Kubota ZD221 Losing Power While Mowing

[BatonRougeMan]

I have a Kubota ZD221 Commercial Mower with a 48" Deck. About a Year ago, I started having a problem with the Mower losing Power; essentially acting like it was starving for fuel or a leak where are could enter the closed fuel system. My Mower would bog down, lose power and run very rough...then start running again as if nothing had happened. I changed both Fuel Filters many times, changed the electric fuel pump, changed the fuel shutoff solenoid, took the entire tank OFF and emptied the fuel then cleaned the tank, replaced the fuel line from the tank to the first filter, etc. Nothing seemed to "FIX" the problem. I loaded up my Kubota ZD221 Mower and took to the Kubota Dealer for Servicing. Roughly $900 US Dollars later, the Kubota Mechanic replaced and re-tightened 2 brass washers at the Fuel Connection that lead to the Injectors...that was all. Imagine my disbelief and disappointment when I brought my Mower home to find that it STILL was doing same thing... only not as frequently as before.

The problem persisted...and through frequent use and trials to troubleshoot, I began to notice a pattern. Once mowing for several minutes or as much as a half hour, the Mower would once again spit, sputter and lose power... especially if I made a sudden turn, hit a large bump or quickly reversed course. I noted that when I topped off the fuel, my mower would sputter for a moment, then run like a Champ for a while before starting the painful process again. Through a process of deduction, I believe that maybe the Fuel Pick Up line within the fuel tank itself has either developed a hole due to corrosion... as I noticed that the Fuel Sending Unit was heavily corroded. Once fuel within the tank has reduced to a certain level, my hunch is that the Fuel Pick Up line is sucking air... which is the reason for the sputtering and poor performance.

I will dismantle my ZD221 Mower this coming Weekend, remove the Fuel Tank, replace Fuel Lines and hopefully also replace the Fuel Pick Up line within the Plastic Fuel Tank... IF POSSIBLE.

Has anyone else experienced a similar problem? If so, HOW did you manage to solve this?

I have ZERO confidence in the Kubota Dealer Service Department because of the previous EXPENSIVE screwing that I took from them without solving the problem. I would be very appreciative of any advise from Other Owners of these Orange Beasts.

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

I have a Kubota ZD221 Commercial Mower with a 48" Deck. About a Year ago, I started having a problem with the Mower losing Power; essentially acting like it was starving for fuel or a leak where are could enter the closed fuel system. My Mower would bog down, lose power and run very rough...then start running again as if nothing had happened. I changed both Fuel Filters many times, changed the electric fuel pump, changed the fuel shutoff solenoid, took the entire tank OFF and emptied the fuel then cleaned the tank, replaced the fuel line from the tank to the first filter, etc. Nothing seemed to "FIX" the problem. I loaded up my Kubota ZD221 Mower and took to the Kubota Dealer for Servicing. Roughly $900 US Dollars later, the Kubota Mechanic replaced and re-tightened 2 brass washers at the Fuel Connection that lead to the Injectors...that was all. Imagine my disbelief and disappointment when I brought my Mower home to find that it STILL was doing same thing... only not as frequently as before.

The problem persisted...and through frequent use and trials to troubleshoot, I began to notice a pattern. Once mowing for several minutes or as much as a half hour, the Mower would once again spit, sputter and lose power... especially if I made a sudden turn, hit a large bump or quickly reversed course. I noted that when I topped off the fuel, my mower would sputter for a moment, then run like a Champ for a while before starting the painful process again. Through a process of deduction, I believe that maybe the Fuel Pick Up line within the fuel tank itself has either developed a hole due to corrosion... as I noticed that the Fuel Sending Unit was heavily corroded. Once fuel within the tank has reduced to a certain level, my hunch is that the Fuel Pick Up line is sucking air... which is the reason for the sputtering and poor performance.

I will dismantle my ZD221 Mower this coming Weekend, remove the Fuel Tank, replace Fuel Lines and hopefully also replace the Fuel Pick Up line within the Plastic Fuel Tank... IF POSSIBLE.

Has anyone else experienced a similar problem? If so, HOW did you manage to solve this?

