Engine intermittently cuts out on BX2230

[SteveBX]

The engine intermittently cuts out on my BX2230. Until recently it was very rare. Most recently it is cutting in and out every 10 seconds or so. I am thinking it might be the fuel filter or something in the circuit for the stop solenoid. I have not checked either yet. Any suggestions on other things I should check?

 

[GreensvilleJay]

seat switch ??
OPC timer ??
sounds more 'electrical' than 'fuel'

 

[85Hokie]

Where as it could be fuel related - I'm with Jay - that seat switch on that machine can be finicky - easing forward will cause it to cut out while moving

IF you sit perfect still and push on the pedal and move forward .... will it cut out?

On the other side of the coin - WHEN was the last filter change - the real important and PITA one - the one near the tank?

Have you added anything to the fuel for cold weather?

 

[SteveBX]

seat switch ??
OPC timer ??
sounds more 'electrical' than 'fuel'

Thanks for the suggestions. What is the OPC timer?

 

[SteveBX]

Where as it could be fuel related - I'm with Jay - that seat switch on that machine can be finicky - easing forward will cause it to cut out while moving

IF you sit perfect still and push on the pedal and move forward .... will it cut out?

On the other side of the coin - WHEN was the last filter change - the real important and PITA one - the one near the tank?

Have you added anything to the fuel for cold weather?

I change the fuel filter in the engine compartment once a year. I have never changed the PITA one.
I will check out your suggestions tomorrow.

Thank you!
Steve

 

[SteveBX]

I change the fuel filter in the engine compartment once a year. I have never changed the PITA one.
I will check out your suggestions tomorrow.

Thank you!
Steve

I have not added anything to the fuel.

 

[85Hokie]

I have not added anything to the fuel.

OK ------ THE PITA filter is a real pita............ BUT it is the most critical filter in the system - depending on how many hours on the machine ( how many on the machine???) will determine how bad it could be.

That filter really needs to be changed if you have over 100+ hours on the machine- based on the year, I would say you have more than that!

Add some of this to :

 

[GreensvilleJay]

OPC timer is connected between seat switch and the engine stop solenoid
If you're driving the tractor, get up to shake your pants(still moving) a few seconds later ther OPC KILLS the engine,Same thing happens while your inching tractor forward, get up to see over the bucket where yer at...

 

[Henro]

When you say it is cutting out, what exactly does that mean?

I can tell you that years ago on my B2910, I bought off road fuel from a local place, that must have been old and dirty.

The tractor was very new, and it started loosing power, and then recovering, and loosing power again, but never stalled out.

The fuel filter was blocked with crud, so much that I could not blow air through it with my mouth. A new fuel filter and I was good to go. That was 18 years ago, and I still have the extra filter I bought back then.

My BX is 18 years old with around 1300 hours on it. Never changed the fuel filters yet, but now I only buy on road fuel at a high turnover place. I did buy two new filters last summer and plan to change them for the sake of it this year.

Point is, all it takes is one bad batch or two of fuel, before you filters are plugged and you can get erratic operation. I could NOT BELIEVE that the tractor could run normally, then almost die, due to a fuel filter issue. ALSO could not believe that the tractor could run at all, with a filter so blocked I could not blow any perceptible air through it.

Change BOTH fuel filters and see what happens.

Being a BX2230 it is likely 15 years or more old, right? That is a lot of time to accumulate crud in the first filter that you have never changed.

 

[dlsmith]

seat switch ??
OPC timer ??
sounds more 'electrical' than 'fuel'

Seat switch is the likely culprit, had to adjust the tab that depressed the plunger on it so that the engine didn't cut out every time I moved around on the seat.

 

[SteveBX]

Seat switch is the likely culprit, had to adjust the tab that depressed the plunger on it so that the engine didn't cut out every time I moved around on the seat.

Thanks all for your suggestions. I disconnected and reconnected the switch under the seat and all is well, at least so far. I have ordered filters and will pick up some diesel additive as precautions.