitry?
I can not help specifically on your tractor, I have zero experience with Kubotas, there are some Kubota techs here that may be able to help specifically on your model.

here is a link to a WSM for yours, it’s doesn’t included the diagnostic manual for the ecu dtcs though unfortunately. It does have the wiring diagram though.


You say you had to replace the ecu. Why did you have to replace it, was it for the same concern (the p0202) or was there a different concern before the ecu replacement?
 

North Idaho Wolfman

Moderator
Staff member
Lifetime Member

Equipment
L3450DT-GST, Woods FEL, B7100 HSD, FEL, 60" SB, 743 Bobcat with V2203, and more
Jun 9, 2013
30,212
6,384
113
Sandpoint, ID
Like Fordtech86 asked- Why did you have to replace it, was it for the same concern (the p0202) or was there a different concern before the ecu replacement?

In order for the new ECU / ECM to run this tractor it will need to be programed to match, it's not something a non dealer mechanic can do.
They are not universal plug and play!

Kubota Software is proprietary, just like all the rest of the tractors out there.
Yes it sucks, but it's just the way it is.
You can do some research as there are a couple of Canadian companies that will program it for you.
You might get luckey you might not.
 

whitetiger

Moderator
Staff member

Equipment
Kubota tech..BX2370, RCK60, B7100HST, RTV900 w plow, Ford 1100 FWA
Nov 20, 2011
2,921
1,383
113
Kansas City, KS
i had to replasce the ecu. kubota has discontinued the ECU that came with the tractor and they want $2400 + for a new one .
Kubota has made an improvement to the ECU for your tractor and superseded the part number, they did not discontinue the part. As far as the price, it is about the same price as the prior part number, but when you order it from Kubota, it comes pre-programmed for your engine. The one you got from eBay needs the injector compensation codes entered at the very least. Very simple to do if you have the codes and Diagmaster. To get the codes you have to either retrieve them from the old ECU, have Kubota in Irvin Texas program it, or remove the DPF muffler, fuel tank, and mounting bracket from the top of the engine to take a picture of the top of each injector to record them. Each picture needs to be labeled as to which cylinder it is in.

Your tractor has a 5-year Emissions warranty that should cover most ECU or injector failures. If the failure is a rodent snacked on the wiring or something damaged the wiring it would not be covered unless you have Kubota insurance on the tractor.

You did not state why you had to replace the ECU.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user

BruceP

Well-known member

Equipment
G5200H
Aug 7, 2016
851
368
63
Richmond, Vermont, USA
Kubota discontinued the ecu for this model.
At this point, I hope you realize this statement is incorrect. Your ECU has been SUPERSEDED. (replaced with updated one)
I view this as a GOOD thing. This tells me that Kubota is constantly updating its products which are already sold. My 1980's vintage Kubota has over 30% of its replacement parts superseded. (waterpump, bearings, flanges, pullies....etc)

You did not state why you had to replace the ECU.
I am pretty sure he said "injector #2 not firing"
It does not sound to me as if anyone has actually connected an osccoscope on the injector wires and looked for pintle-hump.
 
Last edited:

lugbolt

Well-known member

Equipment
ZG127S-54
Oct 15, 2015
5,207
1,893
113
Mid, South, USA
rodents like to get up on top of the engine and munch on wirings. I used to keep old wiring harnesses around for consumers that needed them. At the time Kubota didn't sell harness connectors, just the entire harness. I had a complete harness and ecu from a 3901 stashed for a while too. As said, it's useless for swapping without pulling the tank and stuff to get the injector comp codes; and then programming them into the ecu.

your statement about the dealer being a pos is unfounded. Last time at training I worked side-by-side with a couple guys from Uvalde, and they were top notch. The other one not so much but at least he wanted to learn. Unfortunately I cannot say if they are still there. That seems to be a common thing with dealer techs. The money just isn't' there given the conditions and all the rest of the stuff they gotta deal with. I enjoyed most of my first 26 years, the last 3 not so much.

