Smoke, rough running and no power above an idle

[BubbaBillyBob]

All--

I have a Mahindra 5545, 4wd. Today, it ran very well earlier, but when I started it to do a little backhoe work it began smoking from the exhaust and running very rough and would not produce any power. This happened a couple of years ago, as well. Back then, I had made up my mind to haul it to the dealer for repair. The next day when I started it up to load it on the trailer, it ran perfectly and has ever since . . . until today.

I am not a diesel mechanic. The limit of my abilities with the engine are changing oil, oil filter, fuel filter and air filters. I attributed the "self healing" to crud in the fuel filter. That's a guess.

Here is a short video demonstrating the problem. Will you please give me your diagnosis?

Thanks!

--Bill

 

[kenmbz]

Did you check for algae in the tank or water?

 

[BubbaBillyBob]

Ken--

No. I will. I am not sure how to do that. The machine lives in the garage and is never in the rain, however.

Thank you for the suggestion.
--Bill

 

[kenmbz]

Do you have a clear "bowl" where the gas filter sits?

 

[oldnslo]

I would also pull the air filter and look for any obstructions in the intake. Lack of air would also make it smoke and run rough.

 

[JJT]

Does your Mahindra have an EGR valve? Those are the symptoms my neighbor had with his Mahindra. It took several service calls then finally a new EGR and a software update to correct the problem.

I was convinced it was a fuel filter or air filter problem.

 

[BubbaBillyBob]

Ken and oldnslo and JJT--

Ken, my machine does not have a clear bowl where the diesel fuel filter sits.

oldnslo, good call on the air filter. Thanks.

JJT, I do not know if it has an EGR valve. Time to break out the manual.

But, I do have an update . . .

The weather is good, so I was going to leave the tractor and big skid steer (Komatsu 1020-5 Turbo) outside tonight. Then I checked the forecast again at 10pm just to make sure. Now it calls for rain around 4am. So I decided to bring the tractor and Komatsu in. The Komatsu always cranks instantly and it did this time, as well. One down. Problem child to go. The tractor started right up, as I expected. I knew I could limp it into the garage bay in which both live. I expected it to start spitting and smoking as soon as I brought the throttle up.

It didn't. So I cranked it up well past 1500 rpm. Smooth as a top.

It is not quite time to change the filters, yet. But I will check the air filter for sure.

Thank you for the help! I appreciate it!

--Bill

 

[jyoutz]

Sounds like a fuel contamination problem to me.

 

[thepumpguysc]

“Not time”.??
ANYTIME u get a pump/running problem IS TIME to change the filters..

 

[Monster5601]

“Not time”.??
ANYTIME u get a pump/running problem IS TIME to change the filters..

I don't think firing the "parts canon" is the best way to try and fix an issue that has yet to be understood. Since this has happened before, root cause the issue first. Could be a filter issue but may not be.

OP. The previous time this happened, did the dealer leave any helpful notes on the work order?

 

[thepumpguysc]

A filter is a maintenance item and never replaced until there’s a problem..
U can’t tell what’s going into the tank unless u filter it while it’s going in..
And there’s no telling how long it sat.. or the quality of it..
Parts cannon.. the filter is the least costly item on the machine.!!

 

[BubbaBillyBob]

jyoutz and thepumpguysc and Monster5601--

Forgive me for taking so long to respond. Busy with "stuff", all good.

jyoutz, you may well be correct. I haven't had a chance to touch it again after I stuck it in the garage.

thepumpguysc, I need more data! But, I agree that any time is a good time if the problem points one in that direction. So far, this problem hasn't done that for me, yet.

Monster5601, the previous time the problem happened I shut it down and the next day when I restarted it the problem was no longer present. That was about two years ago. (The dealer was not involved.) In that time, I've changed the oil and fuel and air filters.

To recap: When I cranked it up last night to put it up before the rain, it ran perfectly. When I get a chance--probably tomorrow--I will check the air filters before I crank it up. If I remember correctly, one of the air filters can be cleaned.

Thank all of you for your comments and help. I'll be baaack.

--Bill

 

[tacticalturnip]

I'm quite curious as to what the problem is, especially given that it seems to resolve itself...

Seriously though, it seems like you've had solid luck with the machine, you've kept up on maintenance, and have had an overall positive experience with Mahindra- so this mystery is rather intriguing.

 

[BubbaBillyBob]

tacticalturnip--

Yes, I have had good luck with it. It is solid, no plastic; 5567lbs without an implement. But I am worried about parts supply. My former dealer--back in Kansas--dropped Mahindra because he said that dealing with Mahindra corporate was a nightmare. There may have been other reasons which I was not told. That happened almost three years ago. To date, I have not found another dealer.

My most used implement is the frame-mounted backhoe. We have 80 acres which was completely undeveloped when we built the house here, deep in the Ozarks. It is rocky. What a vast understatement! Only about 30 of our 80 acres is level, the remainder is composed of beautiful bluffs and cliffs with a very nice, very rough canyon in which there are many springs. The house sits on top of a cliff and a bluff that runs the full half-mile length of the property.

