redharley
Gold Member
Water or Dirt in fuel that's where you want to look.check my previous post.97.6% thats the problem
BX2230 Running Issue
- Thread starter Billy_S
- Start date
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KeithInSpace
Veteran Member
Concur. I was disheartened at first because my 'fix' didn't seem to work. As Mr. TripleR indicates, it started to abade over time rather than immediately. I haven't had any issues this entire mow season, if memory serves. I had the problem really bad the end of next year. Although mine only actually 'stalled' one time. The rest of the times, it just 'slowed'.
Yankee Clipper
Gold Member
TRiple R,
If the fuel conditiner solved it - great.
But if it does it again, take a hard look at the operator prsence system seat switch. If the bracket was bent and the plunger is not fully closed in some positons (like if you sit more on one side of the seat) possibly the switch with open and kill the power to the fuel pump solenoid.
This has been known to happen with light weight people (isn't that PC for you?) but I never have the problem myself at 250.
Might could be part of it if this happens again.
Good luck!
If the fuel conditiner solved it - great.
But if it does it again, take a hard look at the operator prsence system seat switch. If the bracket was bent and the plunger is not fully closed in some positons (like if you sit more on one side of the seat) possibly the switch with open and kill the power to the fuel pump solenoid.
This has been known to happen with light weight people (isn't that PC for you?) but I never have the problem myself at 250.
Might could be part of it if this happens again.
Good luck!
Thanks.
gwdixon
Elite Member
Could someone have added regular gas instead of diesel to the tank by accident. This problem is exactly the symptoms - unfortunately, I know.
jcaron2
Silver Member
It very well may be the OPC system, as Yankee Clipper pointed out. If that's the case, you should definitely hear the fuel stop solenoid click just as the engine dies, and then click again as it starts going again (the same click you should hear just as you turn off the tractor, then again about 15 seconds later). I think your tractor has a key-stop timer relay which sends the signal to the fuel stop solenoid. It's possible that this timer is going bad. I think you should get the exact same clicking noise if you stand up off the seat while the tractor is in gear or the PTO is engaged.
The only way, electrically speaking, to kill the engine is to energize that relay, so you'd definitely be able to hear it click if your problem was electrical in nature.
On the other hand, if it's a fuel-related issue, the tractor's electrical system will not be trying to kill the engine, so there should definitely NOT be any accompanying solenoid click when it stalls.
Hope that helps to narrow it down.
Josh
dmacneil
Bronze Member
- Joined
- Oct 28, 2008
- Messages
- 54
- Location
- Waterloo, Ontario
- Tractor
- BX25, BX42 Chipper, 54" Puma; White 20HP
I had something like this happen to me on my small tractor. With that machine my problem was that a vacuum was being created in the fuel tank as fuel was being used as the breather (in the gas cap) was filled with gunk. Air wasn't getting into the tank to replace the fuel being used. This created a vacuum and robbed the engine of fuel. It took me a long time to figure it out - almost a full season. My short-term fix: loosen the fuel cap. The longer term fix: clean out the breather hole in the cap.
Just something else simple to try.
Just something else simple to try.
megaboz
Platinum Member
Just a thought, but chase down the entire fuel line looking for soft places when it acts up. The fuel line could be closing in on it's self. THe best time to look would be when it acts up.
Also, if it is a safety switch issue, check the grounds and make sure they are good and clean. But since this is seemingly heat related, I am betting it is something in the fuel system unless there is a short that only occurs when it get's hot.
Also, if it is a safety switch issue, check the grounds and make sure they are good and clean. But since this is seemingly heat related, I am betting it is something in the fuel system unless there is a short that only occurs when it get's hot.
jruss
Bronze Member
I had an almost identical problem with my BX2200, turned out that the fuel I purchased had gasoline in it. I changed the fuel filters, fuel pump and checked electrical before just trying draning the tank and got some fuel from a helpful neighbor- problem solved. I would recomend draining the tank completely and refilling with fresh fuel from another sourse.
Billy,
Did you finally figure out your issue. I have a BX1850 that seems to have the same symptoms. I bought it used from a dealer so have no idea what the previous owner has done to it.
