Warranty issue dispute with Kubota - Advice anyone

[4570Man]

So, I'm not alone in thinking that the start/run issue was because it was binding up from heat?

Apparently so. And the temp gauge wasn’t moving because it wasn’t sensing anything and the DPF wasn’t working because it thought the engine temp was too low. Kubota has done nothing wrong here except design a system that isn’t as fail-proof as it could have been. The OPs trouble shooting isn’t very good or he would have gotten to the bottom sooner especially since it gave him several chances before totally failure and isn’t a very alert operator to not notice the smell of antifreeze or the very hot engine. You can’t drain an engine 100 percent. I’d be hard pressed to believe it wasn’t ever boiling out steam and stunk like antifreeze. Insurance would pay that’s what they’re for. This definitely isn’t a warranty problem.

 

[Trillium Farm]

When ever something expensive breaks down we're looking for a scapegoat, this is one case!
It is unfortunate that it happened and I'm sure the owner didn't do it on purpose, but there are questions, where was it operated when it happened?
Was it doing a job that THAT tractor was built for etc.
How many of us do check the motor oil level after each fill-up?
Yet that's what car manufacturers recommend and if you ran out of oil whose fault would it be?
Recently I heard of a RAM owner who drove back all the way to Canada when the oil light came on just south of the border without checking the oil, fried the engine and wanted FCA to pay for the repairs. He can only blame himself, but that's the hardest thing to do for some people or maybe all of us.
The OP did another "Touch & Go" as in the previous post, complained found no sympathy & disappeared.

 

[Takman]

BX burp tanks aren't pressurized, nor are they in any of my other vehicles - and I suspect not in the tractor in question. That 15PSI radiator cap opens with pressure and lets coolant expand into the burp tank. That 15PSI only applies to the _exhale_. On the _inhale_ it opens easily and slurps coolant back into the tank. It does that with every warm-up/cool-down cycle.

It's not primarily an environmental thing. It's to allow the radiator to purge all the air from the system. That helps to keep cooling efficient and may help protect against corrosion. It also lets one check and add coolant as necessary _without_ opening the radiator cap.

I disagree and wish you the best.

 

[5030]

OP puts me in mind of Forrest Gump (Tom Hanks)... Need I say more?

 

[ovrszd]

I disagree and wish you the best.

Gypsy's description was spot on. Disagreeing with him won't make it not so.

 

[4570Man]

I disagree and wish you the best.

Besides the coolant check part which depends on the setup which part is incorrect?

 

[Takman]

I always find the reservoirs full and the radiators low. In my experience checking the radiator is the only way to be sure there is enough fluid in it. They do not work the way you are describing in real life.

 

[ovrszd]

I always find the reservoirs full and the radiators low. In my experience checking the radiator is the only way to be sure there is enough fluid in it. They do not work the way you are describing in real life.

Maybe we need to clarify this. I believe we might be talking about two different setups.

1. Puke tank with hose coming from radiator cap neck to tank. Hose above water level in the puke tank. This setup is only there to catch overflow and will not refill radiator.

2. Coolant Reservoir tank with hose coming from radiator cap neck to reservoir. Hose enters reservoir and goes to the bottom of the tank. Or the reservoir may have a nipple formed into the bottom that the hose plugs onto. This setup is there to catch overflow and to refill radiator as the system cools.

With type #2, when working properly, there is no reason to open radiator. A glance at the plastic tank with "full" and "low" clearly marked on the tank will quickly tell you whether the radiator is low or not. As long as you maintain a "cold" coolant level in the appropriate range in the tank the radiator will always be full. So full that you cannot remove the cap without losing a spoon full or so.

 

[newbury]

From December

<snip>It could be a bad gauge and is simply hot and not showing accurately. <snip>

Should have checked the fluid level.

 

[RickB]

Maybe we need to clarify this. I believe we might be talking about two different setups.

1. Puke tank with hose coming from radiator cap neck to tank. Hose above water level in the puke tank. This setup is only there to catch overflow and will not refill radiator.

2. Coolant Reservoir tank with hose coming from radiator cap neck to reservoir. Hose enters reservoir and goes to the bottom of the tank. Or the reservoir may have a nipple formed into the bottom that the hose plugs onto. This setup is there to catch overflow and to refill radiator as the system cools.

With type #2, when working properly, there is no reason to open radiator. A glance at the plastic tank with "full" and "low" clearly marked on the tank will quickly tell you whether the radiator is low or not. As long as you maintain a "cold" coolant level in the appropriate range in the tank the radiator will always be full. So full that you cannot remove the cap without losing a spoon full or so.

Great description!