L3200 warm up normal or an issue

[jarettms]

I have a 2013 L3200 with 160 hours on it. It is stored on my property in central california for 30 days at a time. I start it up, move it out of the shed, let it run at 2,000 rpm for about 2-3 minutes, put the HST in medium and then drive it up my farm road (not very steep), and after 1/8th of a mile, the tractor starts miss firing. If I stop, the tractor has trouble idling consistently, but I can play around with the throttle for a couple of minutes and get the engine to run right after some black smoke (I believe it is unburned fuel). The tractor will then run well from that point on (i usually run it for 3 hours at a time).

Is this just normal tractor warm up behavior or something i should haul it to the dealer for?

Thanks!

 

[Bulldog]

No, that's not really normal but it may not need a trip to the dealer. Have you changed the fuel filter? Might just have some trash or water in the system. I would try a new fuel filter and some fuel treatment in the tank. Since you said it's stored There's a couple of things you should do.
1. Always use fresh fuel from a fuel source that moves lots of volume such as a truck stop
2. Fill the tank after each use before storage. The reason for this is if you leave it at say 1/2 tank while it's stored there's room in the top part of the tank for moisture (condensation) to collect and contaminate your fuel system.

Of course now if your still under warranty by all means let the dealer work out the problem if you feel the need. Just remember the dealer won't cover normal wear parts, belts, hoses, filters and ect.

 

[85Hokie]

No, that's not really normal but it may not need a trip to the dealer. Have you changed the fuel filter? Might just have some trash or water in the system. I would try a new fuel filter and some fuel treatment in the tank. Since you said it's stored There's a couple of things you should do.
1. Always use fresh fuel from a fuel source that moves lots of volume such as a truck stop
2. Fill the tank after each use before storage. The reason for this is if you leave it at say 1/2 tank while it's stored there's room in the top part of the tank for moisture (condensation) to collect and contaminate your fuel system.

Of course now if your still under warranty by all means let the dealer work out the problem if you feel the need. Just remember the dealer won't cover normal wear parts, belts, hoses, filters and ect.

I second everything that Bulldog mentioned - he's got your problem pegged, if there is water in the fuel, it goes to the bottom, then it tries to get by the filter, and or in the cylinder...I would always fill to the brim with fuel, and or use some type of treatment if it is going to sit a long time.

 

[hodge]

If the tractor sits that much, and especially if there is water present, bacteria can grow in the fuel. I second checking the fuel filter. If you find black, gooey stuff that looks like squashed grapes, it's bacteria.
Do you treat the fuel with anything? It would be prudent to add biocide to the fuel, so that bacteria can't grow.
The dealer is not going to cover contaminated fuel or bacteria growth.

 

[BotaDriver]

Your manual states to warm up @ 50% of rated. I believe the 3200 to be rated at 2800RPM, thus 1400RPM warmup.

Your issue isn't warming up though as the others have stated. Once it's running you should have zero issues, certainly nothing like you have.

 

[pmhowe]

I am interested in why the manual recommends warming up at 50% rated. Why not warm up at idle, or slightly above? There must be some interesting practical experience or theory here. Is this the evil EPA at work again?

 

[Bulldog]

I am interested in why the manual recommends warming up at 50% rated. Why not warm up at idle, or slightly above? There must be some interesting practical experience or theory here. Is this the evil EPA at work again?

I believe the warm up @50% has more to do with cold weather oil flow. Kubota obviously sells their products in every climate condition on earth. Warm up @50% would be a big deal if it's -20* and the wind blowing 40mph but not so much at 80* on the beach in Fla.

I think this is a case of one manual fits all.

 

[jarettms]

This is very helpful...i treated the fuel with stabil diesel fuel treatment, but I have not been filling it up at the end of each weekend I use it. The fuel bowl looked clean but i will revisit that and a filter...much easier for me to do that than drag my trailer up north to drag it to the dealer. Given that it always happens at the same time/place, i wonder if there is some point in the fuel system where i have the problem, it acts up, then that section of fuel moves through and it is fine. Now that my wife has a golf TDI, I will be able to always bring a fresh can with me and dump whatever doesnt fit in the kubotas into her car.

