Kubota RTV 1100 no steering in cold weather

nusdaddy22 · Sep 1, 2013

New to this site. I have a RTV 1100 and the darn thing will not steer at all in cold weather. Starts fine and fluid levels are good. It might start to steer after idling for about 25-30mins.....outside temp might be around 25F. Has done this since new....dealer has no awnser... its about four years old. Personally I think its a joke, useless if you can't steer it! Just curious if anyone else has had this problem. Thanks!

SpudHauler · Sep 2, 2013

Not sure what year you have, probably doesn't matter in this case, but my 2009 RTV1100 worked well in 8 degree temps with a windchill that put it down even further.

First thoughts would be to change the fluid.

Sounds like weak pump pressure or perhaps bad steering box.

You need a manual to start checking for steering pump re-build options or pressure pump re-build.

One of the three, fluid/steering unit/pump, is bad, which one is the question.

Fluid change is the cheapest and quickest start.

Perhaps these will help.

nusdaddy22 · Sep 2, 2013

SpudHauler said:
Not sure what year you have, probably doesn't matter in this case, but my 2009 RTV1100 worked well in 8 degree temps with a windchill that put it down even further.

First thoughts would be to change the fluid.

Sounds like weak pump pressure or perhaps bad steering box.

You need a manual to start checking for steering pump re-build options or pressure pump re-build.

One of the three, fluid/steering unit/pump, is bad, which one is the question.

Fluid change is the cheapest and quickest start.

Perhaps these will help.
View attachment 334979 View attachment 334978

OK, thanks for the info. I'll look into the fluid I put in...I just put in what the dealer gave me. It is a 2009, and has never steered when its cold out since new! Did bring it to the dealer for the initial fluid change ect, I mentioned the steering issue but found no problems. Now that I think of it the dump wouldn't work this past winter when it was cold out either.....it slipped my mind being the steering is the biggest issue.....I'm sure they're probably connected now that I think of it. They probably run off the same hydraulics?

JOHNTHOMAS · Sep 3, 2013

2009 new and dealer gave you fluid to put in it? It didn't come from dealer already with fluid in it?
If dump also doesn't work then I'm going for probably fluid is probably the problem. Get SUDT or SUDT2.
Spudhauler: 8 degrees is always 8 degrees

to machines and thermometers, it's only living things where wind blows their body temp away that relates to chill factor which means "fills like". :thumbsup:

SpudHauler · Sep 4, 2013

Pump has two seperate sections, back half for steering and front half for lift each with different flow rates.

Read the specs in the jpg's I posted and you will see what I mean.

I think you don't have the good SUDT like John said above.

Try draining the steering tank first, replace with SUDT or SUDT2 and see if it improves.

Then do the dump tank if you are successful.

Right on with the temps John, damm cold!!!

SpudHauler · Sep 4, 2013

Pump has two seperate sections, back half for steering and front half for lift each with different flow rates.

Read the specs in the jpg's I posted and you will see what I mean.

I think you don't have the good SUDT like John said above.

Try draining the steering tank first, replace with SUDT or SUDT2 and see if it improves.

Then do the dump tank if you are successful.

Right on with the temps John, damm cold!!!

DB Pilot · Sep 4, 2013

About 4 years ago My 2001 BX2200 had a problem with the FEL bucket. In cold temperatures the bucket would not work. Everything else worked fine. Raise, lower and steering of tractor gave no problems. Just the bucket. After a 20 minute warm up of the tractor the bucket would start to work. This went on for 2 winters. :confused3: I then dumped the Hydraulic fluid, changed and cleaned all filters as required. Put in the TSC premium Hydraulic Fluid. Everything has been working correctly now no matter what temperature it is.

However with that said, the next fluid change in the L3800 will be with Kubota fluid to see if I can quiet the whine in the transmission of that tractor. Good luck and I have a feeling all will work out with this problem. :thumbsup:

jcrvt · Nov 26, 2013

nusdaddy22 said:
New to this site. I have a RTV 1100 and the darn thing will not steer at all in cold weather. Starts fine and fluid levels are good. It might start to steer after idling for about 25-30mins.....outside temp might be around 25F. Has done this since new....dealer has no awnser... its about four years old. Personally I think its a joke, useless if you can't steer it! Just curious if anyone else has had this problem. Thanks!

Hey nusdaddy22. Ever get this figured out? I live 100 miles north of you and had this same problem. I'd be willing to bet that it's the p/s - dumpbed fluid. My machine worked fine in warm weather, didn't use it in the winter so didn't even know it was an issue. There was a modification made to the hydraulic reservoir vent tube several years back (dealer came out and added gooseneck to end of vent tube. Apparently water could drip down into reservoir via the vent? They never mentioned what the fix/problem was until I asked after I discovered my steering issue). Had less than 40 hrs on the machine...

