Bad fuel aftermath

[farmgirlky]

I have a 2001 BX2200 that I bought new. It's got about 250 hours on it. Recently I apparently put diesel in it that was half water. A mechanic came out (it's very expensive to get my tractor to the dealership), drained some of the fuel out, put some 911 in it, and got it started. I didn't drive it around or mow with it, which I should have. The next time I went to use it, it wouldn't start again. So mechanic came back out, and this time he drained more fuel and replaced the fuel filter on the left side of the engine. Now it starts fine but about 20 minutes into mowing it will lose power until it stops. I've added what should be good diesel. (I don't fill it up because I'm one of those who has one of the tanks that leaks if you fill it.) I'm losing faith in the mechanic, but don't want to take it to the dealership unless I absolutely have to. I don't know much about tractors (although I'm learning more and more every day!). But I can drain fuel and replace the filter again. I can't drop the mower, so I don't know if I can get to the other filter (the mechanic did not replace that one). Can anyone help me? Please, in your replies, write like you're talking to a young child. Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[MarkV]

Just my opinion but I think you got some bad service from the mechanic. If he/she felt like the problem was water in the fuel it should all have been drained, filter changed and new fresh fuel installed. If you are still having problems drain the whole tank and start with new fuel and filter if possible. There is only one fuel filter, the one under the tractor is for hydraulic fluid.

MarkV

 

[Thomas]

I would drain tank purchase couple filters,also if you have bleeder screw open it...yes it can be pain but better than rough running engine etc.

 

[TripleR]

You have two fuel filters:http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/kubota-owning-operating/163652-fuel-filters-bx-2.html

 

[radioman]

mechanic changed ONE filter ? doesnt the BX2200 have 2 of them? I would replace both filters. This is something you could do yourself.

What I would do is :
first drain the fuel out completely.
next replace both filters
then before reconnecting the lines, use compressed air to blow line going to tank.
reconnect lines and purchase a MR funnel.
when adding more diesel, be sure to pour into mr funnel to be sure water and particulate is seperated.
check your air filter and air inlet rubber to make sure air can enter freely.

If you are still having problems, let us know and we can go from there. there are many possiblities, like bad feul pump, etc.

 

[MarkV]

You have two fuel filters:http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/kubota-owning-operating/163652-fuel-filters-bx-2.html

Opps, my bad. Thanks for the correction TripleR.

MarkV

 

[TripleR]

Also try this:http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/kubota-owning-operating/147385-bx-fuel-filter-change-lessons.html

You might want to PM JohnThomas as he just did a good post on all of the filter changes.

I agree you got bad advice, get rid of your old fuel and change both filters.

 

[thavil]

In my opinion, the mechanic did you a real disservice by not replacing the fuel filter under the tractor. Both fuel filters should have been replaced and all bad fuel drained. Not sure but I don't think 911 works well enough to treat a 50/50 mix of diesel/water. To get the rear fuel filter replaced, someone will have to remove the MMM (mower) to access it or be very limber.

 

[texasjohn]

First, welcome to TBN, farmgirlky

Sad that your early posts are re fuel difficulties...we'll try to help.

Based on what you said, I agree with others that proper fuel is what you need...with no water.

That is your ultimate objective...and you are not the only one to have had this problem...on occasion water can get into the diesel you are using. The purpose of the fuel filters is to stop the water before it gets to the engine. If you have just a very small amount of water, this will get stopped by the filter and the filter will pass diesel thru.

Water is heavier than diesel, thus it falls to the bottom of a fuel filter. On my tractor, there is a glass bowl with the filter where you can see how much water, if any, there is in the system. In my case, I can remove the trapped water by opening a petcock at the bottom of the glass bowl. I don't know if your tractor has a bowl or not, suspect not, else someone else would have suggested draining water that way.

The good news is that all should be well with no damage to your tractor after you get rid of all bad fuel, install new filters and get it running again.
Best wishes...let us know how it goes.

 

[big bubba]

for the future....don't go back to the same fuel supplier from which your headaches began...are there other high volubme off road suppliers around with fresh fuel? old tanks can be the culprits too....good luck b

 

[Chilly807]

Welcome to the zoo !

I agree that both filters should be changed, and be sure that only good fuel is in the tank, otherwise you'll be changing filters again. Other than completely draining the tank, there's no way to be sure all the water is out. You MAY have a problem with MBGs (micro-biological growth) in the fuel if it had water in it, a dose of algicide for fuel will eliminate that problem if it is there.

One thing you don't want to do is let the tractor sit for too long before this gets sorted out, otherwise the water will attack the fuel pump and injectors. Rust in there is a very bad (read expensive) thing.

Good luck,

Sean

 

[bp fick]

You have gotten great advice. Contaminated fuel of that magnitude isn't going to be solved with "mechanic in a bottle" which is slang for putting any additive in an engine or fuel tank instead of actually fixing what is wrong. It just doesn't work.

