|
|
04-16-2021, 12:52 PM
|
#1
|
Senior Member
City: Vancouver Rowing Club, Coal Harbour, Vancouver, B.C.
Vessel Name: Summer Wind 1
Vessel Model: Marine Trader 41
Join Date: Nov 2012
Posts: 410
|
Northern Lights M643 5kw trouble shooting
My startlight does not come on and my genset engine does not start when I press the start switch.
1) 13 volts at battery connection
2) DC circut breaker reset
I have limited access, 6" of clearance above the genset, no access to nonservice side, shoehorned into lazzertte. I don't really want to pull the genset out. I can access the generator control box, but it is not good access.
Where would you first look.
|
|
|
04-16-2021, 01:07 PM
|
#2
|
Senior Member
City: Seattle
Vessel Name: Mabuhay
Vessel Model: Grand Alaskan
Join Date: Jan 2018
Posts: 399
|
Here is a NL video that explains the relays and how they are all interconnected. Maybe your start relay is broken?
|
|
|
04-16-2021, 01:20 PM
|
#3
|
Senior Member
City: Vancouver Rowing Club, Coal Harbour, Vancouver, B.C.
Vessel Name: Summer Wind 1
Vessel Model: Marine Trader 41
Join Date: Nov 2012
Posts: 410
|
Thanks for the direction. I was kind of hopeing for a "magic suggestion" but it looks like I am going to have to get a little too intimit and personal with my genset down in my lazzertte.
|
|
|
04-16-2021, 01:26 PM
|
#4
|
Guru
City: Here and there
Join Date: Oct 2019
Posts: 541
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by grahamdouglass
2) DC circut breaker reset
|
Did you just press the reset button? A common issue is that circuit breaker malfunctions. Disconnect the spade terminals from it and connect them to a 15 amp ATC type blade fuse and see if it works.
|
|
|
04-16-2021, 02:12 PM
|
#5
|
Veteran Member
City: Corona
Vessel Name: SCRAMBLER
Vessel Model: 1974 Grand Banks 32 #536
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 74
|
Does the starter turn the engine over when you try to start it ?
|
|
|
04-16-2021, 03:06 PM
|
#6
|
Guru
City: Tavernier, FL
Vessel Name: Volans
Vessel Model: 2001 PDQ MV 32
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 580
|
Does it "click" when you turn the key over? ("Can you hear the start solenoid?")
__________________
________________________________________
Gabe and Em.
Previously of "In Sanity" fame. A 40' Mainship from 1981.
|
|
|
04-16-2021, 05:57 PM
|
#7
|
Senior Member
City: Vancouver Rowing Club, Coal Harbour, Vancouver, B.C.
Vessel Name: Summer Wind 1
Vessel Model: Marine Trader 41
Join Date: Nov 2012
Posts: 410
|
I took the remote from the lower stearing station and moved it to the genset to eliminate any harness issues. When I pressed the start button I didn't hear any sound, not a click, thunk or thank you from my genset. So I thought I might go home, watch some Northern Lights videos, (thank you W8N4SUN), and study my manual.
I'll try the "magic suggestion" with the breaker. (thank you Porgy) Once I understand the circut a little better I might try using jumpers till I get a light.
|
|
|
04-16-2021, 06:51 PM
|
#8
|
Veteran Member
City: Corona
Vessel Name: SCRAMBLER
Vessel Model: 1974 Grand Banks 32 #536
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 74
|
If you have access to the six screws holding down the lid cover for relays AC / DC and circuit breaker you can test your breaker for power with a DC voltage meter.
|
|
|
04-17-2021, 10:31 AM
|
#9
|
Guru
City: Marion, Massachusetts
Vessel Name: Wanderer
Vessel Model: Pilgrim 40
Join Date: Sep 2016
Posts: 632
|
Well I just took some training from NL (see link below to TF post about this) and there are five quick things you can do to check.
