D3 160 Limp Mode

[Kingruar]

Hi all,

The other day we were out on our boat. After around 30mins of cruising around 3200rpm, the port engine went into limp mode with a fault saying ´Engine Elec Fault - Service Soon´

We shut down the engine and restarted it, it went straight into limp mode again. We then shut off the engine and then waited a few minutes before restarting and we were able to rev back up to around 3000rpm before the limp mode kicked back in.

After restarting a few more times it seemed that the engine just did not want to go past 3000rpm or above 1.0 bar of boost. So we kept both engines below 3000 rpm and finished our journey to the destination.

Both engines remained the same in terms of temperatures, voltage, noise, etc. Although slightly erratic rpm from the troubled engine +/- 80rmp

The next day we were en route back to port however we stopped of at a small group of islands for the afternoon. We cruised over for around 30mins at just a tad under 3000rpm and no problems.

Once the tide had turned we decided to make our way back to port (a journey of around 40mins at normal speed). No sooner had we just left, upon pushing the throttles forward to get up onto the plane and off, the port engine went back into limp mode.

We got it going again and decided to cruise back around 2500rpm 14kts just to get home. The engine did cut out around 4 times during that journey however bringing the revs back up slowly we could maintain a speed that wasn´t so bad.

Upon arrival to the marina (yay) I opened up the engine cover to be greeted by a haze of diesel smoke and the very pronounced smell of diesel. Going over the engine it appeared that the leak off line had perished which caused the diesel to leak over the top of the injectors and down the gully onto the hot turbo. presumably there, meeting the hot turbo, the diesel slowly burnt away, hence the haze of smoke.

I booked this in to get sorted out and presumed that the line had a connection with the fault and limo mode situation. Job was done and happy days. or so i thought!

So, this morning, I went down to the marina, got on the boat and decided to take it out for a little spin to see if all is well. Started fine, both engines, sounds fine etc. Rpm´s looked good too.

motored out to sea then pushed the throttles forward onwards to 3000rpm and the port engine went back into limp mode.

I did this a couple of times to make sure it wasn´t an airlock of some sorts. but no, back into limp mode.

So i have now put it back on the pontoon and had a look. Sure enough the fuel leak has been sorted at the top of the injectors so I can now take that out of the equation.

I do however want to try and troubleshoot as much as possible before the mechanics have a look at it next week as I want to take it away next weekend.

This is an annoying issue. so,

Anyone have any thoughts on what may cause this? It seems to rev out fine although under load going up through the revs is where the problem hits.

Could it be sensor related?

Turbo related?

Engines are only 205hrs each

Serial number 229470 (on problem engine)

Any ideas, would be greatly appreciated.

 

[scottie]

Pm Volvopaul

 

[volvopaul]

Early D3 was a pile of poo.

Ref the leak off pipe check the fuel return valve to the tank for restriction or the rubber fuel hose for constriction , slowing down the return flow can cause damage to the CP pump usually blowing the shaft seal which then allows air into the pump and diesel into the sump.

The limp problem sound like either a faulty boost pressure sensor , loose clips on the inlet pipe from the turbo to the intercooler which gives underboost or the variable vanes sticking in the turbo.
Or a worn VV actuator shaft, pins, any of this causes incorrect match of boost to throttle position its critical it's correct fir the system to work.
As been said on here before , automotive VV turbos have no place in the marine environment.

 

[volvopaul]

Sadly I have to ask this , is the boat a sealine ?

 

[Kingruar]

Hi,

So went to the boat this morning, to check it over again, all seems fine.
Started up fine no warnings etc.
So I have made a little video to help me, the mechanic and whoever else may be with the same problem.

I was on my own so couldn't get close enough to the problem but the video does show the issue! excuse the sound

After about 3 seconds of the vapour appearing, the engine went into limp mode.

Any ideas?

I shall try and get out later with the intention of getting the camera close to the problem.

 

[Heckler]

Hi,

So went to the boat this morning, to check it over again, all seems fine.
Started up fine no warnings etc.
So I have made a little video to help me, the mechanic and whoever else may be with the same problem.

I was on my own so couldn't get close enough to the problem but the video does show the issue! excuse the sound

After about 3 seconds of the vapour appearing, the engine went into limp mode.

Any ideas?

I shall try and get out later with the intention of getting the camera close to the problem.

Is that the turbo wastegate opening?
Stu

 

[[2068]]

Sadly I have to ask this , is the boat a sealine ?

Doesn't look like a Sealine

 

[Kingruar]

Hi Guys,

Nope the boat is a Fairline Targa,

Ok So I got the missus out with me for part 2 of the fault finding. As you can see from the first video I could not clearly see where the vapour was coming from.

Again second time out, engine started no worries and sounded fine. So we got out the marina and then I got my phone down in the engine to find where the vapour was coming from, well I found it! no need to describe, just watch the video.

Hopefully thats the only issue that remains to get the engine back to normal. I will be doing another sea trip during the week once this has been fixed and we shall see if thats what was causing the alarm.
My guess is that the fuel leaking out was either causing a pressure loss or causing air in the line which caused a sensor to trip. My engine knowledge is not top notch so could someone also give me their thoughts?