I have ZERO confidence in the Kubota Dealer Service Department because of the previous EXPENSIVE screwing that I took from them without solving the problem. I would be very appreciative of any advise from Other Owners of these Orange Beasts.

I had a similar problem with an F Kubota. When I'd drive down the steep part of my yard in front of my home and when I'd let off the foot throttle it did exactly as you described. No issue on going up hill or on flat ground. I replaced the fuel filter a couple fo times and I had also dropped a fuel can cap in the fuel tank a couple years before. I thought it may be the cap but didn't seem logical with full tanks of fuel and fairly consistent with steep downhill when letting off throttle, some times I wouldn't let off throttle and it would usually go right. Later, just before I traded the F in for another Kubota I realized there were two fuel filters so may have been one of them. Sorry I don't have an answer but did experience almost exactly the same symptoms as you with the never quite dying and then the self restart and cloud of black smoke and then taking off like normal.

 

[milkman]

A friend has a ZD326 and he grabbed the wrong can and filled it with gas. He took it to the dealer, they drained the gas and put diesel in the tank. He brought it home and after about 15 minutes, it started starving for fuel. Multiple filter changes, tank cleaning, replace fuel pump, more filter changes and it kept stalling after about 15 minutes mowing time. He took it to another dealer and they replaced all the rubber lines, they said the inside of the line was collapsing and cutting off the fuel. Working like it should ever since the lines replaced.
This is a really short version as this took place over a whole summer and half the next.

 

[cdaigle430]

Same with my Husqvarna but it is a gas engine, a couple of rounds of seafoam brought it back. I now add fuel additives every so often along with when I store it. I also added a fuel shutoff valve next to the fuel filter so when I store it for the winter-I shut the fuel off until the engine stalls. It could also have been the fact that I was ashing my mower every other mow and when storing it-water may have got in an electrical connecter causing a short. I dont wash it anymore, now I just an air hose to clean everything....hasn't happened since but...not sure which method I used actually fixed it.

Just throwing those ideas out there-seafoam (even if its diesel) and dont wash the mower if you are.

Also the fuel cap-make sure its good.

 

[freemurray101]

I have a Kubota ZD221 Commercial Mower with a 48" Deck. About a Year ago, I started having a problem with the Mower losing Power; essentially acting like it was starving for fuel or a leak where are could enter the closed fuel system. My Mower would bog down, lose power and run very rough...then start running again as if nothing had happened. I changed both Fuel Filters many times, changed the electric fuel pump, changed the fuel shutoff solenoid, took the entire tank OFF and emptied the fuel then cleaned the tank, replaced the fuel line from the tank to the first filter, etc. Nothing seemed to "FIX" the problem. I loaded up my Kubota ZD221 Mower and took to the Kubota Dealer for Servicing. Roughly $900 US Dollars later, the Kubota Mechanic replaced and re-tightened 2 brass washers at the Fuel Connection that lead to the Injectors...that was all. Imagine my disbelief and disappointment when I brought my Mower home to find that it STILL was doing same thing... only not as frequently as before.

The problem persisted...and through frequent use and trials to troubleshoot, I began to notice a pattern. Once mowing for several minutes or as much as a half hour, the Mower would once again spit, sputter and lose power... especially if I made a sudden turn, hit a large bump or quickly reversed course. I noted that when I topped off the fuel, my mower would sputter for a moment, then run like a Champ for a while before starting the painful process again. Through a process of deduction, I believe that maybe the Fuel Pick Up line within the fuel tank itself has either developed a hole due to corrosion... as I noticed that the Fuel Sending Unit was heavily corroded. Once fuel within the tank has reduced to a certain level, my hunch is that the Fuel Pick Up line is sucking air... which is the reason for the sputtering and poor performance.

I will dismantle my ZD221 Mower this coming Weekend, remove the Fuel Tank, replace Fuel Lines and hopefully also replace the Fuel Pick Up line within the Plastic Fuel Tank... IF POSSIBLE.

Has anyone else experienced a similar problem? If so, HOW did you manage to solve this?

I have ZERO confidence in the Kubota Dealer Service Department because of the previous EXPENSIVE screwing that I took from them without solving the problem. I would be very appreciative of any advise from Other Owners of these Orange Beasts.

check the stop solenoid. I have a G2160 that did the same thing.