This is going to be a long one. Pictures are attached. It's a 2012 with the 4045HL481 engine.
About a week ago, our tractor started to throw code 1347.07 very insistent. That code came on occasionally in the past, but went away again. But not this time. The message also says to change fuel filters or call dealer.
I planned to change the oil and filters already to have the tractor ready for the winter. I changed the fuel filters and started to drive a few more posts in the ground before winter. It kept throwing the code all day long, ran a bit odd. When I got on the road in the evening to bring back the pounder, it took about 3 km to get to speed and had slow throttle response. The Command Center showed a fuel consumption of more than 27 liters per hour. Apparently it delivered all the fuel possible to the cylinders but the engine was still struggling.
The next morning, before I had to leave for work, I called the dealer. They looked up their books and suggested the fuel rail pressure sensor.
There is no test procedure for it, no manual testing with a gauge or ohmmeter.
But I was also told that I could run the tractor without doing any harm to the engine. This was my biggest concern, the wife and son had to feed the cows while I was gone.
The next evening, a former neighbor showed up at our door. He ran off the road in a trail through the bush. Son wanted to pull him out but big Johnny wouldn't start.
Our son is in his first year of apprenticeship as a heavy diesel mechanic. He can swing a wrench, sometimes better than me if they get bigger.
I looked up the online parts catalog and could guide him to the sensor. The dealer had the sensor in stock, $500 later, the tractor still wouldn't start.
Next step in the service manual suggests the suction control valve and pressure relief valve to be changed at the same time. Those parts were also at the dealer and son and wife went to pick them up. About $1600.
He was able to change the pressure relief valve but the control valve was the wrong one. It wasn't only too long, but the internals seemed different to some images online. He left it untouched and quit for the day. Now it was Saturday evening and freaking cold and chilly.
On Sunday, our neighbor helped us out to feed the cows. Thanks to them at this point.
On Monday, my wife returned the valve and the parts staff had a hard time to find the proper one. This time they had to order. They rushed it in and was available on Wednesday. In the meantime, I came home and picked it up myself. While still at the parts counter, I opened the box and found a long version again. The longer valve would interfere with the primary fuel filter. They had no option to specifically order the short version.
After a long discussion with the parts and service staff, they made a request to John Deere. I had some other stuff to do and returned after an hour and they had the answer from John Deere.
Spacers for the fuel filter bracket were needed to move the filters further out. They were ordered and on the way by the time I got there. Expected to arrive the next morning. $22 a piece.
Somewhere along the troubleshooting, we confirmed fuel flow to the injection pump and power to the suction control valve. Some problems were reported about collapsing fuel lines at some of these tractors. I had the electric lift pump running for a while, pumping the fuel into a cherry can where I could watch the flow.
Finally I got things put back together yesterday and she fired right up. She ran fine without the symptoms previously noticed. I didn't run her on the road yet, it was late in the evening.
Even when it was a kind of a struggle, the staff did know how to solve the problem. I'm not really happy about the failure but glad she's running again. It seems like those parts were changed before. I got the tractor with about 1300 hours, now she's around 3000.
About a week ago, our tractor started to throw code 1347.07 very insistent. That code came on occasionally in the past, but went away again. But not this time. The message also says to change fuel filters or call dealer.
I planned to change the oil and filters already to have the tractor ready for the winter. I changed the fuel filters and started to drive a few more posts in the ground before winter. It kept throwing the code all day long, ran a bit odd. When I got on the road in the evening to bring back the pounder, it took about 3 km to get to speed and had slow throttle response. The Command Center showed a fuel consumption of more than 27 liters per hour. Apparently it delivered all the fuel possible to the cylinders but the engine was still struggling.
The next morning, before I had to leave for work, I called the dealer. They looked up their books and suggested the fuel rail pressure sensor.
There is no test procedure for it, no manual testing with a gauge or ohmmeter.
But I was also told that I could run the tractor without doing any harm to the engine. This was my biggest concern, the wife and son had to feed the cows while I was gone.
The next evening, a former neighbor showed up at our door. He ran off the road in a trail through the bush. Son wanted to pull him out but big Johnny wouldn't start.
Our son is in his first year of apprenticeship as a heavy diesel mechanic. He can swing a wrench, sometimes better than me if they get bigger.
I looked up the online parts catalog and could guide him to the sensor. The dealer had the sensor in stock, $500 later, the tractor still wouldn't start.
Next step in the service manual suggests the suction control valve and pressure relief valve to be changed at the same time. Those parts were also at the dealer and son and wife went to pick them up. About $1600.
He was able to change the pressure relief valve but the control valve was the wrong one. It wasn't only too long, but the internals seemed different to some images online. He left it untouched and quit for the day. Now it was Saturday evening and freaking cold and chilly.
On Sunday, our neighbor helped us out to feed the cows. Thanks to them at this point.
On Monday, my wife returned the valve and the parts staff had a hard time to find the proper one. This time they had to order. They rushed it in and was available on Wednesday. In the meantime, I came home and picked it up myself. While still at the parts counter, I opened the box and found a long version again. The longer valve would interfere with the primary fuel filter. They had no option to specifically order the short version.
After a long discussion with the parts and service staff, they made a request to John Deere. I had some other stuff to do and returned after an hour and they had the answer from John Deere.
Spacers for the fuel filter bracket were needed to move the filters further out. They were ordered and on the way by the time I got there. Expected to arrive the next morning. $22 a piece.
Somewhere along the troubleshooting, we confirmed fuel flow to the injection pump and power to the suction control valve. Some problems were reported about collapsing fuel lines at some of these tractors. I had the electric lift pump running for a while, pumping the fuel into a cherry can where I could watch the flow.
Finally I got things put back together yesterday and she fired right up. She ran fine without the symptoms previously noticed. I didn't run her on the road yet, it was late in the evening.
Even when it was a kind of a struggle, the staff did know how to solve the problem. I'm not really happy about the failure but glad she's running again. It seems like those parts were changed before. I got the tractor with about 1300 hours, now she's around 3000.
