First off, Apologies if this is already been answered. I have searched the threads for a week or 2 and have no resolve. I started it up and moved it to where I needed to dig. I shut it down to move some things out of my way and 1/2 hour later it won't start. 2 weeks later it won't start. It cranks and cranks, black smoke out the chimney. Sounds like it is about to fire up but won't. I grounded the low level sensor on the radiator. I re-melted the soldered on the 2 relays. I had just filled it up with fresh fuel before I started it up so I know it has fuel. I am at a loss. Thanks in advance
Pull the filters and see what's in them. Bob
If you're getting smoke while cranking, it ain't an electrical issue. You didn't say how many hours on unit. So, how many hours? Have you tried preheating (glow plugs, grid heater, whatever)? Is the cranking rpm high enough (good battery)? On my TL150 machines, the bottom tank outlet would plug with debris, make the fuel supply pressure poor. Could you just have poor fuel supply volume?
GLOW PLUGS! This machine gave me hell with fuel clogs and I have done a lot of work on fuel supply. I do regular maintenance on keeping the lines clear. I have that inline NAPA pre filter you suggested. That has been consistently been improving as far as debris collected. But yes, the fuel tank has trash in it and the lines need to be blown out every so often. New lift pump a while back. It has gotten better That doesn't mean it can't be a fuel clog. You guided me through all of my fuel issue denial a couple of years ago. My buddy was helping me trouble shoot. We sprayed starter fluid and it didn't start that way either. He didn't understand why it wouldn't start even if the glow plugs weren't heating. He just asked me to see if I could find out why. He owned a tractor that didn't have glow plugs. It had a button that sprayed starter fluid into the carb every time it started. I digress... He checked voltage on the glow plug rail and it didn't read any voltage. He didn't know if that was because we had already tried to start it, making it warm and they weren't allowing voltage. Once the engine starts the glow plugs shut down, correct? These are his questions. Then we ran a wire from the battery directly to the glow plugs. Would that be pre heating them? Hours are unknown. I was told it was a 98. It had been run hard and left out wet when I got it. How do I trouble shoot the glow plugs? I thought they were the problem but something got me off that path. It was my buddy. He has been working on farm equipment all his life. Old tractors and who knows what but he was a gasoline mechanic by trade and made it clear he didn't understand this machine and wasn't a diesel mechanic. He reiterates that at every opportunity. Battery is good. It has always been hard to start. I have wondered if the hard start wasn't related to glow plugs. Am I going down a glow plug rabbit hole? I really want it to be the glow plugs. Until I have to buy them. Then I will be so sad it wasn't a fuel clog.
Isuzu engine ? Model a4ja1 ? Black smoke and won't start on either ? Starting motor speed good ? Air cleaners and air flow to the intake manifold OK ? If yes to all of my questions a compression test would be next before I spent anymore time on other things. IMHO.
On my little Yanmars in my TL150 Takeuchis, hard cold starts was injector nozzles. Hard hot starts was injection pump.
If the plugs are good, u can run a hot wire to the rail.. that WILL supply power to them.. give it a 10, 1 thousand count..& try it.. BUT FIRST.. u should bleed the fuel system of air.. Loosen the line going directly into the inj. pump and crank the engine, crank until u get fuel and no air & tighten.. Next loosen the steel lines from the pump AT THE INJECTORS.. crank until fuel squirts out..& tighten.. Don’t get the starter to hot.. 10 second bursts is enough.. If u don’t get fuel outta the steel lines AT THE INJECTORS.. u have pump problems. Oh wait.. question.. how do you shut the engine off.?? Pull cable or key.?? If its the key, there IS an electric solenoid that has to be energized before it’ll start.!! Good luck
Sorry for writing the manual but it sounds like U NEED ONE.. I forgot to tell you how to test IF the gp’s are good.. There r 2 ways.. but I’m only gonna tell u 1.. Remove the glow plugs from the engine.. Find a battery charger.. Hook the negative to the body of the gp and the positive to the top spade..DO NOT HOLD THE G PLUG.!!! Turn on charger.. and start counting.. 1, 1 thousand, 2, 1 thousand and so on.. they should be CHERRY RED by 10.. If not, count until they are.. THAT WAY you’ll know how long to energize the rail.. Good luck
I tried to keep this post specific but it seems I am off in the weeds. Are the glow plugs a good place to begin? It was running ok and now it won't start.
U can have a bucket of fuel going into the engine but if it’s not hot enough, it ain’t going to start..
key. thank you!!
Any chance getting a pic of the pump.??
Your getting black smoke, so, preheating may not help. If preheating were mandatory or required, it would be white smoke out the exhaust. It was suggested just as an aid for starting. On a 10k hour TL150, it will start any time in the summer fairly well, but preheat with an 1/8 throttle starts cleanly. But, those are Yanmar engines, not Isuzu.
Starting instructions on page 2 here... HeavyEquipmentForums It says 50% throttle.
For what it's worth, Prolly nothin, but I found this factory brochure Maybe different year production machines had different engines. I have the service manual for the Isuzu a4aj1 engine.
That is cool. And that is my machine too.
Here is a link to the brochure. You can download it. So, does yours have the Isuzu engine ? https://www.takeuchi-us.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/TL140.pdf
Thank you Heymccall. Pumpguy, Tinkerer, Bluox...I have somewhere to start.
Yes
This is on from page # 134 of the Isuzu a4aj1 service manual.
If anyone wants to download the manual, send me your email address in a PM and I will reply with a link to it in my Google Drive.
"If u don’t get fuel outta the steel lines AT THE INJECTORS.. u have pump problems." I am getting fuel from 3 out of 4. The one closest to the back of the machine is not getting fuel. I took off the line and blew it out. It seemed clear enough. There is not a consistent flow from the 3 that are getting fuel. It was pulsing maybe twice a second. Have I found the problem or have I only found the next symptom down the line?
U have to make sure u have fuel going INTO the pump.. If u have fuel going into the pump and very little out.. without being there and doing the test myself, I’d say it’s the pump that’s the problem.. as long as u have fuel at the inlet and the shut off solenoid is working.
right right right! the fuel solenoid! I lost my manuals in my dead computer. Can you tell me where it is located? And how do I test? I will go see what the fuel into the injector pump looks like. Thank you A million times. Did you ask for a picture or the lift pump?
I cant bring the machine to you but I can send you the pump if it rebuild-able. I pulled the fuel filter and dumped the contents into a glass jar. It was very clean but it was half water. That cant be good! I strapped a jar under the connection to the filter and turned the key so the lift pump turns on. The jar filled was overflowing before I had a chance to respond. Is that a good enough test to see if there is fuel to the pump? Do the injectors get a steady flow or a pulse? The pulse was seemingly consistent. Regardless, That 4th one was dry.
U gotta pump problem my friend.. If u pull the steel lines off the pump and try to start it, the pulse of fuel coming outta the pump should be shooting 3-4ft in the air.. Yes, I can rebuild it.. I keep the parts in stock, as a matter of fact.. That means a quick turnaround so u can get back to work ..
Sorry for the late response but I’m a busy beaver..
No worries. I appreciate you. I'll send you a message.