Kubota BX25 sputtering and stalling

[check]

Hi, folks, my very first problem with my 2009 Kubota BX25. The tank was down to about 1/4 or so and I filled it up with some fresh diesel I just bought on May 19. Started it up and it warmed up fine, but then as I was pulling out of the driveway at about 3,000 RPM, it seemed like it started missing, but then stalled right out on me. Started up again and idled fine, and then drove it for maybe 100 yds or so until it started intermittently sputtering again (kind of like surging). By the time I got 500 yards or so, it was real bad, until I couldn't drive it anymore. Again, it would start up and idle fine, and even rev up fine, but as soon as I pushed to (HST) go pedal it would stall out unless I immediately let my foot off.

I was afraid I had maybe put gasoline in by mistake, but the can did not smell like gasoline and in fact had very little smell at all. (I tried lighting a little bit that I spilled on to the gravel just to make sure, and it would not even light.)

Maybe the new diesel was bad, or....? I have had no problems like this before, and I used the tractor last weekend when it ran fine.

Any ideas would be much appreciated, guys! (I can't even drive it up onto the trailer to take to the dealer.)

 

[zoltanthegypsy]

Allow me to be the first: check your fuel filters. That may not be what's up - although it sounds like it - but that's always the first suggestion

Z.

 

[TemporaryKubotaOwnerMark]

Agreed. Change the filter. Also take a sample of what is coming out of the tank. Let some run into a clean glass jar and take a gander at it.

 

[Grandad4]

Agreed. Change the filter. Also take a sample of what is coming out of the tank. Let some run into a clean glass jar and take a gander at it.

Filters... there are actually two of them, and it's probably the one you don't see unless you look under the back end of the tractor that gets blocked up first. Actually, Check, if you've gone since 2009 without changing them, you're doing well. Not too bad of a job changing the filters, though. Hopefully your fuel tank is not gunked up too!

 

[check]

OK, problem solved! I was getting ready to load the tractor up onto the trailer to take to the Kubota dealer, and I had a thought. I tried moving the tractor forward a little bit to head to wards the ramps for the trailer, and it died the very second that I stepped on the go pedal. Something seemed familiar. So, I got off the tractor, lifted up the seat, and pushed the two safety switches down, and then tried using the go pedal. The tractor did not stall! Then I looked behind the seat, and saw my grease gun. It had wedged itself into the frame back there, and was keeping the seat from sitting all the way down when I sat on it.

Long story short, it was simply a problem with the seat not pushing the safety switches down enough. I moved the grease gun to another spot, and tractor has been working fine.

One of those great problems that gives you many fears about what is causing it, and makes you see dollar signs going out of your pocket, but in the end it was much ado about nothing.

But thanks, guys, for the great suggestions. Next time, it may very well be the fuel filters!

I LOVE TBN. It is very comforting to know that there are Internet buddies out there ready and willing to help when you need them.

 

[zoltanthegypsy]

Dang, the next thing I was going to suggest was - have you looked under the seat for your grease gun

Glad you got it fixed - and cheaply at that

Z.

 

[TemporaryKubotaOwnerMark]

Dang, the next thing I was going to suggest was - have you looked under the seat for your grease gun

Yeah, that's a common problem with this model.

 

[jtraol]

I have this exact problem and it's chronic and maddening. Tractor almost stalls under load, and then shakes like mad. Idle comes back up and cycle repeats. Replaced fuel filters, air filter drained tank and so on - oddly this problem is seems intermittent and related to warm-up also which I find odd. If I started the tractor tomorrow it will run fine for about 20 minutes. Interestingly, the gas gauge has never worked and I do wonder if it's dislodged and blocking perhaps. Really stuck here, and frustrated. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, and wondering I should start this as a new post? I have a video if anyone want to look and listen.

 

[sea2summit]

I have this exact problem and it's chronic and maddening. Tractor almost stalls under load, and then shakes like mad. Idle comes back up and cycle repeats. Replaced fuel filters, air filter drained tank and so on - oddly this problem is seems intermittent and related to warm-up also which I find odd. If I started the tractor tomorrow it will run fine for about 20 minutes. Interestingly, the gas gauge has never worked and I do wonder if it's dislodged and blocking perhaps. Really stuck here, and frustrated. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, and wondering I should start this as a new post? I have a video if anyone want to look and listen.

What type of work are you doing when this happens? As the other poster mentioned, that underseat grease gun can often be the issue.

 

[jtraol]

What type of work are you doing when this happens? As the other poster mentioned, that underseat grease gun can often be the issue.

Can be anything -- typically when plowing, but not always. I think you are right to try the safety switches, but it runs fine until warm, and the starts to fail under load. In the past, I've replaced fuel filters and that seems to help, but maybe it just seems that way because it'd cold. I will try the switches, and then the fuel pump -- after that I'll pull the gas tank and check the float for the never-working fuel gage. Less than 100 hours on this think and I've been plagued with this for years on and off. My wife love it when it gets stuck in the driveway.

Thanks for the reply - much appreciated.

Jonathan