L3830 hydraulics stopped working

   / L3830 hydraulics stopped working #1  

C19dale

New member
Joined
Sep 1, 2022
Messages
2
Tractor
Kubota L3830
Not sure what’s happening here. My 2003 L3830 will not drive or lift the mower. It just stopped working while I was using it. While I was looking around for possible issues…I noticed I do not have the vent tube on the fill cap in the picture. On a whim I plugged the vent tube with my finger and after a few seconds it felt like pressure built and everything worked. It would drive and lift. Shortly after taking my finger off the vent tube….hydraulics stopped working again. I also had a loose belt that was slipping at the same time but I tightened that up and it didn’t correct anything. What could this be? If I get a non vented cap on there would it mess something up?
 

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   / L3830 hydraulics stopped working #2  
Have you done the basic stuff like checking the fluid level and condition?
 
   / L3830 hydraulics stopped working
  • Thread Starter
#3  
Have you done the basic stuff like checking the fluid level and condition?
Fluid level looks correct and clean. I’m changing the fluid and 2 filters Saturday when I get back to town just in case but I fear that isn’t the problem. It’s weird I can plug that breather tube and it works
 
   / L3830 hydraulics stopped working #4  
Not sure what’s happening here. My 2003 L3830 will not drive or lift the mower. It just stopped working while I was using it. While I was looking around for possible issues…I noticed I do not have the vent tube on the fill cap in the picture. On a whim I plugged the vent tube with my finger and after a few seconds it felt like pressure built and everything worked. It would drive and lift. Shortly after taking my finger off the vent tube….hydraulics stopped working again. I also had a loose belt that was slipping at the same time but I tightened that up and it didn’t correct anything. What could this be? If I get a non vented cap on there would it mess something up?

Is it possible that you have a small air leak in the line on the intake side of the hydraulic pump? As air is being sucked in and builds up inside the transmission case, when you have your finger on the vent tube, the pressure inside becomes greater than the suction force at the leak and the pump gets enough fluid to operate the hydraulics properly. When you take your finger off it releases the pressure and and the pump starts sucking air again.

Just a thought.

Does the fluid look foamy?
 
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