1. Check oil pressure from control panel
2. Check temp if over 200
3. Check voltmeter for battery
4. Touch the muffler if hot sea water pump is off
5. Check to see if it’s getting fuel
6. Check breaker on unit (Although I don't know that the 643 has a breaker, but if it does, it's marked "fuse.")
Sounds like you have done those. (or they don't apply)
There are some lockouts in the start process to protect the engine. There are relays inside the control box that have to work. You should have a spare on hand.
Before you call NL, check the battery and starter connections. If they are loose they will still read 13v, but not be able to deliver enough oomph to flip the solenoid. (also check the connections because if they are the problem, you feel like an ass that you didn't check it first. - ask me how I know)
https://www.trawlerforum.com/forums/...ble-55815.html
|
|
|
04-17-2021, 06:58 PM
|
#10
|
Guru
City: Montgomery
Vessel Name: Choices
Vessel Model: 36 Grand Banks Europa
Join Date: Apr 2018
Posts: 896
|
I did the same thing.
I made a new harness and we then could not get it to start.
A wire had broken in the new wire loom.
We pulled two extra and swapped it out.
Check point to point connections.
Mine had small start panel in breaker cabinet. Started fine from there.
__________________
36 Grand Banks Europa
Montgomery, TX
Blog: "grandbankschoices"
|
|
|
04-17-2021, 08:29 PM
|
#11
|
Senior Member
City: New Orleans
Vessel Name: Stella
Vessel Model: Seaton 56
Join Date: Sep 2017
Posts: 272
|
I had intermittent start and shutdown problems with my NL 12K. After much troubleshooting it turned out to be a bad connection in the wiring to the relays. Spent a day rewiring in the Bahamas. A lot of wires in a small space so took a lot of pictures and made sketches. Have not had any problems since. The relay sockets are unique but I was lucky to have a few spares. The attachment helped.
|
|
|
04-17-2021, 08:48 PM
|
#12
|
Senior Member
City: New Orleans
Vessel Name: Stella
Vessel Model: Seaton 56
Join Date: Sep 2017
Posts: 272
|
Relay socket and connectors:
|
|
|
04-19-2021, 01:11 AM
|
#13
|
Senior Member
City: Vancouver Rowing Club, Coal Harbour, Vancouver, B.C.
Vessel Name: Summer Wind 1
Vessel Model: Marine Trader 41
Join Date: Nov 2012
Posts: 410
|
I came across a shorter version of the DC Logic video. It is 9 min vs 28 min suggested above. Both are very straight forward to the point videos.
|
|
|
04-19-2021, 07:28 PM
|
#14
|
Senior Member
City: Vancouver Rowing Club, Coal Harbour, Vancouver, B.C.
Vessel Name: Summer Wind 1
Vessel Model: Marine Trader 41
Join Date: Nov 2012
Posts: 410
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by grahamdouglass
I came across a shorter version of the DC Logic video. It is 9 min vs 28 min suggested above. Both are very straight forward to the point videos.
|
So I went down to the boat with great hopes of a good resolution.
I have 6” of access above the control panel, and 1” of access between the control panel cover and the nonservice side insulated enclosure. 45 min later I had the control panel cover off.
I had 13volts at the circuit breaker which I replaced with a blue seas. I measured 13 volts at the back of the start switch on the control panel. 13 volts at the back of the preheat switch on the control panel.
I swapped out the preheat relay and start relay and cleaned the terminals. I measured continuity at the main fuses.
The start light does not come on.
Tomorrow I will phone Northern lights
|
|
|
04-19-2021, 07:33 PM
|
#15
|
Senior Member
City: Vancouver Rowing Club, Coal Harbour, Vancouver, B.C.
Vessel Name: Summer Wind 1
Vessel Model: Marine Trader 41
Join Date: Nov 2012
Posts: 410
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by grahamdouglass
So I went down to the boat with great hopes of a good resolution.
I have 6” of access above the control panel, and 1” of access between the control panel cover and the nonservice side insulated enclosure. 45 min later I had the control panel cover off.
I had 13volts at the circuit breaker which I replaced with a blue seas. I measured 13 volts at the back of the start switch on the control panel. 13 volts at the back of the preheat switch on the control panel.
