Bad Start

[Mactool]

Just brought my new tractor home tonight started cutting brush and all of a sudden the tractor shut down. I figured it was the seat shut down so tried to start it and it turned over extremely slow and I noticed a puff of steam from the left front of engine jumped off and looked and the lower radiator hose was missing. I spent 2 hours looking for it and never located it. I am bringing it back to the dealer tomorrow not sure if I should demand a new tractor. Also there was no indicator lights on at anytime. It shows 2.4 hours of use at this point. I would like to hear your suggestions?

 

[koja]

Welcome to the forum . Sorry for the bad luck . You may be ok , depends on how overheated it got . Dealer will help you out with that . I hope it all turns out good for you .

 

[Tooljunkie]

Yes sir demand. New tractor. Obviously someone wasnt dilligent in their duties and who knows what else was missed. Good time to test dealers integrity.
Should be no question. Best find missing hose. Maybe in the belly of the beast.

 

[ShaunBlake]

Just brought my new tractor home tonight ... the tractor shut down ... noticed a puff of steam ... lower radiator hose was missing.. I am bringing it back to the dealer tomorrow not sure if I should demand a new tractor. Also there was no indicator lights on at anytime. It shows 2.4 hours of use at this point. I would like to hear your suggestions?

As others have commented, you could demand a new tractor. However, I believe you will come out better by handing the problem to the dealer and asking what he can do to make things right. As koja noted, you don't know what damage, if any, was done to the engine. (Okay, failure to start is alarming.)

My firm belief is that if you've found a good dealer (and it seems you did, since you bought a tractor from him), you want to preserve that good relationship by including him in any decision process, rather than excluding him by making demands, such as a new tractor or a new engine. Here's an opportunity, painful, to see what he (your dealer) is made of.

Best wishes on your recovery. Please keep us posted on your progress!

 

[D2Cat]

Well, if you have a new tractor with less then 3 hours on it and the radiator hose is missing not to be found, why would you haul it to the dealer?

Why not invite them to your place to see what happened, where it quit working, let them look for the hose. The let them fix it, if they can.

I actually find it quite interesting folks with their first post have such problems as a missing radiator hose!

Good luck to you, but the word "troll" keeps crossing my mind.

 

[ShaunBlake]

...
I actually find it quite interesting folks with their first post have such problems as a missing radiator hose!

Good luck to you, but the word "troll" keeps crossing my mind.

<grimace> Good point, D2. Amazing how many of those I've seen (being a rank nube), and astonishing how many I fall for (except that I'm an Irishman, and I suppose everyone has heard what they sit on).

 

[Mactool]

Wow thanks for the response in just the first night. I think I will do what was suggested and leave it in there hands I choose this dealer since they are one of my customers and I know all the mechanics personally (tool guy). The sales man was the owners son and has been super cool to deal with. I can assure you skeptics I am not a troll but this is one of the oddest things I have seen I used to be a mechanic and all of the signs of blowing a radiator hose were not there no burst of steam nothing until the engine got too hot to turn over. It just burns after taking 3 years to finally pull the trigger and get this machine.

 

[kubotasam]

Any indications that a hose was ever installed? Could have been left off at the factory.

 

[skeets]

An Irishman sits on his arse, and we really don't care where the rest of the world sits

 

[mdhughes]

I hate to say it, but if the dealer missed the tractor missing a lower radiator hose during the predelivery check, I don't know if I would truss them to do anything to my tractor.

 

[bxray]

If they will not give you a new tractor.
Demand an extended warranty on the engine!

Rsy

 

[Apogee]

Very sorry to hear this happened. Hang in there and don't lose faith in orange...

Give them a couple of days then get the Kubota regional rep involved. Don't take no for an answer...

You want a new engine (or a different tractor) - end of discussion.

You don't want them fixing yours... This is a new tractor. The factory AND the dealer screwed up by not originally securing the hose and not checking that they were all tight before delivery.

Poor QC is not your problem.

Heat can take the tension out of the rings. It will likely have lower compression and use oil (if they can get it running again), so you might as well fight for a new engine now.

