Kubota M5660SUHD caught on fire (60hrs)!

[Zork]

9 month old tractor and I run it for maybe 10 minutes and notice that it has less power than usual
Anyhow I see smoke out in the hood area on top of engine. I open the hood and flames spread out all the way to fuse box and the dashboard (plastic)
I manage to douse off the fire and all the wiring is now bare and burnt to a crisp. The quote to repair is at least 30k which is close to what I paid (actually I still have 40 payments due)!


Question: What could have caused it (it was plastic/ wiring burning and super hot!)...not fuel related.
The dealer told me I need to turn to insurance co; i.e it is not covered by warranty!

Obviously I don't want to spend as much as a new tractor on this; besides the wiring and the dashboard cover everything looks like new! I am getting a 6060HD delivered in a few days as I can't wait to get a resolution to this....

Nests made from rodents or birds. I check my engine space most everytime I use it just for these reasons.

 

[boatmoter]

9 month old tractor and I run it for maybe 10 minutes and notice that it has less power than usual
Anyhow I see smoke out in the hood area on top of engine. I open the hood and flames spread out all the way to fuse box and the dashboard (plastic)
I manage to douse off the fire and all the wiring is now bare and burnt to a crisp. The quote to repair is at least 30k which is close to what I paid (actually I still have 40 payments due)!


Question: What could have caused it (it was plastic/ wiring burning and super hot!)...not fuel related.
The dealer told me I need to turn to insurance co; i.e it is not covered by warranty!

Obviously I don't want to spend as much as a new tractor on this; besides the wiring and the dashboard cover everything looks like new! I am getting a 6060HD delivered in a few days as I can't wait to get a resolution to this....

that new of a tractor I would think it's going to have a ECM,engine control computer. if it were mine and the wiring was burned really bad & would buy a wiring harness for it and if it doesn't fire up after that you will need a ECM too. you may get by with just a engine harness unless it is fried under the dash too.

<> MESSICKS <>
ENGINE & HEADLIGHTS HARNESS (UNDERHOOD)

Part # 3C111-77216
3C111-77213
-replaces #3C111-77213 HARNESS,WIRE(MAIN)
$2,036.60
-------------------------------------------------------------------
MAIN HARNESS, WIRE(MAIN) (UNDERHOOD)
Part # 3C111-77217
$1,649.56
-------------------------------------------------------------------


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[Skystream]

9 month old tractor and I run it for maybe 10 minutes and notice that it has less power than usual
Anyhow I see smoke out in the hood area on top of engine. I open the hood and flames spread out all the way to fuse box and the dashboard (plastic)
I manage to douse off the fire and all the wiring is now bare and burnt to a crisp. The quote to repair is at least 30k which is close to what I paid (actually I still have 40 payments due)!


Question: What could have caused it (it was plastic/ wiring burning and super hot!)...not fuel related.
The dealer told me I need to turn to insurance co; i.e it is not covered by warranty!

Obviously I don't want to spend as much as a new tractor on this; besides the wiring and the dashboard cover everything looks like new! I am getting a 6060HD delivered in a few days as I can't wait to get a resolution to this....

Any fire needs to be reported to Kubota. Corporate in Grapevine Texas.

 

[nwut05]

I may have not read enough to fully understand if you financed through Kubota or not. But I can tell you for sure if you used an outside finace source I.E. your own bank, they all do not requre insurance on the Tractor dpendant on you and your banks relationship and their policies. The dealer sees the outside finance source as a cash sale to them and they did not care if you had insurace or not. All they would be concerned about is warranty work after sale. Even if you got your own outside insurance before or after the sale you would have had to tailor it with your agent to cover fire, rolover damage, etc. because most of the home insurace companes will sell you a theft policy to cover the machines basic needs but you have to make sure it covers fire and other related damages. They are ofter written under sub policies on your home insurace like a dog or boat or an atv but you have to be dillegent and make sure what they cover.

Good Luck with this and keep updating the post as to the resoloution. But myt guess will be user error and you will end up eating the bill because of the too likely possibility of mice or chaft causing the fire. and yes they will build in a warm engine overnight.

