John Deere 5425 Fuel System Problems - Anyone Have Any???

[Dorie L]

Have had problems with Deere 5425 not wanting to start after setting for a few days. The tractor will crank and start, the RPM's begin to drop off/surge, tractor dies, and then will not restart. Lines must be bled. Please elaborate if you have encountered a similar situation with a 5325, 5425 or 5525 Deere. Thank you.

 

[fieldserviceengineer]

Does that JD fuel system use the square glass fuel filter?

 

[Dutch445]

sounds like your injection pump or cold start assist isn't working properly. if you can find a good diesel pump tech and he could maybe dial it in on a dyno i bet you would be all set. sometimes the dealers don't have the right tools to fully dial in those pumps.

 

[fieldserviceengineer]

After a little investigation, I found that the JD fuel system on your tractor uses a fuel filter and head assembly manufactured by Stanadyne. Their product terms it as the 'Fuel Manager'. What you are experiencing is the fuel filter is draining back into the fuel tank leaving vapor in the fuel filter. When you start the engine, the vapor causes rough running, likely some white smoke and shortly after, the engine quits due to air in the injection pump. This filter system has an air bleed valve on the head plus it has a water drain valve on the bottom of the filter element. Both must have a solid seal or air will be pulled into the filter while the engine is running or allow fuel to back drain into the tank. Your symptoms state that after being shut down for several days you have these problems. Somewhere in your fuel supply John Deere may have installed check valve to prevent fuel from back draining the filter into the fuel tank. It may be much worse when you tank fuel level is low. Stanadyne suggests that if you have starting issues to use the hand priming pump to refill the filter before you attempt to start the engine. If you do that before you start the engine, there should not be any air ingested into the injection pump. Once air gets into the pump and the engine shuts down, you can use the priming pump to assist in purging air from the pump and injection lines. Find a diesel injection shop that provides parts and service for Stanadyne fuel injection. Most shops can do this.

 

[cgussman]

I own a 2005, 5525 which is in the shop at this very moment with the exact problem you describe. If used every day, tractor starts with no problem. If the tractor sits for 2 or 3 days, the tractor will start, run for 5 to 10 seconds and then shut off as though it ran out of fuel. 60 to 90 seconds of cranking will get it started after which it starts and runs fine.
My local John Deere dealer took it in today and said that there is a John Deere service alert which suggests the installation of an electric fuel pump to resolve that issue. They are in the process of installing the pump. I suspect that the pump will resolve the problem.

 

[RickB]

Those filter heads and primer pumps are garbage. I fight with a couple of 5000 series Deeres when I service them for customers. I also work on a 6405 (I believe that is the correct model number) that I know for sure has an inline check valve in the line entering the fuel filter. Adding one of them may be more effectiive and certainly cheaper than adding an electric pump.

 

[doctor51]

That electric pump won't help at all. My dealer can not figure out the problem, but it has to be a check valve.

 

[jd110]

Actually I have installed a couple of the electric pumps and that has cured the problem and makes bleeding the filter so much easier. Actually, I install a strainer filter in-line close to the tank, then the electric pump, and then a check valve also. The problem is worse on cab tractors and high platform models. The tank is lower than on the straddle mount models. Good Luck!

 

[GYPSY]

Keep Your tank at least 3\8's full and have a look at Your rubber supply line from the tank, I'll bet the farm its dry rotted, I have done everything on Mine and have come to find out that all the rubber lines on this tractor are shot, the hardest to replace was the return line thats at the top of the rear of the motor, man had to take alot of stuff off but its done, My only leak now that I have is from the tank filler neck to the tank itself, theres a short piece of rubber hose that joins the 2, I just dont fill the tank to the very top, very disappointed with the whole thing but such is life.....every single piece of rubber line is garbage....soooo sad...

 

[sixdogs]

While I have not had a starting problem, I have a JD 5520 that the fuel lines simply deteriorated to mush on me. It was a tough job to change them. I made sure to replace with a quality line.
Changed the filter, bled the lines and good to go.