Broken BX headlamp module

[roma3112]

Hi folks
I have a 1yo bx 24(under warranty) I was mowing a few hours ago and I noticed that the left side headlamp module was loose. I stop mowing open the hood and the whole headlamp assy is broken. Now first off I have never hit anything and there is not a mark on the headlamp indicating any impact damage. Nearest I can tell the vibration has caused stress cracks causing the failure. Every attachment point for the module has sheared off clean.
I called the dealer and they say they never have seen a failure of such kind, and dont want to cover the repair! I know on the bk22's nearly every strap for the aircleaners broke and that was steel on steel. MY bx hood at idle shakes like every bx does and you can just see how the headlamps could have such a failure. I was wondering if any of you have ever had or heard of such a failure. Also I am wondering what my next step would be if my dealer wont cover the repair? How would I contact kubota if that be the case.


thanks for any imput
pics avail if that would help.

 

[Jabroni]

I've not heard of this, but I can tell you that mine is broken too. In myu case, a stump I was moving fell backwards, and smacked the headlight module on the way down breaking it almost completely in two. I can tell you that it's very expensive, on the order of two hundred dollars. I can also tell you that glue is very cheap!

 

[timswi]

That is strange...My BX is 6 years old and never ad anything like that happen, or anything else for that matter. Manufacturing defect perhaps. I'd call Kubota and bypass the dealer if they won't cooperate.

 

[redharley]

I'd try your dealer one more time maybe with headlight module in hand. then if no help I would email a few pic's and your story to Kubota. Then as said before there are a lot of really good glues out there for plastic part's. Good luck

 

[douce48]

Here's my headlight assy. story.

I had the hood latch on my BX snap right off clean about halfway up. No idea how because I extremely careful with all my equipment (just because it's too costly to replace).

There's no way to repair it other than possibly PVC welding which probably won't hold. So I opted to replace the hood. When I got the tractor back from the dealer, I noticed that the headlight assy. was broken in half but mounted back on the tractor so it "looked" like nothing was wrong. Now when the tractor went to the dealer, I handed the headlight assy. to him since I was already going for a defective radiator. I had the side panels off and the headlight assy. already off when I was doing the troubleshooting for the radiator.
So I KNOW they did it. I didn't even bother calling them. So much of the plastic has been replaced, I'm just used to it.

So I used 5 minute epoxy to repair it. I put epoxy on the two halves and as I pressed them together, I put more epoxy around the broken area to act like a weld bead (all at the same time).
It actually worked real well.

Good luck repairing/replacing it. If it was steel, it would be SO much easier to fix.

Love the tractor. Hate the plastic.

Douce

 

[Grantslicker]

YES Roma, I have this issue!
I am on my 3rd headlight assembly and its cracked as well. It starts at the bolt between the headlights and then just starts cracking out from there. The first time I put together a power point presentation with a bunch of photos comparing the BX1850 to the BX1860 and sent it to my dealer who past it along up the chain of command at Kubota. In my presentation I highlighted that they made the hood and fenders metal on the BX1860 (and they note this as a selling point in the literature), they changed to way the headlight assembly mounts to the hood utilizing springs. So they sent me an entire hood and headlight assembly free of charge. Well a year later the headlights again were cracked and ready to fall out and so this time (3rd time) they wouldnt help me and I had to buy my own headlights. Now 2 months later they are cracking! I am not happy! This tractor runs great but the plastic parts are absolute junk!
Funny thing, there is a guy that lives 10 minutes from me and he has the same issue and the dealer told him the same thing that they told you and me; "we have't seen that issue with anywhere else"
The pastic used on the headlights is just not flexible and cannot withstand the vibrations of the diesel starting and stopping.
I smell a cover up.
Has your issue been resolved?
If I can find enough owners with this issue I may talk to a lawyer regarding a class action lawsuit.

 

[ray66v]

Someone reported this problem once before.

I would suggest you get some aluminum foil tape, put the light in the hole, and put some foil tape on the inside of the hood, to hold the light in place.

That will last forever, as long as you clean everything, before you apply the tape.

If you do a nice neat job, it won't even be very noticeable.

 

[Grantslicker]

yea, that and some duct tape will fix it good.
Its a $10,000 tractor with an engineering flaw.

check out the attachment.

 

[ray66v]

yea, that and some duct tape will fix it good.
Its a $10,000 tractor with an engineering flaw.

check out the attachment.

If that's it, that's not the problem I was thinking of.

It sucks but it happens. I will trade you my $2,000 problem on a $16,000 tractor.

 

[Goosen1]

yea, that and some duct tape will fix it good.
Its a $10,000 tractor with an engineering flaw.

check out the attachment.

I would call that a manufacturer problem. Call Kubota with that problem.