The tractor seem to run great and has great power but after about an hour so so it will start to drop rpms almost like I'm closing the trottle and sometimes it completely stall. As far as I can tell it's not overheating or anything and I'm not getting any click from the fuel stop which I assume means it's not a safety shut off short circuit or anything.
If I notice the drop in rpms quick enough I can usually just disengage PTO clutch and stop moving and it will sit there and idle around 900-1000 rpms for a few seconds and finally picks up again. Once it starts doing this, it then seems to do it very often. If I let the tractor sit for a bit it seems to work again for awhile (seems to depend on how long I let it sit) and then the symptoms start again. If I let it sit overnight then I can start mowing again for an hour or so until the symptoms repeat all over again.
Did you finally figure out your issue. I have a BX1850 that seems to have the same symptoms. I bought it used from a dealer so have no idea what the previous owner has done to it.
The tractor seem to run great and has great power but after about an hour so so it will start to drop rpms almost like I'm closing the trottle and sometimes it completely stall. As far as I can tell it's not overheating or anything and I'm not getting any click from the fuel stop which I assume means it's not a safety shut off short circuit or anything.
If I notice the drop in rpms quick enough I can usually just disengage PTO clutch and stop moving and it will sit there and idle around 900-1000 rpms for a few seconds and finally picks up again. Once it starts doing this, it then seems to do it very often. If I let the tractor sit for a bit it seems to work again for awhile (seems to depend on how long I let it sit) and then the symptoms start again. If I let it sit overnight then I can start mowing again for an hour or so until the symptoms repeat all over again.
megaboz
Platinum Member
I don't think your issue is anywhere near the same. The OP machines shuts down when using the throttle pedal, otherwise it runs fine.
My theory is that you may have a heat issue or a clogging issue.
I say heat because it could be getting got enough for a rubber fuel line to maybe colaspe on it'self. The fact that it seems to cool down and run better also leads me to believe it is some way related to heat.
On the clogging issue, It could be possible that the tank is not venting correctly, something in the bottom of the tank, or an obstruction in the fuel line.
Depending on how soft the fuel line is, it might be worth replacing anyway just to be sure, while a pain to replace it just might be worth the effort depending on the age of the machine.
This may also sound a bit crazy but my gas gauge seems very erractic. It seems to fluxuate a good bit when moving up and down very slight grade in my yard. Is this normal I wonder? What also seems strange is it might just be my imagination but the problems seem to happen on more one an uphill slopes. I'm not talking about a steep enough grade that it would put that much more of a strain on the engine...Just seems weird.
Really hard to diagnose since it really only seems to start happening after mowing for an hour or more.
Fuel line collasping is interesting. It's a 2006 and I only have 160 hours on the tractor. Is it possible for a fuel line to exibit this at this early stage. Anyway easy way to check this without just replacing the lines first?
Really hard to diagnose since it really only seems to start happening after mowing for an hour or more.
Fuel line collasping is interesting. It's a 2006 and I only have 160 hours on the tractor. Is it possible for a fuel line to exibit this at this early stage. Anyway easy way to check this without just replacing the lines first?
UPDATE
The dealer finally thinks he has solved the problem. Supposed to bring the tractor back to me today so we will see. May take a bit as the issue was so intermittent. Anyway, he concluded that the problem was the safety switch on the seat was not adjusted properly. That certainly could be it. Again, we will see.
I am most anxious to get this resolved as I now have the tractor for sale.
The dealer finally thinks he has solved the problem. Supposed to bring the tractor back to me today so we will see. May take a bit as the issue was so intermittent. Anyway, he concluded that the problem was the safety switch on the seat was not adjusted properly. That certainly could be it. Again, we will see.
I am most anxious to get this resolved as I now have the tractor for sale.
megaboz
Platinum Member
Well vapor lock or bad fuel line is hard to figure out, I would check that the fuel cap is venting first. Try unscrewing it when it starts to act up. and see if there was a vacum in the tank... I know my BX is starting to develop venting issues. Some day it is all I can do to get the lid off.
Just one other possibility I didn't see mentioned before in this thread. Be sure you have replaced both fuel filters on the BX. There's a second one you have to stand on your head to reach from underneath. If you only replace the obvious one, the engine will eventually show similar symptoms to what people have described in this thread... intermittent stall/engine cuts out for a few seconds due to fuel starvation caused by the clogged second filter.
