B2910 just stopped :(

[AppleMan]

New here. Glad I found this place.

I was blowing snow here in WI and the engine just stopped. Took PTO out of gear, pushed in the clutch, tried to restart and nothing, not even ignition lights.

Got off, walked around the thing, jumped back on and it started. Blew snow for about 2 minutes and again it just quit.

Tried several tricks including trying to turn it over while moving PTO engagement levers, speed selection, forward/reverse pedal to no avail. No ignition or glow plug lights turn on.

Tried jump starting it as I thought it may be a failed battery and nothing.

Maybe blew a fuse? Did a kill switch fail?

Any ideas are welcome. TIA!

 

[Mark_BX25D]

Check your battery connections (both ends). Could be loose, or perhaps there's corrosion there. Both ends as in, where it connects to the battery AND where it connects to the rest of the tractor.

And don't be gentle. Do some pushing and shoving. If the connection is solid, you won't hurt it, and if it's not, you want to know!

 

[mcfarmall]

Welcome to the forum! Sounds more electrical than fuel related.

 

[Henro]

I have a B2910 but it has been so reliable over 20 years that I never had to dig into the electrical.

It sounds like it is not the battery, since jumping the battery would have eliminated the connection between the cable clamps and the battery terminals, and the battery itself, and jumping did not help.

I think Mark is pointing you in the right direction. It is possible that the B2910 has a fuel shutoff solenoid that works like my BX does, that is, it may need voltage to keep the fuel flowing. If you lose battery voltage in this kind of set up, the tractor will likely shut down...if the dynamo or alternator, whichever you have, may not supply enough voltage to keep the electrical working.

Doubt it is a blown fuse, as blown fuses do not come back into operating mode. MIGHT be a bad connection at a fuse...just like it might be a bad connection in the main circuit from the battery.

Hope you have a heated garage where you can work on the tractor. I don't...would be a sad day for me if this happened here with the current weather.

 

[armylifer]

Got off, walked around the thing, jumped back on and it started. Blew snow for about 2 minutes and again it just quit.

Because of what you said here, it sounds like the operator presence switch under the seat may be faulty or even frozen up or unplugged.

 

[Henro]

Because of what you said here, it sounds like the operator presence switch under the seat may be faulty or even frozen up or unplugged.

No operator's presence switch on my B2910. Also no control module (OPC).

 

[AppleMan]

Update -

- there is no operator presence switch on my B2910 - I had looked everywhere to make sure
- replaced the battery and cleaned the terminals - wa-la - it has power and turns over
- it is sitting outside in -4 degree weather with 25-40 mph wind
- won't fire up and I do not have a block heater on it

Wish me luck. I am thinking propane heater and moving blankets.

 

[armylifer]

No operator's presence switch on my B2910. Also no control module (OPC).

I was reading in the WSM for that model that the OPC was included starting in 2004. This per
Bulletin No : SFI-A-04-015
Date : Oct. 27, 2004

 

[Henro]

I was reading in the WSM for that model that the OPC was included starting in 2004. This per
Bulletin No : SFI-A-04-015
Date : Oct. 27, 2004

Could be. I do know the B7800, which is the economy model of the B2910 has the OPC and the B7800 is included in the WSM for the B2910 as an appendix, since it is mostly the same.

No clue about an OPC being included in some B2910 models towards the end of the production run. These things apparently happen with various Kubota tractors. Not even sure when the B2910 was last produced. Perhaps in 2004?

 

[DustyRusty]

It can be a combination of problems, such as bad electrical cables from the battery, or high resistance in the wires due to oxidation of the copper under the insulation. Then we can't rule out the possibility of fuel gelling. I strongly suggest that you have both the white bottle of Power Service and use it regularly year-round, and a bottle of Red Power Service 911, for the times that you run into fuel gelling problems. Most older equipment fails when the temperatures also drop as a result of poor or little maintenance. Tractors, like cars, can't be ignored, and expect them to perform at their peak performance when it is significantly cold.

