# Maintenance Lesson on New Tractors



## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

I have always been a stickler for proactive maintenance on my farm equipment. Change fluids and air filter on tractors each spring before hay season starts, change all fluids in discbine and baler every two years in even years (so this old person can remember). This year I was doing maintenance on my 5075M and 6115M tractors in May and did not have extra fuel or seafoam so skipped changing the fuel filter. Mind you, the programmed interval is 500 hrs and I was only on 250 for the existing filter and I buy only clean fresh fuel, do not have on farm tanks. The other day, the dreaded check engine light comes on in the 5075 and the stop immediately under pain of death signal goes off. I am bushhogging lite stuff but going up a decent hill. Get to top, stop engine, cut back on and no issues, so back to bushhogging. Next good hill, same thing. So, I call JD and schedule a tech to bring computer and tell me what is the problem. I only have 75 hrs on the oil change and plenty of oil.

Wait several days for tech to arrive and there are no codes stored. So, we hook up the bush hog, and proceed to attempt to replicate. I am now paying a tech to watch me forlornly look and the dash waiting for something to happen. 20 min later, still no issues. Tech goes to next job. I continue to bush hog the field I was in and presto, 15 min later, it happens. Call JD, and the tech returns in 20 min. No codes stored. So back to JD tech watching rick bushhog. Mind you, it is not that exciting watching me bush hog. Finally, the sirens go off and since I leave everything running while he hooks up the computer. Turns out it was low fuel pressure. Sooo, we check records and realize that I had not changed the fuel filter yet and upon doing so we have not encountered the problem since. It was well within the maintenance parameters, but both the tech and a friend of mine that is a NH mechanic said the same thing, these new engines are very finicky and the tolerances are not great. I can only imagine if a 4020 D would have had the same issues... Think I am going to be more rigorous than ever in the future on maintenance.


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## Colby (Mar 5, 2012)

Even if you are within the service hour intervals it's still a good idea to change it every year weather you meet the hours or not. I believe the manual tells you so? I don't recall but that's what I do anyways.


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

yeah, think that is true, meant to do it just got distracted.


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

I'm learning about this on a 6.7 Dodge diesel. The 100$ filters are super fine and clog in no time if you get some bad fuel. Ie a brand new filter to common rail pressure low warning in one tank of bad fuel.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Edge Juice is good for letting me know if a fuel filter needs changed on the Cummins, have it set to go off below 5lbs of fuel pressure, only happens if your standing on it, change filter and no more warning.

We have all fuel stored here on farm, all tanks have a screw on filter, all transfer tanks have a screw on filter, rarely ever have clogged filters on the trucks or tractors, more often change out of habit than necessity.

One thing we do, fill all tanks when your done, supposed to cut down on condensation in the tank and hopefully the dreaded algae, on the transfer tanks when not in use we treat em with algicide when done and let it slosh around inside the tank, then dose again before we start using it.


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## Grateful11 (Apr 5, 2009)

Something similar happened to friend of mine with his 5115M. He was pulling JD 750 Drill and the just dropped power and would barely pull it with the discs up. JD dealer told him it was most likely water in the fuel so he changed the fuel filter and drained the tank and put fresh fuel in and it done the same thing. Again they said you have a fuel problem. He cleaned the entire fuel system out again and same thing. He finally said to come get it, he bought the extended warranty, they said "if it's fuel it's on you". Well it wasn't the fuel it was a sensor on the fuel system throwing the tractor into low power mode, it was telling the tractor it had low fuel pressure but it didn't. They replaced it and it's been fine. He also lost a turbocharger on the same tractor due to a hose coming loose right after he bought it, they had to cover that too.

The 5065M here is a Tier 3 and so far hasn't been any trouble with 700+ hours.


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## danwi (Mar 6, 2015)

And those extra fine filters plug faster in cold weather. Had a friend tell me about his new bobcat skidsteer when he first got it and we just had a real cold snap and the dealer didn't have enough filters in stock for everyone that was having trouble.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

danwi said:


> And those extra fine filters plug faster in cold weather. Had a friend tell me about his new bobcat skidsteer when he first got it and we just had a real cold snap and the dealer didn't have enough filters in stock for everyone that was having trouble.


Winter grade fuel?

I've heard dirty filters will gel sooner than new, but I've also had brand new filters clog while old ones kept running. We have a few things that run the three micron filters as the final one, but we also add a 10 micron pre filter/water separator.


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