No steering & bucket operation New Holland TC34 DA

[R.Colson]

Hello I have a 2005 New Holland TC34 DA TRACTOR.
Everything operated fine and I went to use it to push back some snow banks after a storm and tractor started right up but I went to lift the bucket and nothing then discovered no steering.
Was confused by this because the tractor forward and reverse works just fine and it had operated perfectly when last used a couple months before.
I changed the filter and fluid quality looked fine.
I have read articles about possibly moisture/ice in system causing restriction so I took a space heater and ran it for a while and when I tried bucket you could hear the pump growling some but the bucket did start moving slowly and then would stop, steering never returned at any point.
Did find 1 hydraulic coupler loose and would drip a little when I moved it around and the fluid looked aerated that dripped out so I replaced it suspecting it was sucking in some air.
Still no bucket or steering operation.
I am pretty confident if I put the space heater back on it that I will get some movement out of the bucket but I was wondering if anyone else has run into this and were specifically they may have found to heat up for the fluid to flow freely
Its my understanding that there forward/reverse works off a different pump system as the bucket/steering and that there is only 1 fill for the whole system which is at the full mark.
It is baffling to me that it worked fine in the fall and has worked fine all the other winters until this one..
Any suggestions or experience with same issue would be appreciated.
Thank you,
Bob

 

[Roadworthy]

I know little about hydraulics but is sounds like you may have a leak on the suction side allowing air into the system.

 

[R.Colson]

I know little about hydraulics but is sounds like you may have a leak on the suction side allowing air into the system.

I was thinking that as well but if a space heater is put on it it will attempt to start working, you would think if it is sucking air in then it would continue to not work even with heat put on it..

 

[the old grind]

How cold is it when you have this difficulty? I have an '06 CUT whose hydraulics take quite a bit of warming up (10 min or so) in very cold temps. (also Shibaura-built) The steering wheel won't move until then.

Something is inhibiting/impeding pump flow/pressure, just not so easy to tell why. Condensation from a long sit should dissipate with a good 'hot' run for 1/2 hr or so. I have the same engine (N843L) in my '13 T1520 and N843 in my '04 TC33DA that the TC34DA replaced. Never such a prob with either one. Subscribed.