Logo
FULL SITE MENU

Volvo Penta AQ 231 - Electrical Problem - Help!!!

A

Alce Deal

Member
:confused: Hoping someone can help with an electricla problem. I been working on my 1989 Volvo Penta AQ 231 A. I rebuilt the engine due to water intrusion (long story), everything was going well, except that am ready to fire up the engine for first time but the starter appeared not to have enough power to crank the engine, I removed the starter motor tested, and to be sure I replaced it with an new/rebuilt starter, checked the fly wheel, am able to rotate the flywheel fairly easy. Starter engages, starts turning and stops right away, then after few attempts I find no electrical supply to accessories or ignition, After an hour or so, some times I get power again, but not enough to crank the engine and then the power is gone again... I need help on figuring this out, I tried all circuit brakes I can see, followed all power supply wires and nothing appears to be bad, batteries are reading 12+v constant, Can some one help me figure out what am I doing wrong? I recently rebuilt the dashboard due to the fact that I can not get a replacement for this kind of boat, this is a sun runner classic 241, Thanks for all your help...
 
Last edited:
By chance is your engine fitted an old ARCO or Prestolite Bendix style starter motor?


ARC50141.jpg



...... and are you using a 90* sweep Perko battery switch?

I ask because:

The old Bendix drive starter motors are Amp hungry, and are very inefficient, often requiring more amps than that of today's starter motors.

The 90* sweep Perko switches have, IMO, very light duty contacts. When we throw a heavy load at these, we may see resistance.







.
 
Last edited:
This boat does not have a battery switch and the starter is not a prestolite or arco, but the main question is why there is no power to the instruments or ignition and then the power is restore about an hour later or so...
 
Alce Deal said:
This boat does not have a battery switch and the starter is not a prestolite or arco, but the main question is why there is no power to the instruments or ignition and then the power is restore about an hour later or so...
Click to expand...
If I were you, I'd install a battery switch, otherwise you have no means of isolating your battery(s) during the time that the boat is not being used.
You will also be left with no means of shutting down your 12 VDC system in the event of an emergency.
If you do install an MBSS, do not install it in the engine bay.
Place it in a location that is easily accessible without the need to open the engine bay hatch.

As to the intermittent activity of your system, I can't explain that, other than the possible likelihood of a battery problem.



.
 
Check voltage at the battery terminals on the battery with ignition off. Should see better than 12 v.
Turn ignition switch on. Voltage should stay essentially the same.
Have someone crank the engine while you watch the voltmeter on the battery.
For a healthy battery, voltage will dip but not below 10 volts. If it dips substantially below, you have battery problems, i.e., not fully charged or defective.
If battery volts stays above 10 volts and engine won't crank, you have a bad connection.
I chased this very problem on my backup battery this year and it turned out to be slight corrosion on the negative lead between the negative to the battery and the engine block. Would crank ( grunt) once or twice, and then only click. Wait an hour or so and it would crank again. Sometimes would actually crank and start and then not crank ( turn over) a second time.

Ended up removing both cables ( to block and battery switch.... BTW you should have one ( a good one!) as a safety feature) and wirebrushing the ends. I replaced all nylock nuts with regular SS nuts with lock washers. Make sure there is some slack in the wire to the battery at the battery such that stress on the battery cable will not tend to rotate the nut in the CCW direction, thereby loosening it with vibration ( if you are using the screw terminals).

If you are using the battery posts with the clamp style connectors, replace them and clean the battery terminals with a battery terminal brush. If cables are corroded, replace them. Use marine ones, not auto store ones!!!! Coat the clamp connector after connection and tightening and testing with vaseline.
 
RicardoMarine said:
If I were you, I'd install a battery switch, otherwise you have no means of isolating your battery(s) during the time that the boat is not being used.
You will also be left with no means of shutting down your 12 VDC system in the event of an emergency.
If you do install an MBSS, do not install it in the engine bay.
Place it in a location that is easily accessible without the need to open the engine bay hatch.

As to the intermittent activity of your system, I can't explain that, other than the possible likelihood of a battery problem.



.
Click to expand...

Thank you Rick, it makes sense to install a battery switch, I will take on your recommendation and proceed to install a battery switch. I will keep you posted.
 
Jerry, that is interesting.
In all my 23/24 years of AQ series work, I don't recall having ever seen a breaker at that location.


.
 
