Hydraulics and 3-Point Hitch Troubleshooting
Hitch or remotes fails to lift or lifts slowly
Hitch will not drop or drops slowly

Hitch drops too fast

Hitch not responsive to draft load

Hitch over-responsive
Hitch will not hold its position, lowers & raises - (hiccups)

3-point implement not lifting high enough
Hydraulic oil overheats (oil may look foamy)
Aerated hydraulic/transmission oil
Hydraulic pump installation tips

Hitch or remotes fails to lift or lifts slowly
1 Excessive load on hitch or remotes Reduce load.
2 Low oil level
Fill system with proper oil.
3 Hydraulic oil too cold
Allow oil to warm.
4 Remote flow control in slow position Move to fast position.
5 Hydraulic oil filter plugged
Replace filter. * Examine filter or cut apart to check for foreign contamination.
6 Hydraulic pump pickup screen plugged
Clean or replace pickup screen. * Examine screen to check for foreign contamination.
7 Electrical failure - only applies to newer tractors
Refer to service manual. * Broken wires, bad connections, switches or computer.
8 High pressure internal leak or relief valve malfunctioning
Refer to service manual to correct leak or replace relief valve.
9 Hydraulic or hitch system internal valves stuck, broken or springs broke
Refer to service manual to find and correct malfunctioning parts.
10 Draft control cylinder scored/seal leaking or "raise" circuit leak
Refer to service manual to find and correct leak.
11 Hydraulic pump failure
Flo-rate pump and replace if necessary.

Hitch will not drop or drops slowly
1 Rockshaft rate-of-drop control not properly set.
Adjust rate-of-drop knob.
2 Hitch out of adjustment
Refer to service manual for adjustment procedure.
3 Internal mechanical interference with hitch or load control linkage.
Refer to service manual to find interference, or possibly linkage coming apart.

Hitch drops too fast
1 Rate-of-drop set too fast
Adjust rate-of-drop.
2 Hitch out of adjustment Refer to service manual for adjustment procedure.

Hitch not responsive to draft load
1 Draft sensing lever in wrong position Move lever to "light" position.
2 Rate-of-drop too slow Adjust rate-of-drop valve.
3 Center link on upper front hole
Move center link to lower hole.
4 Draft control out of adjustment Refer to service manual for adjustment procedure.
5 Internal mechanical interference with load control linkage Refer to service manual to find interference, or possibly linkage coming apart.
6 Load control shaft or tube broken or bent
Replace load control shaft or tube. Refer to service manual.
7 Load sensing pin malfunctioning, or bad connections - only applies to newer tractors
Replace load sensing pin, repair faulty connections. Refer to service manual.

Hitch over-responsive
1 Draft sensing lever in wrong position Move lever to "heavy" position.
2 Center link on lower front hole Move center link to upper hole.
3 Draft control out of adjustment
Refer to service manual for adjustment procedure.

Hitch will not hold its position, lowers & raises - (hiccups)
1 Hitch out of adjustment
Refer to service manual for adjustment procedure, if IH make sure to adjust drop check valve. Other models check sensitivity adjustments.
2 Draft control cylinder scored/seal leaking, valve to cylinder seals, or cushion relief valve
Refer to service manual to remove hitch assembly and reseal or replace cylinder and any associated seals, doublecheck cushion relief valve (if equipped). It is best to go through all componets in the hitch circuit at the same time. * note If hitch does not settle to the ground when engine is shut off it most likely is not the cylinder leaking but usually a drop check valve problem or hitch out of adjustment.

3-point implement not lifting high enough
1 Center link too long Adjust center link.
2 Center link on upper front hole
Move center link to lower hole.
3 Lift links too long Shorten lift links. 4 Hitch out of adjustment Refer to service manual for adjustment procedure.

Hydraulic oil overheats (oil may look foamy)
1 Low oil level Fill system with proper oil.
2 Hydraulic oil filter plugged Replace filter. * Examine filter or cut apart to check for foreign contamination.
3 Hydraulic pump pickup screen plugged Clean or replace pickup screen. * Examine screen to check for foreign contamination.
4 Transmission or hydraulic oil cooler plugged
Clean cooler.
5 Hydraulic system stuck on high pressure
Check to make sure remote lever is not stuck on demand. Check to make sure 3-point hitch is not raising too high * i.e. beyond limit of travel. Make sure accessories connected to hydraulic system are not malfunctioning. Check for Internal hydraulic valve failure. Check for internal mechanical interference or broken linkage.
6 Internal hydraulic leak
Refer to service manual to find source of leak.

Aerated hydraulic/transmission oil
1 Hydraulic/transmission filter(s), cover seal(s) or gasket(s) leaking Replace seal(s), gasket(s) and filter(s)
2 Main suction tube leaking internally
Refer to service manual to check and replace any seals or worn tubes in the suction circuit.
3 Hydraulic or transmission pump sucking air Repair or replace pump. * Make sure supply tube or seals are not leaking first
4 Internal gasket or seal leak where tractor splits - only applies to models that route suction/hydraulic circuit internally Refer to service manual to split tractor and replace gaskets and seals.

*Hydraulic pump installation tips
When a pump fails or quits working the cause of failure should be determined before ordering parts. Before installing the new pump clean, clean, clean and flush any metal and dirt from the entire system. Metal and dirt are the greatest enemy of gear, piston, or many style of pumps. Hydraulic accessories need to be drained also. (Example: loader cylinders). When installing a new pump always change the filters and add new recommended hydraulic oil. Run the equipment for 15 minutes then replace the hydraulic filters with a new one. This will remove any metallic contamination and extend the pumps life. Waters Tractor, LLC offers a large range of new and re-manufactured power steering and hydraulic pumps. Feel free to call with further questions about hydraulic pumps. *From A&I Tech Tips

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