I swapped out the preheat relay and start relay and cleaned the terminals. I measured continuity at the main fuses.
The start light does not come on.
Tomorrow I will phone Northern lights
Attachment 116814
|
All the shutdown circuits are on the non service side of the genset. Moving around my 400lb genset in my lasarette is something I would rather not do. I’ll see what Northern lights has to say
|
|
|
04-19-2021, 08:47 PM
|
#16
|
Guru
City: Sea of Cortez, Mexico
Vessel Name: Irene
Vessel Model: Nordhavn 40II
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 1,234
|
Just to confirm, you are holding down the preheat button prior to, and during starting...
__________________
Jeff
MV IRENE
|
|
|
04-20-2021, 01:36 AM
|
#17
|
Senior Member
City: Vancouver Rowing Club, Coal Harbour, Vancouver, B.C.
Vessel Name: Summer Wind 1
Vessel Model: Marine Trader 41
Join Date: Nov 2012
Posts: 410
|
Yes, I held down the preheat button and then pressed the start button. No red light. I am no longer using the wiring harnes to my lower helm station. I am plugging into the generator, by passing the harness extension to the lower helm.
I have 13V at start circut on the control panel and 13V at the preheat circut at the control panel.
I have taken out the start relay and preheat relay, cleaned the terminals and switched them around.
I'm thinking if one of the sensors has broken then that has to be investigated, but it is on the non service side and I will have to pull the genset.
|
|
|
04-20-2021, 08:58 AM
|
#18
|
Technical Guru
City: Wilmington, NC
Vessel Name: Louisa
Vessel Model: Custom Built 38
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 6,194
|
Some of these have a 12v breaker in the control box that fails due to vibes. Need to sniff around inside the box with a volt meter to see where power is and where it is not.
|
|
|
04-20-2021, 09:03 AM
|
#19
|
Guru
City: Anacortes
Join Date: Nov 2012
Posts: 1,189
|
I was trying to visualize this. My NL, I could not remember getting a light, then it occurred to me that you probably had a different panel. Mine has the multiple gauges and I watch for the oil pressure to come up, don’t have a light but the circuit is the same.
The two most likely culprits in my mind are the oil switch and/or the exhaust overheat, and also a water temp switch. Of those, the exhaust overheat switch is probably the most delicate.
There is a circuit that connects all three with a small grey wire. If any of those switches are grounded, no workie. You can defeat each/all of them by removing them from the switch and wrapping some tape around them. Start with the exhaust, it’s a little round device that screws into the outboard side of the exhaust elbow, the wires may run up into,the control box. The water temp switch is near the heat exchanger bundle opposite end from the exhaust. The oil,switch I don’t remember, but if you follow,the wires from the water temp it should be in series with it. Remove them from the circuit one at a time to prevent grounding until you find the culprit. Then replace that switch. These are the circuits that protect the engine, so don’t defeat them or run without them (you will often see the wires clipped on the exhaust switch).
|
|
|
04-20-2021, 09:08 AM
|
#20
|
Guru
City: Gooding ID/Wrangell AK
Vessel Name: Silver Bay
Vessel Model: Nordic Tug 42-002
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 1,040
|
I have the same model NL and if I understand the way the start sequence works is depressing the preheat button causes the relay on the oil pressure sensor to close allowing the glow plugs to be energized, fuel to flow, and the starter to be engaged. I don’t think the temperature sensor prevents starting. The 673 manual explains the function of each relay. Since it seems the sensors only detect conditions that cause the generator to shut down when running, I don’t see how they prevent it from starting the exception being 0 oil pressure which is why the preheat switch uses a relay to effectively bypass the sensor when the preheat switch is closed. Once the generator starts and oil pressure comes up, the relay is energized and the generator keeps running.
If the DC breaker on the generator is not tripped, the only thing it could be is the preheat switch is bad or the relay that disables the oil pressure sensor is bad. All the relays are the same and generally available at NAPA (I got one at NAPA in Sitka).
|
|
|
|
|
Thread Tools |
Search this Thread |
|
|
Display Modes |
Linear Mode
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
|
» Trawler Discussions |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|