Hello everyone, am happy to report the following: It was the Battery!!! even though, I was getting a 12V+ constant at the battery the second I hit the ignition switch it would drop way down in voltage. Lesson learned, not because the battery readings were above 12V it means the battery is not defective... I started by cleaning and inspecting all connections the problem was still there, then I checked the voltage at the battery at the time of the cranking and Bingo! there was the problem. Replaced the battery and the engine starter is cranking the engine... as far as which was the circuit breaker or fuse getting hot, not sure yet; evidently it was doing its job to prevent further damage, I replaced part # 51 already, but I will replace 56 & 36 too just to make sure. My next step is to see if I did a good job wiring the firing order correctly or not. But before I get there am having problem with the throttle and gear, I don't remember if am supposed to be able to give it some gas without engaging the gear, but the moment I try to give it some gas it stops cranking. Thanks again...
 
Alce Deal said:
  1. My next step is to see if I did a good job wiring the firing order correctly or not.

  2. But before I get there am having problem with the throttle and gear, I don't remember if am supposed to be able to give it some gas without engaging the gear, but the moment I try to give it some gas it stops cranking.
Click to expand...

  1. Firing order is important, but also don't loose sight of how important your ignition timing will be.
    Not only check your BASE advance, but also look at the progressive and TA.

  2. For me, this could use a bit more explanation.
 
Rick, 2. I disconnected the throttle and shifting mechanism to repair the leather panel where it was mounted on, what I don't remember is how does it works, I see it has a safety starter switch wire that is supposed to prevent starting the engine if the engine is to be in shift gear and not in neutral, what I don't remember is if it is possible to start the engine and accelerate (give some gas) to the engine without engaging in to forward or reverse... as it is right now, if I want to use the throttle to provide gas it shifts in to gear and prevents the engine from starting, (the ignition switch wire gets interrupted) is there an sketch I can get to see how the system is supposed to work or put back together? Thanks again.
 
On all single lever controls, there is a button that must be moved to put the control into one of two modes...
1) Normal, i.e., will only crank in neutral and any movement beyond about 30 degrees will cause the engine to shift into fwd or reverse.
2) Start, i.e., transmission is locked out of either fwd or reverse, i.e., in neutral, and any movement of the lever beyond said 30 degrees opens the throttle, i.e., "gives it gas".

You need to be in start mode to do what you want to do. On my circa 1969 Lancer, this button is pulled out to get to start mode. One returns the lever to straight up to push button in ans regain control of shifting. Other years models vary.
 
sandkicker said:
On all single lever controls, there is a button that must be moved to put the control into one of two modes...
1) Normal, i.e., will only crank in neutral and any movement beyond about 30 degrees will cause the engine to shift into fwd or reverse.
2) Start, i.e., transmission is locked out of either fwd or reverse, i.e., in neutral, and any movement of the lever beyond said 30 degrees opens the throttle, i.e., "gives it gas".

You need to be in start mode to do what you want to do. On my circa 1969 Lancer, this button is pulled out to get to start mode. One returns the lever to straight up to push button in ans regain control of shifting. Other years models vary.
Click to expand...

Thank you Sandkicker, it looks like am going to have to remove the lever controls system and start from scratch again to solve this problem, am sure I will get it done. Mean time, a been eager to try this new/rebuilt engine and I wanted to take advantage of a good friend of my that came to assist with the engine... so, I bypassed the system and disconnected the shifting cable just to make sure. We got the engine running!!! yeah! am planning to get a new water pump and thermostat, I don't want to take any chances for this engine to overheat since that was the reason I had to remove the old engine...
 
Alce Deal said:
Thank you Sandkicker, it looks like am going to have to remove the lever controls system and start from scratch again to solve this problem, am sure I will get it done. .
Click to expand...

You should not have to do this unless you possibly got the throttle and shift cables reversed @ the control head.

Proper operation of this is checkable without starting the engine. When in normal mode, i.e. single lever controls throttle and shift, movement for the first previously mentioned 30 ish degrees, results in a notably more force required to move the lever as you are moving the shift cable. When in the start mode ( on my boat, the button pulled out), movement of the lever does not get more difficult up to the 30 degree points. In other words, in the normal mode ( button in on my control head), the first 30 degrees or so of lever movement from straight up/down only moves the shift cable. After the engine shifts, further movement opens the throttle and the shift cable moves no further. In the start mode ( on my boat button out), moving control lever that first 30ish degrees, does nothing, neither moves the shift nor the throttle cable.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top