What does your tractor start like in cold weather?

[k0ua]

Now , now be nice or I will overnite you a bundle of ragweed ! :dumptruck:

Aa choo!. makes me sneeze just thinking about it!:laughing:

 

[JRL305]

It was in the 20's here the other morning and I tried the 10 seconds on the glow plugs, start it up and hold the glow plugs on for a few more seconds 'til it catches its breath. It used to smoke and stumble for about 10 seconds or so but not any more if I hold the switch in the glow plug position right after it starts. My B3200 glow position on the switch is right between "on" and "start". Very convenient for those cool mornings. This forum is the best. Thanks for that tip.

 

[Zdenek]

I use my L5740 tractor (2012) in northern MN. It regularly gets to -30ｰF. Often to around -40ｰF. I have a cab and a block heater. in order to use the heater, I have to park outside near the house. My pole barn, which is mostly open to the outside, does not have power. Not the best combination. This probably pushed the tractor beyond it's limits. The computer decides how long the glow plug should be on based on engine water temperature. My glow plug light stays on as long as 30 seconds. This is probably a problem, because the relay that operates the glow plugs is rated at 40 Amps. The glow plugs draw nearly 60 Amps and so it is a design flaw. It fried two relays already. The tractor is still under warranty, but the dealer or regional sales rep refuse to even communicate or help solve the problem. BTW, the shop manual I got with the tractor does not even address the glow plug as a potential problem when the engine would not start.
Chilly807, the loud click is the engine stop solenoid. The glow plug relay is a soft click near the steering wheel, under the shroud.
As for starting, if the block heater warms up the oil enough to make it possible for the starter to turn the engine, and the glow plugs heat up, the engine starts and putters for up to a minute. I think the glow plug circuit needs to be redesigned. I am thinking about putting a parallel manual switch to reduce the current on the relay and to keep it glowing longer and reduce the sputtering.
I had other problems with the tractor and it is just mind boggling that Kubota does not stand behind it's products.

 

[buickanddeere]

My 2011 B3200 won't start under 20 degrees! I run the same diesel fuel my truck runs on, and untill this year I haven't had any problems starting. Now however, forget it. My tractor lives outdoors, my diesel is winter mix highway fuel with diesel HEAT additive.

Why the additives in the fuel? The low temperature in the combustion chamber is why she won't start.

Glow plug preheat for 5s or 15s has no effect.

Are the glow plugs working?

Turns over nicely, but won't fire at all. Fought with it Thursday, Friday, and finally started and ran perfectly for one hour Saturday morning when temperature rose above 17 degrees after 2-3 days of minus 3 to 8 degrees f.. Sat overnight, and today at 5 degrees, she no start! Tent over hood, space heater( electric) blowing up on fuel pump side of engine and notta! Winter fuel, heat additive, external warming, patience, zip, zilch, notta! I may by an electric blanket to wrap her in if the temp doesn't come up! Outdoor life has been tough for her!

Why fool around with jackleg heating when this heater simply threads into the coolant passage ? Just was waste of time and money plus wearing out the starter and battery.

Page 56

http://www.phillipsandtemro.com/userfiles/file/2013_ZEROSTART_CATALOG.pdf

 

[Zdenek]

My 2011 B3200 won't start under 20 degrees! I run the same diesel fuel my truck runs on, and untill this year I haven't had any problems starting. Now however, forget it. My tractor lives outdoors, my diesel is winter mix highway fuel with diesel HEAT additive. Glow plug preheat for 5s or 15s has no effect. Turns over nicely, but won't fire at all. Fought with it Thursday, Friday, and finally started and ran perfectly for one hour Saturday morning when temperature rose above 17 degrees after 2-3 days of minus 3 to 8 degrees f.. Sat overnight, and today at 5 degrees, she no start! Tent over hood, space heater( electric) blowing up on fuel pump side of engine and notta! Winter fuel, heat additive, external warming, patience, zip, zilch, notta! I may by an electric blanket to wrap her in if the temp doesn't come up! Outdoor life has been tough for her!

You need to check if your glow plugs work. Mine had a similar problem and it turned out that the glow plug relay was dead. Kubota puts a 40 Amp relay on a circuit requiring 60 Amps. It may work for a few seconds in warmer temps, but when it gets to well below zero, the current probably melts or oxidizes the contacts in the relay.

 

[gssixgun]

Being from North Idaho one would think it gets really cold up here often but honestly that just isn't true, we rarely dip below 0
We get snow oh do we get snow hehehe

My solution for this type of weather and using the block heater (Can be adapted to any heater) because of wear and cost of running it is a Remote Outlet
this one to be exact because it has the range it claims

Thomas & Betts 150" range

I tried the Thermocube route and I tried other remotes this is the one I found works, I can turn on the Block Heater (any heater) from the bedroom, I have a small nightlight inline with the block heater so I get a visual indicator that the heater is on.. I get up get dressed start coffee, then go out to the Pole barn and fire up the kubota, which has had time to get cozy warm.. I go back in the house and have a hot cup of coffee while she warms up then I go clear the mile of road..

This was the smartest easiest addition I have done with the tractor...


Other things I do each winter, is to plug in the Trickle charger/Float charger so that the battery is always topped off, I add Stanadyne to the 5 gal cans of Red fuel.

So far the $15 I dropped on the Remote was the smartest money I have spent

I am now searching the Owner's Manual to see if there was something I missed in there about cycling the Glow Plugs but mine seem to be only automatic..

 

[SPMMD]

Yesterday 5-8 degrees, no start. Turns over quite nicely, just doesn't fire!. This mourning, outside temperature up to 23 degrees F. Fires up almost immediately smooth running, almost no smoke! Will get out my VOM and check glow plugs/current through relay. I suppose an infrared thermometer checking the top of a glow plug might do just as well?

 

[Zdenek]

Yesterday 5-8 degrees, no start. Turns over quite nicely, just doesn't fire!. This mourning, outside temperature up to 23 degrees F. Fires up almost immediately smooth running, almost no smoke! Will get out my VOM and check glow plugs/current through relay. I suppose an infrared thermometer checking the top of a glow plug might do just as well?

My tractor has a little cable connector on the right side about middle of the engine compartment that is easy to disconnect. Unplug temporarily and measure resistance between the lead to the glow plugs and chassis. Should read 0.225 Ohm. If that reads somewhere in the range of 0.2 and 0.4, the plugs are good. Spec says 0.9 Ohms per plug. Than measure voltage in the lead from the relay. Should read battery voltage against chassis. If it doesn't the relay is bad. I have a clamp on DC amp meter, which is quite expensive and most people will not have it. It makes it easy to measure current. It reads in the 59 Amps when working right and drops down as battery voltage drops with load. The relay is rated at 40 Amps, so this high current is probably not good for the relay.

 

[Chris from Ontario]

My David Brown 885 with no glow plugs is only good down to 0c (32f) without plugging in the block heater. Smokes a bit at first but goes away within a minute. I've been using this to clear the driveway with a 6 foot snowblower for around twenty years now and find it very reliable as long as you follow the rules it sets out.

 

[TomSeller]

. This is probably a problem, because the relay that operates the glow plugs is rated at 40 Amps. The glow plugs draw nearly 60 Amps and so it is a design flaw. It fried two relays already..

Ever thought about adding a second relay and running a separate wire to two of the 4 glow plugs?