Warranty issue dispute with Kubota - Advice anyone

[BTDT2]

What if we change the situation a little. Suppose that the originally purchaser - an older gent - was laid up with some injury or such. It's looking grim.
In the meanwhile his wife and daughters are trying to keep things together. They don't have much experience with machinery because that was what the OP did while they ran the other parts of the family business. But they are determined to learn, he kept good records, and the regular maintenance was up to date. So in the evenings there is time to study the operating manuals.....

Give a warranty exception for "wife and daughters" not having much experience using a tractor.....sounds a tad 'sexist' to me. Are all 'husbands and sons' mechanically gifted? The engine seized at least twice and 'he' chose to ignore it, and operate the engine at full RPM until it seized again, and again.

 

[sd455dan]

No causal part, no claim. Your fantasy does not include a part that failed due to a manufacturing defect.

Sure would help to SEE a Picture of the Hose/tube that leaked...

Damage is Damage manufacturing Defect is a manufacturing Defect the Lack of pictures , well that makes me think...

 

[hawkeye08]

I am wondering if the radiator was full when the OP got the tractor?? What if the defect was there from manufacturing and the antifreeze drained out before he got it? Many of us are sure that we would have noticed something, but if don't know about antifreeze smell and it has smelled that way since it was brand new, how would you know something was wrong?

When I was a teenager, Pa often said, "if you can't figure it out, perhaps you should take it to town and pay someone to think for you?" or a variation of that depending on what I was working on.. I service my own stuff still today, know my way around my toolboxes pretty well.

If I don't know something (for example, what causes my tractor to run 15 minutes and then stop until it cools down before it will start again), I get on the internet and search. I usually can find a forum with folks offering opinions and often youtube videos showing something in detail.

Too bad the TBN crowd didn't respond more the first thread, many of us would have opinions on what is going on...

 

[RickB]

1. How old is it? 1,200 hrs could be a 2014 or 2020.
2. How did it get a hole in the tube? And where in the tube?

1. I have owned it for two years - Bought it new
2. Dealer says it was in a small tube beneath the engine. Not sure what the tube function is. I assume some sort of return or sensing tube. No idea how it was caused. Could have been a stick hitting it.

Thanks

Sure would help to SEE a Picture of the Hose/tube that leaked...

This is as close as we get to a photo. All indications are the Kubota dealer agreed with the assessment of the OP.

 

[ovrszd]

I am wondering if the radiator was full when the OP got the tractor?? What if the defect was there from manufacturing and the antifreeze drained out before he got it? Many of us are sure that we would have noticed something, but if don't know about antifreeze smell and it has smelled that way since it was brand new, how would you know something was wrong?

Two year old tractor with 1,200 hours on the clock didn't start low on coolant. This problem came on relatively suddenly, not strung out over 1,200 hours of use.

 

[rScotty]

Where did you get this? What does it have to do with the situation being discussed?

The original question has become a debate as to who is responsible for this engine failure. Here are the main two sides of the arguement in a nutshell:

One group believes that a tractor that has a temperature guage that can indicate normal temperature while the engine is actually overheating is failure of original warning system design and also not explained in the operator manual. If true, that would argue that it should be a warranty issue that is the esponsibility of the manufacturer/dealer.

Others argue that because the tractor was running but clearly not running correctly (smell, sound, irrratic firing) then it should have been obvious to any operator that if he keeps operating it then damage will follow in spite of the warning gauges showing normal values.
And therefore the owner should be the one responsibile for the engine damage rather than the responsibility tractor manufacturer or dealer.

I don't think that the responsibility is as clear cut as some do. I think that there is some responsibility on both sides, but that is not how most opinions are formed... and our legal/warranty system doesn't work well with shared responsibility. Our society likes absolutes.

So both sides have been arguing their case. I think I'm right in saying that the popular way of sensing a temperature failure has a problem that should have been rectified decades ago - and this is a good chance to make some noise and get it fixed.

Many others feel differently. They feel the operator should have known to shut down to prevent damage.

Right now I'd say that my perspective is in the minority.
rScotty

 

[sd455dan]

This is as close as we get to a photo. All indications are the Kubota dealer agreed with the assessment of the OP.

Just an observation on an antifreeze/ coolant tube.

Dealer says it was in a small tube beneath the engine.



The Only thing that even makes sense to me would be a Turbo Coolant Supply/Return Line.??

If a cab model I guess heater core possibility also?

If it is actually under the engine .

If so reminds me of Mahindra and the Models that hang the oil filter in a Very vulnerable place.

If I owned this model I would inspect it right now for Vunerability

If I worked in the Sticks and making some kind of shield to protect it.

lot of Ifs

 

[Trillium Farm]

There is no excuse for ignorance! As much as I feel for the OP it was his ignorance about mechanical equipment that caused the failure, his failure to check, his failure to stop when the engine refused to operate till cooled down, etc. If anything, one could infer, from all the abuse the tractor received, that Kubotas engines are very robust and under a different "management" the damage could have been avoided.

 

[5030]

Just an observation on an antifreeze/ coolant tube.

Dealer says it was in a small tube beneath the engine.



The Only thing that even makes sense to me would be a Turbo Coolant Supply/Return Line.??

If a cab model I guess heater core possibility also?

If it is actually under the engine .

If so reminds me of Mahindra and the Models that hang the oil filter in a Very vulnerable place.

If I owned this model I would inspect it right now for Vunerability

If I worked in the Sticks and making some kind of shield to protect it.

lot of Ifs

Kubota turbochargers are all oil cooled and lubricated. It was the feed line for the fuel cooler which is an essential part of the common rail injection system. Furthermore, Kubota does build a robust engine wit the exception of the head. Head gasket failure is a common Kubota issue especially when the engine is overheated.

No if's in my view. Distills down to lack of being observant and allowing an issue to become a major one. I exclusively run Kubota's on my farm. Never had a mechaincal related issue with either of them

 

[RickB]

Just an observation on an antifreeze/ coolant tube.

Dealer says it was in a small tube beneath the engine.



The Only thing that even makes sense to me would be a Turbo Coolant Supply/Return Line.??

If a cab model I guess heater core possibility also?

If it is actually under the engine .

If so reminds me of Mahindra and the Models that hang the oil filter in a Very vulnerable place.

If I owned this model I would inspect it right now for Vunerability

If I worked in the Sticks and making some kind of shield to protect it.

lot of Ifs

The most likely tube is called out in the parts diagram several pages back.