L3400 stalling problem 15 minutes after start

Rick Cabell · Jul 11, 2009

I have a new L3400 4wd with 43 hours on it. Starting yesterday, It looses power after 15 minutes, and then stalls out compltely. It will start back up, but if you attempt to give it ANY throttle, it will stall immediatly. This will go on and on. If you let it sit for a hour and a half, It will run for 15 minutes again, and then the stalling starts again. Called my dealer, and he is on vaction for 2 weeks. So then I called another dealer that has been a Kabota dealer for 30 years. He told me to change the fuel filter, and bleed the system. I did, and it makes no differance. I always have plenty of fuel at the filter console at all times. There is NO water in the system. This is a HST model. A major bummer here as this is day one of a weeks vacation to work the tractor every day. It is under warranty, but I can see it sitting for weeks while a dealer tries to figure it out. I also understand the warranty doesn't cover diognostic time. Any thoughts?

bigballer · Jul 11, 2009

sorry to hear that, i would have started with the filter/bowl as well and maybe drain all the fuel and start fresh. i have 175hrs on mine and no issues like that. i'm sure you will get some good advice here, lot's of knowledgeable folks!

Lil_FarmerJim · Jul 11, 2009

Hey Rick, Sorry to hear you are having troubles. What you describe definitly sounds like its starving for fuel. I understand your dilemma, hate to waste valuable seat time.

So have you completely drained all the fuel out, tank and all and then filled with fresh fuel? If that doesn't work after replacing the fuel filter cleaning it all out, then it could be fuel pump or injectors. But before even going that far I would flush the fuel system completely and see if that clears it.

wushaw · Jul 11, 2009

Drain the fuel tank, check for debris. Blow lines out with compressed air.
Fill tank back up, pull fuel line after fuel filter and check fuel flow.

It does sound like you have a blockage in your fuel system.

ccsial · Jul 11, 2009

If there is no dirt or water and your fuel and fiter are OK the next think I'd suspect is the fuel feed pump. The pump is rather suspect when you describe running for 15 minutes.

Also make sure there are no hose leaks anywhere. Even a small drip of fuel could indicate sucking air.

My L3400 is at 240 hours with no trouble yet.

Please let us all know what the problem was when you get it fixed Rick. Thanks.

BeezFun · Jul 11, 2009

It sounds like a problem related to heat given the repeatable timing when you start/stop the engine and let it cool down. Electronic components can change behavior when they get hot, sometimes ECMs on cars will display a problem when they get hot and then be fine when they cool down. But I don't think there's an electronic module on a tractor. Not sure where the fuel pump is on that tractor, hard to imagine it's heat sensitive like that, but maybe the pump is bad and generates it's own heat that causes it to lose pressure.

You commented that warranty work doesn't include diagnostics. That wasn't my experience the one time I needed service from my dealer.

Rockyridge · Jul 11, 2009

I like to eliminate the cheap and easy things first, try loosening the fuel filler cap. I had to have the one on my L3400 replaced because it was not letting air in and it was collapsing the plastic tank. It may not correct the problem but it costs nothing to try it, just loosening it up to see if that helps.

Good luck with that.

jruss · Jul 12, 2009

I had a problem similar to yours on my BX2200, turned out that the fuel I purchased had gasoline mixed with it at the station where I purchased it. The reason it was hard to dianose was that I just topped up the tank with about 1 1/2 gal of new fuel, not a complete refill. I changed fuel filters, fuel pump, checked fuel flow and finally drained the tank and refilled with fresh fuel from my neighbors can, cured the problem.

Rick Cabell · Jul 12, 2009

Thanks for all the good thoughts guys. From my old days as a pilot, I am sensitive about water problems in fuel. The first thing you do is check for water in the tanks with a special cup during your pre flight. When I first took the clear filter housing off. I had a clear glass jar underneath it to catch all the fluid coming out. Held it up to the light, no water. Then I took about a pint sample right off the tank, again, no water.
It does seem to be a heat related issue. But as said above, on a diesel non turbo engine, there is no heat sensitve componants.
How does the main pump draw fuel from the fuel filter console? Is there a pre pump with the main pump that delivers to the injectors?
I asked the dealer who has been around for 30+ years if the injection pump itself could have a issue. He said that he has never ever seen a problem with a pump. But, if it was a pump, it would have to be sent out and the tractor would be down for a while. Not what I want to hear.
I also drove with the gas cap off to be sure there was no vent line problem.
The biggest issue is that the tractor is at my camp out in the middle of no where 100 miles from my house and work. So I can't go experiment if I have a spare hour. I'll drain ALL the fuel out and give it another try. Next will be to get it up on the trailer during one of those 15 minute windows and take it to a dealer who seems to care. The guy I bought it from doesn't seem to.

