Just joined the forum. I own a Greenline 40 which is kept on the Thames. Bought it last year. Built in 2012. The electric propulsion doesn't work which I knew about when I bought it, but haven't managed to figure out what's wrong with it. VW diesels work fine.
Hello All
- Thread starter mikerigg
- Start date
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If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
C lectric
Guru
What specifically have you done to sort out the electric motor problems?
Have you checked fuses and switches that they are transferring power through?
Have you checked the batteries condition?
Have you checked the condition of battery terminals AND the cable connections to them?
Have you checked the voltages at the motors? Really checked?
Have you examined and cleaned up ANY and ALL funny or corroded connections between the motors and the batteries.
Electrical setups like yours demand good, clean and secure connections. Any sloppy, loose, corroded, inadequate connections will cause trouble.
All wire/cable terminals and the posts they are attached to MUST be clean and bright.
The wire terminal must also be firmly attached , crimped to the wire and the physical contact between the terminal, the wire, and the post MUST be bright and clean.
When trying to run on the electric motors how do they sound if they try at all. DO they even try to operate?
I don't know what your setup is but the use of electrical coatings for connections are a must. Products like Dielectric grease, NoALox, Penetrox make a big difference in the connections ability to pass power along the wires, both + & -
side. These products can virtually stop corrosion of the connections. You may not have these items under those names so go to a knowledgeable marine electrician or an electrical parts supply company and ask about these products.
I have for years applied the above, Canada, to all connections including those I did not make initially but was suspicious of or had any trouble with, ESPECIALLY in my engines starting circuitry. THat included the terminals, the buss bars, or any other connections between the batteries and the , in my case, the starter motor to start the diesel engine.
ALso, when you reply give us some real information. Just saying you have a problem tells us virtually nothing about why it is failing.
Do you know anyone at hand that can give you some suggestions about where to look?
Have you checked fuses and switches that they are transferring power through?
Have you checked the batteries condition?
Have you checked the condition of battery terminals AND the cable connections to them?
Have you checked the voltages at the motors? Really checked?
Have you examined and cleaned up ANY and ALL funny or corroded connections between the motors and the batteries.
Electrical setups like yours demand good, clean and secure connections. Any sloppy, loose, corroded, inadequate connections will cause trouble.
All wire/cable terminals and the posts they are attached to MUST be clean and bright.
The wire terminal must also be firmly attached , crimped to the wire and the physical contact between the terminal, the wire, and the post MUST be bright and clean.
When trying to run on the electric motors how do they sound if they try at all. DO they even try to operate?
I don't know what your setup is but the use of electrical coatings for connections are a must. Products like Dielectric grease, NoALox, Penetrox make a big difference in the connections ability to pass power along the wires, both + & -
side. These products can virtually stop corrosion of the connections. You may not have these items under those names so go to a knowledgeable marine electrician or an electrical parts supply company and ask about these products.
I have for years applied the above, Canada, to all connections including those I did not make initially but was suspicious of or had any trouble with, ESPECIALLY in my engines starting circuitry. THat included the terminals, the buss bars, or any other connections between the batteries and the , in my case, the starter motor to start the diesel engine.
ALso, when you reply give us some real information. Just saying you have a problem tells us virtually nothing about why it is failing.
Do you know anyone at hand that can give you some suggestions about where to look?
Thanks very much for the reply, I wasn't sure whether anyone would be interested so didn't go into too much details in my first post on the site.
The set up onboard is 2 VW 165hp diesels with a clutch and electric generator/motor behind them. There is a 24kwh lithium battery bank on board as well as the usual banks of lead acid batteries for engine starting , bow thruster etc. Although the boat is 12 years old it has had very little use (only 150 hours on each engine) and everything is like new on board. Unfortunately I did not get to speak to the previous owner who was not well, and only dealt with the broker, so didn't find out what happened to stop the electric drives from working. The port generator/motor does output up to 5kw when the engine is at sufficient revs and this goes to charge the lithium batteries. The starboard one outputs nothing. There is a small cover on the flywheel housing which I took off on the stbd motor, it looks like the winding has burnt out, there is some ash/dust in the bottom of the casing which I managed to suck out and a burnt electrical smell so think something gone badly wrong there. When the stbd engine is running this flywheel housing gets quite hot and there is an alarm at the helm showing high temperature in the motor, which is strange as it is not producing any output. The cooling water is flowing round the circuit and overboard ok. The master cylinders of both clutches were empty when I checked them so have filled and bled each clutch. I was hoping this might at least make the port electric drive work but it hasn't. I haven't found anyone in the UK with any knowledge of Greenline hybrid boats. I have emailed Greenline in Slovenia for advice but they just refer me back to the broker I bought the boat from. It is a complex boat and I do think it will need a Greenline specialist to solve the problem.
