2017 T550 New Owner - Fueling Issue (Fuel rail pressure low) Please help!!

[PaulT550]

Hey everyone, first off, thanks for having me. I'm new to this forum, and this is my first post. I'm looking for some help and advice.

I recently purchased a 2017 Bobcat T550. When I met the guy to look it over, it ran great. I bought it with about half a tank of diesel, and I really put it to good use. I was moving dirt around my property, and it wasn't skipping a beat. I love the machine and use it every chance I get. It has heat and AC, plus a Bluetooth radio, making it easy to spend a long time on it.

However, I recently ran into a fueling issue that's been extremely frustrating. After about 4-5 hours of use, while building mounds on steep inclines, it stalled out on me. With a 1076 code "fuel rail pressure low."

Before this, I had been using it with the fuel gauge near empty, so I headed back home. I let it sit overnight and topped it up with diesel the next day. When I started using it again, it stalled and wouldn't start back up; it just cranked. I suspected I clogged the fuel filter by running it low and sucking up junk from the tank. I grabbed an inline filter to bypass the Bobcat fuel filter for testing, and it started right up, leading me to believe the $100 Bobcat filter was toast.

I went to Bobcat and spent $100 on a replacement filter. After installing it, the machine fired right up. I was cruising around with AC and Lynyrd Skynyrd on the radio, but soon after, it stalled again, showing the same code: "low rail fuel pressure." I was pretty irritated. I had to put the inline filter back on and limp it back up my driveway, where I shut it off. Sometimes, if I primed the machine enough, it would start again, but not for long, and it would stall with the replacement bobcat filter on it.

I did some research and found that biological material in the tank could be causing the filter to clog. I broke open the original filter, and it was covered in black (I couldn't really tell if it was slimy or not because it was soaking wet, but I could probably say that it was likely slimy). The replacement filter was also pretty black after about 1.5 hours of use. I have no idea if this is normal, but I'm assuming it's not.

I decided to get a good inline filter as a pre-filter for the Bobcat filter, so I wouldn't have to keep spending $100 on Bobcat ones. I bought a second replacement filter and a pre-filter, installed them, and it fired up. I used it for a couple of hours, then drove it home, turned it off, and went to lunch. When I returned, it just cranked. I managed to get it running with excessive priming by draining the fuel lines, but it only lasted about 25 minutes before quitting. So, I'm back to square one: a third clogged bobcat filter, I suspect.

I apologize for the lengthy post, but I'm getting pretty frustrated. I've found that black soot on fuel filters can be normal in diesel machines, but bugs or bio matter can accumulate in diesel tanks, causing issues. I'm unsure if there's something else wrong with the fuel system or if the tank is just coated in black sludge. I'm leaning towards the latter, since the machine runs fine for a while with replacement filters or maybe there could a deficiencies in the fuel system that could cause what I am experiencing.

I understand that removing the engine or hydraulic system, or both, may be necessary to clean the tank properly. Has anyone experienced this, and could they fix it with or without removing the tank? I shocked the tank with BioKleen today, which is supposed to help.

Any help would be greatly appreciate! Please and thank you! I've attached the few pictures, a busted the bobcat filters open. The first filter is the one that was on it when I got it. And the second was one that I put on it that maybe saw 2 hours of use.

 

[foton]

Hey everyone, first off, thanks for having me. I'm new to this forum, and this is my first post. I'm looking for some help and advice.

I recently purchased a 2017 Bobcat T550. When I met the guy to look it over, it ran great. I bought it with about half a tank of diesel, and I really put it to good use. I was moving dirt around my property, and it wasn't skipping a beat. I love the machine and use it every chance I get. It has heat and AC, plus a Bluetooth radio, making it easy to spend a long time on it.

However, I recently ran into a fueling issue that's been extremely frustrating. After about 4-5 hours of use, while building mounds on steep inclines, it stalled out on me. With a 1076 code "fuel rail pressure low."

Before this, I had been using it with the fuel gauge near empty, so I headed back home. I let it sit overnight and topped it up with diesel the next day. When I started using it again, it stalled and wouldn't start back up; it just cranked. I suspected I clogged the fuel filter by running it low and sucking up junk from the tank. I grabbed an inline filter to bypass the Bobcat fuel filter for testing, and it started right up, leading me to believe the $100 Bobcat filter was toast.

I went to Bobcat and spent $100 on a replacement filter. After installing it, the machine fired right up. I was cruising around with AC and Lynyrd Skynyrd on the radio, but soon after, it stalled again, showing the same code: "low rail fuel pressure." I was pretty irritated. I had to put the inline filter back on and limp it back up my driveway, where I shut it off. Sometimes, if I primed the machine enough, it would start again, but not for long, and it would stall with the replacement bobcat filter on it.

I did some research and found that biological material in the tank could be causing the filter to clog. I broke open the original filter, and it was covered in black (I couldn't really tell if it was slimy or not because it was soaking wet, but I could probably say that it was likely slimy). The replacement filter was also pretty black after about 1.5 hours of use. I have no idea if this is normal, but I'm assuming it's not.

I decided to get a good inline filter as a pre-filter for the Bobcat filter, so I wouldn't have to keep spending $100 on Bobcat ones. I bought a second replacement filter and a pre-filter, installed them, and it fired up. I used it for a couple of hours, then drove it home, turned it off, and went to lunch. When I returned, it just cranked. I managed to get it running with excessive priming by draining the fuel lines, but it only lasted about 25 minutes before quitting. So, I'm back to square one: a third clogged bobcat filter, I suspect.

