Hi fgutierrez10,
My Tolly 48 is equipped with a similar, albeit smaller, Kohler genset. Mine's a Kohler 6EKOD, 2 years old, ~500 hours of service. It, also, uses the Lombardini engine.
I have no issues with the Lombardini engine, per se. As others have mentioned, there's seldom a problem with the native engine of choice, per se.
My difficulty with my 6EKOD is the entire Kohler philosophy of genset design and operation. They must truly think modern yacht owners are village idiots that need saving from ourselves, and hence try to auto-everything regarding a Kohler genset. Your mileage may vary, but here's my $.02:
Kohler has chosen to go whole-hog into the microprocessor control of the genset. This first manifests itself upon initial startup. Assuming you have a remote start panel, it is simply a rocker switch that turns blue when the genset is in either in it's startup mode, or during operation. When starting from cold, the button is pushed for "a few seconds", until the blue light stays on when you let go. No other indication that the genset is actually trying to start (i.e.-the engine itself is dead silent for ~30 seconds) is either heard or seen. The blue light simply stares at you.
If all is well, and you've not lost patience or become concerned why there's no apparent activity from the genset, out of the blue (!) you can finally hear the genset cranking, and again, if all is well (you've got a sound start battery, fuel, no fuel blockage, etc.) boom, off you go happily into generator-land.
If nothing happens (and there is absolutely NO information provided at the remote start panel), then it's time to venture into the genset compartment, and start trying to decipher error codes on the LCD panel inside the soundshield. And that's a rare treat, as the error codes are terse and poorly explained in the manual. Assuming you can reach the manual's section written in your language of choice-English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, XYZ, yada yada yada.
If you choose to try to start from the LCD panel itself this time, you get to go through ANOTHER frustrating experience to clear the error, and then clear the error code itself.
And THEN, and only then, can you decipher what's actually going on in the microprocessor, and the genset itself, as it attempts to start. Firstly, when you hit the START button, either from the remote panel or the LCD, the genset begins an "auto-prime" function. The electric fuel pump hums, and (probably) the glo plugs ignite, and eventually (assuming all the error codes are OK) you can hear the engine crank, and (hopefully) start and run. If it fails to start from the LCD panel, you're left in error code hell and you start over.
To try and make this story somewhat shorter ( I can whine endlessly about mine, if provoked), the bottom line is three-fold. #1-you better be happy with auto-everything on this unit. #2-you better be prepared for a written manual that is overly large (does Kohler think EVERYBODY needs to have a section written in XYZ????) #3-the manual (at least in English) is just plain WRONG in places. In particular, the fuel filter bleeding procedure after you change a fuel filter (remember, this thing auto-primes) is not correct. That cost me a ~$500 technician's bill to decipher. Thanks Kohler. I've changed fuel filters on diesel engines since Jesus was an altar boy, but apparently you've got a better way.
For example, here's the Northern Lights start procedure. From the remote panel, which has a full panel of analog instruments, you a. Push and hold the preheat button. b. At the same time, you push the start button. The engine begins to crank IMMEDIATELY. If it starts and fails to remain running after lifting your finger from the preheat button, try again and hold the preheat button down longer. A successful start will be apparent from not only the engine noise, but from the analog gauge panel as well. Done, easy-peasy.
I guess my last piece of my feeble mind is to make sure you can locate a marine technician familiar with your particular Kohler genset of choice. Hold him close and cherish him, as I suspect you will need him, particularly early-on in your venture through Kohler-speak. Oh yeah, did I mention Kohler parts are expensive? Like (tru dis) $950 for a starter. Removal and reinstallation by your local Kohler tech not included.
I'm not a fan.
Regards.
Pete
