L3301 shutting off

Chriskubota

New member
Apr 12, 2020
1
0
0
Geary Oklahoma
I have a 2017 Kubota 3301 that has about 55 hours on it. Last night while digging a new dumping spot, the engine died. It would crank but not start. It showed a half tank of fuel. Nevertheless today I put five gallons in it. Check the fuel bowl and it started up perfectly. I started digging again and after 40 minutes it quit again. I let it set for a few minutes and it started again. Starting digging then more frequently dying. A couple of time I could hold the throttle wide open and it would start. Now it’s dying after a few minutes and taking longer to fire back up. When it starts to die, I pump the throttle but it does no good. I don’t feel it’s a fuel issue. It just seems like it’s losing fire. When it does fire back up it’s instantaneous. Being intermittent is driving me crazy. Any suggestions?:eek:
 

BigG

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l2501, FEL, BB, Rotary cutter, rake,spreader, roller, etc. New Holland TL80 A
Sep 14, 2018
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West Central,FL
Change the fuel filter. If you still have problems remove the fuel line as it comes into the fuel filter and check that the fuel is coming out of the tank without any problems. Then check back with us.
 

North Idaho Wolfman

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L3450DT-GST, Woods FEL, B7100 HSD, FEL, 60" SB, 743 Bobcat with V2203, and more
Jun 9, 2013
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Sandpoint, ID
I have a 2017 Kubota 3301 that has about 55 hours on it. Last night while digging a new dumping spot, the engine died. It would crank but not start. It showed a half tank of fuel. Nevertheless today I put five gallons in it. Check the fuel bowl and it started up perfectly. I started digging again and after 40 minutes it quit again. I let it set for a few minutes and it started again. Starting digging then more frequently dying. A couple of time I could hold the throttle wide open and it would start. Now it’s dying after a few minutes and taking longer to fire back up. When it starts to die, I pump the throttle but it does no good. I don’t feel it’s a fuel issue. It just seems like it’s losing fire. When it does fire back up it’s instantaneous. Being intermittent is driving me crazy. Any suggestions?:eek:
Let's clear up a some things:
"Pumping the throttle" doesn't do anything, as there is no carburetor with an accelerator pump to pump fuel into it.
Fuel is injected under extremely high pressure electronically metered.

They don't lose fire, as the compression of the air in the cylinder is what "fires" the fuel.

You have a fuel delivery issue, most likely a plugged tank, water in the separator, or plugged filter.

These are commonly plugged up with algae, it's easily fixed by treating the fuel and tank with a biocide/algaecide.
 
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Gwmag

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Equipment
L3301 HST
Oct 21, 2020
1
0
1
Texas
We have a L3301 HST with the same problem, it is less than 2 years old with 140 hrs. Started in 2020 mid-August, dealer had it numerous times from mid-August to end of Oct. 2020. Used it yesterday with full tank of fuel to mow 3-20-2021, did the same thing. Everything has been replaced, filters, fuel rail after Kubota got involved. Dealer kept saying they could not reproduce the problem. I visited the dealer one day and they had it sitting in the driveway idling, this will never reproduce the problem. The dealer finally came to our property and I started mowing and about 5 minutes it died as if the fuel was turned off, he thought I killed it, no it just died. That’s when Kubota said to replace the fuel rail assembly. Still not fixed. Kubota has a problem they need to resolve. I have seen this problem all over the internet with no resolution. I am about to declare it a lemon.
 

old and tired

Well-known member

Equipment
L2800 HST; 2005; R4
Might as well call it an Orange since Lemon Laws only apply to over the road vehicles.

Sounds like something floating in the fuel tank that covers the outlet. Anyone drain their tank? Interesting since this is the first I've heard about it.

Got links to the examples all over the internet?
 
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ayak

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Lifetime Member

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L3301 HST
Feb 16, 2018
568
720
93
WV
I sure haven’t seen any examples anywhere. In fact, I have now over 600hrs in three years and not one issue. I did take serious early on though, the recommendations of some pretty smart people on here to take care of my tractor’s diesel like Lt Dan told Forrest Gump to take care of his feet. Whether it’s water or algae, something is gonna get you sooner or later if you’re not proactive about it.
 

lugbolt

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ZG127S-54
Oct 15, 2015
4,807
1,575
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Mid, South, USA
this kind of thing is really easy to diagnose.

