Hey Everyone! First off, I want everyone to know I am new at the skid steer ownership/maintenance. I have operated many pieces of equipment before but I have never had to do anything maintenance/troubleshooting because the contractor I worked for always called a mechanic to the sites. Anyway, here’s my issue: I recently purchased a 98 New Holland LS 170 from a friend’s friend who was getting out of the construction business. I own 20 acres and live in an area that receives A LOT of snow so I figured it would be a good piece of equipment to own for moving snow and doing odds and ends. It ran really well until winter hit. Once winter rolled around, I used it to move snow once, refueled it with Diesel fuel from the local Chevron and that’s when the trouble started. The machine runs REALLY REALLY bad now. The RPM’s at full throttle are usually around 8000 when it was running best but now I can’t get the machine to go above 1250RPMs unless it’s just sitting there idling. If it is idling, it sounds and runs okay, but once I try to move the equipment to push snow or just relocate when I parked it, it sounds like it is going to die. I have tried letting the machine warm up at 1/3-1/2 throttle for 30+ minutes, I have had all the filters changed, the oil changed and even plugged the machine in overnight so the glow plugs could heat, but none of this is helping. I’ve already tried asking other skid-steer owners what they think it could be and all of us are at a loss for ideas. Please, please someone help me figure out what could be causing this and how I can get my skid-steer to start running normally. Here’s some additional information that you may need to know: - I live in an area of Utah where the temperature at night reaches around -20F - I am currently running 10W-30 engine oil - I have replaced all filters in the machine and changed the oil - The machine has about 3,500 hours on it - The machine is parked outside, covered with a tarp - It is a New Holland LS 170 (about a 1998 model) - I have NO owner’s manual (the previous owner lost it) - I let the engine run and warm up for many minutes before doing anything and it still lags and sometimes it lags so badly the engine dies. - I’ve checked the parking brake and it’s not engaged… In fact, I can’t even engage it if I want to because it’s so hard to lift up! PLEASE, Members of Heavy Equipment, HELP ME FIX THIS?!?! Thank you in advanced!! –NH_Noob
when you changed the fuel filter, did you check to see if you got water in your fuel upon refill? Remove your fuel filter, turn it upside down in a clean container/pan. If there's water in there, you'll see it.
Hmmm..., first thing, 8000 rpm is way too high- are you sure the tach reads this? Did you change the filters yourself? Any sign of water? ( in fuel filter) That would be my first guess, given the problem started with re-fueling (?) Might want to try some winter fuel conditioner, something that will take the water out of the fuel. Does the fuel tank have a drain in the bottom, if so, take a sample, look for water.
You more than likly have 2 fuel filters. one at the pump coming out of the tank, and the other up above at the fuel bowl, also replace the line that goes between the 2 filters, I have had that line crack and suck air, and they very rarly leak. When the engine is lugging give it a shot of either and see if it picks up speed, this will indicate if you have a block in the fuel delivery area.
One other note You said you olug the machine in over night to let the glow plugs heat.. That is not the way it works. If you have a plug in it will heat a block heater or a radiator hose heater. In the morning when you go to start it the engine block should be warm . The glow plugs work off the ignition computer. when you turn the key on the machine should go into a preheat cycle and count down on your indicator, and then you start it. It nay not be working. You should pick up an opperators manual, they are very good help to a new owner. Good luck ,they are nice machines..
Here's an update: I added some winter fuel conditioner, let the machine run for about 5 or 6 hours and I'm still having problems with it lugging. The machine also seems to stall out every time I turn the machine in a 0 degree turn or when I'm trying to move the machine forward with the bucket slightly lifting the front tires off the ground. The machine is only running about 800-1000 RPMs and it usually runs at 1800 RPM's at full throttle (sorry 74inchShovel, you were correct. I was not thinking when I put that 8000 RPM). Is there any other advice that anyone could think of? I tried the fuel filter check for water with nothing really seen. I haven't tried replacing the line that goes between the two (as smokey1 suggested) but I kind of inspected it and didn't find much. Anyway, please post if you have other suggestions for me? Thanks! NH_Noob
Something is strange here. My 170 idles at about 8 - 900 rpm and wide open is more like 26 - 2800 IIRC. Did you change the filters or just "check" them?
We had a skytrack forklift do something similar. First i would Definitily replace ALL rubber fuel lines (if they are rubber). Next i would use an air gun and blow out the connections for the fuel filters and any steel lines ( remove the fuel filter first). If that doest work check the fittings on the injector lines (if they arent seating right they will leak very slightly, look for dampness around lines and on the engine block). Next i would find the drain on the fuel tank and drain it and monitor the fuel as it comes out to see if its dirty. May also sound too easy but you may try to get a bottle of Diesel 911 made by power service this will remove any water in the system. Try that first if you havent already. We had one machine that the injector was slightly leaking and it would run fine at idle but would die when under a load. Had many small fuel line leaks, and a piece of dirt in a steel fuel line that cost me about $2000.00 These are all pretty easy things and are cheap to do.... good luck
Is there a lot of exhaust smoke when the engine is lugging while performing an operation?
Check for a plugged up screen on the main fuel line going into the injector pump. Also if you have any banjo fittings in the fuel system they sometimes have screens as well. Does fuel flow freely from the tank? you may have debris in the tank blocking the pickup for the fuel.
Hey There NH Noob ! ....did you ever get that 170 running ? ......... as it was stated before something is not right here ??? ..... you said that the machine ran fine until you fueled up ....... water could have been a problem alright but how do you fuel this thing , out a jerry can or out of a tidy tank using a transfer pump ?? ..... if all of that is OKay then maybe just maybe you got summer fuel instead of winter cut fuel .... you also stated that you guys get pretty good sub zero's ....but maybe the Chevron got aload of the summer stuff ...one load of that and ??? well i've had deisel gell up so bad that the parafin plugged the lines to the filter and all of the conditioner in the world won't clean it up ....before you go and tear everything apart maybe find a shop or garage and let the machine thaw out completely ....let us all know how you made out....... oh and by the way that machine is about the same vintage as my JD 8875 was ( that damn this was a hybrid machine, motor and decal by John Deere and the chassis and running gear was NH) so what that machine will or should have is a small inline filter right where the tank line comes out (left rear side by the starting motor, below the spin-on) and you can get those anywhere even Wallmart cheap replace it no matter what ...GOOD LUCK and Please let us know
I'm sure eventually someone told him to fill the tank with kerosene and bleed out all the air from messing with those lines. Pretty basic cold weather diesel stuff here.