Steve

 

[Mactool]

Well here's an update, a little crow to eat. yesterday a.m. I went out to the field and found where the coolant dumped "the only spot not covered in frost" So I new it had the hose on to start, but still no where to be found. So I showed up first thing as they opened up and the rep came out to look at the tractor and could not believe the hose was just gone. Unfortunately they did't have one in stock but they were cool and even though all the techs were done the sales man went and took a hose off a new tractor so we went out to put it on mine and to both his and mine amazement as I pulled out on the side cover my hose fell out. It must of been caught by a stick and pushed it up on the side of the engine. after examining the hose the clamps still attached there was no damage to it so we put it back on and I ran it all day yesterday with no issues. He also told be that the Kubota insurance would cover a new engine if it was damaged due to the over heating. I was going to pay it off next year but I think Ill let it ride for the 5 year contract to make sure there was no damage. Still a bummer way to start my first tractor experience.

 

[Mactool]

Also the fact that a stick was able to pull the hose off completely from both ends and not leave a mark on the hose tells me it might not have been secured (clamps tightened) completely so I will be bringing it back in after a couple weeks to have the compression checked and check for excessive blow-by.

 

[tcrote5516]

I guess I have to wonder how this wasn't noticed? Even if it wasn't hot enough to let out a bunch of steam when it broke free I would think the smell of warm antifreeze would have been impossible to miss?

I'm also struggeling to see how both ends of a hose con come off. I can see one loose clamp but both? If a stick got wedged up there one side would break free not both 99% of the time.

I'd also do a quick oil change to be safe if I were you. I wouldn't worry about changing the filter but get that oil out of there as it's seen some heat in addition to the initial release of chemicals from a new engine breaking in.

 

[Mactool]

Your right tcote5516 I used to be a mechanic so I am fully aware of the distinct smell of antifreeze as well as the steam I thought I would have seen but I didn't get any of it.

 

[Tooljunkie]

Weather cool, coolant not hot, dumped it all instantly-likely wouldnt smell it.iwod look at a way to guard against this happening again. Good luck.

 

[D2Cat]

Mactool, I'll eat some of that crow with you. I though for sure with THIS story and a first post it almost has to be a joke.

What had to happen is somewhere along the line someone when to lunch JUST before they finished tightening both clamps. A hose does not fall off an engine.

The person who "said", "... that the Kubota insurance would cover a new engine if it was damaged due to the over heating." has good intentions. I would get that in writing, soon. As time go on things like that are forgotten or misstated the second time.

Welcome you to the board

 

[offshore31]

sorry to hear about your problems. and your dealer sounds like they want to do the right thing. if its a diesel, and it overheated, you might have internal damage that won't show up for awhile. overheating a diesel is one of the worst things you can do to it. so you might want to consider the new engine. altho, missing both hose clamps makes me wonder about what else on the tractor was missed.

d2cat probably hit the nail on the head on how it happened.

good luck

 

[ShaunBlake]

Well here's an update, a little crow to eat...
I was going to pay it off next year but I think Ill let it ride for the 5 year contract to make sure there was no damage.
Still a bummer way to start my first tractor experience.

Mactool, I'm having trouble finding the crow; more trouble than you had finding the 'dump spot', and the missing hose. Sounds like you went over and beyond.

Keeping the loan for the life seems like a good plan, considering. Going with your original plan, but banking the payoff and making the payments out of the payoff account would let you pick up a tiny profit.

I hope I can offer some comments to change your mind about your first tractor experience being a bummer. Think about your dealer, and the rep who hustled out to your place first thing; think about a dealer who, not having a replacement part in stock, would 'rob' a new tractor to get you going; think about a dealer who would assure you that if there is hidden damage, your engine would be replaced.

Granted, you had an upset, and I'm sure you suffered considerable anxiety. Consider how your dealer cam through for you -- did you anticipate such a positive outcome?

I think you had a horrible scare, and you got very convincing evidence of a) your dealer's integrity and support; and b) of the Kub's hardiness and resilience.

I hope that this upset has converted you to "a true believer"!