ccsial · Jul 12, 2009

Rick Cabell said:
Thanks for all the good thoughts guys. From my old days as a pilot, I am sensitive about water problems in fuel. The first thing you do is check for water in the tanks with a special cup during your pre flight. When I first took the clear filter housing off. I had a clear glass jar underneath it to catch all the fluid coming out. Held it up to the light, no water. Then I took about a pint sample right off the tank, again, no water.
It does seem to be a heat related issue. But as said above, on a diesel non turbo engine, there is no heat sensitve componants.
How does the main pump draw fuel from the fuel filter console? Is there a pre pump with the main pump that delivers to the injectors?
I asked the dealer who has been around for 30+ years if the injection pump itself could have a issue. He said that he has never ever seen a problem with a pump. But, if it was a pump, it would have to be sent out and the tractor would be down for a while. Not what I want to hear.
I also drove with the gas cap off to be sure there was no vent line problem.
The biggest issue is that the tractor is at my camp out in the middle of no where 100 miles from my house and work. So I can't go experiment if I have a spare hour. I'll drain ALL the fuel out and give it another try. Next will be to get it up on the trailer during one of those 15 minute windows and take it to a dealer who seems to care. The guy I bought it from doesn't seem to.

I'm also a pilot and I understand your concern about contaminated fuel, although I'd much rather have my tractor engine quit.

I would not suspect the injection pump but I would be more suspect of the diaphram pump that feeds it that the service manual calls a "fuel feed pump" It is a small round thing with two fuel lines attached located just to the left of the fuel filter. I once had a fuel pump on one of my houseboat engines that worked for about a half hour when cold and then got weak. It would idle but could not get any power. That is why I though of the fuel feed pump. It may not be the problem but is something to check. A fuel pressure meter could be inserted to check it. It does not look expensive so maybe the dealer could just swap it out if he can't find another problem.

I don't understand your dealer being on vacation. They don't have a service guy working? Is that a one man outfit or did they do a "business shutdown" for two weeks? A service department should never be down for two weeks.

slan · Jul 12, 2009

I had a similar problem with my L3240 and it was the fuel bleed cock was not tight and would start to starve for fuel in about 20 minutes.
Make sure your fuel bowl is seating, bleed valve is tightly closed, and when it stalls out check to see if you have fuel in the bowl.

Rick Cabell · Jul 12, 2009

All good info thanks.
Yes, there is plenty of fuel in the bowl at all times.
Is water in diesel fuel as easy to see as gasoline? When checking for water, I am looking for water sitting at the bottom of glass jar. If not,maybe I do have a mix.
That pre fuel pump would be my next thought if there is no water in the tank.

lawn_king · Jul 13, 2009

It does sound like a fuel problem or perhaps a bad (15 minutes) intellipanel?

Rick Cabell · Jul 13, 2009

What is a intellipanel??

Rick Cabell · Jul 16, 2009

Off and running. As good as the fuel looked, I drained it out 100%, and put in fresh fuel. Seems OK. Ran it 1.5 hours today. The fuel in it had been in since last November. Never heard of fuel going bad after such a short time.

ccsial · Jul 16, 2009

Thanks for the update. I've not seen fuel go bad that quick either. Interesting.

Ron D. · Jul 17, 2009

Rick, I've had the same type of issue when gasoline was mixed with the diesel.

I would recommend adding Power Service Diesel Kleen to your fuel. It boosts cetane and lubrication, which is an issue with the low sulphur fuels. I just started using it and can tell the difference. There is a silver bottle and a white bottle. The white bottle is for cold weather, and has better anti-gel properties than the silver bottle.

Here in Texas, I use the silver bottle and highly recommend it.

machinefarmer · Jul 18, 2009

I had a similar problem and I traced it back to the Bleed fitting on the fuel filter canister. My Yanmar, (since traded for a new L2800) had a "plunger" type purge valve to refill the fuel filter jar or to bleed the fuel system to the filter housing. That plunger was not seating sometimes, and it would allow air into the system creating bubbles in the line from the filter housing to the pump when running the engine. It would only leak a drip or two per hour so it was hard to see the leak with the tractor on a dirt floor. The tractor would die after about 10 minutes. It drove me nuts for weeks. If you don't have a plunger type bleed fitting, check to be sure your bleed screw is seating and not allowing air to suck into the system when running. Overall, I think you are definatly experiencing a fuel delivery problem or getting air into your fuel lines someplace. Good Luck. JP