Does anyone know how a VP panel works?

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Heckler

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Bog std rev counter, key switch, two push buttons and a squeaker Volvo Penta panel, the 4 lights, charging, oil pressure, overheat and glow plug one. The charging light has started blinking and the warning thing squeaking, the charging is working, the voltage is 13.8 on the std regulator, and 14.4 with the sterling connected. Rob from Harbour Marine has confirmed these volvo electronic warning light modules are a pile of poo and it is this that is at fault, any one know how they work? or where to get one at a reasonable price, (also does any one know where to find the red tiny wedge bulbs that illuminates the rev counter?)
Stu
 
Richard
ta for that, but those are the bulbs that fit in the electronic control module that blink, will give them a bell tomoz though.
Stu
PS am 2 weeks in to radio now, 5 to go, everything ok so far
 
The "electronic module" in those panels is basically a forest of diodes but nothing much else as far as I remember. Some of the older owners manuals have a diagram of it but I cannot remember off hand which. Surprised if they give trouble but at the end of the day anything can I suppose.

If you are good at unravelling circuit diagrams look one out Now checked and its in the MD2010/20/30 workshop manual on your Benny owners site!

I think I might suspect a problem with the alternator before the panel.
 
V
prince madoc had a similar prob the other week and a change of module fixed it, the batteries are charging ok, a run from abersoch to pwllheli left them fully charged with 14 plus volts showing in the initial phase, 13.8 with the sterling disconnected.
what i was after was if anyone had opened one up to see what makes them tick
S
 
[ QUOTE ]
what makes them tick

[/ QUOTE ] Diodes, oh and 1 transistor and a couple of resistors.
Look at the circuit diagram! (shows the version with extra gauges but the main panel and PC card the same)

VPPanel.jpg


Should add that on the 16 way connector 1 is positive from battery, 16 is negative, 5 is the charge warning light connection, 7 is the glowplug warning light connection, 14 is the coolant temp alarm and 15 is the oil pressure warning.
 
Does anyone know how to "revive" the LCD for the engine hours in the revcounter. Mine has gone from all digits ok to intermttant to blank! I believe this is a common problem that VP have failed to fix or be bothered to fix.
 
Hi SkipperStu. Just bought a 381 also (ffollowed your threads). My rev counter lights are out so if you find out please let me know.

Can I pm you with a couple of qusetions?

Regards
 
Take the rev counter out, warm the little display gently with a hair dryer or somesuch and it will come back to life,, not for long though!
Stu
 
V
thanks for that, strange as there is no relay in there to make it blink, just a balancing circuit by the looks of it, have taken the bulb out to get rid of the annoying blink and accept the signal which stops the squeak. Traditionally removing the bulb would stop it charging. It doesnt, even when I disconnect the sterling.
All the wisdom gained in Pwllheli, says that these modules "go" and cause these symptoms. I wonder if a diode going will allow something back to the box on the side of the engine?
Stu
 
[ QUOTE ]
anyone know how to "revive" the LCD for the engine hours

[/ QUOTE ] A solution is to forget about the hour counter fitted. Buy an inexpensive 12 volt hour counter and connect it to the blue/red wire (+ve) and black wire (-ve) in the panel.
(a fuse in the +ve advisory)
Unsatisfactory in as much that is a lash up and you'll have to mount the new counter somewhere, but a shed load of cash cheaper than replacing the original.
 
As already stated the panel is nothing complex just a load of diodes basically. The charging light comes on if the battery volts is higher than the charging volts. When I had a Volvo this ised to happen quite often at low revs; Adverc regulator plus a solar panel used to keep the battery well topped up and after start-up and at tickover the battery was quite often higher than the alternator output; light usd to go out as soon as I increased revs though. Does yours blink at tickover or also at higher engine revs??

Alan.
 
Don't forget the multiway plug and socket connecting the panel to the engine is a possible source of problems. On mine one of the pins was loose and got pushed backwards into the plug rather than going firmly into it's corresponding socket connector. Just lightly making (and intermittantly losing) contact, it took a while to track the source of the problem down.
 
Alan
thanks for that, on my previous boat that used to happen due to the solar panel, a few revs and it would go away, the light is blinking and the alarm is going off, that is the puzzle, if it wasnt charging the light should stay on? and also what drives the flashing and the alarm, in that drawing all there is is diodes and a transistor.
Stu
 
I think it is moisture in the panel that causes it to stop functioning so that when you dry it it starts again. Is it not possible to dry it and then spray the back with something like WD40 or better as a long term solution. Mine went out in November but with the dry weather seems to have come back to life.
 
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