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04 Deere 160 excavator fuel problems

Seaside LPS ยท 2013-07-23 20:26

Have posted this with out a resolution finally is to a point where it cannot run for long period has stalled out on me twice and wouldn't start back up for a few hours. Have a service tech coming out to work on it next week (expensive). Have cahnaged the fuel filters and fuel twice in less than an hour so I know it isn't that. It will start and run and idle fine for 5 minutes or until warmed up to normal operating temps, then it does like this video shows http://youtu.be/bfpJK_teT00 fine at wide open but idle rough as hell and if let go for too long will stall and can't restart but even if you shut it off before with the throttle up a bit it won't start have to wait about an hour. Any ideas or places to start? The service manager had some ideas and checked them, vacuum on the tank but not that and a screen filter on a fuel banjo bolt fitting but my machine doesn't have that. thanks Dylan

Replies24
  1. #1buckfever2013-07-23 20:31

    Our hitachi 330 did something similar. Ended up being a small hole in the tank to filter line.

  2. #2Seaside LPS2013-07-23 20:38

    Ill check that, maybe just replace both rubber lines to be sure cheap parts. Haven't seen fuel or smelled it but never know.

  3. #3ANDREW C2013-07-23 20:46

    The fuel line going to the primary fuel filter likes to rub against the pump hydraulic lines. Could be a few other things too. Have you a way of checking fuel pressure? Does the code display in the air filter compartment show any active or stored codes?

  4. #4Seaside LPS2013-07-23 20:55

    How do I check those codes?

  5. #5cutting edge2013-07-23 22:14

    I cant remember if the 160 clc has a ddu, but if there is a small round display in the battery compartment,scroll through the selections by pushing the up or down button until you come to stored codes. press both buttons at the same time and it will then display stored codes. you can now scroll through them. write them down and post them up here. If you see any starting with the number 1076, you're gonna need an new injection pump. Ive seen this a thousand times. If there are active codes (even better) a yellow or red led will be lit on the ddu. go to active codes and follow the same insrtuctions to access them.

  6. #6ANDREW C2013-07-23 22:20

    Cutting edge, last 160clc I was on did have the ddu, Im assuming its the injection pump or lift pump but easy and cheap things first.

  7. #7cutting edge2013-07-23 22:30

    I think you know as well as I do that he's gonna need a pump

  8. #8ANDREW C2013-07-23 22:33

    Yeah. lol. But I have seen those lines rub fix the exact same problem, although usually needs a pump too but I have changed the line on its own and even though it needed a pump they were still running pretty damn good.

  9. #9Seaside LPS2013-07-24 06:29

    checked and no DDU so how can I test the pumps? Better just to have the tech come out? They must be able to hook a computer up to test?

  10. #10cutting edge2013-07-24 09:26

    DDU is missing, or it doesnt have one? Be clear, is it a 160LC or CLC

  11. #11Delmer2013-07-24 09:53

    Carpenter here so take it for what it's worth: if this fuel system is way over my head, please ignore this post. Could a leaking injector cause that smoke and knocking? Any way to isolate each injector, to see if all cylinders are affected?

  12. #12buckfever2013-07-24 19:54
  13. #13Seaside LPS2013-07-24 20:25

    looks like a 160CLC to me I don't think it has one here is the battery compartment

  14. #14cutting edge2013-07-24 21:32

    Well I'll be... the ddu should be right above the edl connector (round grey cap on the ecu cover) Yer gonna need a deere tech to come out and pull stored codes. remember anything with a SPN of 1076 likely means injection pump. Dont let them waste your time "diagnosing" it. One other thing to check is the condition of the injection pump solenoid connector. its the 2 wire connector at the end of the pump where all of the lines come off. How does that look?

  15. #15Seaside LPS2013-07-24 23:51

    That connector I was playing with yesterday, the greay plastic for the wires was broke but still connected and couldn't get it off easily so I didn't try harder to remove it. I call the Dealer today and lined up a tech for next week. I don't want them to fix it just figure out the problem so I can buy parts and work from there. Pumps on ebay look in the 800-1000 ballpark. I am going to get those hoses replaced to make sure it isn't that but no fuel is coming out on the motor or anywhere where the lines run.

  16. #16cutting edge2013-07-25 00:13

    if youre gonna do the pump yourself, you need a special puller to get the gear off of the pump shaft and need to know how to time it properly. So seeing as the deere guy will be doing this for you with his tools, have him replace that connector first and see how it runs. If its still the same,do the pump. I always do it this way to eliminate the connector as being the fault(as it sometimes is)

  17. #17Seaside LPS2013-08-01 19:51

    about ready to burn this machine to the ground. So the tech came out without a computer found 2 wires that could had been rubbing slapped a hose around them and thought it fixed it, nope. Came back with a computer pulled the codes and the only thing that came up was a crank sensor failure 4 times. He said it probably couldn't be the crank sensor and wants to do the injector pump. It ois getting moved tomorrow to the dealer to troubleshoot again on my dime yeah! Any thoughts or ideas?

  18. #18cutting edge2013-08-01 22:10

    Just an idea (although it still may be the pump) do you have any compression leaks at the injectors? Run the engine at idle And spray soapy water, or just look closely at where the injectors go into the head if the base of the injecotr is damp or you can see little puffs as its running, your injector seals may be shot. Did you see the codes on his laptop yourself? What were the spn and fmi? what were the valve closure times for 0 through 3?....this is important. ....but go check your injectors for compression leaks

  19. #19Seaside LPS2013-09-02 20:10

    Should had updated this sooner, so the road tech hooked to the computer and found nothing but a crank sensor as codes thrown. But wanted me to spend 3k on the injector pump, so I called the service manager and he had me transport it to their shop and they re programmed the computer with an update and replaced the crank sensor and that fixed the problem. between service and transport I am into it 2k. Better then the additional 3k for the pump that wasnt needed.

  20. #20lumberjack2013-09-02 21:40

    Glad to hear it was resolved!

  21. #21buckfever2013-09-03 19:13

    Got to love the way some techs diagnose problems. Just put new parts on till the problem goes away.

  22. #22clintm2013-09-03 23:03

    it's not there money .you have to wonder if this the way they work on there own stuff.

  23. #23Deereman2013-09-09 21:56

    That kind of greed will hurt the dealer down the road. I hate that crap!! And a good mechanic is hard to find!!

  24. #24alaskaforby42017-09-07 10:27

    We had this exact same problem with our 160 CLC around 6k hrs, changed the filters, drained the tank, replaced lift pump. Still would run very rough on occasion. After reading this forum we threw a new crankshaft sensor in and it has been running flawless for the last couple weeks! Thanks for posting!