2910 Steering problem

Alan L. · Jun 14, 2001

I'm sure Kubota will tell you that you are the first to have the problem just like I am (and others). Next Tuesday a Kubota field service tech is meeting my tractor (2710) at my dealer. They said the will try to duplicate the problem and then figure out what the problem is.

It hasn't been as hot as when the serious problem came up, but after mowing an hour I can put it in high range and drive around and it starts acting up. I'll post the results.

Alan L., TX

ronjhall · Jun 22, 2001

Cut the lawn again yesterday. Had no problems with steering./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif Temperature was low 70's and light rain./w3tcompact/icons/tongue.gif Checked temperature of tractor at several different places. Found it was about 180 degrees. Dealer is still waiting for Kubota to setup a visit. I'm disappointed with Alan L. not getting his tractor repaired. When dealer had my tractor last year trying to make problem show up he only ran engine at 2000 rpm to cut his lawn. I don't think this will get tractor or oil hot enough to make problem happen. I don't remember the temperature that day. I live about 5 miles from dealer. He drives by my place every day going to and from his home. Hope to get him to stop by one day when tractor is having steering problem.

StoneHeartFarm · Jun 22, 2001

I don't know if this will help much, but I remember reading about a test of mile marker hydraulic winches. They run off the power steering pump on 4x4's. They tested against the electric winches, pulling a full sized 4x4 up a steep hill. They reported a problem with the power steering pump overheating and burning the power steering fluid. Does your fluid smell/look burned? The fix they used was to install a power steering cooler off a police car. Again, I don't know if this helps, but if overheating is the problem, you've gotta find a way to cool it. Maybe you could figure out a way to test by getting the steering to act up and then cooling the fluid to see if that helps.

SHF

ronjhall · Jun 22, 2001

Steve
Thanks for the response. The power steering pump is on the same suction line as the main hydraulic pump. Since all the oil is drawn from the same place it would be hard to add a cooler to the power steering only. I don't know what the temperature limit is for Kubota Super UDT. But I think it is well above 200 degrees. The oil does not smell or look burnt. It is almost as clear as what comes out of a new container. My tractor is still under warranty for another year. I hope somebody finds a fix before that time is up

Alan L. · Jun 23, 2001

I picked up my tractor today. Since it was there already I had them change the engine oil and filter. When I went to pay they said there was no charge. The dealer ate the cost of it with no help from Kubota.

They told me the hottest my hydraulic fluid got to as 122 or 125 degrees.

I mowed about an hour tonight, but the temp was below 80 and I had no problems. When it gets hot (a pretty good bet here in Texas) it will act up, and I might have to mow half the county while waiting for someone to come witness the steering problem.

One of 2 things will happen. Kubota will fix the tractor and I will be a Kubota customer for the next 30 years, or I will trade for a JD4200. Might even upgrade to a 4300.

Alan L., TX

ronjhall · Jun 23, 2001

Alan:
Talked to the dealer yesterday. I had printed out 22 pages of posts on the power steering problem posted here on Tractorbynet. He faxed them to Kubota at their request. It sounds like they are interested in solving the problem. They have been talking to Kubota engineers in California. I'm hoping a resolution is found soon. Next week temperatures are supposed to be in the 80 again. Dealer and I are going to arrange my cutting lawn with his trip home. Hopefully steering acts up.
We discussed temperature. The highest temp I have been able to get so far is 190 degrees. This is at a fitting. I would guess that the oil temp is hotter than that. It bothers me when we are complaining about a heat problem that dealer or Kubota will run a test and not get oil and tractor hot enough to get anywhere near the temperatures that we get when using tractor under normal conditions. If this is how Kubota ran the test. The Feild Sevice Rep. should find himself setting in front of the District Manager explaining why the test was not properly run to make problem appear. The 120-degree temperature is what the WSM calls for when setting the hydraulic system.
I'm in the Field Service business. One of the most rewarding things about solving a problem is listening to what the customer is saying and using it to solve a problem. I have been documenting most of what I have found with my tractor here on Tractorbynet. I couldn't remember if my tractor ever had a problem at temperatures below 80 degrees. It had, but that was before oil had been changed at 50 hours. This information was in one of my post.
I don't plan on changing tractors to solve this problem. But I do find that Kubota does not appear to have as good away of solving customer relation problems as some of the other brands. My dealer is very concerned about solving this problem.

glennmac · Jun 23, 2001

As a lawyer, I tend not to participate in any threads involving legal issues because, quite frankly, I go tractoring and surf the net to escape from my daily grind. Plus, I don't want to pestered with legal questions.

However, I would like to emphasize that is is important to document your problems in writing while you are having them before the warranty period expires. Letters to your dealer or Kubota can serve that purpose. So can posts on this forum. Credibility is important when documenting. You should accurately describe the problem, not exaggerate, and certainly not lie. If you are not believed, you probably will be ignored. The fact that this forum provides credible reports of the same problem from other owners of the same product should enhance the credibility of the complaining owner and cause the manufacturer to take the issue more seriously.

Good tactic, ronjhall.

MReeter · Jun 23, 2001

Ron,Alan, We previously owned a B2150 that had a hydraulic fluid cap. of about 5 gallons.Our B2710 trans. will hold 3.7 gallon.I feel like this difference in volume of fluid plus the lack of adequate cooling creates this problem in hot conditions.There is another thread about "smelling" hydro. fluid,I've smelled the fluid in our 2710 many times when the tractor has been working for a while,even though the engine temp.is just fine.I worked our 2150 very hard for close to 700 hours,and the only time I smelled the hydro. fluid is when I serviced the trans. and changed the oils.I have never experienced the steering problem that you guys have,so I really have nothing to complain about,but I can just "tell" by the "smell" that the trans oil is not as cool as it should be.

Bird · Jun 23, 2001

The highest temp I have been able to get so far is 190 degrees. This is at a fitting

The 120-degree temperature is what the WSM calls for when setting the hydraulic system.

Ron, was that 190 degrees on a hydraulic oil fitting, or are you talking about engine temperature? As you said, my WSM calls for temperature of 104 to 122 for checking the relief valve, but I've never known whether that was intended to be maximum oil temperature, or just thoroughly warmed up to test the relief valve. A couple of times, after running the tractor awhile, I've put a temperature probe into the hydraulic dipstick hole and my hydraulic oil has gotten up to about 132-134 degrees in the tank; don't know what it might have been in other parts of the system.

Bird

Von · Jun 23, 2001

Maybe all that is needed is a better oil cooler than the tubes that are there now. The B8200 that I just sold had a small cooler that was more like a radiator. I would think that a good aftermarket oil cooler would make a big change in oil temp. I don't know if the problem is caused by excess oil heat or not, but it would be worth a shot for those living in warmer areas.