Problems with John Deere Tractor

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Bamadan

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I have a 2011 5065E JD (700 hrs) that I'm having trouble with, I think it's some sort of fuel problem. In September I was bush hogging, running bout 2500 RPM, the tractor started losing power, the RPM would drop to bout 12-1500 then jump back to around 2500 RPM. When it lost power, it would smoke (a lot). I replaced the fuel filter and that seemed to solve the problem. Did not have any trouble since then, until this week, while sowing grass seed in pastures. Having the same issues, loses power, RPMs would drop from about 2500 to no more than an idle and exhaust smoke. Any ideas on the problem?
 
Been using bio diesel? Could be another plugged filter.
Could also be the fuel pump. One way to test that is the next time it does it, shut it down, and pull the fuel filter. If it's empty, or not full, then your pump is going bad, or is sucking air through a line somewhere. Could also be the lift pump in the tank if it has one.
 
Many E tractors have a small single fuel filter. I could not keep my 5075 running in cold weather with number two diesel. My 5085 has a much much bigger filter.

I would switch to number one diesel, add fuel treatment, run a tank or two of fuel, then change my 5075 fuel filter each fall, and carry a spare.
 
Many E tractors have a small single fuel filter. I could not keep my 5075 running in cold weather with number two diesel. My 5085 has a much much bigger filter.

I would switch to number one diesel in late fall, add fuel treatment, run a tank or two of fuel, then change my 5075 fuel filter each fall, and carry a spare.
I changed it in the dark one windy night at -30 with a couple hungry cows looking over my shoulder. Had less than 100 hours on the plugged filter.
 
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Have you checked the air filter? We have a JD 6330 that does as you describe. If we really work it hard for an extended period of time.
We had replaced fuel filters; didn't help. Then we cleaned the air filter and really blew the radiator out good.
Seemed to solve the problem. Especially if you were mowing a lot. You can suck a lot of grass and dirt in the filter.
 
First things I'd would do would be pull that filter. Both to check if it's become plugged and to make sure I didn't pinch, leave out or in any way screw up a o ring causing a air leak.
 
how much work have you done with the tractor since September when you changed the fuel filter. I would suggest changing the fuel filter again. If that seems to take care of the problem, cut the removed filter open to see if it has a lot of visible debris in it. Do you fill from a fuel tank at home? Could possibly be sediment on the bottom of your tank that is getting into your tractor fuel system. black smoke could also be oil getting into the cylinders but that generally is not an intermitted problem, but keeping an eye on your oil level would be a good idea. white smoke would indicate coolant getting into the cylinders, but that is generally not an intermitted problem either. If you are using bio-fuel and storing in a fuel tank at home that generally has a short shelve life and could be your problem also. I would not think your fuel would gel up in Alabama from cold temps but jelled bio-fuel would plug your filters. If you have a turbo, it could be the start of a turbo problem.
 
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My tractor would do the same (but not smoke). The tractor would require more fuel than would go through the filter. Has to be the filter right? Well it wasn't. It had clog of fuzz in the small elbow coming out of the water separator. The tractor would run along fine at low RPM's but when they were high, it would slowly use up all the fuel in the filter until it starved. Stop at an idle, the filter would fill back up and away we would go again.
Check all your lines for clogs and holes. Blow back the main supply line back into the tank.
 
Fuel filter and blow the lines....stop with the bio crap. I imagine fuel treatment won't hurt either.

diesel storage and transport? Water condensate might be an issue.
 
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All of the above. Sim-ang mentioned sucking air. I would visually inspect the fuel lines for issues, are the connections tight? Are any ends swollen up and need to be trimmed and re-clamped? Look for clogs in the fuel return line as well as the supply system. I don't know details of a 5065. I have a 5520. That series did not have a lift pump - just a little suction from the injection pump and a poor quality priming system. I added an electric fuel pump ahead of the filter separator and all my problems went away. Wired the electric pump to the fuel shutoff solenoid.
 
I'll try to answer your questions.
I have used the tractor a lot since replacing the fuel filter in September. Raked hay, put hay in the barn with it, built a fence with post hole digger on this tractor, had no issues.
I don't use my fuel storage tank on the farm, I buy fuel at a local truck stop. I don't normally store fuel for very long, just because the station is so close.
I did add fuel (5 gal) this week when the problem started, did not help.
When the tractor begins to lose power, the smoke is black with a diesel fuel smell.
I'm trying to find out about the Bio-diesel. If it is, I'm not aware of it, BUT neither are the people at the truck stop, I asked and they had no idea.
Thanks for all your suggestions!
 
I had a similar problem with my 4044. I ended up pulling the tank and cleaning the strainer in it. It gets coated with black tar like stuff. If you just blow thru the lines it's only a temp fix until the sediment covers the strainer again.
 
When the tractor begins to lose power, the smoke is black with a diesel fuel smell.
To me that indicates too much fuel and not enough air. Or at least unburned fuel. I would think that starving for fuel (plugged up fuel system) would not produce the black smoke, just a loss of power. I would inspect the air filters and canister and ducting. Look for anything that could be floating around in there that could plug the system intermittently. A rats nest or dirt dauber nest or just trash? Or a broken piece of the filter or housing. If it were just a dirty filter, I would think it would be continuous. I assume you have an outer pre-filter as well as the internal filter. Inspect it all. Does it have an EGR valve/system? Exhaust Gas Recirculation. May need cleaning/replacement. After that, a problem with the injector pump or injectors sticking? If you have very low compression (piston rings sticking or broken), that could happen. Would be unusual at 700 hours. I assume the engine oil looks OK.
I think that engine does not have a turbo. If it has a turbo, could have an internal problem with it. That's all I got.
 
As Simmie stated, black smoke typically means the air:fuel ratio is running heavy on the fuel side. Meaning either a loss of air (such as a clogged filter) or, perhaps more common, an excess of fuel, typically found with an injector stuck open. Sometimes a stuck open injector sounds like an engine with a bent rod, so if yours sounds like that it could be a telltale.
 
Update on my tractor issue. First off, thanks to for all the replies you guys posted. I talked with a local guy that had a similar issue. He suggested draining the fuel tank, disconnecting the fuel line fitting at the tank, there would be an in-tank filter attached to that fitting (I did not know there was a filter in the tank), remove the filter and don't replace it. then flush out the tank, re-attach the fuel line. Then install an inline fuel filter outside the tank. I put in fresh fuel + added some fuel conditioner. I also replaced the engine fuel filter again. I ran the tractor some yesterday and sowed several acres of rye today, have not had any issues. I certainly hope this has solved my problem and maybe this info may help one of you down the road. THANKS!
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We had issues like that creep up on a couple of our tractors that we let the fuel tanks run very low or empty. After refueling we would have intermittant issues of loosing power or stalling. Changing filters help for a while.

If you change the fuel filter and the problem goes away, ask yourself where did that debris come from that fowled the filter. Lots of times it's coming from the tank. Running the tank down stirrer up all the crud and debris that was happily resting on the bottom of your tank and gets into the tank screen, fuel line fittings and filters. One tractor we replace the lift pump, and fuel filters, but eventually found black clumps of crud in a banjo fitting of the fuel line coming out of the water separator.
 

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