GR2100 Steering and transmission problem.

[msmith56]

Hello, I have a problem with my Gr2100. I have less than an acre to mow and the tractor has a little over 300 hrs on it. Yesterday I was mowing and I noticed that the steering seemed to be making a whining noise. I checked the level of fluid in the front axel by pulling the plug in the top and checked the level. It seemed to be at the correct level. I then checked the dipstick under the seat and it was at the corect level also. After checking the levels I tried to continue mowing. As I was mowing the steering on the tractor became tighter and tighter and it seemed to also affect the transmission as well. I got to a point where I lost forward movement and had to back the tractor back into the garage. Today I started the tractor, and worked the steering wheel back and forth for several minutes and the steering worked the way it normally does. I also went forward and back without any issues. I then decided to finish mowing my grass and I was nearly done without any issues when the steering started to get tight and the tractor became difficult to steer. When this started to happen I was ready to put the tractor away. I lost power again to the transmission while in reverse. I turned off the tractor and waited a few minutes and the steering and the transmission seemed to work again. Is there a filter somewhere that may be clogged or is my transmission on its way out? I purchased the tractor used so I don't even have an owners manual for it. I am not sure what is going on with this and I am hoping that someone in this forum will be able to help.

[art]

Check your steering bi speed cable adjustment to see if it is still in place.

[David_Kb7uns]

If you are loosing hydrostatic drive and power steering at some time it sounds like a charge pump problem, I would make sure you have the proper amount of fluid in the transmission case, correct hydro filter and that you have Super UDT as fluid. You may do a search and find many posts about problems with the GR series and some may apply here. I would not think heat fade would be caused by the steering clutch cables but do check them for proper adjustment and updating

David Kb7uns

[msmith56]

First of all thank you Art and David for your advice. This morning I contacted my dealer and spoke with a service technician there. I told him about what I was experiencing and what just wasn't adding up for me. I told him about letting it set for a few minutes and everything seemed to work fine. He said that it sounds like something is blocked and then told me about the control valve filter. Apparently this filter filters the entire hydraulic system. I got home from work and located the filter. It is located behind the panel on the back of the tractor secured with 4 bolts. I removed the cover and replaced the filter. Checked my fluid levels and took the tractor on a test run. I immediately noticed the whining from the steering had stopped and when I lifted the mower deck it seemed more solid and secure. I made sharp left's, rights, uturns, etc. I engaged the mower and ran the tractor for about a half hour. I did not experience the steering tightening up or whining. Knock on wood, but I think this resolved the issue! Thank's go out to Antietam Ford and Tractor of Hagerstown MD. The tech there willingly shared information and truly was there to help me. I hope this has resolved the issue, if anything changes I will update the forum.

[MessickFarmEqu]

make sure your tractor seems to have good HST power. The GR's have been less than perfect tractors, and if your strainer is filled with metal that maybe a sign of a larger looming problem.

[msmith56]

make sure your tractor seems to have good HST power. The GR's have been less than perfect tractors, and if your strainer is filled with metal that maybe a sign of a larger looming problem.

Thanks for advice MessickFarmEqu. I did not remove the transmission filter and exam it because quite frankly I am afraid to. When I purchased the tractor I did as much research as I could before purchasing a used one. I was told by a dealer (that I did not purchase the tractor from) that there was a cutoff for the serial numbers as to when the problem was resolved. I have no idea if that is correct or not today but I did make it a point to purchase a used one after that serial number. Since I changed the control valve filter I seem to have all of the power and driveability that I had prior to the issue I experienced. I live on a hill and I went up and down the hill without any noticable slipping or lack of power. I tried to place as much drivetrain strain as possible (without abusing it) on it to see if I noticed anything but I did not. I have to admit though I was scared that the tranny was going bad on me when I lost movement and when the steering wheel tightened up. I really didn't know what to think and I was thinking the worst. I am hoping that I got lucky this time, I have had issues with the tractor in the past. I was mowing one day and the motor would die and then come back. It would not idle etc. The cause of this was a bad fuel filter which was a real "challenge" to replace due to its location. I also had it tearing up my yard in a turn and that was a broken cable. I took that to the dealer to have that fixed at a $200 price. I really like the GR as it fits my needs nicely and I haven't found anything else with the same features that I can afford so I plan on hanging onto it until it is no longer cost effective to repair.

[msmith56]

Even though I was apprehensive about doing so, I changed the transmission fluid on the tractor last week for peace of mind. The strainer was not filled with metal or blocked so that put my mind at ease. Despite these findings I wanted to have the dealer check it out to make sure everything is ok. They advised that the control valve was not returning to neutral the way it is supposed to so they adjusted the hydraulic control valve and the foot pedal and gave it a clean bill of health.

[skeeterbug]

I am curious if you put a magnet in the the hole after you took the strainer out.