I am going to challenge dealer principals to take better care of your service guys. I've seen what the trend has been, in that the sales guys are making 200,000+ a year, but the shop guys working their butts off out in the heat, in the cold, in the rain, under heavy equipment that can fall & crush us at any time. Remember farm equipment gets used on farms, meaning they are often loaded with crap (literally), mud, dirt, whatever. They might be making, Maybe 60k. it's top heavy and until you can get the pay up, you'll keep hiring the same types. We talk about not being able to get good help, and part of that is because good help ain't cheap. I was making 52k when I left, after 29+ years. I was fine with that my bills was paid. But nowadays, inflation, taxes, insurance costs, housing costs everything is up. Finding new hires at 50K is tough, but if you offer a little less commission for the sales guys and a little more to the shop guys, the entire dealership can benefit from that. Place I was at was part of a chain of 11 (I think) dealers and I was the highest paid tech. But I worked for it. Place up the road (same chain) their highest paid tech was making 42k. And their turnover rate was higher'n a cat's back, they had a poor reputation in service, which affected sales and parts sales as well. Think on that a while. I also know that the same costs are also up for the entire dealership and for the salespeople. But salespeople are mostly educated pencil-pushers, liars in some cases. Yet "we" (the industry as a whole) pays them VERY well in comparison and I believe that can stand to change. In 2020, the sales guy I worked along side with, made $220k at the end of October when I left. He could have done 250 by 31 dec. I don't know. But a quarter million for a salesman? come on. Take care of your other guys and gals too, or your front door will become a revolving door for employees to come and go, then your shop experience is little to none and you get posts like this one where someone is upset about their dealer's poor service experience becoming much more common.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 3 users

mikester

Well-known member

Equipment
M59 TLB
Oct 21, 2017
3,554
2,019
113
Canada
www.divergentstuff.ca
Here in lies the problem. i had to replasce the ecu. kubota has discontinued the ECU that came with the tractor and they want $2400 + for a new one . So i bought one off ebay for $1700 . 30 day guarantee . in order to check the wiring , looks like i need to pull the exaust system , fuel tank and support bracket to get to it. I am on day 15 on the return for the ecu since i am an old school mechanic and am basically unsure what i might screw up next in the process of disassembling it. Uvalde Kubota wanted to charge me upwards of $4K to fix it when it was 3 months out of full warranty for which i paid full pop. i am disgruntled beyond belief. is there another way to check circuitry?
Wait...so you can buy the ECU it's just an updated part?

I'm disappointed in Kubota if they stopped carrying replacement parts for your machine. Go whine somewhere else you they do have an updated part but are complaining about price. Go buy a JD or NH if you think K parts are expensive. Go buy a Mahindra or some chinese know off tractor if you think K parts availability is bad.

Sell everything and buy a condo if you can't afford your toys anymore.
 

fried1765

Well-known member

Equipment
Kubota L48 TLB, Ford 1920 FEL, Ford 8N, SCAG Liberty Z, Gravely Pro.
Nov 14, 2019
7,843
5,066
113
Eastham, Ma
rodents like to get up on top of the engine and munch on wirings. I used to keep old wiring harnesses around for consumers that needed them. At the time Kubota didn't sell harness connectors, just the entire harness. I had a complete harness and ecu from a 3901 stashed for a while too. As said, it's useless for swapping without pulling the tank and stuff to get the injector comp codes; and then programming them into the ecu.

your statement about the dealer being a pos is unfounded. Last time at training I worked side-by-side with a couple guys from Uvalde, and they were top notch. The other one not so much but at least he wanted to learn. Unfortunately I cannot say if they are still there. That seems to be a common thing with dealer techs. The money just isn't' there given the conditions and all the rest of the stuff they gotta deal with. I enjoyed most of my first 26 years, the last 3 not so much.

I am going to challenge dealer principals to take better care of your service guys. I've seen what the trend has been, in that the sales guys are making 200,000+ a year, but the shop guys working their butts off out in the heat, in the cold, in the rain, under heavy equipment that can fall & crush us at any time. Remember farm equipment gets used on farms, meaning they are often loaded with crap (literally), mud, dirt, whatever. They might be making, Maybe 60k. it's top heavy and until you can get the pay up, you'll keep hiring the same types. We talk about not being able to get good help, and part of that is because good help ain't cheap. I was making 52k when I left, after 29+ years. I was fine with that my bills was paid. But nowadays, inflation, taxes, insurance costs, housing costs everything is up. Finding new hires at 50K is tough, but if you offer a little less commission for the sales guys and a little more to the shop guys, the entire dealership can benefit from that. Place I was at was part of a chain of 11 (I think) dealers and I was the highest paid tech. But I worked for it. Place up the road (same chain) their highest paid tech was making 42k. And their turnover rate was higher'n a cat's back, they had a poor reputation in service, which affected sales and parts sales as well. Think on that a while. I also know that the same costs are also up for the entire dealership and for the salespeople. But salespeople are mostly educated pencil-pushers, liars in some cases. Yet "we" (the industry as a whole) pays them VERY well in comparison and I believe that can stand to change. In 2020, the sales guy I worked along side with, made $220k at the end of October when I left. He could have done 250 by 31 dec. I don't know. But a quarter million for a salesman? come on. Take care of your other guys and gals too, or your front door will become a revolving door for employees to come and go, then your shop experience is little to none and you get posts like this one where someone is upset about their dealer's poor service experience becoming much more common.
Local Mercedes dealer is charging $200 per hour for shop labor.
Are the top paid shop techs likely getting at least 1/3 of that?
 
  • Haha
  • Like
Reactions: 2 users