# Fuel supply issue (?) on Kioti LK3054



## TnToto (Jul 14, 2019)

Hello: New guy here looking for some help. I bought a used Kioti LK3054 and have put a couple hours on it mowing a little and moving it around the farm. It's about a 1999-2000 model and has a 3 cylinder diesel engine. Several days ago I started it up and backed it out of the barn. It started okay (slow as usual, but I need to replace the battery cables). It ran for less than a minute then sputtered and died. I jumped it from my truck and cranked it over but it won't start now. I replaced the fuel filter assembly in hopes that was the issue. I'm new to diesel engines and Kioti tractors so I don't have any experience to draw from when diagnosing the problem. Tried purging the air from the system but I haven't been able to make any difference. And, I haven't found any specific information for this model/procedures. After reading a bunch of posts in this forum and watching several videos I'm out of options. I appreciate any help/ideas you may have. I will try to upload a picture of the fuel pump so you can see what I see. There's just a small amount of fuel coming out at each "pump" when I loosen an injector. I don't know what the proper amount looks like. There are small white puffs of smoke coming out of the exhaust pipe. ...is that a bad sign? I have videos of the injector and the exhaust pipe but can't seem to upload them here. I don't see signs of water in the oil or oil in the water. The air filter is clean. The fuel tank is about 1/3 full. The electrical system has already been stripped down to it's basics (lights and blinkers were removed) but it has ran fine in the past. I've ordered a new ignition switch and keys but I don't think that's the problem. It was about 80 degrees outside on the day it started and died on me. ...didn't need the glow plugs to fire up the first time.

What's the little dial for on the side of the fuel pump?

Again, I would like to thank you in advance for any help you can send my way.


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## thepumpguysc (Jan 25, 2015)

The lever on the side of the filter is a shut off lever..they are known to be "goofy"..
Take your filter back off & work that shut off back & forth till u find the sweet spot where the fuel WILL flow.. they are known to collect garbage from the tank also.
The knob on the injection pump inlet is an air bleed.. pull that hose off so u can SEE which way its supposed to go.. air/fuel will come out 1 way BUT it NEEDS TO BE CLOSED when running..
Leave the lines loose AT THE INJECTORS when trying to start.. U HAVE TO bleed the air out.. once u get fuel squirting out of the steel lines{no air} tighten them up..


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## kwolf22 (Sep 8, 2021)

thepumpguysc said:


> The lever on the side of the filter is a shut off lever..they are known to be "goofy"..
> Take your filter back off & work that shut off back & forth till u find the sweet spot where the fuel WILL flow.. they are known to collect garbage from the tank also.
> The knob on the injection pump inlet is an air bleed.. pull that hose off so u can SEE which way its supposed to go.. air/fuel will come out 1 way BUT it NEEDS TO BE CLOSED when running..
> Leave the lines loose AT THE INJECTORS when trying to start.. U HAVE TO bleed the air out.. once u get fuel squirting out of the steel lines{no air} tighten them up..


Hello. Just wanted to say that I just changed out the fuel filter for the first time on the LK 3054 that I recently inherited. Thanks for posting the detailed pictures TnToto & thanks for the identifying the air bleed valve thepumpguysc. After replacing the fuel filter & both o-rings (the small one inside the cap & the large one around the filter bowl), I ran the engine until it stalled. This seems exactly like what TnToto had described - engine turning over, but not firing because of air in the fuel line and/or injectors. At that point, I opened up the bleed valve, gave the engine a few cranks & it started right back up again. I let it run again for a while just to be sure it wouldn't stall out again, but it seems OK now. 

My only question is if anyone has detailed instructions or maybe an owner's manual that discusses regular maintenance items & part numbers. I replaced the fuel filter & o-rings due to a fuel leak, & I've also changed the engine oil & filter since inheriting the LK 3054. However, I'm not sure about the other regular maintenance items. The Kioti seems like a really nice little tractor, just very difficult to get parts for.


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