Maybe most everyone else already knows about this, but I had to learn about it the hard way, so it's probably worth mentioning.
Maybe most everyone else already knows about this, but I had to learn about it the hard way, so it's probably worth mentioning.
I don't think it's vapor lock or anything. I check the gas gap and it appears to be funtioning and the problem doesn't seem to go away when I try to run the tractor with the cap off.
I just removed the gas line to the first fuel filter (one under the tractor closest to the gas tank before the little pump). The filter looks kinda of dirty but the obvious thing I noticed is a very very thin stream of dsl is flowing though my gas line. I don't know how much flow I'm suppose to get but my fuel line is atleast pencil thick and the stream of dsl seems only slightly better then a fast drip. I would say it might take 10-15 minutes to fill up an 8oz cup. Should my fuel line be moving more fluid then this?
I just removed the gas line to the first fuel filter (one under the tractor closest to the gas tank before the little pump). The filter looks kinda of dirty but the obvious thing I noticed is a very very thin stream of dsl is flowing though my gas line. I don't know how much flow I'm suppose to get but my fuel line is atleast pencil thick and the stream of dsl seems only slightly better then a fast drip. I would say it might take 10-15 minutes to fill up an 8oz cup. Should my fuel line be moving more fluid then this?
Replacing the dirty filter cured the sputtering on my 2230... it was at about 400 hours, as I recall. When I pulled the fuel line off the filter, it gave me a nice face full of diesel fuel... had to clamp it off with vise grips or there would have been a good puddle of diesel, so it should have pretty good flow. If you don't have a similar flow from the tank, it does suggest a blockage in the line to the tank or in the tank itself.
Considering yours is only 160 hours, but you bought it used, one might guess the previous owner wasn't too careful about what got into the tank. If it were my machine, I'd be thinking about what else saw that same dirty fuel... fuel pump, injectors, etc. Maybe someone with more diesel knowledge than me would have a suggestion on that.
Also, the BX fuel gauges are famously imprecise. No way can you use them for anything more than a general indication of how full the tank might be. If you look at the convoluted shape of the tank, it would probably be very difficult to design a really accurate gauge system for it, so I figure that the funky fuel gauge is the compromise engineers made to have a space efficient fuel tank. After you've used the machine a while, though, you get to know how to read the gauge to tell when you need to add fuel.
Considering yours is only 160 hours, but you bought it used, one might guess the previous owner wasn't too careful about what got into the tank. If it were my machine, I'd be thinking about what else saw that same dirty fuel... fuel pump, injectors, etc. Maybe someone with more diesel knowledge than me would have a suggestion on that.
Also, the BX fuel gauges are famously imprecise. No way can you use them for anything more than a general indication of how full the tank might be. If you look at the convoluted shape of the tank, it would probably be very difficult to design a really accurate gauge system for it, so I figure that the funky fuel gauge is the compromise engineers made to have a space efficient fuel tank. After you've used the machine a while, though, you get to know how to read the gauge to tell when you need to add fuel.
VALENT
Silver Member
Most definitely. I am sure you have narrowed down your problem considerably.
megaboz
Platinum Member
160 hours or not, it still could be dirty fuel. I buy fuel from one station all the time, the on road diesel is always clean, the off-road, not so much.
Also, I leave my cans sitting outside and have a couple of times just about filled the tank with the dirt that had splashed on the side of the tank.
So, 160 hours can be old. Also, scum can grow on diesel if it has sat a long time without being used.
The fuel coming from the tank should give you a bath when you take off the filter, if not then it is dirty.
One way you can check the fuel flow to see if there is something lying on the opening is to shoot some air up into the hose and see if the flow improves.
Also, I leave my cans sitting outside and have a couple of times just about filled the tank with the dirt that had splashed on the side of the tank.
So, 160 hours can be old. Also, scum can grow on diesel if it has sat a long time without being used.
The fuel coming from the tank should give you a bath when you take off the filter, if not then it is dirty.
One way you can check the fuel flow to see if there is something lying on the opening is to shoot some air up into the hose and see if the flow improves.