there's only a few possibilities the most common being a restriction in the fuel system. It is easy to see it if the tech doing the work has a dyno to load the engine while watching the data stream (scv current rail pressure etc)

dealer I worked for didn't have no dyno which made it very very hard to do a loaded test on anything. With these common rail electronically injected engines a dyno is a necessity not just another tool. So what I usually had to do was isolate which part of the fuel system was at fault by removing the outlet line from the electric pump and putting the line into a jar or bucket, then turn the key on. Low flow is obvious at that point. If flow didn't drop off, it was going to be an issue beyond the lift pump, filter, pinched hose, rail, injector(s), scv, supply pump, wiring, ecu, etc. That's where the data needs to be available--once a knowledgeable tech sees the data, the problem is usually obvious at that point. Without the data (and the tools to read it) diagnosing a common rail engine is virtually impossible outside of just throwing parts at it or checking the obvious. I have seen both and it can real expensive if you don't know what your'e doing.

that said, diesel fuel (particularly off road) is dirty. And it's wet. it sits in the tanks underground where it gets moisture in it. Moisture and dirt. The filter is supposed to catch it but it don't get all of it, particularly moisture--and that moisture will destroy supply pumps and injectors. On a standard L (33 or 3901) just replacing injectors and supply pump is over 5 grand unless the price of the stuff came down which is unlikely.

but it doesn't matter because nobody wants to go see a dealer nowadays, they call them "stealerships"--that is, until the dealer is needed for something then it's OMG I shouldn't have said that I'm sorry I'm begging you to fix my stuff like yesterday and I'll pay $1 extra if you fix it before it broke.
 

JimmyJazz

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Equipment
B2601
Aug 8, 2020
1,094
643
113
Pittsburgh, Pa
My first post here last August was similar to this. It was suggested to disconnect the fuel line at the filter and blow the fuel and possible obstruction back into the tank. That solved my issue. I also as recommended started adding algaecide/diesel additive to the fuel. So far so good. Good luck.
 

Reinstone

New member

Equipment
L3301 BH77
May 26, 2023
3
0
1
Pennsylvania
I have a 2017 Kubota 3301 that has about 55 hours on it. Last night while digging a new dumping spot, the engine died. It would crank but not start. It showed a half tank of fuel. Nevertheless today I put five gallons in it. Check the fuel bowl and it started up perfectly. I started digging again and after 40 minutes it quit again. I let it set for a few minutes and it started again. Starting digging then more frequently dying. A couple of time I could hold the throttle wide open and it would start. Now it’s dying after a few minutes and taking longer to fire back up. When it starts to die, I pump the throttle but it does no good. I don’t feel it’s a fuel issue. It just seems like it’s losing fire. When it does fire back up it’s instantaneous. Being intermittent is driving me crazy. Any suggestions?:eek:
Mine started doing that today. Dealer says to put the 3point hitch at 0 and it started working again but after another hour it started doing it again!
 

North Idaho Wolfman

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L3450DT-GST, Woods FEL, B7100 HSD, FEL, 60" SB, 743 Bobcat with V2203, and more
Jun 9, 2013
28,286
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Sandpoint, ID
Mine started doing that today. Dealer says to put the 3point hitch at 0 and it started working again but after another hour it started doing it again!
Check fuel filter / separator for water.
 

Reinstone

New member

Equipment
L3301 BH77
May 26, 2023
3
0
1
Pennsylvania
Check fuel filter / separator for water.
Thank you!! I did exactly that! I just had it in for service ($2000) I checked the separator and it had chunks in there. Pretty disappointing the dealer didn’t service that part! It’s working for the moment 🤞🏼
Thank You for the quick reply and guidance! I appreciate you! Have a terrific weekend
 

North Idaho Wolfman

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L3450DT-GST, Woods FEL, B7100 HSD, FEL, 60" SB, 743 Bobcat with V2203, and more
Jun 9, 2013
28,286
4,853
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Sandpoint, ID
Thank you!! I did exactly that! I just had it in for service ($2000) I checked the separator and it had chunks in there. Pretty disappointing the dealer didn’t service that part! It’s working for the moment 🤞🏼
Thank You for the quick reply and guidance! I appreciate you! Have a terrific weekend
Get a good algicide fuel treatment for it.
That will help get the crud out!

You have a excellent weekend too!
 

Reinstone

New member

Equipment
L3301 BH77
May 26, 2023
3
0
1
Pennsylvania
Get a good algicide fuel treatment for it.
That will help get the crud out!

You have a excellent weekend too!
Yes Sir! I will do that first thing Tuesday morning! Any recommendations on brand?
Thank you for that!!!. There’s so many little things the dealer could have told me to do that I’m finding out now.
 

North Idaho Wolfman

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Staff member
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L3450DT-GST, Woods FEL, B7100 HSD, FEL, 60" SB, 743 Bobcat with V2203, and more
Jun 9, 2013
28,286
4,853
113
Sandpoint, ID
What I've used for years is SOLTRON, Not Startron.
I get it at Napa, I have 250 gallons of diesel on hand most of the year so keeping it stable is really important.
For the average user one bottle will last many years!
 
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