Starting to Have a Few Issues With My M4800

jayste · Feb 1, 2017

My Kubota M4800 su is a 2004 model. It's served me well and still is but I'm starting to have a few issues with it. 1) my key switch is getting "iffy". You have to find that "sweet spot" for it to make contact. 2) My temp gauge works about 1/3 of the time and 3) I noticed this last weekend the fuel gauge is only registering 1/2 after I've filled it up. If anyone has experienced any of these issues (M4800 or not) please join in and let's talk about it.

Thanks in advance!

redmaher · Feb 1, 2017

Sounds like all the problems could be caused by a faulty ignition switch.

k0ua · Feb 1, 2017

Squirt some Fluid Film in that switch and work it vigorously back and forth. The switch on my Kioti started acting up and I squirted it several years ago, and it is still working well. There is an old axiom in troubleshooting when troubleshooting multiple problems. It is "fix what you can see first". So fix the switch first and see what happens. The Kioti key switch is a notorious failure item on this line of tractors, but the Fluid Film has completely fixed mine. Fluid film is good for a lot of things.

Amazon.com: fluid film

ovrszd · Feb 1, 2017

I totally understand discussing these things. Stuff like this drives me crazy. I have a very low tolerance. I'd lube the key switch and if I didn't see immediate results I'd be buying a new switch. After all, it's 13 years old.

Then as James said, I'd check into the other problems after that.

Sounds like you've been served very well with your tractor. How many hours does it have?

Fallon · Feb 1, 2017

Check your grounds. It does sound like a dying switch, but checking grounds is easy.

Had my under 2 year old L3200 die on me. Looked at the grounds & they looked fine. Spent a few hours tearing the dash apart & getting confused by erratic multimeter readings. Finally took a ratchet to the ground strap bolt & the second I started to unscrew that bolt the hazards started working. Bolt had been tight, no corrosion or anything. Cleaned the lug & frame, despite things looking good & it all worked just fine from there on.

It will take you 5 minutes & $0.10 worth of contact cleaner to check the battery cables & ground straps. Cheaper & easier than messing with the ignition switch, although that's likely your next step.

jayste · Feb 1, 2017

Wow! all good and QUICK responses! I'll start with the ground first since I have to get some fluid film. Any chance I can get some locally? Parts store or other? Oh and I've got about 700 hrs on it. Got it in 2006 from my FIL and it only had 44 hrs and 2 yrs old!

k0ua · Feb 1, 2017

jayste said:
Wow! all good and QUICK responses! I'll start with the ground first since I have to get some fluid film. Any chance I can get some locally? Parts store or other? Oh and I've got about 700 hrs on it. Got it in 2006 from my FIL and it only had 44 hrs and 2 yrs old!

Many of the Lowes carry it. Mine does.

ovrszd · Feb 1, 2017

jayste said:
Wow! all good and QUICK responses! I'll start with the ground first since I have to get some fluid film. Any chance I can get some locally? Parts store or other? Oh and I've got about 700 hrs on it. Got it in 2006 from my FIL and it only had 44 hrs and 2 yrs old!

Some dielectric grease will do the job.

That tractor has a LOT of life left in it!!!!

You certainly use it. An ideal tractor for 40 acres!!!!

Fallon · Feb 2, 2017

ovrszd said:
Some dielectric grease will do the job.

That tractor has a LOT of life left in it!!!!

You certainly use it. An ideal tractor for 40 acres!!!!

Ya, I'd recommend dielectric grease over Fluid Film for electrical stuff as well. It coats stuff to seal out corrosion until there is metal to metal contact from connectors. I'd grab some electrical contact cleaner & my be some scotchbrite pads to clean up the mating surfaces first.

varmint · Feb 2, 2017

I had some sticky auto ignition switch issues recently, so I squirted some Fluid Film into the key slot, and worked it a bunch. Didn't fix it. At the same time, I needed to get a second key cut, and when the locksmith guy (it was a trick auto key, so I went to a locksmith...) came out to test it, I showed him the key problems with the original key. He came back with some WD 40. I kept my mouth shut. It worked like a charm, and has ever since. Go figure.

But, the ground and FF advice sounds good to me! Iffy vehicle electrics often are traced to poor grounds or corroded power contacts, and not the gauges themselves- especially when they're intermittent or, even better, more than one gauge.

k0ua · Feb 2, 2017

varmint said:
I had some sticky auto ignition switch issues recently, so I squirted some Fluid Film into the key slot, and worked it a bunch. Didn't fix it. At the same time, I needed to get a second key cut, and when the locksmith guy (it was a trick auto key, so I went to a locksmith...) came out to test it, I showed him the key problems with the original key. He came back with some WD 40. I kept my mouth shut. It worked like a charm, and has ever since. Go figure.

