1 year old Volvo D1-30 not starting.

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Thresher

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Hi all
I've been using my engine every day for the last 2 months, just came through the Caledonian canal and anchored blast night. I just went to start the engine, pressed the on/off, waited for the Volvo logo to disappear then pressed the start button for the glow plugs and the display goes blank, same thing happens every time. Battery is reading 12.8v and I've swapped it with my domestic and the spare, same thing. Any ideas of what I can try?
Thanks, Brendan.
 
MDi unit failure? Google it or search for it on this forum. It's a well documented problem with work-arounds.
 
Sadly Volvo have failed to provide good customer service with these MDI failures, although I thought that it had been resolved a year or so ago.
The engine should still be under warranty so I'd take this up with your dealer. In the meantime it is possible to bypass the MDI by judicious use of a screwdriver to make the appropriate connection.
Be aware that once started the controls may not work to stop it (although there are other ways of doing this).
 
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May not be the MDI as the problem was supposed to have been fixed long before your engine was built. There was a general recall on the engines most affected - details on Volvo website. Mine (built in 2015) had not failed and was replaced in mid 2019 free of charge. There was at the time a lot of delay because Volvo could not make them quickly enough, but would guess that is not an issue now.

BTW no problems stopping the engine if you do jump start. Cunning little lever clearly visible on the injector pump marked STOP.
 
We had same symptoms when battery failed. When the starter motor had power applied the battery voltage dropped such the control unit turned off. Check the voltage as you try to start and in particular given you have tried different batteries check the connections are clean and secure.
 
Thank you.

Solution has been to fit a push button switch on a small panel on the side of the engine next to the MDI. This connects two of the wires under the MDI - the red (battery positive) and the red/yellow (starter solenoid feed). The push button can then always be used to start the engine even if the MDI and/or the engine control panel fail."

I have connected these two wires under the MDI unit, the same thing happens. Can anyone suggest anything else?
 
I'd check all battery terminations? Including positive and negative clamps on battery.
We have a D1-13 and so far has been good. Unit was fitted to our Griffon in 2012 by previous owner and has only just clocked 180 Hrs since new. I checked with VP and the MDi unit fitted to ours is not one of the faulty batch. You can check this yourself by going typing Volvo Penta MDi serial number check into Google.
Also, check the multiplug behind the starter control panel (large white male/female plug) and ensure it is fully clamped together.
AFAIR there are fuses and relays on some of the MDi units? Could one of those failed?
 
We had similar symptoms with a D2-55 failing to start and first time round it was a faulty battery switch - just a tenner to replace, but cost hundreds in false suggestions before the intermittent battery switch was diagnosed. As noted earlier, careful checking of voltages whilst trying to start should check / eliminate this possibility.

One of the wrong diagnoses (by professional engineers) at the time was MDI failure. That wasn’t entirely wasted money, as this year got similar problems and this time it was MDI failure. Put the old one back in and been fine since.
 
I had the same problem on my Volvo D2-40 ( not the same engine but the same family of Volvo engines) cure was a new battery and for good measure upgrading the cables from the battery to the engine to the next size up. Has worked fine since. Yes it is very annoying the Volvo control system works out that there is something wrong but doesn't tell you what it is !
If you have checked all the connections and cleaned them etc then a new engine start battery is the next easiest thing to change -any battery suitable to start a 1600cc diesel will do providing terminals and size of battery is the same as your current one.
 
Thanks everyone, it was the starter motor.
My mistake in the title, its a D-13 not a D-30. The motor would have cost £500 if it hadn't been under warranty.
 
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