# Kubota M5040DT Starting and Stalling



## lacamo (Aug 15, 2008)

My Kubota M5040DT I use for snow removal & retrieving round bales has not been doing well in the cold this winter. Today, with the block heater it started just fine and was warming up for about 10 minutes when all of a sudden it began to sputter and then stalled. I assumed some fuel had gelled so I added an anti-gelling fluid, something called "911", to the tank with a couple of gallons of winter-grade fuel. It started and warmed up, but within a minute or so, it again sputtered and stalled. I was able to get a bale inside, with intervals of about 30 seconds of runtime, having to restart after waiting a few minutes in between each stall out. In addition, the engine seemed to hesitate when I operated the hydraulics to lift and drop the bale. Finally, I let it sit for 20 minutes and then was able to drive it into the shed before it konked out. I assume it involves some sort of fuel insufficiency, but can't understand the consistent pattern of starting and running OK then dying. Any help would be much appreciated.


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## Tim/South (Dec 12, 2011)

My first thought is fuel filters are restricting the flow or water in the filter or water separator if it has one.


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## Farmerbrown2 (Sep 25, 2018)

Did you change the fuel filter if it’s full of fuel snot 911 won’t help. I had minus 7 here this morning I’m sure you had colder.


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

Tim/South said:


> My first thought is fuel filters are restricting the flow or water in the filter or water separator if it has one.


Could be a restriction in a line too. Change filter(s) and blow out lines and see what happens.


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## Tim/South (Dec 12, 2011)

8350HiTech said:


> Could be a restriction in a line too. Change filter(s)* and blow out lines and see what happens.*


Blowing out the lines is great advice any time of the year. I was surprised how much that can help engine performance even in the summer time.


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

Had same problems here this morning in 5* temps. She'd start and idle, but stall when revved. Added 911 and got going at 11:30 when it was about 20*. Got a load of hay off the field a lot later than I wanted. Fuel in the clear separator bowl was runny not gelled. I bet if I parked the fuel filter/pump side in the morning sun, it would have started, but it was in the cold shade.
Strange thing is, I did the same thing yesterday and the tractor started and ran fine in 9* temps. Pump and filter were in the sun in the morning.
I was thinking what happened in my case is when I ran the tractor for a few hours yesterday, I created a bunch of condensation and it froze, then I parked the pump filter in the shade, and made it worse, but I can't prove it.


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## lacamo (Aug 15, 2008)

Thanks for the recommendations -- it did run OK a few days ago when it was much colder, then parked it in the shed which is on the north side of the barn. Sounds similar to JD3430's comment. Tomorrow, I'll check the separator & order a replacement fuel filter and blow out the lines when I install it.


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

lacamo said:


> Thanks for the recommendations -- it did run OK a few days ago when it was much colder, then parked it in the shed which is on the north side of the barn. Sounds similar to JD3430's comment. Tomorrow, I'll check the separator & order a replacement fuel filter and blow out the lines when I install it.


The 911 will eventually work its way through, but I think you have to keep trying to suck it up through the fuel system. 
Did you unscrew fuel filter and fill it with 1/2 diesel and 1/2 911? Or just the tank?


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

JD3430 said:


> The 911 will eventually work its way through, but I think you have to keep trying to suck it up through the fuel system.
> Did you unscrew fuel filter and fill it with 1/2 diesel and 1/2 911? Or just the tank?


I'm not saying it definitely not gelled fuel, but if it repeatedly restarts after a wait, it sounds unlikely.


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## hog987 (Apr 5, 2011)

8350HiTech said:


> I'm not saying it definitely not gelled fuel, but if it repeatedly restarts after a wait, it sounds unlikely.


It still could be gelled fuel. With the electric fuel pump on the low pressure side the filter can empty faster than being filled while engine is running and stall tractor. But if the key is left in the run position filter will fill up enough to start engine but within a few minutes will stall again.


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## IH 1586 (Oct 16, 2014)

Could still be gelled. I've had them run while cleaning barn go out and spread and have them stall. Let them sit, go back later and all good.


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

From the tundra.Change filters before cold weather hits.Blend your fuel and or add additives BEFORE it gets cold,they mix better!

If it gels change the filter first thing unless you want to piss a lot of time away.


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## Tx Jim (Jun 30, 2014)

I don't know if this applies to OP's tractor but several yrs back I owned a Kubota M4900 that had a tiny screen on fuel cutoff valve in water separator housing that was clogged blocking fuel flow.


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

IH 1586 said:


> Could still be gelled. I've had them run while cleaning barn go out and spread and have them stall. Let them sit, go back later and all good.


I also have a portable propane heater. I set it next to the fuel filters/lines for a while. Dont know if thats what finally did the trick or the 911.


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

Gelled fuel is fun eh! Filters and restrictions that are fine at freezing temps become near solid blockages at -30.


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## skyrydr2 (Oct 25, 2015)

Yup.. feel your pain.. my old 1594 kept stalling the other day as well.. had to tarp it and put a 35,000 btu torpedo heater under it to thaw the tanks and get the 911 to work its magic. And it did! Runs like a charm now, well it did then LOL.. cold..wind blowing snow now...I will have to tarp it again to start it.. as it has no heaters on it of any sort..


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

Almost makes you wonder why someone hasnt invented a propane tank system that has a fuel system warming grid that could be set with a timer or thermostat to turn on a a preset time or temp to begin warming the fuel system so morning starts outside could be possible in 0* temps.
I wonder if its a safety issue.
Not everyone has heated barns for tractor storage.
I have to leave tractors outside when were unloading bales at the 10-12 different fields we have.


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

All my tractors stay outside unplugged. I stop filling my bed tank in the fall and use up the summer diesel, let the tractors get nearly empty too, then fill everything with winter diesel. Rarely have a problem, sometimes have to let them idle if it's -33 as they won't rev until the filter heats up from the recirc fuel.

Some of the old timers here had quick connects on their truck to hook up and circulate coolant.

Also see some filters have 12v heaters in them.

Last is you can plumb a road tractors diesel fired coolant heater into your tractor. Very common up here on road tractors to keep the engine warm so you don't have to idle it.


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

https://www.webasto-comfort.com/int/product-overview/product/show/thermo-pro-50-eco-2/


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## IH 1586 (Oct 16, 2014)

I've been debating whether to call and see if my last tank fill up was winter diesel. -10 and no issue yet so will probably put it off til its too late. I plug tractor in couple hours before I'm going to use it.


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## IHCman (Aug 27, 2011)

slowzuki said:


> All my tractors stay outside unplugged. I stop filling my bed tank in the fall and use up the summer diesel, let the tractors get nearly empty too, then fill everything with winter diesel. Rarely have a problem, sometimes have to let them idle if it's -33 as they won't rev until the filter heats up from the recirc fuel.
> 
> Some of the old timers here had quick connects on their truck to hook up and circulate coolant.
> 
> ...


a friend of mine used to work construction. During an exceptionally bad winter he was down in SD pushing snow off blocked roads with dozers. All their equipment was plumbed like that so they could pull up with a pickup, hook up the hoses and warm their dozers engine with coolant. He said it was amazing how fast the heat dropped in the pickup cab when you started pulling cold coolant out of a dozer that had been sitting in sub zero temps.


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