Oil & Fuel How To Start a Kubota Diesel Mower??

   / How To Start a Kubota Diesel Mower?? #1  

gosch

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Dec 2, 2004
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Please Help, I'm stumped! I borrowed a neighbor's small Kubota Diesel Riding Mower. He drove it over yesterday after running it for an hour. I naively went to start it Today. I turned it on, waited a few seconds because of glow plugs, it cranks fine, smoke is coming out of the pipe, but no start. Fuel gauge shows 1/2.

There are three lights on the dash. The left is the power on and glows brightly, the right appears to be oil pressure and glows as appropriate and the center light appears to be for Glow Plug but it has never lit, even after Power on for a minute.

This is a hydrostatic transmission model with the lever throttle, a side PTO and parking brake.

Is there some magic combination of throttle setting, glow plug timing, transmission pedal or secret switch that makes this start? The more the throttle is opened, the more smoke comes out, so it seems to be getting fuel. Is it possible to flood this? I'm baffled how something so seemingly simple can be so vexing. Thanks, BG
 
   / How To Start a Kubota Diesel Mower?? #2  
On my G1800 Kubota, you must depress the brake pedal (on your right) before turning the key or it won't even crank. It has the same three lights that you describe; the middle light is the glow plug light and it should come on when you hold the key in the middle position. Hold the key in the middle position until the light goes off, then turn the key all the way clockwise and it should light right up. I always start mine with the throttle at its lowest setting.

If the glow plug light isn't coming on at all with the key in the middle position, then I'd suspect something in the glow plug circuit is bad. Never had a problem with mine in over 200 hours so far.

Good luck with it -

Pete
 
   / How To Start a Kubota Diesel Mower?? #3  
I don't have the answer, but if it had been running for an hour and was still warm, it should start without the need of warming from the glow plug. Why not just ask the owner? After all, he didn't know how to start it either until he learned. John
 
   / How To Start a Kubota Diesel Mower?? #4  
You said you waited for the glow plug - are you certain you are activating the glow plug? Not familiar with that model, but on many you have to turn the key or switch backwards to warm the plug, then turn to start. Also, on older diesels I set the throttle to half or more when cranking. Last, depending on temperature, you may not be glow plugging long enough. On my '80s kubota I had to glow for 60 sec. in winter, which is a long time to sit there waiting.
 
   / How To Start a Kubota Diesel Mower?? #5  
The battery on my BX was low and I had the same symptoms as your mower. Used some jumper cables and it started right up.
 
   / How To Start a Kubota Diesel Mower?? #6  
When the outside temp is warm, but the engine is cold I need to use the glow plug on my G2160 all the time. You do so by holding the key just a little shy of turning the engine over. The first position will light the other two lights and they will stay lit if you remove your hand from the key, but to work the glowplug you need to turn the key just a little further and hold it for 5-10 seconds, then turn the key all the way over and start it up. This is if everything else is working OK.
 
   / How To Start a Kubota Diesel Mower?? #7  
I own a Kubota ZD21... if this is the model you have.....To start it, you have to have parking brake on and the drive levers set to the outside position...if the drive levers are left slightly in the inward position it will not start. Make sure the PTO is in the off position and set throttle at about half position. Then turn key to warm glow plugs for about 5 seconds..until glow plug light turns off then start. Make sure to let the mower warm up for about 5 minutes...good for the pumps and motor. Maybe this will help you. Good luck !
 
   / How To Start a Kubota Diesel Mower?? #8  
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( To start it, you have to have parking brake on and the drive levers set to the outside position...if the drive levers are left slightly in the inward position it will not start. )</font>

...But will it still turn over? It was my understanding that he can get the engine to crank, just not start.
On a 2160 the engine won't make a sound unless the levers and pedals are in the corect/start position.
 
   / How To Start a Kubota Diesel Mower?? #9  
Have you looked for a fuel shutoff valve that needs to be turned on. Has to be a glowplug or fuel problem if it is turning over.
 
   / How To Start a Kubota Diesel Mower?? #10  
I'm beginning to wonder if the original poster is coming back to tell us anything! John
 
 
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