But, the ground and FF advice sounds good to me! Iffy vehicle electrics often are traced to poor grounds or corroded power contacts, and not the gauges themselves- especially when they're intermittent or, even better, more than one gauge.

Yes, the more than one gauge is extremely suspicious of either a very flakey key switch not putting full voltage to the gauge, or some corroded ground connection. I say lets fix the key switch one way or another first then start hunting down the gauge problem if it still persists.

sixdogs · Feb 3, 2017

I had a squirrely problem like that once and despite my efforts to make a mountain out of a molehill, a wiser man that understands electronics told me it was likely a bad ground. I was so sure he was wrong we made a non dollar bet.

After thoroughly exhausting all the gauges and the alternator and wires and on an on and on and driving around with a battery in the car, it turned out to be a bad ground. Yet it still makes no sense. Yours sounds like a switch but my friend (who is an electrical issue troubleshooter) told me that almost all electrical issues are related to a bad ground. He says always start with the easiest answer and go from there on a problem.

deanocraft · Feb 3, 2017

I've never used Fluid Film, but I have used WD40 in switches. At my property in NC, I've had dirt daubers fill up the key slot on a JD riding mower... and the exhaust pipe on a weed eater! Try figuring out what's wrong with your weed eater when that happens. Since then I keep a piece of blue tape over the key when it is parked and a waded up piece of paper in the exhaust.

Old Red · Feb 3, 2017

My 2004 M6800 fuel gauge does the exact same thing. Hopefully we can figure this out. Drives me nuts.

jayste · Feb 3, 2017

I'm glad we're all bouncing this around. We can all learn something and never get too old to do it. That's where I'm going to start is the ground. I've just got to get a few spare minutes, preferably in the day light hours, and go over it. I've learned this same thing about trailer lights. Check the ground first. I've also seen where my local Lowes carries Fluid Film so I know I can get some locally. I will be following up here as soon as I can get to it.

JWR · Feb 4, 2017

jayste said:
I'm glad we're all bouncing this around. We can all learn something and never get too old to do it. That's where I'm going to start is the ground. I've just got to get a few spare minutes, preferably in the day light hours, and go over it. I've learned this same thing about trailer lights. Check the ground first. I've also seen where my local Lowes carries Fluid Film so I know I can get some locally. I will be following up here as soon as I can get to it.

Right approach. I'm not so sure about the Fluid film. It is a lubricant, akin to WD40, and I can't see it improving conduction between contacts. I'd sooner use the old TV repairman contact cleaner spray in there than any lubricant. Hope the grounding improvements work.

jayste · Feb 6, 2017

I managed to monkey with this between other commitments this weekend. I went ahead and shot the switch with the Fluid Film prior to looking for my grounding points. Put the key in and worked the switch as recommended. Seems all is still the same there. Questionable contact within the key switch, fuel gage still where it's been for a while and temp gauge bottomed out. Looked around and only see where the battery negative cable connects to the frame. Anyone have any idea where to look for any other grounding straps? I'd like to identify all of them and check them out. Thanks

jayste · Feb 20, 2017

Still needing to fix this issue. Used it weekend before this last and really needed the temp gauge to work (see pics- cattail fuzz is a pain). I called Kubota and priced the switch @ $36.59 & temp unit @ $26.36. Before I proceed I'm cleaning the one grounding point I can find at the battery and go from there. Still looking to see if any other grounding points are in play and only finding the one at the battery.

JWR · Feb 25, 2017

jayste said:
Still needing to fix this issue. Used it weekend before this last and really needed the temp gauge to work (see pics- cattail fuzz is a pain). I called Kubota and priced the switch @ $36.59 & temp unit @ $26.36. Before I proceed I'm cleaning the one grounding point I can find at the battery and go from there. Still looking to see if any other grounding points are in play and only finding the one at the battery.

At least on the smaller BX Kubotas there are grounding points near the starter and/or alternator to the frame. I have had to clean those before in order to get starter response. Should be more accessible on your larger machine without removal of side panels (?) I would also look around the fuse block up behind the instruments if you can get in there. Also, as a wild shot, have you tried jumpering another fully charged battery to it? Anything different? If it were any different you might have a low/undercharged battery but as i say that is a long shot.