Absolute disaster !

securpro · December 16, 2010, 08:59:03 PM

Well thats what I'd call today, So I got a chance to make some money from last nights snow fall doing some snow removal for a local upitty condo complex (well not real local, bout 30 miles north). It started off last night I was doing some needed maintenence on my skid steer and decided to change out the coolant thinking I had enough to refill the system (I did'nt) so I had to make a 30 mile round trip to Walmart. To start it all off I waited in long line to check out and when it was my turn and time to check out I swiped my new $100 gift card to pay for my stuff and wouldn't ya know it DECLINED now how the hell can a gift card get declined ? I'll tell ya, apparently if you you use it to pay for your gas at the pump it authorizes the FULL amount remaining on the card

in my case all $100. It takes 10 days for the transaction to be completed,

that means that card is useless for the next ten days..... I finally get squared away and get loaded up and leave the house about 2:30am (so I thought) took me 45 min to get out of my driveway (snow had fallen about 3 1/2 inches in the past 2 hrs)

It took me till 5:00am to get to where I was going. I layed down in the cab of the truck and slept till 9:00am

when I got the go ahead to start pushin snow.

Finally making some money $60 an Hr not bad,

after an hour an a half my machine just stops running, wont restart

sounds like its got water in the fuel

I just put in new fuel ,changed both fuel filters, filled the hydraulic fluid, changed out the coolant, checked the oil, put in a new battery.WTH is wrong.

I make a run to Tractor Supply and got some Heet fuel drier and fuel treatment and put it in and still nothing

so I start checking the fuel system , I dont find any thing..... Then it starts up fine

Dont know what caused that, I guess the line drier worked ...

So after an hour or so I go back to work pushin snow like a pro makin money again

Bout 45 min later BAM.... dead again sept still running but really bad

took me 2 Hrs to limp it back on to the trailer, I give up...... I dont know what to do at this point I checked every thing I could think of and found nothing

So I head home , now I'm home but my Truck an machine are sitting 1100 feet from my house stuck in the snow at the end of the driveway.

I'm goin to bed GOODNIGHT.........

FinsnFur · December 16, 2010, 09:37:41 PM

Yeah that doesnt sound like a very profitable or even pleasant way to spend a night.

It's tough to pin down what could even be wrong. Sounds A LOT LIKE moisture to me, and while it's possible to still be in the fuel regardless of your additives......I'd check the ignition too. All you told us was "skid steer", there's a 100 different types. Plug wires, does it have plugs? etc...

Hopefully you'll have a better day tomorrow.

KySongDog · December 16, 2010, 10:40:55 PM

Here's a tip I learned the hard way about gift cards. If you are going to use it for gas, pay for the gas AFTER you fill up, inside at the counter. That way you only get hit for the exact amount of the purchase. If you use the card at the pump you get a minimum $75 hold put on your card. But I guess you learned that already.

As for the motor, sounds like water and/or the fuel is gelling (diesel). How cold was it?

HaMeR · December 17, 2010, 06:56:05 AM

Check your air filter. It might be packed with snow. Gelling could be the problem. Usually when diesel gels it doesn't soften back up til it gets warm again or a thinner is added. Add kerosene to the tank.

pitw · December 17, 2010, 07:59:41 AM

I hate it when a day goes that way but I've learned without the bad days to compare to I never would know when I had a great day

. Got some info on the machine?

Bopeye · December 17, 2010, 04:03:28 PM

Quote from: pitw on December 17, 2010, 07:59:41 AM
I hate it when a day goes that way but I've learned without the bad days to compare to I never would know when I had a great day

I use those exact words when I am having a rough one.

Wonder if I'm kin to you Barry?

Just remember Securpro. Ya still have your health, a place to go home too, a truck, a skidsteer, and many other blessings. You lost a little money. You can get that back at some point. I am dead set about one unchangeable fact of life. "Life is a series of debts". It may be in one form or the other, but we will always owe something to someone. Don't sweat it brother. Today is a new day. I do hope you get your skidsteer going though. I surely do.

securpro · December 17, 2010, 06:45:28 PM

Thanks all for the advice, It gets hard to keep your spirits lifted when when everything is going wrong.

I got the truck an machine back home and I picked up a new fuel pump just in case. The machine is a John Deere 240 (diesel)

Bills Custom Calls · December 17, 2010, 07:09:19 PM

My guess is you spent money that didn't need spending
Change the fuel filter and some of them have a screen/water separator also that needs cleaned
Clean the air filter and try that before you install the new pump you should be able to return the pump if you don't need it

securpro · December 17, 2010, 07:20:12 PM

I just put a new inline filter and water separator on 3 days ago,I am goin to check and see if there is something blocking it in the tank tomarrow, I just bought the pump as a last resort. The pump is original and its a 2002 machine,Ifigured a new pump could'nt hurt.