MAHINDRA 3510 LOSING POWER

[kgholt]

Last winter (very cold in the Northeast) I wasn't able to start the tractor. As the weather has become warmer, the tractor will start without a problem but if I run it for more than a couple of minutes it starts to lose power, it surges, and eventually stalls out. I've noticed that if I bleed it for a couple of minutes it will start and sometimes run for a bit longer but eventually comes back to the power loss-surge-stall routine. Any help is appreciated - I'm not a mechanic but I can follow directions! Thanks.

 

[amaxwell]

Last winter (very cold in the Northeast) I wasn't able to start the tractor. As the weather has become warmer, the tractor will start without a problem but if I run it for more than a couple of minutes it starts to lose power, it surges, and eventually stalls out. I've noticed that if I bleed it for a couple of minutes it will start and sometimes run for a bit longer but eventually comes back to the power loss-surge-stall routine. Any help is appreciated - I'm not a mechanic but I can follow directions! Thanks.

Sounds like a fuel (injector pump, filter ,water in fuel or fuel restriction) issue to me. I would start with the water separator bowl and fuel filter then check the tank and fuel. If there was water in the fuel the injector pump could have rust and be sticking slightly , which might improve if you could get it to run a while. Hopefully an expert will chime in and help you with more ideas.

 

[Btown]

My guess is fuel also, either filter problem or some other restriction.

 

[jim3616]

I would drain the tank and replace the filter. I would also use a good additive to prevent moisture buildup if the tractor isn't run on a regular basis.

 

[kgholt]

Thanks all. Yep it was the fuel filter. It was leaking around the seal - maybe a faulty o-ring (I changed the filter and assembly last year). Anyway, I put the o-ring on from the old assembly. It isn't leaking now, and the tractor seems to be running fine. I checked all the fuel lines and tank and didn't see any other problem.

On another note, I've been using Diesel 911 - are there better additives that will prevent the fuel from gumming up in the winter? Is there some kind of receptacle on this model for putting on a heating block?

 

[jim3616]

My model doesn't offer a block heater - unless you're in an extreme environment you wouldn't need a heater - all brand name additives are good to go - nothing to be concerned about