I apologize for the lengthy post, but I'm getting pretty frustrated. I've found that black soot on fuel filters can be normal in diesel machines, but bugs or bio matter can accumulate in diesel tanks, causing issues. I'm unsure if there's something else wrong with the fuel system or if the tank is just coated in black sludge. I'm leaning towards the latter, since the machine runs fine for a while with replacement filters or maybe there could a deficiencies in the fuel system that could cause what I am experiencing.

I understand that removing the engine or hydraulic system, or both, may be necessary to clean the tank properly. Has anyone experienced this, and could they fix it with or without removing the tank? I shocked the tank with BioKleen today, which is supposed to help.

Any help would be greatly appreciate! Please and thank you! I've attached the few pictures, a busted the bobcat filters open. The first filter is the one that was on it when I got it. And the second was one that I put on it that maybe saw 2 hours of use.

I believe that you might have the dreaded diesel bugs, they reproduce in fuel that has water in it, a treatment it required to kill them off.I think power source has a good treatment available most everywhere. you need to take care of this asap as the excreate a acid that pits metal parts. I would drain off what I could and treat fresh fuel for what you can not remove. and change them filters often till it cleans up.

 

[PaulT550]

I believe that you might have the dreaded diesel bugs, they reproduce in fuel that has water in it, a treatment it required to kill them off.I think power source has a good treatment available most everywhere. you need to take care of this asap as the excreate a acid that pits metal parts. I would drain off what I could and treat fresh fuel for what you can not remove. and change them filters often till it cleans up.

That's what I was thinking. I saw some pictures of others that had the same problem their fuel filters and they look at a lot slimier than mine. I guess everyone's experience with them is a little different. I just wonder why I didn't notice it sooner. The machine came with half a tank of diesel in it to me and I ran it a good while without issue. Does running it lower on fuel make it worse or cause them to spread or something throughout the tank? This is a new one to me.

I actually already shocked the tank with Biokleen from power source today. I guess the real problem is that filters from Bobcat are $100 a piece and they aren't lasting at all. I'm good with changing them out and treating until there mostly gone but I can't open a line of credit for bobcat filters. I have found them cheaper on eBay like $20 a piece but I wonder how well they actually filter compared to their OEM counterpart and if they'll make things worse?

What a total PITA.....

 

[foton]

That's what I was thinking. I saw some pictures of others that had the same problem their fuel filters and they look at a lot slimier than mine. I guess everyone's experience with them is a little different. I just wonder why I didn't notice it sooner. The machine came with half a tank of diesel in it to me and I ran it a good while without issue. Does running it lower on fuel make it worse or cause them to spread or something throughout the tank? This is a new one to me.

I actually already shocked the tank with Biokleen from power source today. I guess the real problem is that filters from Bobcat are $100 a piece and they aren't lasting at all. I'm good with changing them out and treating until there mostly gone but I can't open a line of credit for bobcat filters. I have found them cheaper on eBay like $20 a piece but I wonder how well they actually filter compared to their OEM counterpart and if they'll make things worse?

What a total PITA.....

I would look for a drain plug on the fuel tank and drain it off or I have used a drill powered pump to empty a tank if need be. Let it settle out in a white bucket ,so you have a idea of how much contamination there is. maybe you will get lucky and it wont be a on going issue.

 

[PaulT550]

I would look for a drain plug on the fuel tank and drain it off or I have used a drill powered pump to empty a tank if need be. Let it settle out in a white bucket ,so you have a idea of how much contamination there is. maybe you will get lucky and it wont be a on going issue.

I don't think there is a drain on the the T550, from what I've researched. Unless someone may know of one?

I don't have a drill powered pump handy, do you have a link to one or maybe to the one that you use? But I agree, I definitely need to pump it out at this point, assess, and start fresh. It seems pretty bad, I've clogged 3 bobcat filters within like maybe 8 or so hours of use max. There supposed to last 500 hours or so.

I am not familiar with the bobcat fuel system and also unsure if there is a way for soot or something to make it's way back until the fuel system and clog the filter, it seems unlikely to me. Especially since the contamination is coming in before the filter from the tank.

 

[PaulT550]

I don't think there is a drain on the the T550, from what I've researched. Unless someone may know of one?

I don't have a drill powered pump handy, do you have a link to one or maybe to the one that you use? But I agree, I definitely need to pump it out at this point, assess, and start fresh. It seems pretty bad, I've clogged 3 bobcat filters within like maybe 8 or so hours of use max. There supposed to last 500 hours or so.

I am not familiar with the bobcat fuel system and also unsure if there is a way for soot or something to make it's way back until the fuel system and clog the filter, it seems unlikely to me. Especially since the contamination is coming in before the filter from the tank. All of the diesel that I've drained out hasn't looked black or anything either. I did have a glass pre filter hooked up before the bobcat filter and did see quite a few things floating around in it but nothing black, it was only 100 microns so the excrement was likely making it past it.

 

[foton]

well as a prefilter that glass filter will be ok but the micro level of those filters is not to good,with the newish diesels you need to find a finer filter than glass one and it wont get much in the line of water removal. so keep a good eye on it and do not let it fill up to much.