The set up onboard is 2 VW 165hp diesels with a clutch and electric generator/motor behind them. There is a 24kwh lithium battery bank on board as well as the usual banks of lead acid batteries for engine starting , bow thruster etc. Although the boat is 12 years old it has had very little use (only 150 hours on each engine) and everything is like new on board. Unfortunately I did not get to speak to the previous owner who was not well, and only dealt with the broker, so didn't find out what happened to stop the electric drives from working. The port generator/motor does output up to 5kw when the engine is at sufficient revs and this goes to charge the lithium batteries. The starboard one outputs nothing. There is a small cover on the flywheel housing which I took off on the stbd motor, it looks like the winding has burnt out, there is some ash/dust in the bottom of the casing which I managed to suck out and a burnt electrical smell so think something gone badly wrong there. When the stbd engine is running this flywheel housing gets quite hot and there is an alarm at the helm showing high temperature in the motor, which is strange as it is not producing any output. The cooling water is flowing round the circuit and overboard ok. The master cylinders of both clutches were empty when I checked them so have filled and bled each clutch. I was hoping this might at least make the port electric drive work but it hasn't. I haven't found anyone in the UK with any knowledge of Greenline hybrid boats. I have emailed Greenline in Slovenia for advice but they just refer me back to the broker I bought the boat from. It is a complex boat and I do think it will need a Greenline specialist to solve the problem.
C lectric
Guru
I can't really can't help with specifics as I have only seen one or two of these vessels, never worked on them and won't.
There should be a lot you can do about the wiring itself such as voltage checks , Under Loads, at connections. You will need a decent DMM , voltage, resistance, current reading. The current will require the clamp type DMM OR a separate clamp meter.
Some meter leads plus jumpers of several feet with strong Alligator/ Bulldog clips and 10 or 12 AWG stranded wire. Longer for this type of work is better.
Maybe another set of lighter duty leads with smaller but similar clips and lighter wire. Same idea but lighter wire 14 or 16 AWG wire.
Wire colour: Use RED for positive and now Yellow for the negative.
I solder the clips on my jumper cables.
Check that the connections between the wire and clips are tight and well done.
Check the wire ends for ANY sign of corrosion, darkening or greening of the actual wire strands in the cable.
I have used, long time ago now, to re-brighten such by the use of ROSIN FLUX, NEVER ACID FLUX. Where I had sufficient extra length AND the terminal was not co-operating I cut the affected terminal off , stripped enough insulation , coated the strands with the ROSIN flux and heated it, the wire. I could watch the corrosion disappear when carefully done and those connections still are good. 20 or more years later.. These were light guage wires though but try it on a scrap piece of heavier wire. Enough blather of my success here but there are ways such as this to deal with corrosion of the cable wire that may not require rewiring.
I think I soldered these but I may have used something like NoAlox, a wire coating at the time and here, Canada, still available. Don't really remember.
Rather than just wholesale tearing into the problem I suggest you pick on a few circuits and try getting them working before going further.
Get back with either success on those chosen circuits or info about what went haywire.
As for motors you may have to contact a motor rebuilding shop if they still refuse to operate.
Good Luck
There should be a lot you can do about the wiring itself such as voltage checks , Under Loads, at connections. You will need a decent DMM , voltage, resistance, current reading. The current will require the clamp type DMM OR a separate clamp meter.
Some meter leads plus jumpers of several feet with strong Alligator/ Bulldog clips and 10 or 12 AWG stranded wire. Longer for this type of work is better.
Maybe another set of lighter duty leads with smaller but similar clips and lighter wire. Same idea but lighter wire 14 or 16 AWG wire.
Wire colour: Use RED for positive and now Yellow for the negative.
I solder the clips on my jumper cables.
Check that the connections between the wire and clips are tight and well done.
Check the wire ends for ANY sign of corrosion, darkening or greening of the actual wire strands in the cable.
I have used, long time ago now, to re-brighten such by the use of ROSIN FLUX, NEVER ACID FLUX. Where I had sufficient extra length AND the terminal was not co-operating I cut the affected terminal off , stripped enough insulation , coated the strands with the ROSIN flux and heated it, the wire. I could watch the corrosion disappear when carefully done and those connections still are good. 20 or more years later.. These were light guage wires though but try it on a scrap piece of heavier wire. Enough blather of my success here but there are ways such as this to deal with corrosion of the cable wire that may not require rewiring.
I think I soldered these but I may have used something like NoAlox, a wire coating at the time and here, Canada, still available. Don't really remember.
Rather than just wholesale tearing into the problem I suggest you pick on a few circuits and try getting them working before going further.
Get back with either success on those chosen circuits or info about what went haywire.
As for motors you may have to contact a motor rebuilding shop if they still refuse to operate.
Good Luck
Comodave
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Welcome aboard.
BruceK
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mikerigg, ScottC is TF`s regular Greenline owner contributor. Based in Europe, but moves about. Not posted in a while, try sending a PM to raise your queries.
Always wondered where those 5cyl VW diesels came from, can`t think of a VW model, maybe it`s a commercial vehicle. Volvo used to make 5cyl diesels. Good luck.
Always wondered where those 5cyl VW diesels came from, can`t think of a VW model, maybe it`s a commercial vehicle. Volvo used to make 5cyl diesels. Good luck.
Pascall
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