RTV 900 difficult to change selector

Robert Payne · Dec 1, 2014

We recently got a Kubota RTV 900 and love everything about it. However, sometimes it it difficult to change from N to R or H etc. Sometimes it shifts silky smooth other times it requires a magic touch or sweet spot. It doesn't seem to be a consistent solution. Sometimes it seems pressure on the brake pedal helps sometime not.
Has anyone here experienced this and/ or have a remedy? Is it something need to get Kubota involved in or is it something we're nust missing?

tamu94 · Dec 1, 2014

This is normal with the RTV's transmission. The pressure relief valve doesn't always let go. You can help it by firmly depressing the brake (which releases the valve) or giving the throttle a slight burp. Mine will usually shift smooth after that (2012 model). I have read on here that the older models were more difficult (2011 and older). I have also found that when I shift it a little slower it helps.

What model year is yours?

Robert Payne · Dec 1, 2014

It's a 2014. I have noticed what you said. Maybe we just need a 5 gallon bucket of patience. Thanks for your input.

TravisD · Dec 1, 2014

We have about 10-11 hours on our X900 now, and it's just starting to loosen up, shifting wise, it seems.

Kanook · Dec 1, 2014

When it doesn't want to shift into gear, giving the accelerator pedal a blip while applying gentle pressure on the shift lever helps.

DT86 · Dec 1, 2014

As mentioned before, a little throttle or pushing the brake will help with shifting. Mine did get easier with time.

I do know of a couple that needed linkage adjustment to work properly.

JOHNTHOMAS · Dec 2, 2014

3 year old RTV1140 does the same and my neighbors previously owned RTV900 did the same. I just blip throttle with a steady pressure on shift lever. Some times stop and do brake pedal but blip and even pressure usually does it.

Gary Fowler · Dec 2, 2014

My 2009 RTV 900 has a knob on the lower dash that you pull to release the pressure on the transmission. It is most useful if you are on a hill as the brake isn't enough to let it shift. Normally on flat ground, it shifts OK with just moving the shift lever and sometimes applying the brake.
I don't know if the newer ones still have the pressure release knob but they should as it works.

Gary Fowler · Dec 2, 2014

I just reread your post and when shifting from N to any gear, a little blip on the throttle will make it shift into gear. Too much blip and you will grind the gears. My above post is in regard to getting it from any gear to neutral.

JESSE1 · Dec 2, 2014

I had to stop on a steep incline and tried to shift to reverse, couldn't get it to shift and finally just had to kill the engine to get it in neutral. Had my foot firmly on the brake but couldn't get it out of gear.

JOHNTHOMAS · Dec 2, 2014

JESSE1 said:
I had to stop on a steep incline and tried to shift to reverse, couldn't get it to shift and finally just had to kill the engine to get it in neutral. Had my foot firmly on the brake but couldn't get it out of gear.

Not being there and not positive but I believe that if you had let it roll the least bit and maybe pumping brake it would have done it. When I hold brake pedal down I can feel it releasing air/fluid and then the pedal goes down further. The brakes now do what the knob on the older models did so no, don't need or want knob.

Robert Payne · Dec 3, 2014

Thanks all. It seems that giving it a squirt of fuel to give the engine a quick rev is the most consistent remedy.

sunnyside360 · Dec 4, 2014

JESSE1 said:
I had to stop on a steep incline and tried to shift to reverse, couldn't get it to shift and finally just had to kill the engine to get it in neutral. Had my foot firmly on the brake but couldn't get it out of gear.

I had exact same problem yesterday and had to switch off the engine to shift from reverse to forward. I believe some of these machines exhibit this worse than others. I heard there is a Kubota Service Bulletin out for this. Plan to speak to the dealer sometime in near future.

buickanddeere · Dec 4, 2014

Read the operator's manual while stomping on the brake pedal. Don't try shifting with the driveline wound up tight and binding while making a turn .

sunnyside360 · Dec 4, 2014

buickanddeere said:
Read the operator's manual while stomping on the brake pedal.

Believe me this is not an issue of not reading the Op Manual. Something is not adjusted correctly on my machine.

Kanook · Dec 5, 2014

Being stuck in gear and difficult to impossible to shift into "N" without killing the engine is an issue that has plagued the RTV since the getgo. It is a result of torque still being applied to the transmission as when stopping on an incline or as is often the case when plowing snow. The original RTV (like my 04 model) had no solution other than fine tuning the shifting and playing with the 'creep' (search this forum for detail). Around 06 they added the pressure relief knob on the dash which if adjusted correctly greatly improved the shifting issue. Later models moved the pressure relief to the break pedal and again the shifting issue is greatly improved provided it is adjusted correctly. Too bad Kubota didn't see it necessary to permanently fix this issue in the recent new models.

sunnyside360 · Dec 5, 2014

Kanook said:
Later models moved the pressure relief to the break pedal and again the shifting issue is greatly improved provided it is adjusted correctly. Too bad Kubota didn't see it necessary to permanently fix this issue in the recent new models.

Foot pressure applied to the brake pedal does nothing to help with difficult shifting on my machine. I'm hoping it is just an adjustment on the brake pedal. I'd be happy to adjust the brake pedal if someone could describe the procedure.

TravisD · Dec 5, 2014

Apparently there's a TSB out for this, but I haven't actually seen it. I did come across pics on another forum where someone has supposedly done what the bulletin calls for, which is some Zip-tie engineering.

It seems that the cable that links the brake to the relief valve is held in place by just a grommet. It does seem to wiggle a bit, and I could see how it could become mis-aligned with the rest of the bracket. Supposedly the official fix is to zip-tie it in place, and since I had some zip-ties handy, I figured I'd give it a shot.

I took the RTV-900 for a quick test drive and **** if it didn't seem to shift better! I'll see how it does over time, but my perception is that it was much better.

buickanddeere · Dec 6, 2014

One story about the 900 series funky shifting was to do with lawsuits. Operators were getting into runway situations when traveling uphill or downhill . So Kubota added the "transmission brake". Then Kunota was in another lawsuit because of loss of control or noses snaked against the windshield because the wheels would nearly lockup if the operator completly removed their foot from the throttle.
There are several articles about tinkering with the transmission relief valve setting .