 

[je1279]

Won't fire up and I do not have a block heater on it

Wish me luck. I am thinking propane heater and moving blankets.

Do yourself a favor and get a block heater. It will pay for itself after one day like today.

 

[D2Cat]

When you say "nothing no even ignition lights" you more than likely have a bad battery cable or loose connection. Mark, in post #2, described a good procedure. Be sure to remove BOTH ends of the battery cables and clean the cable ends and especially the metal at the frame where the negative cable connects. Scrape that clean!

 

[Mark_BX25D]

Do yourself a favor and get a block heater. It will pay for itself after one day like today.

A block heater isn't any part of his current problem.

 

[je1279]

A block heater isn't any part of his current problem.

Didn't he state that he previously had a no crank situation and after replacing the battery, it cranked but refused to start? That leads me to believe that the engine either needs heat to fire or the fuel is gelled, no?

 

[DustyRusty]

Once the engine is started, the block heater isn't necessary. While a block heater will help the tractor engine to turn over faster, and for the fuel to ignite quicker, it isn't a necessity. I have always used block heaters because they give the engine a quicker start, there is less wear on the engine, and most importantly, I get heat into the cabin faster. A warm block would mean a warm injection pump, but once that warm oil in the injection pump is used up, the cold fuel from the fuel tank is going t be making its way into the injection pump, cooling it, and possibly causing cold weather issues such as gelling.
I predict that we will be answering a lot more of these types of questions until the cold that has a grip on the nation is over. Who would like to be the scorekeeper?

 

[je1279]

@DustyRusty I completely agree with your assessment. Sorry for any confusion as I didn't think the engine fired after the battery was replaced.

 

[Mark_BX25D]

Didn't he state that he previously had a no crank situation and after replacing the battery, it cranked but refused to start? That leads me to believe that the engine either needs heat to fire or the fuel is gelled, no?

No, he had no crank, no lights. nothing.

Tried several tricks including trying to turn it over while moving PTO engagement levers, speed selection, forward/reverse pedal to no avail. No ignition or glow plug lights turn on.

It's an electrical problem. Battery cables or a safety switch, likely.

The confusion might be that a lot of people use the terms, "crank", and "turn over" incorrectly. They think they mean, "engine starts". No, they both mean the same thing - the starter motor does it's thing and the engine goes roundy round.

Whether it actually STARTS or not is another matter. You could remove all of the fuel injectors completely and still turn the engine over, or crank it (same thing). It will never start, but it sure has cranked, it sure has turned over.

 

[AppleMan]

It can be a combination of problems, such as bad electrical cables from the battery, or high resistance in the wires due to oxidation of the copper under the insulation. Then we can't rule out the possibility of fuel gelling. I strongly suggest that you have both the white bottle of Power Service and use it regularly year-round, and a bottle of Red Power Service 911, for the times that you run into fuel gelling problems. Most older equipment fails when the temperatures also drop as a result of poor or little maintenance. Tractors, like cars, can't be ignored, and expect them to perform at their peak performance when it is significantly cold.

I am picking Power Service products up today. Thanks for that advice. And I will pay more attention to service. The crackerjack mechanic I relied on has been out of commission for a year plus due to a stroke.

 

[D2Cat]

DustyRusty, your advise is wise. AppleMan probably does not have winterized fuel in the tank. Many folks probably do not realize they should let their fuel level drop in late summer/fall so it can be topped off with fuel that has winter treatment from the supplier!

If the engine is not turning over.....until it does changes in fuel will have no consequences.

 

[armylifer]

DustyRusty, your advise is wise. AppleMan probably does not have winterized fuel in the tank. Many folks probably do not realize they should let their fuel level drop in late summer/fall so it can be topped off with fuel that has winter treatment from the supplier!

If the engine is not turning over.....until it does changes in fuel will have no consequences.

Look at post #7. I interpret that as meaning the engine turns over but will not start/run.