water in diesel fuel - M5400DT

[JERRY.C]

tractor died, blowing white smoke.
drained fuel at bowl and got 1/2 cup water.
now what?
turn starter and feed fuel to injectors?
open fuel lines, first, drain water, then try starting?
what would you do?

also, this is about the 3rd time this has happened.
before, spritzed gas into air intake and started.
this time, water may be worse.

sources of water?
condensate?
bad fuel cap? (not barn stored)

any other thoughts?

thanks.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

You need to treat your tractors fuel tank, storage and any containers.
I use both Stanadyne and Soltron.

Yes check tanks cap for cracks but most likely you either have gotten some bad fuel or temp has been changing enough that it's condensing water in the tank.
Keep the tractors tank full to help keep condensation down.

 

[Jim L.]

Think I would drain fuel tank and get out any water that may be on bottom.

Then refill bowl with dry fuel.

Fill tank with fuel and additive for water.

Then try to start.

Check the fuel cap and collar as it is likely that is where water is coming in.

Also follow Wolfman's advice to keep tank filled to lessen condensation.

 

[Bulldog]

Have you been getting your fuel at the same place each time?

What kind of container do you use to fill your tractor?

 

[JERRY.C]

gentlemen, thanks for the replies.
the tractor started this afternoon after I got home from work.
I drained the fuel lines from above the fuel pump back to the tank.
convinced myself there was no more water.
after a few 10 second crank cycles, the tractor started.
I ran it for 15-20 minutes; stopped-restarted 2-3 times.
thanked the Lord, and went in for supper.

I plan to ALWAYS check the sediment bowl for water.
and, I plan to keep the fuel tank full.
I buy my diesel from a reputable local station, only 5 gals at a time.

I do plan to find a sediment-bowl/filter-housing with a drain petcock.

 

[Bulldog]

Glad you got it running.

I added a Dahl filter to my tractor and it has been great. It's a water seperator / fuel filter and it works like a champ. I run the 2 micron filter elements and have never had any issue. I have it plumbed in as my primary filter.

Mine came from Amsoil but I believe Baldwin carries them now. The one I'm using is good for up to 90 hp.

 

[ShaunRH]

Always check for water in the bowl before starting. It's actually part of the pre-start process for most farm equipment. This is doubly true for anything left outside, uncovered.

My L3200 sat with ½ tank of fuel in a shipping container for six months from March to October and it had no water at all in it's fuel tank. It's going to sit this whole winter in it's little container and be taken out again in March or April of 2015. I expect it might have some but it has a full tank and should not be able to draw much moisture into the tank all sealed up like that, I'll have to wait and see.

I've found that most 'outdoor' tractors suffer the water in fuel problem more than the spoiled indoor brats.

 

[OldeEnglish]

You may want to look closer into where you get your fuel from. We have a local station that was getting water into their underground diesel tank after heavy rain. I'm sure they are not the only station that it's ever happened to. It caused all kinds of havoc on a friend's trucks and Equipment that owns a tucking/excavation company and got all of his fuel there. Seeing that I have been there lately after a heavy rain and the environmental pumper truck was there I'm guessing they never fixed the problem. I get my off-road diesel from a heating oil company that has above ground tanks and sells a quality product. They also keep their trucks and equipment in pristine shape so I know they put quality fuel in their trucks. They carry both on and off-road fuel.

 

[Daren Todd]

I found the easiest way to tell if a company has good diesel or not, is to check the truck traffic. If they have lots of big rigs rolling through there fueling up, then they have good diesel it's like they say, good news travels fast. Bad news travels faster. I get my off road from a propane company that has above ground tanks as well.