Tractor stalled and now will not start - any ideas

[Sparty047]

I have a 2017 L2501 with 252 total hours run time.
Routine maintenance has been done at 50,100,200 hours and annual and every 50 hour tasks all completed.
Love my Kubota.

Routine day moving 1-3" stone by the front bucket to work area for about 2 hours. Lots of idling and I knew the fuel tank was low.....something I seldom allow.

I had turned it off while I shoveled stone from the trailer into the bucket. Turned engine back on after maybe 20 minutes. It started right up as usual, but after 30 seconds and before I'd touched a control it stalled. When I attempted to restart it cranked vigorously but did not start!

I thought I'd run the tank dry! Looked at the fuel filter and it was full. I added 3-4 gallons of diesel without any change. Since it was 252 hours I decided to clean the fuel filter element with kerosene.

After reassembly of the filter, I opened the bleed to let out any air in the fuel line.

Engine continues to crank well but does not make ANY sound that cylinders fire.

I'm 70 years old but do not claim any expertise in diesel mechanics. Is there anything I may have overlooked, before I make a call for service?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Edke6bnl]

Regular things to check, try removing gas cover for vent problem test, see if fuel is passing through filter, not sure what your tractor uses lift fuel to the injection pump.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Open the hood, open the jet start valve on the side of the injection pump.
Crank in short intervals, when it starts close jet start valve.

 

[Shell Shocked]

I have a 2018 or so L2501. Had something similar. It would run fine then stall due to fuel starving. I knew I was running dangerously low on diesel in the tank. I undid the fuel filter depressed "float flow" control with my finger, black gunk was hung up and eventually flowed out. Guessing it was just crud from the bottom of the tank working free and trying to pass thru the line.

 

[Sparty047]

Well boys:

Most appreciative of your suggested remedies. This morning:

I vented the fuel tank by opening the cap - no start.

I removed the fuel filter and pressed the float flow on the left side about 4 times for a total release of about a quart of very clear looking fuel with no sludge coming through - no start.

I opened the air bleed (jet start valve) partially, and then fully, as I had before and cranked the engine after each adjustment, with no sign of any cylinder firing. I am unsure exactly what Wolfman means by "crack in short intervals." Open jet valve a little ways and crank the engine? Have someone crank the engine while I open and close the jet valve? Favor me with details of exactly how this is properly done. Manual only says to open it and run engine for 30 seconds before closing. My problem is the engine doesn't even begin to run.



I put a charger on the battery after all the above, to ensure the cranking amps are back "up to snuff" for the next attempts. BTW when I cleaned the fuel filter there was only a few flecks of foreign matter - pretty much what I've always found when cleaning it. Could my assumption that the low fuel level caused the stall be wrong? This engine has never stalled while idling. Other than the occasions when the PTO safety switches weren't making contact and cold weather loss of battery cranking amps, there has not been a start issue. I am (as Dad used to say) flummoxed!! Assuming fouled fuel line distal to the fuel filter, is there a process for disconnecting at point A and point B to use compressed air to blow out the lines

Help me Obie-Wan Kabota!!

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Sorry, CRANK in short intervals to keep from overheating the starter.
Check fuses for the stop / run solenoid.
Take the vent line loose from the side of the jet start valve and see if your getting a flow of fuel out of it when you crank it (if your doing this by yourself add a piece of vent line to a container to keep the mess down).
If you don't have flow, you have a fuel delivery issue.
If you have flow, you have a stop solenoid or stop solenoid circuit issue.

 

[Sparty047]

Sorry, CRANK in short intervals to keep from overheating the starter.
Check fuses for the stop / run solenoid.
Take the vent line loose from the side of the jet start valve and see if your getting a flow of fuel out of it when you crank it (if your doing this by yourself add a piece of vent line to a container to keep the mess down).
If you don't have flow, you have a fuel delivery issue.
If you have flow, you have a stop solenoid or stop solenoid circuit issue.

Hey there N.Id.W!
What's another name for the stop/run solenoid please? Outside the fuse box there's 40amp main, 30 amp key stop, and 40 amp key switch. Nothing in the box that rings a bell, but I can easily pull them all to look for a blown fuse.

Wife has outpatient surgery tomorrow so I'll be at hospital all day and maybe heavy nursing care over the weekend. Tractor is out in the tall grass so I will just set a bucket down when I crank with the fuel line disconnected at 010 in the diagram you've so kindly provided.

Thanks again and I'll report back.

 

[ayak]

In case you don’t already have a copy:
http://www.kubotabooks.com/AutoIndex/index.php?dir=Tractor Owners Manuals/&file=L2501 WorkShopManual.pdf&AutoIndex=

Good luck to the Mrs. tomorrow

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

The fuse would be the key stop fuse.

 

[Russell King]

Please describe how it stalled and died

Was it like it ran out of fuel and died sort of slowly or did it act like you turned it off with the key (or however engine is normally shut down) and die quickly?

 

[Sparty047]

Please describe how it stalled and died

Was it like it ran out of fuel and died sort of slowly or did it act like you turned it off with the key (or however engine is normally shut down) and die quickly?

Not like a normal shut down - but it had started and idled perhaps 30 seconds, then sputtered and died over no more than 5-10 seconds.

 

[Russell King]

In my opinion that describes a fuel shortage problem and not a shut off solenoid or safety switch

Can you rig some fuel supply directly to the injection pump or verify that you have significant fuel supply to the pump?

 

[Sparty047]

In my opinion that describes a fuel shortage problem and not a shut off solenoid or safety switch

Can you rig some fuel supply directly to the injection pump or verify that you have significant fuel supply to the pump?

