4052R Over Heating

[LouieJunior]

Background: 2 weeks ago, after mowing a few hours, I got the "Engine Over Heat" warning on the dash. I quit mowing and put the tractor in the barn.

I have never experienced this before. The coolant level was fine as was the engine oil level. I wondered if the air filters were dirty, so I purchased and replaced both the primary and secondary air filters.

Yesterday, I mowed some more -- paying close attention to the temp gauge. I began mowing areas which have already been mowed (shorter grass) and the temperature indication was normal. BTW, I am cutting with a 73" Flail Mower. I then began to mow long, waist high grass which hasn't been cut this year. After 15 minutes, the temp rose again, ultimately generating the warning and prompting me to quit.

Is it normal to overheat so easily -- or is there some other maintenance issue I should look for?

 

[RjCorazza]

Very likely that the radiator is clogged up with grass, chaff, and dust. Try blowing it out with air or a garden hose.

 

[beenthere]

Water just makes mud if using the hose. Blow the dust and chaff out with an air hose first, at least.

Clogged radiator probably is the culprit.

 

[Roadworthy]

I agree it's probably airflow through the radiator but when blowing or rinsing it out apply the air or water pressure from the engine side of the radiator to flush everything out the way it came in. Blowing from the front can drive dust and chaff deeper. If you have a screen in front of the radiator (many tractors do) be sure to clean it, too.

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

Flails, IMO, not the best for waist high thick grass. Check your radiator for clogging with grass debris. If no difference, put your shredder back on.

 

[TCowner]

A friend of mine was experiencing the same engine overheating warning on his 4066R. It ended up being a faulty sensor. Since it was replaced he has had no issue.

 

[3gunr]

I was brushhogging last weekend and noticed the temp guage was higher than normal, Popped the hood and radiator screen was caked with crud , Blew out with air and temps went right back to normal, Really need to keep that radiator clean.

 

[mo1]

Background: 2 weeks ago, after mowing a few hours, I got the "Engine Over Heat" warning on the dash. I quit mowing and put the tractor in the barn.

I have never experienced this before. The coolant level was fine as was the engine oil level. I wondered if the air filters were dirty, so I purchased and replaced both the primary and secondary air filters.

Yesterday, I mowed some more -- paying close attention to the temp gauge. I began mowing areas which have already been mowed (shorter grass) and the temperature indication was normal. BTW, I am cutting with a 73" Flail Mower. I then began to mow long, waist high grass which hasn't been cut this year. After 15 minutes, the temp rose again, ultimately generating the warning and prompting me to quit.

Is it normal to overheat so easily -- or is there some other maintenance issue I should look for?

The most likely cause is chaff built up on your grille or on the radiator. Shredding tall grass at least around here releases a ton of chaff and I generally have to go clean off the grill and the radiator every few hours when doing this or the temp gauge will climb. A leaf blower is an excellent tool to blow chaff out of equipment.

The second most likely cause is that the flail mower made the tractor work hard for a long period of time and it simply got overheated due to this. Slowing down or mowing at a higher cut height would fix that issue.

Other causes like a malfunctioning sensor or thermostat are much less likely than the previous two.

 

[LouieJunior]

Thanks all for your input... I do think it is a combination of debris buildup and overworking the machine. The flail mower does get bogged down in tall, thick grass. This weekend, I will attach the Woods rotary cutter and see if the tractor performs better -- keeping close watch on the temp.

 

[Brown Dog]

I had a 4720 open station that kept running hot.
Radiator wasn’t stopped up & blowing / washing it out didn’t help.
I removed the thermostat & it ran normal from that day on.