2005 TC29DA arrived with bad fuel

[Zipperhead0]

Hello everybody. I just took delivery of my 2005 TC29DA that I bought on ebay from a dealership in Sequin, TX. The dealership is called Ewald tractor. The tractor is brand new with less that 5 hours on it and it appears to be in great (new) shape. After paying a private shipper $850 to deliver the tractor to me in Colorado I was surprised when I tried to use the tractor for the first time only to find that it ran very rough, blew out white smoke and finally died. Upon further investigation I found that the fuel filter was full of sediment and the fuel was cloudy.

Obviously this tractor sat on the lot for an extended period of time and wasn't cared for very well by the dealership. I called the sales manager and subsequently received an email from the owner of the dealership, John Ewald, stating that I should have known the tractor might have bad fuel as they stated in the ebay description that it had an invoice date of 09/05.

I should also mention that the tractor arrived with leaking hydraulic lines and a malfunctioning headlight switch. My position was that the tractor was advertised as NEW and should have been delivered serviced and ready to go. My local dealership tells me that part of the pre-delivery inspection is to clean the sediment bowl and check to assure that the tractor has clean fuel. Oh yeh, Mr. Ewald also wrote me that since I got such a good price on the tractor that they couldn't afford to service it. He also told me that if I wanted more service out of a dealership I should have purchased from my local dealer. Boy is he right on that one.

So anyway my tractor now sits waiting for service from my local dealership. Hopefully everything will come out okay.

This is my second tractor. I recently sold my Kubota B7500 to upgrade to this tractor. I hope I don't regret the change to New Holland. By the way, all of my neighbors (John Deere owners) are having a blast with this so far.

 

[jbrumberg]

Zippperhead0:

Welcome to TBN ! Once you get everything straightened out you should be pleased with your TC29DA. I do not know what your intended uses will be, but I am more than pleased with mine. It is too bad that your first experience with your tractor was so negative . Blame the dealer not the tractor . Jay

 

[California]

The tractor is brand new with less that 5 hours on it ... I was surprised when I tried to use the tractor for the first time only to find that it ran very rough, blew out white smoke and finally died. Upon further investigation I found that the fuel filter was full of sediment and the fuel was cloudy. ...received an email from the owner of the dealership stating that I should have known the tractor might have bad fuel as they stated in the ebay description that it had an invoice date of 09/05. He also told me that if I wanted more service out of a dealership I should have purchased from my local dealer.

Total BS. I would pay the local dealer to do the whole dealer prep then send the bill, along with the selling dealer's email, to the manufacturer. That's a nice tractor, it should run nice.

When I brought home my 25 year old used tractor I was told it hadn't been used much for several years. The old fuel had stained a bathtub ring at the 2/3 level of the tank and it must have been pre-1993 high sulphur diesel, the way it burned my eyes. Extremely hard to start, but Power Service remedied that.

There was only a spec or two of sediment and one drop of water in the fuel filter, and its exterior was so dirty I'm sure it hadn't been cleaned for years.

Something's not right here. Could that tractor have been flooded in Katrina? You might check for water in the transmission etc.

 

[thcri]

Total BS.

I agree. He sells a product as new, you as the new owner would not know that that tractor sat on the lot. I bought a TC29D that sat on a lot for two years and mine too ran for two hours and then quit. Bad fuel. They ended up replacing my fuel tank.

I think it is crap that the dealer blamed it on you.

murph

 

[Doc_Bob]

Drain the fuel (use Mr Funnel) and change the fule fitler and go have fun!
Bob

 

[dqdave1]

Email CNH and give them the serial number; ask if it is new. Tell them the situation and see their answer.

 

[thcri]

Drain the fuel (use Mr Funnel) and change the fule fitler and go have fun!
Bob

Bob,
It was not that easy for me. After draining, cleaning or whatever they finally replaced the tank.

These dealers would eliminate the majority of this problem if they would leave the tank full when sitting on the lot.


murph

 

[Hooked_on_HP]

Can you go through Ebay to get some satisfaction since it was sold as NEW. Possibly get some money back.

 

[Zipperhead0]

Well right now I am kind of in a wait and see posture to see what my local dealers service department will do for me. The folks at Ewald Tractor did not respond to my latest calls or e-mails. Of course they already have my money. I fowarded all of the information to CNH via e-mail and have not heard back from them yet.

Hopefully, I will have my tractor back this week, fixed and ready to go.

 

[gordon21]

Complain to NH, e-bay, the local better business bureau and also check to see if the local newspaper or TV station where the delaer is located has a help-me service. It is truly amazing what these help me services can get accomplished. No business owner in his right mind wants to be on the nightly news as being a rip-off. Complain enough to the right places and I am sure you will get the service bill from your local dealer reimbured in full. If he balks, the TV station will have a field day with it.

California's advice about Katrina is good advice. You don't know for sure where that tractor has been it's entire 16 month life. It could have been flooded in a storage yard many miles from the dealership. Check the oils in the engine, tranny and front end. Pull a tire rim and look for rust behind the rim against the hub. If you find rust on the hub of a "new" tractor, you will have even more clout in getting it up to new standards. Water in the front end of a tractor with 5 hours would not be normal. Any chance the hourmeter was unhooked or replaced?

I don't know of any laws concerning tractors, flooding and any requirement to inform the buyer.