I used--and still use--the backhoe to thin the forest out on the cliff side of the driveway where the view is magnificent. I discovered very early on in my backhoe self-ed that a large stump and root ball are much easier to take out if the tree is still attached! I've also dug almost a thousand feet of ditches for water, power and sewer for neighbors.

I have a heavy-duty brush hog, which sees very little use . . . again, other than for neighbors. Next to the backhoe, my 7' box blade is also used extensively on the mile and a half long driveway, which was originally a logging "road."

Thank you for thinking about my problem, which I think may turn out to be trivial; probably filter-based.

--Bill

 

[Will S]

Bill, I don't believe in firing the "parts cannon" at a problem either, but inspecting (and replacing) filters should be part of diagnosis/troubleshooting process. If you have to remove your fuel filter to inspect it, you might as well put a new one on; it's no more work than putting a used one back on, and who knows what lurks in the pleats of the used one, unless you cut it open.

Checking the air filter(s) should also be part of your diagnosing, since a rodent could have built a nest, restricting air-flow to your engine, which is bad (for the engine) fuel/air mixture, and that could become a problem for the injectors.

If the fuel tank has a draincock, I would drain some fuel into a clear container, and have a close look. Bad fuel, algae, water contamination? How do you know unless you inspect.

 

[BubbaBillyBob]

Will S--

Good suggestions all. Thank you.

I would never remove a fuel or oil filter and put the old one back on.

We definitely have those rodents you mentioned! Draining some fuel is a good idea, thanks again.

--Bill

 

[priberc]

All--

I have a Mahindra 5545, 4wd. Today, it ran very well earlier, but when I started it to do a little backhoe work it began smoking from the exhaust and running very rough and would not produce any power. This happened a couple of years ago, as well. Back then, I had made up my mind to haul it to the dealer for repair. The next day when I started it up to load it on the trailer, it ran perfectly and has ever since . . . until today.

I am not a diesel mechanic. The limit of my abilities with the engine are changing oil, oil filter, fuel filter and air filters. I attributed the "self healing" to crud in the fuel filter. That's a guess.

Here is a short video demonstrating the problem. Will you please give me your diagnosis?

Thanks!

--Bill

"
This happened a couple of years ago, as well. Back then, I had made up my mind to haul it to the dealer for repair. The next day when I started it up to load it on the trailer, it ran perfectly and has ever since . . . until today.'
Reading that has me thinking shut off/fuel solenoid not opening all the way. An easy check would be to see if you are getting the needed amps to the solenoid.
That said another poster questioned the EGR valve and that is a real possibility too.

 

[Dozernut]

Sounds like bad fuel, water or contamination. Change filters and fuel and see what happens.

 

[bearthebruce]

We run a Massey - not a Mahindra... last spring, I dumped 5 gal of diesel into the machine and it started doing exactly what is described here. It was bad fuel - it had been given to us because the guy who had it no longer had a diesel generator and he didn't know what to do with the 5 gal of fuel.

I flushed all the fuel, drained all the fuel from the filters and bowl, changed the filter, and put in fresh fuel. Once the bad stuff cleared the injection pump, my white smoke and all that was gone. Or so I thought.
Couple hours later, the smoke and loss of power happened again. Seems I left a small amount of the bad stuff in the tank. Once that blew out, I have put near a 100 hours on her with no more issues.

Used the bad diesel as fire starter.. amazing how the fire starts easy like one would expect with diesel and then all of a sudden a huge big Whoosh. I wonder if the guy who gave us the diesel dumped some gas in that diesel.

Lesson learned: get your own diesel! Don't take donations!

(Guy denies he mixed anything in that can but his face tells me he is not telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth...)

 

[RancherGuy]

Good suggestions all. Thank you.

When I have a rough running diesel or one that does not do full rpm or power, every time it has turned out to be a fuel issue. Based on my experiences, this is a list of quick points I go through.

1) How long since the fuel filter was replaced? More frequent change is required if there is algae or dirt/debris in the tank. You'd be surprised how much contamination occurs if a fill cap is missing for a short while or if it is windy and dusty when filling. I also ran into an algae problem from older fuel in my storage tank, then my supplier started adding more algaecide/algicide to their product.

2) Is there water in the fuel filter? Most have a drain to test without removal. Drain into glass jar to see what comes out. Water is normally introduced from tank condensation, but could be from the fuel source. Sometimes if the excess water quantity is limited, water will be burned as white vapor (steam) then the engine may return to running well for a while, only putting off the problem.

3) Are fuel lines and clamps/fittings healthy? I have seen OEM flexible/rubber fuel lines deteriorate to the point where the lines start to be "wet" where they are under some pressure. But what about killed my patience was when all of the bad lines were replaced and I threw up my hands in disappointment and confusion - then I realized that some lines were under vacuum and were allowing air to be circulated in the lines and through the injector.

4) Is there a fuel pump that circulates fuel to make filtered fuel available to the injector? Most diesels may be this way. If so, test the output from that electric pump by letting the output line flow into a jug. Once I had one what worked when I turned the key, then didn't work when I turned the key, then was sporadic when I turned the key -- replacement solved that problem.