Motor slowly revs down to zero

[Rolando]

I wonder if anyone else has had this problem. After I've been mowing for several hours, without any warning, the motor revolutions start going down slowly until the motor totally stops. Electrically, the Toolcat is still turned on, with indicator lights on and the aux hydraulics light still on, but revs at '0'. I have to push the red 'off' button to turn it off and then the 15 second count down before re-start begins to tick down. If I wait a few minutes, I can get the motor to start again and everything works. But after it happens once, it begins to happen more frequently and I have to stop working. I have the Rev 'C' 5600. I hope someone can give me a clue as to what might be going on, because I'm not getting the error exclamation mark light or any error code.

 

[DT86]

I wonder if anyone else has had this problem. After I've been mowing for several hours, without any warning, the motor revolutions start going down slowly until the motor totally stops. Electrically, the Toolcat is still turned on, with indicator lights on and the aux hydraulics light still on, but revs at '0'. I have to push the red 'off' button to turn it off and then the 15 second count down before re-start begins to tick down. If I wait a few minutes, I can get the motor to start again and everything works. But after it happens once, it begins to happen more frequently and I have to stop working. I have the Rev 'C' 5600. I hope someone can give me a clue as to what might be going on, because I'm not getting the error exclamation mark light or any error code.

I don't know anything about the Toolcat other than I wish I had one But it sounds to me like a fuel problem. Meaning that you aren't getting enough. We had a tractor with similar problems.

Does your machine have a supply pump or does it just gravity feed from the tank to the injection pump?

 

[DEWFPO]

If your engine is hot, you shouldn't have to wait any amount of time to start. I don't know if they're any different but my "D" series will often start immediately on hot days with a 'cold' engine. Zero glow plug time.

Does the engine itself die slowly (over several seconds), or just shut off? I assume no diagnostic code is showing up.

My first WAG is fuel starvation but it could be a number of things. Next time it stalls, loosen the fuel filler cap and listen if you get any suction sound.

DEWFPO

 

[Rolando]

1f your engine is hot, you shouldn't have to wait any amount of time to start. I don't know if they're any different but my "D" series will often start immediately on hot days with a 'cold' engine. Zero glow plug time.

Perhaps I didn't make myself clear, There's no glow plug time issue. If I re-start right away, it starts to die out again very soon. If I wait a few minutes before re-starting, it's likely to run okay for another thirty or forty minute before dying out again. But the problem reoccurs more frequently the more times I have to re-start.

Does the engine itself die slowly (over several seconds), or just shut off? I assume no diagnostic code is showing up.

The engine dies slowly rather than shutting off abruptly. And like I said, I have to hit the shut off button before re-starting because electrically, it looks like the machine is still turned on.

My first WAG is fuel starvation but it could be a number of things. Next time it stalls, loosen the fuel filler cap and listen if you get any suction sound,

It does sound like the fuel is slowly being cut off. But the engine will re-start after the 15 second countdown. Does your 'D' not not do this? When I turn off my machine, the display shows a 15 second countdown before the gauges go down to neutral, I assumed you should wait that out until you re-start the engine. But I guess that could be a time delay for the lights to stay on until you can reach a switch. Never looked it up.

Next time the problem happens, I'll check the vacuum at the fuel cap and report back,

 

[Rolando]

Does your machine have a supply pump or does it just gravity feed from the tank to the injection pump?

I have very limited mechanical knowledge, I'm afraid. I believe it has a fuel pump.

 

[DEWFPO]

It does sound like the fuel is slowly being cut off. But the engine will re-start after the 15 second countdown. Does your 'D' not not do this? When I turn off my machine, the display shows a 15 second countdown before the gauges go down to neutral, I assumed you should wait that out until you re-start the engine. But I guess that could be a time delay for the lights to stay on until you can reach a switch. Never looked it up.

Next time the problem happens, I'll check the vacuum at the fuel cap and report back,

I've only stalled the engine on my "D" once, that was in winter when I didn't realize the fan on the snownblower was frozen with ice. The engine was at idle and not fully warmed up yet. When I engaged the blower the engine immediately died. I was able to restart it instantly without having to wait for any period of time. Any other time I start the engine hot, there is no waiting period of any kind.

DEWFPO

 

[DT86]

It sounds to me like either the tank isn't venting properly or there is a blockage in the bottom of the tank. Either way this would cause the injection pimp to starve and the engine to slowly die.

As mentioned already you should be able to hear sucking in the tank as it overcomes the vacuum.

If you can remove the fuel cap quickly while it is in the process of dying and it recovers then you have a vent issue.

You can remove the fuel line from the filter and blow air back into the tank if you think the line is clogged with junk. If it runs fine after then I would clean the tank.