In any event I had water mixed in the SUDT and all through the dump & p/s systems. When the weather gets good and cold, the hydraulic system filter (located along bed frame) will actually clog with the ice crystals and deform the interior metal strainer. -> Rig won't steer and box won't dump...

My remedy was to completely drain the systems (p/s & dump) and the reservoir of every bit of oil possible and replaced the filter; then flushed the system using TSC premium hydraulic fluid, filling reservoir. Operated dump box (full reach 20-30 times, and turned the steering lock-to-lock 40-50 times (had the front up on jackstands to reduce the "strain" on the system). Empty out all of the system fluid again, pull the filter and let it drain completely. I even put in on top of my furnace (open side up) for a couple of days just to drive the moisture out of the filter medium - or just replace it, but I'm too cheap to throw out a $ 20 filter with 0.5 hrs on it...

Repeat the entire process with fresh fluid, until you draw off clear fluid when you empty the reservoir. Took 3 cycles until I was satisfied it was all out of there (so I'm a little compulsive... :confused2

2nd and 3rd cycles I didn't completely fill reservoir since it wasn't going to stay in the system for long - used about 3 gallons per cycle. Last time around I drove it for 15 - 20 minutes just to be certain that I had cycled it through everything nook and cranny. That last draining it came out just as clear as it went in! Boy was I psyched!!!! :cloud9:

Been running sweet every since. I've read that running these rigs will help to "boil" and condensed water out of the fluid, though the p/s - dump system doesn't seem to warm up much (at least up here near the Canadian border). 0 degrees yesterday @ 5:30 AM and NO problems. So happy with the result that I just added a BOSS Power V XT plow to it last Friday!!! :cool2:

Hope that this has been helpful...

nusdaddy22 · Jan 2, 2014

jcrvt said:
Hey nusdaddy22. Ever get this figured out? I live 100 miles north of you and had this same problem. I'd be willing to bet that it's the p/s - dumpbed fluid. My machine worked fine in warm weather, didn't use it in the winter so didn't even know it was an issue. There was a modification made to the hydraulic reservoir vent tube several years back (dealer came out and added gooseneck to end of vent tube. Apparently water could drip down into reservoir via the vent? They never mentioned what the fix/problem was until I asked after I discovered my steering issue). Had less than 40 hrs on the machine...

In any event I had water mixed in the SUDT and all through the dump & p/s systems. When the weather gets good and cold, the hydraulic system filter (located along bed frame) will actually clog with the ice crystals and deform the interior metal strainer. -> Rig won't steer and box won't dump...

My remedy was to completely drain the systems (p/s & dump) and the reservoir of every bit of oil possible and replaced the filter; then flushed the system using TSC premium hydraulic fluid, filling reservoir. Operated dump box (full reach 20-30 times, and turned the steering lock-to-lock 40-50 times (had the front up on jackstands to reduce the "strain" on the system). Empty out all of the system fluid again, pull the filter and let it drain completely. I even put in on top of my furnace (open side up) for a couple of days just to drive the moisture out of the filter medium - or just replace it, but I'm too cheap to throw out a $ 20 filter with 0.5 hrs on it...

Repeat the entire process with fresh fluid, until you draw off clear fluid when you empty the reservoir. Took 3 cycles until I was satisfied it was all out of there (so I'm a little compulsive... :confused2 2nd and 3rd cycles I didn't completely fill reservoir since it wasn't going to stay in the system for long - used about 3 gallons per cycle. Last time around I drove it for 15 - 20 minutes just to be certain that I had cycled it through everything nook and cranny. That last draining it came out just as clear as it went in! Boy was I psyched!!!! :cloud9:

Been running sweet every since. I've read that running these rigs will help to "boil" and condensed water out of the fluid, though the p/s - dump system doesn't seem to warm up much (at least up here near the Canadian border). 0 degrees yesterday @ 5:30 AM and NO problems. So happy with the result that I just added a BOSS Power V XT plow to it last Friday!!! :cool2:

Hope that this has been helpful...

That was very helpful! I had pulled the screen and it was all iced up. Changed the fluid but didn't flush yet...just read your post....I'll need to look into the vent deal with the moisture getting in. Thank you again, sounds like you had the same problem. It doest make sense having a rig like that if you can't steer it when you need it!! Can't thank you enough.... I'll get to flushing!

dchamp248 · Jan 22, 2014

I have a 2007 RTV1100 with the same steering and dump box issue. The fluid has been flushed 2x and the breather tube with the s -curve to keep the condensation out was replaced. I still have the same issue and the dealer did not have an answer. I have a service report into Kubota (1-22-14) and I am waiting on a reply. The fact that the hydraulics do not work below 25 deg F is not normal for any hyd system even with a "cheap" hyd fluid and fluid that is contaminated. The dealer checked the pump pressure on both sides of the pump and the flow - all checked OK.

The only way I resolved the problem was to put it inside and heat it up for 2-3 hours until the fluid temp rose above 35 deg F.