 

[CliffordK]

Homeowner's insurance may pay (which may be the insurance that the OP is talking to).

One really needs a good diagnosis of what caused the fire. Wiring? Oil? Debris? Overall the photos of the tractor look fairly clean.

Design flaw with wire or rubber too close to the exhaust manifold?

Ultimately, if it was my tractor, I'd get it home, and go all Mad Max on it. Get a copy of the wiring diagram and dealer manual. Then rip out everything burnt (that is not serviceable, smoky may be OK) and figure out what to put in it's place.

Too bad you're on the opposite side of the country.

It looks like the fire was fairly superficial.

A new main wiring harness might be nice. There is some damaged plastic around the dash, but I might even just trim that up and leave it, or make a patch.

Ultimately the tractor doesn't need to look perfect, it just needs to not burn down the whole neighborhood. (At least in my opinion. Nothing around here looks perfect.)

There are a number of tractor wrecking yards around the USA. Around here, Farmland Tractor near Albany, Oregon. Wild place with chunks of tractors everywhere!!! Your Kubota may be a bit new, but it would be worth calling around, and browsing E-Bay for any expensive parts you may need.

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Just 2 days ago I had a fire on my old John Deere. A lot less damage than yours. The insulation on the starter switch broke down and caught fire. Disconnected it, and a bit of blowing, and ultimately only a $20 part which I had already bought and had in stock. Even the starter seems OK. I attributed it to the person I bought it from having put a 12V battery in place of the original 6V battery. So, it will get a new 6V battery before getting moved again.

 

[Sid Post]

Just 2 days ago I had a fire on my old John Deere. A lot less damage than yours. The insulation on the starter switch broke down and caught fire. Disconnected it, and a bit of blowing, and ultimately only a $20 part which I had already bought and had in stock. Even the starter seems OK. I attributed it to the person I bought it from having put a 12V battery in place of the original 6V battery. So, it will get a new 6V battery before getting moved again.

12V battery in a 6V tractor!

 

[Marslander51]

When I financed my new holland in ‘06, there was no choice but to insure it.

 

[CliffordK]

12V battery in a 6V tractor!

That is what was in the old Deere. The starter turned over very fast, but I think the voltage was a bit too much for the pull switch thingy on it.

I think the ignition may be able to handle a bit higher voltage. I'm still reading about different coil resistances. One may be able to also add a resistor to drop most of the wiring to 6V.

I doubt the generator was doing much charging.

Having the starter switch burning right under the gas tank (yep, gasoline) was a bit disconcerting.

Anyway, a rather odd setup, with positive ground 6V. I'm hunting down a golf cart battery now.

 

[C170]

9 month old tractor and I run it for maybe 10 minutes and notice that it has less power than usual
Anyhow I see smoke out in the hood area on top of engine. I open the hood and flames spread out all the way to fuse box and the dashboard (plastic)
I manage to douse off the fire and all the wiring is now bare and burnt to a crisp. The quote to repair is at least 30k which is close to what I paid (actually I still have 40 payments due)!


Question: What could have caused it (it was plastic/ wiring burning and super hot!)...not fuel related.
The dealer told me I need to turn to insurance co; i.e it is not covered by warranty!

Obviously I don't want to spend as much as a new tractor on this; besides the wiring and the dashboard cover everything looks like new! I am getting a 6060HD delivered in a few days as I can't wait to get a resolution to this....

All insurance company's Are Part Of The Cabal. If you are sure it was not related to fuel, then it was caused by poor electrical techniques which is all you have now because everybody has been mind controlled to be dumbed down and stupid so the Cabal can control you. They have trained all of us to only worry about making the oh mighty dollar for get about pride and companion. There is way too much evil on this planet and it needs to stop and end NOW. I would demand it repaired properly or a new tractor or your money back. Final!!

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

I don't see how a wiring fire burns this hot, or spreads to other components like that. That looks like there was something really flammable in that compartment