New Holland LX485 skid steer cranks but hard start

[rhelm]

I have a 1997 New Holland LX485 skid steer. I noticed this winter that it was harder to start than normal but wrote it off to a colder than normal winter. What I found during the winter is if I plugged it in for only and hour plus it would just crank over and take for ever to start. I would have to do this over and over until I would almost kill the battery and then it would start( I would only crank it for short periods to avoid damaging the starter), but if I plugged it in over night it seemed to start OK. Now during the summer months I continue to encounter the same problem although I'm not plugging it in during the summer. It smokes white when it cranking over and every once in a while it does a very little burb like it is starting to fire. When it does eventually start it lets a good puff of white smoke and then runs completely fine. If you turn the skid steer off after you finally get it started and try to start it again no problem it starts but if you leave it off for an extended time(more than a couple hours) I encounter the same problem. I would like to start to find the problem this weekend but I was hoping for some direction first before I start ripping the machine apart if it could be something very simple. I was thinking possible the fuel pump but that shouldn't be the case if I'm getting white smoke( or am I wrong)??? I was also thinking maybe glow plugs, dirty injectors...? Any ideas on where to start would be great!!! Hopefully it's not something major

 

[Mike10]

Your glow plugs are not working. You need the glow plugs in the winter and summer for the engine to start. When you turn the key to the on position you should hear a click from the engine compartment. This is the glow plug relay kicking in. Is your instrument panel doing the countdown for the glow plugs when you turn the key on?
You can put a test light on the wire that attaches to the glow plug bus bar at the back of the engine. Have someone turn the key on and see if you have power there.
The glow plug relay is the below the engine fuse panel. You will see two relays covered by plastic covers. The glow plug relay is the one closest to the engine.
If you have power to the glow plugs then you will need to remove the glow plugs and check them. You can either use an ohm meter or you can connect a power and ground wire to each one and see if they heat up. Attach the 12+ to the end of the plug the bus bar was attached to and the ground wire to the housing that was screwed into the head. They heat up fast so be prepared to remove the power source to keep from burning them up and be careful you do not get burned.