Hello... new to the forum and new to heavy equipment but hoping someone can help! I just purchased a used Kubota kx121-3 with about 3600 hours on it. It is a model year 2004 I believe. Got it home and now it won't start. I talked to the previous owner who only had it for a short time and he said it happened to him once and all he did was sit back on the seat and he claimed there was a lock or connection on the seat that needed to be engaged to start it up. I couldn't find anything about this online. When the key is in the glow plugs start and the engine humms but when you turn to start it you just get a click. Battery has over 12v. Anyone have some insight? Started several times yesterday when we hauled it with no problems!
I don't know anything about newer Kubotas, so I don't know what click you have. If at all possible, get a test lead (going to a multimeter or test light) on the small terminal on the solenoid and see if that's getting power when you turn the key to start, that will tell you if the starter is the problem, or the control side is the problem.
Well I didn't even have a chance to check the starter because after talking to the previous owner I hopped up and down in the seat a bunch and then the thing started! This seems very strange. Can anyone provide further insight? Is there indeed some locking mechanism in the seat that prevents the engine from starting? Or is there another short that I have somewhere maybe from the lock on the controls?
I think you have something going on with the wiring. After I'm done checking the fluids on my 2003 model I often reach up over the back and start it to let it warm up while I start greasing.
mine starts from the ground and operates from the ground also
I have a Kubota in my skid steer. Apparently Nippon Denso starters are known for arcing the big copper contacts in the solenoid on top and making you pull your hair out trying to figure why it only starts after about a dozen tries and then does nothing when you shut it off in the wrong place. It happened on my rebuilt starter. I pulled the starter and used sand paper on the black carbon marks on the copper and sprayed some WD40 in to help keep the plunger from rusting. There were 3 little screws holding the cover on. It's only acted up once since doing that and I'm not sure why it did the one time. I was ready to take the starter back to the place that rebuilt it but took the 3 screws out to see if I could see anything wrong. Bingo!
So the seat is out!
Still don't know nothin about Kubotas, but I've had a couple of Japanese vehicles that needed to be kicked to the left of the clutch pedal to start sometimes. And I don't think they needed a new kick panel... A test lead will still tell you if it's a control issue or inside the starter.
I will start at the starter then as and see where that takes me. That would be an easy fix... much easier than chasing a short around the thing!