2021 B2301 Coolant Leak

[ORANGE4EVER]

Hey all,

Purchased my B2301 last december and long story short, after 50 hours of use I noticed the coolant reservoir was pretty empty. Went to my dealer and explained the situation and they mentioned to refill keep an eye on it as it could be just some air leaks in the system. I refilled the reservoir and made a line with a sharpie to what the coolant level was after refill. After another 50 hrs of operation (100 hours total now on the machine) I've noticed the level in the reservoir dropped a good inch below the mark.

Now I'm not expert tech or mechanic but I checked the oil level and it seems like the level is higher and the oil seems thinner and likely mixed with that leaking coolant. I know this doesn't look good but I have faith on my Kubota dealer since the tractor is practically brand new and bought with that 5-6 year warranty.

Before I made the official call to my dealer and give them an update on my situation, I was wondering if there's anything I should be aware of regarding claims or warranty issues? I'm assuming any of this should be a problem but you never know these days.

I'm also very curious as to how or what I could have done to cause this type of problem? I certainly did not abuse of this machine in any way so I'm sure that's not it.

Cheers,

Frank

 

[Captain13]

if you think coolant is going into the oil, pull the dipstick and give it the sniff test. Coolant gives a distinct smell (sweet) and you will notice it. Also, if coolant is going into the oil, the oil will have a milky brown color.

if a head gasket is leaking but it’s a small amount of coolant going into the cylinder, you shout see a white haze smoke coming out of the exhaust.

An inch in 6 months is a concern so be sure and check the coolant system for any leaks. Is the engine running hotter than normal? check the hoses clamps, water pump, etc for any tells that water has seeped out.

 

[ORANGE4EVER]

if you think coolant is going into the oil, pull the dipstick and give it the sniff test. Coolant gives a distinct smell (sweet) and you will notice it. Also, if coolant is going into the oil, the oil will have a milky brown color.

if a head gasket is leaking but it’s a small amount of coolant going into the cylinder, you shout see a white haze smoke coming out of the exhaust.

An inch in 6 months is a concern so be sure and check the coolant system for any leaks. Is the engine running hotter than normal? check the hoses clamps, water pump, etc for any tells that water has seeped out.

Thanks for the response Captain!

I have issues with smell so I can't really say but, as for the milky brown color oil...I'd say it's not dark brown with the same consistency as engine oil so that's my concern. I'll try and take a closer look at the leak but couldn't see anything obvious. It's stored inside my garage and it sits for days and I haven't seen anything on the floor.

I get a puff of smoke when I start the engine or sometimes when I put it full throttle quickly. As for the temperature gauge, it's never even seen the halfway mark so I don't think it's running hot.

 

[GeoHorn]

A reservoir on a new tractor may drop down and need service a couple times as air is expelled from the closed system, but it should level-off after a few times. Water/coolant in the oil will quickly create a foamy sludge that will stick to the dipstick and oil cap and upper valve-train. A pressure test of the closed system will reveal that. Talk to your dealer about a pressure test and oil-sample/spectro-analysis.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

The BX23S had a recall notice 3 years ago... bad batch of the caps on the reservoir tank had no hole in them ! Free cap or just drill the cap was the fix.

May not be your problem...but to be sure, remove cap and look inside where the hose connects, or just blow into it.,or push clean, shiny drill bit in.....It'll be obvious if plugged or open.

If it's plugged,over time, hot coolant has no where to go , vapour goes into the air, less collant for engine, engine gets hotter, more coolant 'disappears', cycle continues until engine overheats..which is really really bad....

 

[retired farmer]

The BX23S had a recall notice 3 years ago... bad batch of the caps on the reservoir tank had no hole in them ! Free cap or just drill the cap was the fix.

May not be your problem...but to be sure, remove cap and look inside where the hose connects, or just blow into it.,or push clean, shiny drill bit in.....It'll be obvious if plugged or open.

If it's plugged,over time, hot coolant has no where to go , vapour goes into the air, less collant for engine, engine gets hotter, more coolant 'disappears', cycle continues until engine overheats..which is really really bad....

Drain some oil and take it to dealer. Get the oil checked out by another source also. That would be my biggest worry. I wouldn't run it until I found out if the oil is good.
rr

 

[RCW]

Has the engine ever overheated?

Doubting so, as it sounds like you are attentive and responsive to maintenance issues.

I’m not so sure you have a problem at all. In 10 years and 500 hours, I’ve put a little coolant in my BX quite a few times, but doesn’t amount to much in volume

An inch of my reservoir tank is probably not more than a couple/few ounces. I would expect to have to add a little multiple times on a new machine.

That said, if I were to suspect an issue it would be the head or head gasket. If it were a head or gasket, the coolant would be vaporized in the cylinder when running, and wouldn’t make it to the oil pan, unless it were a catastrophic failure. You’d have noticed the smell and steam in the exhaust I’d guess.

A “redneck” test of head/head gasket failure is to take the radiator cap off and start the tractor at idle. If you see bubbles in the radiator, then there’s the possibility of a head or head gasket problem. I’ve done this multiple times over the years just for peace of mind. It's not definitive, but an indication.

I doubt you’ll find bubbles. I don’t think I’d worry about it.

I may be dismissing the issue incorrectly, but I don’t think so. I may be in the minority as far as response to the issue, but that’s okay .

You have a valid question and I definitely think you’re wise to ask it here.

 

[whitetiger]

Have you tightened your hose clamps yet?

 

[TheMurf]

If anti freeze was mixing in your oil, it would give a sweet smell and lots of smoke when the motor runs.. Bad valve seals,blown head gasket, cracked head all would signal anti freeze mixing into the combustion chamber. Oil would also appear frothy white.. A cylinder leak down test is the sure way to determine if you have a problem.