Does not start when hot

[czechsonofagun]

I started having issues with my Kubota. It simply does not start when hot. It starts easily and fast when cold - after holding for the heat plug - but while hot, the battery barely turns it over and it will not start.

The oil level is good, the coolant too and according to the display, the temperature never goes higher than half.

Opinions? I just don't understand why the battery would be weaker after running the engine for an hour.

 

[riptides]

Maybe the battery is shot? How old is it?

 

[oldnslo]

Will it start if you jump it from another known good source?

Have you checked to see if the starter is possibly getting warm and failing? Can you access the battery connection on your starter with jumper cables? Does it also by-pass the starter solenoid. If yes and if you can safely connect them try jumping direct to the starter. This will remove your battery and solenoid from the equation.

Some electrical components get weaker and or fail when they get warm.

Roy

 

[radioman]

Will it start if you jump it from another known good source?

Have you checked to see if the starter is possibly getting warm and failing? Can you access the battery connection on your starter with jumper cables? Does it also by-pass the starter solenoid. If yes and if you can safely connect them try jumping direct to the starter. This will remove your battery and solenoid from the equation.

Some electrical components get weaker and or fail when they get warm.

Roy

good advice- I'd start there too.

 

[crazyal]

How many hours are on it? I would start off looking at all of the electrical connections, mainly the heavy power wire going to the starter and the ground wires (engine to frame and battery to frame). After that if it has a number of hours on it I would look at the starter.

I would even look at the charging system, I had a problem once where the alternator was over charging the battery. It would heat the battery out and it's performance would drop. After about 20 minutes it started smelling like sulfur and actually boiled off the acid.

 

[number two]

Sounds like a "heat soaked"worn starter.Not at all that uncommon.Good Luck!

 

[czechsonofagun]

Thank you, guys. The starter tries to turn it, but feels like the engine gives too much resistance to it - I didn't get to it with voltmeter, that's the next step.


Bottom line - and my greatest fear is seized engine.

 

[riptides]

Thank you, guys. The starter tries to turn it, but feels like the engine gives too much resistance to it - I didn't get to it with voltmeter, that's the next step.


Bottom line - and my greatest fear is seized engine.

But your saying it has no starting issues cold? I would think it wouldn't "feel" or "sound" right on start up?

 

[czechsonofagun]

Well, battery shows 12.1V and Kubota will not start anymore. Looks like it is the battery - if it starts with jumping cables I will know for sure.

That said, the battery is the narrow one 10x6 inches or so - replacement from TSC? What battery do you run in your Kubota?

 

[Avondale]

My Kioti had problems with battery terminal/lugs. After awhile, the clamps were not making a good electrical connection with the batt terminal. Cleaned post and inside of clamp and worked ok. Eventually, changed to truck batt and replaced cable lugs to match and now have no problems. Using OEM fittings, was getting a shiney surface material that would restrict flow to batt, even when boosting.

 

[KennyV]

... What battery do you run in your Kubota?

The Largest and Heaviest that will fit in the space...
When you are buying lead acid batteries always get the most weight for your $$... KennyV

 

[boggen]

double check amount of water in the battery. if problem with charging system. it could overheat battery and boil water out. been there done that. ruined a new battery within 2 starts and some hours running tractor before i even realized what was happening.

the terminals neg. and pos. on battery, have had some good amount of problems on various things, not just tractors. it comes down to. cleaning termials and clamps real good, double checking it is accepting charge and will start vehicle. then using the "battery terminals" spray protective stuff. ((kinda like a spray on purple plastic coating)). i hate to say it, but have had to use coca cola soda a couple times to clean off terminals they were so corroded.

most good automotive repair shops have a battery checker. i have never had to pay for a battery check. the larger and more expensive battery chargers, normally have some sort of battery tester built into them.

i never needed to go with a bigger battery beyond the default specs manufacture suggest. about only time a bigger battery might work for me is during the very cold temps. and having a larger capacity, might be just enough to get the tractor started. but if bigger battery vs getting say a battery warmer. i would most likely go with a battery warmer for cold temps.

 

[KennyV]

Oh... one more thing about getting the Largest & Heaviest battery for the money...
It's a Tractor, the weight is a PLUS.....

If it were an aircraft, heavier may not be that big a Plus...
as for warming a battery...
generally the current flow to run the glow plugs is adequate to warm a battery all it needs .... KennyV

 

[czechsonofagun]

Soo, I was able to start it with the battery out and boost cables in from my jeep.

Put the battery on a floater and charged it full and the tractor started just fine.

Took a meter to the battery and with the engine running it shows 12.5x volts no matter how high rpms are = it does not charge. Gotta dig into it when I have some time, so far the tractor gets parked and connected to floater to make sure I start it when needed.


Ideas?

 

[riptides]

Sorry, I don't trust the battery......

Or the cable ends are getting just right, when your switching stuff in and around.

 

[EE_Bota]

When I check a system where the battery could be bad or the charging could be bad:

I test the battery volts on the battery posts themselves. This voltage will be the highest is is going to get during the test, unless charging happens. Write that value down.

I start the vehicle, give it some throttle, and I test the battery at the posts themselves, and at the post clamps too.
(If there is no charging, this voltage will be lower than before. You took charge out of the battery during starting. The voltage cannot be higher..unless there is charging.)

If the voltage is higher at the posts after the start, there must be some charging.
If the voltage at the clamps matches the voltage at the posts, the connection there must be clean enough for charging to happen.

If there seems to be no charging, I have to clean all connections from the battery to the charging source. Repeat the test. Still no charging? Charging has gone bad.

Battery: I have desulfating chargers. I charge them. I look for tiny bubbles floating to the top more or less equally cell to cell. No funny smells, and no violent bubbles. I don't have a battery tester, so if I didn't like what I saw while charging, I take it to a place that has a tester, and batteries for sell. My battery is either found to be good, or I arrive home with a good one. I buy the battery with the most cold cranking amps. I don't judge it by weight per se. If the cooling fan of the tractor blows over the battery toward the radiator, I buy sealed batteries. Otherwise, I buy vented maintenance required types.

Good luck!

 

[czechsonofagun]

Just to be sure - the dashboard light is on, when the system is charging? I seem to remember it was the other way than with a car.

 

[taborekle]

Soo, I was able to start it with the battery out and boost cables in from my jeep.

Put the battery on a floater and charged it full and the tractor started just fine.

Took a meter to the battery and with the engine running it shows 12.5x volts no matter how high rpms are = it does not charge. Gotta dig into it when I have some time, so far the tractor gets parked and connected to floater to make sure I start it when needed.


Ideas?

The voltage delivered by the alternator is controlled by a voltage regulator that is built into the alternator. One some of the heavier duty alternators, there is a independent 'sense' wire that is connected to the battery to get the true voltage of the battery. It has nothing to do with the RPM's of the engine.

 

[KennyV]

Just to be sure - the dashboard light is on, when the system is charging? I seem to remember it was the other way than with a car.

Just like in the car...IF the light is ON... the system IS Not working. KennyV

 

[jakell2010]

You likely have a charging issue,,,,alternator, connection?,something, the lights should be off on the dashboard when running, sounds like your running the tractor on the battery, and since it's a diesel, it doesn't take much juice