 

[[2068]]

Wow, that's a big leak.

That would definitely cause enough of a pressure drop to trigger a fault code and limp mode.

Hope you manage to get all the diesel off your phone.

 

[Kingruar]

Phone has an otter box case, it gets abused daily. I must say though its a good case. The phone is like brand new inside.

So I am hoping its a washer / fitup thats gone rather than the common rail. fingers crossed!

 

[[2068]]

Phone has an otter box case, it gets abused daily. I must say though its a good case. The phone is like brand new inside.

So I am hoping its a washer / fitup thats gone rather than the common rail. fingers crossed!

Yes, new fuel injector pipes are quite cheap (for Volvo).
Cracked common rail delivery pipe will be €1000 or so.

 

[volvopaul]

Yes, new fuel injector pipes are quite cheap (for Volvo).
Cracked common rail delivery pipe will be €1000 or so.

No washers under the pipe to the rail, try tightening them up however if they have been off before I'd suggest new pipes as you are not supposed to use them twice, I'm surprised it started up with a drop in pressure like that .

 

[Kingruar]

Thanks,

Do you reckon undo and re tighten? Or just order another pipe?
If it's a re tighten then would any ptfe help?
On idle and low rpm there isn't really any sign of the leak, once past 2200rpm is where is spills out.

 

[volvopaul]

Thanks,

Do you reckon undo and re tighten? Or just order another pipe?
If it's a re tighten then would any ptfe help?
On idle and low rpm there isn't really any sign of the leak, once past 2200rpm is where is spills out.

Certainly worth a go at tightening , I see you have had a new fuel filter housing , have you have your engineer do any other work recently to disturb the common fuel rain and pipes?

 

[Kingruar]

Not that I know of.
To be honest the boat is fairly new to me although I am in touch with the previous owner a lot so I have been asking him all sorts of questions which has been great.
The guy who I bought it off was quite through with everything with pretty much all work done by a well respected firm which gave me a lot of confidence with the purchase.

If my engineer can't get to it tomorrow, i'll have a stab at taking off the nut, re-sitting it and tightening it up. It is in a right *##* of a place so I'm thinking to drop the plate that the filter is mounted too in order to get good enough access to the nut.

As I said before I am no engine mechanic although I am a fabricator so used to spanners etc so i don't mind attempting this.

I have never heard of this happening and a quick google doesn't seem to make it look like a common engine fault, but i suppose it could have vibrated loose.

I dont suppose you have any tips with re-seating the pipe? Air locks etc?

 

[volvopaul]

Not that I know of.
To be honest the boat is fairly new to me although I am in touch with the previous owner a lot so I have been asking him all sorts of questions which has been great.
The guy who I bought it off was quite through with everything with pretty much all work done by a well respected firm which gave me a lot of confidence with the purchase.

If my engineer can't get to it tomorrow, i'll have a stab at taking off the nut, re-sitting it and tightening it up. It is in a right *##* of a place so I'm thinking to drop the plate that the filter is mounted too in order to get good enough access to the nut.

As I said before I am no engine mechanic although I am a fabricator so used to spanners etc so i don't mind attempting this.

I have never heard of this happening and a quick google doesn't seem to make it look like a common engine fault, but i suppose it could have vibrated loose.

I dont suppose you have any tips with re-seating the pipe? Air locks etc?

You won't get air locks , cranking the engine after will bleed the system .
Remove the pipe from both ends, you will have to remove the flat cover on top of the engine to get at the injector end , check the pipe ends for cracks which I suspect is what's happened at the rail end .

 

[Kingruar]

Yeah will have a good inspection,
I just wonder at this stage if it's worthwhile ordering the oem parts or having them made up so I'm covered.
It's looking around £80 for cylinder 1 & 2 pipes which I'm more than happy to pay for if I get peace of mind

 

[oldgit]

A picture is worth a thousand words..........................
Slightly off topic,recently got a weep in union of pipe to fuel injector of my car, no real reason and everyone expressed mystification. No amount of gentle tighting would resolve.
The fact however that Audi kept the pipe(s) in stock spoke volumes, you had to buy a complete set of six of course as not available singly.

 

[Kingruar]

So this morning I bit the bullet and ordered a new pipe, it came as a double so with cylinder #5 which I don't mind as a spare to have lingering around.

I spoke to one of the main hydraulic firms here and they said they wouldn't be able to remake that type of pipe due to the pressures put upon it.

The engineer who also carried out the new leak off pipes also confirmed along with volvopaul on here that new pipes are recommended so I informed him that they were on there way.
They shall be due with me on Wednesday with the engineer booked in for Thursday along with a sea trial after fitment.

I am still curious as too the leak so will have a look and keep you posted.

Strange how you can't order just the 1 pipe required, mind you Audi requiring a full set seems odd! Did you replace the lot or just the one?

 

[oldgit]

Strange how you can't order just the 1 pipe required, mind you Audi requiring a full set seems odd! Did you replace the lot or just the one?

Audi wanted £150.00.
Went round to my local under the railway arch "anything diesel" man.... he took 5 mins to make me up a replacement and relieved me of £15.00.
No obvious wear to chamfer on end of old pipe.