L2501 Starting Issue

Paul M

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Equipment
L2501
Oct 30, 2024
1
0
1
Picayune, MS
I added aux lights front and rear and blew a fuse, replaced the fuse but will only start by spraying hot juice into the intake. Fuel bowl empties and refills, I shot compressed air into the tank to clear any obstructions. Still won't start...did I short out one of the many rela
 

007kubotaguy

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B7100DT L245DT JD 2355
Dec 23, 2012
635
243
43
Herald Calif.
Not sure what your electrical issue is. Sounds like maybe the glow plugs aren't working. I assume hot juice is starting fluid. Your tractor won't live long if you continue to use that.
 
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GreensvilleJay

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BX23-S,57 A-C D-14,58 A-C D-14, 57 A-C D-14,tiller,cults,Millcreek 25G spreader,
Apr 2, 2019
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Did you check and confirm that ALL the fuses are good ? Maybe your tractor has a 'run' solenoid that isn't powered, which would explain no fuel getting into the engine.
Agree ,another 'hot shot' and you'll probably be buying a complete new engine.
 
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85Hokie

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BX-25D ,PTB. Under Armor, '90&'92-B7100HST's, '06 BX1850 FEL
Jul 13, 2013
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Bedford - VA
As 007 said - something is a miss - starting fluid is horrible for a diesel

Start with retracing your steps with the electrical stuff..........

UNHOOK those wires - something is causing a closed circuit that is causing the fuse to blow.

THIS IS the exact reason I always recommend a separate circuit when adding lights that IS NOT part of the Kubota electronics - only part in common would be the battery.
 
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GreensvilleJay

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BX23-S,57 A-C D-14,58 A-C D-14, 57 A-C D-14,tiller,cults,Millcreek 25G spreader,
Apr 2, 2019
11,301
4,842
113
Greensville,Ontario,Canada
re: starting fluid is horrible for a diesel
ONLY, specifically Kubota diesels........
I know first hand that a BUDA BD153 has NO issues with 2 seconds of quality starting ether.....3x a day for 13 years, more or less....

aux lights could have been powered from the Kubota supplied wiring (blue tagged barrel connectors ).
would need to see wiring diagram but I assume it has 'worklight' wiring like my BX23S ??
 

GreensvilleJay

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BX23-S,57 A-C D-14,58 A-C D-14, 57 A-C D-14,tiller,cults,Millcreek 25G spreader,
Apr 2, 2019
11,301
4,842
113
Greensville,Ontario,Canada
FYI there's a 'key stop 30 a slow blow fuse'..... according to the WSM from kubotabooks.com.

Which fuse did you blow and replace ??

also , tractor does have a 10 amp fuse for 'working light'.
 

85Hokie

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BX-25D ,PTB. Under Armor, '90&'92-B7100HST's, '06 BX1850 FEL
Jul 13, 2013
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Bedford - VA
Jay - as you well know, anything that lights "prematurely" and dries out the cylinder walls cannot be good for the engine. But there those that have been doing it for years and had little if no problems.
 

GreensvilleJay

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BX23-S,57 A-C D-14,58 A-C D-14, 57 A-C D-14,tiller,cults,Millcreek 25G spreader,
Apr 2, 2019
11,301
4,842
113
Greensville,Ontario,Canada
My understanding is that the Kubota diesels are engineered differently than other diesels. heck you see 'big rigs' using ether all the time on TV......
My Buda had bad blowby(low compression) so it needed the 'boost', or another battery for an air intake 'glowplug'. Ether was a lot cheaper and had a list of additives to keep the walls wet.
 
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lugbolt

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ZG127S-54
Oct 15, 2015
5,189
1,876
113
Mid, South, USA
Did dealer tech work for 3 decades.

A $5 can of starting fluid has destroyed a lot of expensive engines. Some were just rods, some were just pistons, some had the cylinders scored up so badly from broken rings that they couldn't be salvaged on any kind of budget (resleeving required), some had the rods bent so badly that they hit the block and knocked chunks out of the cylinder walls, seen a twisted crankshaft, a cracked crankshaft (my Mom's mower...), lifted head on a V1503 I believe it was, you get the idea. SVL95, spritzed it with ether because they ran it out of fuel and ate up the engine. Any idea what an engine R&R is on an SVL95? Just a hint, it's 5 figures....

It only takes one time. Had a MX5100 show up at the home shop. Friend owned it. Said it was getting to where it'd die in the field and he'd have to hit it with starting fluid to get it to start back up. I found a wasp in the fuel bowl which was restricting fuel flow, engine would die under a load because of that. Cleaned it out and it ran fine. Flow test was fine. He came got it and one afternoon we met up for lunch after church, he mentioned that his tractor was getting harder and harder to start and said he noticed a little bit of smoke under a load. Asked me if I could have a look at it, knowing that I don't do big jobs like overhauls. Wellllll.....4 ring lands broke, when I pulled the pistons out the rings fell out in pieces, as well as the ring lands themselves. Also all 4 rods bent. Cylinders mic'd within spec and no scratching at all, thankfully. I put 4 new rods and 4 new piston/ring assemblies in and buttoned it up. Kind of an expensive job but it's done, and I'm not going to do it again. Next time he can pay the kubota dealer $10 grand, I don't have the motivation to do it anymore.

possibly had a problem and hitting it with the starting fluid just made more problems. I'd put a compression gauge on it right away and see what it says before going any further, but that's just what "I" would do-yall can do whatever you want, it's your equipment and your choice.
 
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