 

[Sparty047]

Gentlemen:

Sorry! I have not been ignoring your suggestions. Some "life issues" have gotten in the way of my doing ANYTHING with my Kubota!! After this weekend I should be able to address the lawn ornament sitting in my backyard.

 

[Sparty047]

Here's where I am at so far. I had filled the tank nearly full with fresh diesel after a visual inspection showed no signs of debris. The key stop fuse is okay (I even switched in a new one to be sure). Fuel filter is clean and, when I pushed up on the float flow, fuel coming from tank to the filter is clean. Opened the air vent stopcock to clear any air from fuel line and cranked in 4-5 sec burst x 15-20 over period of 15 minutes. No joy!

Detached the vent line from the side of the stopcock and had good fuel flow, even without cranking the engine. Did not feel the need to crank with the vent line off, as it had just showed good flow, simply by siphoning fuel from the tank. I then reattached the vent line and again cranked the engine, first with the air vent stopcock fully open a few times and then again with the it fully closed. Cranks fine but no hint of combustion.

At this point I would judge there is a good fuel supply, so did not try to hook up a secondary fuel supply per Mr King's suggestion. It looks to me like Mr N.I.Wolfman's assessment that if I have this good fuel flow then I have a stop solenoid or stop solenoid circuit issue.

Therefore I will begin the testing that begins on page 422 of the shop manual you were kind enough to provide.

Wish me success.

 

[Sparty047]

Well {drum roll} it ---- was -----the ------------------------------------------starter!

I removed it and began testing the magnetic switch. When I connected battery + to the S and - to the C terminal I got nothin. I recalled all the abuse this starter had taken last November and again this Spring, when it did not crank. While the end fix in November was a deep battery charge, and the end fix this Spring was to repair the poor contact in the PTO safety switch; this starter had been through "a lot." A neighbor with history as an auto mechanic assisted me and I recalled we did a lot of "hot wire" jumps to the starter (with lots of associated electric arcing).

I checked the Denso part number and discovered they are readily available from after market suppliers for $100-120. Reviews of a $100 one were quite positive and one-day delivery was an option. I received it this morning about 1030 and by 1 o'clock my L2501 was running!!!



So my heartfelt thanks to N. I. Wolfman and all of the rest of you who offered good advice and shared your own experiences. Since 1pm I have already moved some dirt and pulled a very large limb down that had broken off in a t-storm last week and dragged it over to where I can access my electric chain saw.

Feel like I accomplished something here.
Thanks
Peace/Out
Sparty 047

Here's where I am at so far. I had filled the tank nearly full with fresh diesel after a visual inspection showed no signs of debris. The key stop fuse is okay (I even switched in a new one to be sure). Fuel filter is clean and, when I pushed up on the float flow, fuel coming from tank to the filter is clean. Opened the air vent stopcock to clear any air from fuel line and cranked in 4-5 sec burst x 15-20 over period of 15 minutes. No joy!

Detached the vent line from the side of the stopcock and had good fuel flow, even without cranking the engine. Did not feel the need to crank with the vent line off, as it had just showed good flow, simply by siphoning fuel from the tank. I then reattached the vent line and again cranked the engine, first with the air vent stopcock fully open a few times and then again with the it fully closed. Cranks fine but no hint of combustion.

At this point I would judge there is a good fuel supply, so did not try to hook up a secondary fuel supply per Mr King's suggestion. It looks to me like Mr N.I.Wolfman's assessment that if I have this good fuel flow then I have a stop solenoid or stop solenoid circuit issue.

Therefore I will begin the testing that begins on page 422 of the shop manual you were kind enough to provide.

Wish me success.

Well {drum roll} it ---- was -----the ------------------------------------------starter!

I removed it and began testing the magnetic switch. When I connected battery + to the S and - to the C terminal I got nothin. I recalled all the abuse this starter had taken last November and again this Spring, when it did not crank. While the end fix in November was a deep battery charge, and the end fix this Spring was to repair the poor contact in the PTO safety switch; this starter had been through "a lot." A neighbor with history as an auto mechanic assisted me and I recalled we did a lot of "hot wire" jumps to the starter (with lots of associated electric arcing).

I checked the Denso part number and discovered they are readily available from after market suppliers for $100-120. Reviews of a $100 one were quite positive and one-day delivery was an option. I received it this morning about 1030 and by 1 o'clock my L2501 was running!!!



So my heartfelt thanks to N. I. Wolfman and all of the rest of you who offered good advice and shared your own experiences. Since 1pm I have already moved some dirt and pulled a very large limb down that had broken off in a t-storm last week and dragged it over to where I can access my electric chain saw.

Feel like I accomplished something here.
Thanks
Peace/Out
Sparty 047

 

[Ricklesss]

Hi Sparty!
The resulting joy found after dealing with a non starting tractor is truly profound, isn’t it?
Sadly, I myself find the need to start my own new thread on this very same subject.
I wanted to ask you one question though, as I’m confused with the fix being the starter.
You wrote that you were able to crank the engine over quite a bit, (4 to 5 second bursts x 15-20 times, even) so how could it be the starter?
Glad you got it going….wish me luck please!

 

[loggin]

Yes, something does not sound right here. OP says engine turns over well and yet it was the starter??

 

[retired farmer]

Hi Sparty!
The resulting joy found after dealing with a non starting tractor is truly profound, isn’t it?
Sadly, I myself find the need to start my own new thread on this very same subject.
I wanted to ask you one question though, as I’m confused with the fix being the starter.
You wrote that you were able to crank the engine over quite a bit, (4 to 5 second bursts x 15-20 times, even) so how could it be the starter?
Glad you got it going….wish me luck please!

Me too! I am puzzled, unless the starter was turning too slow.

 

[ve9aa]

OK, please add me to growing confused list (LOL)

I think we are missing a piece of the puzzle.