 

[hodge]

This is very helpful...i treated the fuel with stabil diesel fuel treatment, but I have not been filling it up at the end of each weekend I use it. The fuel bowl looked clean but i will revisit that and a filter...much easier for me to do that than drag my trailer up north to drag it to the dealer. Given that it always happens at the same time/place, i wonder if there is some point in the fuel system where i have the problem, it acts up, then that section of fuel moves through and it is fine. Now that my wife has a golf TDI, I will be able to always bring a fresh can with me and dump whatever doesnt fit in the kubotas into her car.

Most diesel treatments ARE NOT a biocide, so they do not stop bacteria from growing. When I went through it with my truck, I found it difficult to find an actual bacteria treatment. Read the labels carefully- there is a difference between cleaning or conditioning a system, and treating bacteria.
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...=GeKmR_vmM_VDgNVkDOC9CA&bvm=bv.54176721,d.dmg

 

[jarettms]

Most diesel treatments ARE NOT a biocide, so they do not stop bacteria from growing. When I went through it with my truck, I found it difficult to find an actual bacteria treatment. Read the labels carefully- there is a difference between cleaning or conditioning a system, and treating bacteria.
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...=GeKmR_vmM_VDgNVkDOC9CA&bvm=bv.54176721,d.dmg

Thank you for the education!

 

[Bluegill]

I wouldn't warm the tractor up at 2000 rpm. I do mine around 1100-1200 rpm.

 

[cerlawson]

Here is something for everyone. I once read a post by a farmer who had several tractors. He had those that would run all day out on the job in the fields as well as chore tractors. The chore tractors would require overhaul at half the hours of the field tractors. He blamed it on the lack of good warm up being more frequent for chore tractors than field tractors, After that experience, he used electric engine heaters to have the engines warmer at start up, rather than starting cold. He did that in all weather conditions.

 

[gpreuss]

I have a job that takes me away from home for a month at a time. I have never had a warm-up issue, winter or summer. I've never used any additives. I had a magnetic pan heater on my old L185DT that I used when it got really cold - anything in the 20's or less. The L3200 has an aluminum pan, so I had to go with a block coolant heater, but plug it into a thermostatic controlled outlet - turns on about 30*, off at 35*.
I'd generally start the tractors, let them run a couple of minutes at +/- 1200 rpm, and drive away. Never a cough, never black smoke.
I'd certainly talk to the dealer.

 

[camembert]

Owners of diesel-powered boats have the same issue - in spades! So go to the nearest marina / chandlery / boat accessory shop and get some diesel treatment that contains biocide.
Meanwhile change filters and drain / refill the tank as suggested by others. Hope you get it fixed - let us know!

 

[Tweetybrun]

How about the mice making nests in the cubby holes and air cleaner. Has that been a problem? Check your air filter. You may be sucking in mice debris.

 

[Bluegill]

I had my first fuel related problem earlier this summer. The fuel filter & bowl looked fine on the L3800, but it just didn't run right, would act like it was running out of fuel every 10-15 minutes. I treated the fuel and after a hour more use, replaced the fuel filter. No more troubles...

 

[dmanlyr]

I am interested in why the manual recommends warming up at 50% rated. Why not warm up at idle, or slightly above? There must be some interesting practical experience or theory here. Is this the evil EPA at work again?

No, this has nothing to do with the EPA, believe it or not, they are not all evil or responsible for all things. Why certainly overreaching in certain areas, with out them we could all be living in love canals, watching our children be born with birth defects or die early deaths from cancer. And that is the plain truth that those who would abolish the EPA do not want to face!

As to why a above idle warm up, a diesel uses compression heat to fire the fuel off in the cylinder, and at idle, most of that heat generated is used to fire off the next fuel charge, very little extra heat to reject into the cooling system, so diesel take a long time to warm up at idle, if they will at all.

As to why you want to get the engine to warm as quickly as possible without over stressing a cold engine, it is because of incomplete fuel burn on a cold engine. That incomplete fuel burn tends to migrate past the piston rings and that negatively affects the engine oil, and it lubricating properties.

In all honesty, it would better to start the tractor and put it under a slight load, but since different people have a different idea of a slight load, Kubota just picked a particular percentage of full throttle for warm up, thereby negating random differences in different operating styles of people.

Me, I start and let it idle for anywhere from a minute to 5 depending upon the temperature of the ambient air, and then drive away under a slight load to help it get up to proper operating temperature just that much quicker. And that comes from 40+ years of being a gas and diesel certified mechanic. Letting anything, gas or diesel idle for extended periods when not up to operating temperature is plain hard on equipment!

David