Oil & Fuel FX24 Suddenly Refuses to Start

adt2 · Mar 29, 2015

I bought a used FX 24 last summer, and up until now, it has given me no trouble at all. I went out to start it this morning, and it turns over but does not fire. It has a full tank of diesel. I have tried following the steps in the owners manual regarding the heater, the compression lever, etc. No dice.

I've removed and cleaned the fuel filter, but I can't figure out how to bleed the system now. Manual offers no diagrams - just a warning not to try to start without bleeding first.

So, my questions are, how do I bleed the fuel system, and does anyone have any idea why it would suddenly refuse to start? Or started and ran just fine only a few days ago. I'm baffled.

Thanks in advance for your help.

winston1 · Mar 29, 2015

Your FX24 has a priming pump right on the injection pump. It has a handle you can manually prime with. Could be your filter was plugged or could be the priming pump has gone bad. There are priming screws to loosen on the filter you can also use this as help. How to bleed air out of the fuel system

Here is what the feed pump looks like.
LP-9158 Lift Pump [129158-52101] - $106.53 : DTP, We Know Your Diesel!

bmaverick · Mar 29, 2015

winston1 said:
Your FX24 has a priming pump right on the injection pump. It has a handle you can manually prime with. Could be your filter was plugged or could be the priming pump has gone bad. There are priming screws to loosen on the filter you can also use this as help. How to bleed air out of the fuel system

When turning those filter screws, count the number of turns, half turns and quarter turns for each one.

That's nice the FX has the primer handle.

runningbird · Mar 29, 2015

When you turn the key to on, do you hear the buzzzz of the fuel shut off/on rod? or pull off the right side cover and watch the rod at the back of the injection pump. it should move foreword when you turn the key to on....

normde2001 · Mar 30, 2015

I have never, ever heard of anyone cleaning a fuel filter.

adt2 · Mar 30, 2015

normde2001 said:
I have never, ever heard of anyone cleaning a fuel filter.

That was one of the steps in the Troubleshooting section of the manual, so I gave it a shot. There was some sediment in the bottom of the site bowl, but nothing that I would classify as "enough to shut the whole thing down."

As far as the other suggestions/questions above, I'll be back out there tomorrow and I'll try them out and report back. Thanks for the input.

careyo63 · Mar 30, 2015

Guilty myself. A fuel line on a outboard motor wouldn't pump up. We was night fishing anchored and the next Morning the Motor wouldn't start. The Fuel Ball wouldn't pump up and it had a inline filter. Rough night and we sure didn't want to paddle all the way back inn. Poured some fuel in a cup from the tank and cleaned it up. I new it worked as soon as I tried to prime it. Fired right up!

YanmarFever · Mar 30, 2015

I think runningbird nailed it. Try the fuel shutoff solenoid, its buzzes every time the key is turn on or off, you can hear it.
I used to squirt wd40 on them after I cleaned all the mud and gunk off first. Its located behind the fuel filter bowl.
No buzzing sound - it no workie !

adt2 · Mar 31, 2015

Okay, there's good news and there's bad news. The good news is, I think I've likely identified the culprit as the fuel shutoff solenoid. I don't know what that is or where it's located, but it sure as heck isn't making any noise when the key is turned on.

The bad news is, there isn't really anything on my fuel system that looks like the pictures in the "bleeding the fuel system" links above. I still have no idea where the bleeder screws are. I'm attaching some pictures below - if anyone can point out A) the faulty solenoid and/or 2) the bleeder screws, I'd be very appreciative. Also...can the solenoid be fixed/bumped/knocked back into service, or am I ordering parts and doing surgery?

winston1 · Mar 31, 2015

Picture #1 bleed screw is right above the cutoff valve handle.

Posting a picture of the cutoff valve. #1 in parts drawing. You should try cleaning it first, if that doesn't work you might consider what others have done in this thread. http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/yanmar/303927-y17-three-cylinder-not-cranking-2.html

YanmarFever · Mar 31, 2015

winston1 said:
Picture #1 bleed screw is right above the cutoff valve handle.

Posting a picture of the cutoff valve. #1 in parts drawing. You should try cleaning it first, if that doesn't work you might consider what others have done in this thread. http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/yanmar/303927-y17-three-cylinder-not-cranking-2.html

It looks just like the picture Winston posted. Its small black can right below the plastic fuel bowl on your second pic.
Try tapping it with a SMALL hammer while the key is on. If that does not work, try to move the arm on the back of it with your fingers, (while the key is on)
Also, the wires coming out from the side may of worked lose, try unplugging it, cleaning the connector and plug it back together.
Careful with your fingers in case it engages.

winston1 · Mar 31, 2015

Good to hear from you tractorErnie. We have been missing your vast knowledge. Do you really have all those tractors with you in the Bahamas?

adt2 · Apr 1, 2015

More good news/bad news this morning. Good news is, a couple of light raps on the solenoid with the end of a screwdriver restored it to a functioning state. Tractor started up.

Bad news is, it blew a bunch of white smoke for about 2 seconds and then died, and no amount of fiddling with it afterwards would produce a different result. I've now managed to kill the battery, and jumper cables between the tractor and my truck for half an hour did nothing to help (which sounds like a jumper cable problem to me). I have no idea where my battery charger is and couldn't find it after several minutes of looking, so I called it quits for the day.

I am guessing the white smoke indicates some kind of continued fuel system problem. Nothing happened when I cracked the bleeder screw on the filter bowl. Couldn't locate a bleeder screw on the fuel pump, but I did locate the little priming lever on the smaller pump unit and operated it a few times before firing the engine. No idea whether it was good/bad/indifferent to the process.

winston1 · Apr 1, 2015

If you are confident the fuel shut off solenoid is functioning properly then I would guess you have air in your system. Always start bleeding air at the filter first and then work your way toward the pump. If you crack the lines at the top of the injector pumps and get no fuel it will not crank.

YanmarFever · Apr 4, 2015

winston1 said:
Good to hear from you tractorErnie. We have been missing your vast knowledge. Do you really have all those tractors with you in the Bahamas?

No, they wouldn't fit in the boat, more details down the road.....

adt2 · Apr 4, 2015

Okay, I'm back in business. Put the charger on the battery overnight and she fired right up this morning. I did have to whack the solenoid again mid-day after a lunch break, but it started right up again after that. Looks like I'm in good shape for now. I'll either need to repair or replace that solenoid at some point, but it's not an emergency.

Thanks to all of you for your help.

runningbird · Apr 5, 2015

your white smoke most likely was a result of the fuel shut off/on rod not traveling all the way open/on. next time it fails try to help it manually and see what happens. good luck