As all the others have said; drain ALL the fuel. Change that rear filter too!!
Finally, find a neighborhood Kubota oriented guy who can actually help you with this stuff instead of that "mechanic". He's the one that belongs in the bottle.

 

[radioman]

Welcome to the zoo !

I agree that both filters should be changed, and be sure that only good fuel is in the tank, otherwise you'll be changing filters again. Other than completely draining the tank, there's no way to be sure all the water is out. You MAY have a problem with MBGs (micro-biological growth) in the fuel if it had water in it, a dose of algicide for fuel will eliminate that problem if it is there.

One thing you don't want to do is let the tractor sit for too long before this gets sorted out, otherwise the water will attack the fuel pump and injectors. Rust in there is a very bad (read expensive) thing.

Good luck,

Sean

hence the reason I outlined steps to take. one was to blow out the line to tank. There been tooo many posts here about crap in line or tank inlet causing power issues. just get er done- drain, replace, blow, fresh fuel and drive.

 

[DiezNutz]

To expand on what some of the others have touched on, regarding how Diesel goes bad in the first place...

Diesel fuel absorbs moisture right out of the air, as well as from condensation, or any other convenient water source (the term is "hygroscopic"). The problem is accelerated by high humidity and repeated warm/cool temperature cycles in the storage location (e.g., as in an unheated shed).

Diesel is more hygroscopic than gasoline, and it also naturally wants to biodegrade. You can sometimes get away with storing gasoline for long periods of time, but not Diesel (especially not with fuel stabilizers formulated for Diesel storage). Diesel (like gas) is also seasonal in its formulation.

It isn't directly the water in the fuel that threatens corrosion, but the water makes the fuel that much more attractive to microbes that are present in the fuel. Bacteria eat the fuel and "poop" waste contaminants including acids that are corrosive to the entire fuel system, and fungi typically are responsible for sliming up your filters and lines. I'm not big on biocide, because while it does kill the organisms, it doesn't get their remains out of the fuel, and you typically still have slime problems to deal with.

Many people new to handling/storing Diesel fuel don't realize these things at first.

Tips to avoid problems in the first place:
- Plan on using the Diesel you buy in a timely manner; don't let it sit around for more than a few months. (especially without stabilizer)
- Never let your Diesel tractor sit unused for long periods of time (especially without stabilizer)
- Keep your fuel containers clean and never store them on the ground. In a drywalled, climate-controlled building is ideal, but do what you can. Try to not to let them sit partially full - either keep them full, or empty.
- Use an additive (goes double for cold climate). If nothing else, PowerService is cheap and widely available - even at WallyWorld. I like to put my additives in the containers when I fill them, then they're premixed and ready to go.

Might've missed something, but that's about the long & short of it.

 

[farmgirlky]

Thanks everybody! My tractor was just carted off by a Kubota dealer mechanic. When talking to him on the phone (after being educated by all your posts), he mentioned everything you guys said, so I feel good about sending it to him. And it just so happened that he was delivering a tractor on my very road today (I'm 40 miles from the dealership). So it was kismet. I will follow all your guidelines for protecting my fuel, but I'm pretty certain that the fuel was bad when I got it, since I bought it at a place of questionable repute and I don't tend to let diesel sit for long. But it's still very good information to have. Thanks again for all your help.

 

[texasjohn]

Whenever your tractor no longer runs, it's a terrible pain.
I bet when you get it back it'll be running just fine and you'll put in some fine seat time. Let us know how it goes!

 

[rdsaustintx]

Whenever your tractor no longer runs, it's a terrible pain.

So very true.

Oh, that some other things in my life were nearly as reliable (and damage tolerant) as the Kubota.

 

[Chilly807]

The great thing, and sometimes the bad thing too, is that with a group of people this size and with such diverse backgrounds, is that at least a couple of us have had the same problems you have before.

For instance, I work with diesel fuel injection systems and governors 40 hours a week, and have for 25 years. I'm not much good with electrical, but there's someone else here who is, same with hydraulics.

The only tricky part is trying to figure out who knows what they're talking about and who doesn't. Free advice costs nothing and sometimes is worth just that.

Glad to hear you're on the road back to diesel health, fuel quality is something we don't have much control over. I try to buy at a station where I know they have a lot of turnover, but there's no guarantee it's going to be good.

Sean

 

[farmgirlky]

Update: I got the tractor back late last week, and it seemed to be running much more smoothly, but I didn't have time to mow with it long enough to find out if it was truly fixed. Finally today my neighbor borrowed it to mow a pasture, and he said it made it about 20 minutes before it started losing power and dying. After it starts that, it continues to lose power even with the mower turned off. So I put in a call to the mechanic and asked him what he did. He said he drained it, and replaced BOTH filters. So he's coming back tomorrow. Any advice?

 

[MarkV]

I'll be interested to hear if it runs better after sitting a bit. If so I'll bet there is junk in the tank that is blocking the fuel outtake when you are running and it has some suction. Often after sitting the obstruction will float and all will be fine for a little while. Sorry the fix didn't work. It sounds like they did what they should.

MarkV