ignition heater

[havenhound]

I have a 3300 Kubota and its about 15 years old. It gets worked hard. Today I went out and the heater light didn't come on. i've noticed it before when the weather is iffy as far as temperatures, sometimes it comes on, others not. But when its REALLY cold it has always lit up right away. Today .. 19 degrees .. . .. nada. I'm not a mechanic so in really simple terms can anyone tell me what I need to look for and how to fix whatever is going wrong. My battery got it running today but with no help from the heater. The weather isn't going to get any warmer the next few months. HELP!

 

[KennyV]

Check out this thread...
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/kubota-owning-operating/134518-glow-plug-wiring-help-needed.html
It sounds like you are having a glow plug controller problem. KennyV.

 

[havenhound]

well. . . . you see I for sure am not a mechanic. . . . I didn't know it was called a glow plug. . . I just know its stopped working but at least now I have some leads on how to proceed. I sure appreciate the fact that you're checking over these problems. I don't have a Kubota dealer close by .. . .do these switches have to be Kubota brand?

 

[rbargeron]

There are two systems, depending on the age and model of your tractor.
The older models have an actual glowing element in the dash in series with the glow plugs in the engine. It gets red hot, indicating the glow plugs are getting power. These burn out sometimes and can be replaced for $15.

The later design has an automatic timer/controller for the glow plugs - it runs an indicator light in the instrument pod. This system is based on engine temperature so it runs the glow plugs only as long as needed. On the down side, when something in it quits it's more spendy to fix.