Help: Volvo Penta D1-20B starter won't crank

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icordoba

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Hello,
I seem to have a big problem with my Volvo D1-20B (digital panel). Starter won’t crank. So far, engine has been starting ok but some months ago I started getting the warning beep and icon in the panel screen right after starting the engine. Probably this was a warning that something (starter, solenoid, …) was in fault, but the engine was starting as good as always (other than the warnings described of course).
Now, whatever that the problem was, probably ended up breaking for good, and now the starter won’t even crank. After I press the start button, nothing happens for some seconds and I get the warning long beep and the warning icon in the screen.

Today I got a new battery to be sure that is was not related to it, but it didn’t fix it. Next weekend I will be checking the voltage in the solenoid as described in https://www.passagemaker.com/technical/troubleshooter-when-your-engine-wont-start

Any other ideas on what to test? but maybe someone has had a similar issue and can give me any better idea on what to do.

Ignacio
 
BTW... one of the steps in the document suggest to check the starter solenoid, but does not explain how to. It just explains how to check the voltage out of the MCU for the pre-heating spark plugs and the solenoid/starter motor (this will allow me to check if relays are operating as expected).

Any advice on how to check the solenoid will be appreciated. Thanks.
 
icordoba said:
BTW... one of the steps in the document suggest to check the starter solenoid, but does not explain how to. It just explains how to check the voltage out of the MCU for the pre-heating spark plugs and the solenoid/starter motor (this will allow me to check if relays are operating as expected).

Any advice on how to check the solenoid will be appreciated. Thanks.
Click to expand...

Cautiously short the solenoid coil terminal ( #50) to the terminal carrying the main battery +ve (#30)

If the solenoid and the starter motor are OK the engine will be cranked ..... and might start!
 
VicS said:
If the solenoid and the starter motor are OK the engine will be cranked ..... and might start!
Click to expand...

I guess if you want to prevent it starting you could tie back the manual “stop” lever - it’s on the starboard side of the engine and should be labelled with a yellow sticker. Of course the engine will still turn over if the electrics are good as Vic says, but with the stop lever pulled it won’t fire and things will stop happening as soon as you move your screwdriver away.

Pete
 
Thanks for both advices. If I understand it correctly, if shorting terminals #50 and #30 does not make starter crank, the problem is obviously in the solenoid/starter. If the starter cranks, my problem is in the relay black box/cabling/...
It seems I have work for next weekend. I'll post here the results.
 
The black box on the 'D' series contains no user serviceable parts, at all. It might, sometimes, be called the relay box but it has no relays. Its an electronic box sealed with resin.

If the fault lies in the box their have been issues with them, Volvo has replaced hundreds, there are threads discussing this issue, here, recently. It should be replaced if under warranty (if the warranty is still valid) - they cost of the order of Stg200 - they use the same box on the complete series, I understand.
 
If this engine is from 2016 onwards I'm guessing it will almost certainly be the MDI black box. There was another post about this a week or so ago and there is more information on Hanse forum at MyHanse.com.
It should be easy to bypass this by shorting the appropriate terminals. The Hanse forum explains how to do this and also how to install a permanent "emergency" bypass switch. Sadly VP have not responded well to this problem - although they have supplied replacement MDI units under warranty these replacements have been failing too.
There is a feeling that given the severity of not being able to start your engine, they should be more proactive in addressing the issue.
 
eastlands said:
If this engine is from 2016 onwards I'm guessing it will almost certainly be the MDI black box. There was another post about this a week or so ago and there is more information on Hanse forum at MyHanse.com.
It should be easy to bypass this by shorting the appropriate terminals. The Hanse forum explains how to do this and also how to install a permanent "emergency" bypass switch. Sadly VP have not responded well to this problem - although they have supplied replacement MDI units under warranty these replacements have been failing too.
There is a feeling that given the severity of not being able to start your engine, they should be more proactive in addressing the issue.
Click to expand...

+1

It seems also to have been kept relatively quiet (a few forum excepted).

I had not appreciated the replacements were also failing. This might suggest its a bigger issue than simply a bad batch. As the replacement boxes are very recent - it sounds as if newer engines are going to be also suspect, rather than few around 2016.

Jonathan
 
Hi,
I had found that problem with the blackbox in recent engines googling around, but discarded it as my engine is 2007... 11 years old now. I hope it is not of course, as that blackbox is much more expensive than replacing the starter motor (even though simpler to replace). I think the cause it will be the solenoid/starter motor though. The black box seems to be ok (I have the NMEA-2000 interface and I can see all engine info in my plotter, which is sent from the blackbox) but I won't be at the boat until next weekend to test. Again, short-curcuit'ing the solenoid as suggested here should tell me where the problem is. Thanks everyone for your help.
 
icordoba said:
Hello,
I seem to have a big problem with my Volvo D1-20B (digital panel). Starter won’t crank. So far, engine has been starting ok but some months ago I started getting the warning beep and icon in the panel screen right after starting the engine. Probably this was a warning that something (starter, solenoid, …) was in fault, but the engine was starting as good as always (other than the warnings described of course).
Now, whatever that the problem was, probably ended up breaking for good, and now the starter won’t even crank. After I press the start button, nothing happens for some seconds and I get the warning long beep and the warning icon in the screen.

Today I got a new battery to be sure that is was not related to it, but it didn’t fix it. Next weekend I will be checking the voltage in the solenoid as described in https://www.passagemaker.com/technical/troubleshooter-when-your-engine-wont-start

Any other ideas on what to test? but maybe someone has had a similar issue and can give me any better idea on what to do.

Ignacio
Click to expand...
 
icordoba said:
Hello,
I seem to have a big problem with my Volvo D1-20B (digital panel). Starter won’t crank. So far, engine has been starting ok but some months ago I started getting the warning beep and icon in the panel screen right after starting the engine. Probably this was a warning that something (starter, solenoid, …) was in fault, but the engine was starting as good as always (other than the warnings described of course).
Now, whatever that the problem was, probably ended up breaking for good, and now the starter won’t even crank. After I press the start button, nothing happens for some seconds and I get the warning long beep and the warning icon in the screen.

Today I got a new battery to be sure that is was not related to it, but it didn’t fix it. Next weekend I will be checking the voltage in the solenoid as described in https://www.passagemaker.com/technical/troubleshooter-when-your-engine-wont-start

Any other ideas on what to test? but maybe someone has had a similar issue and can give me any better idea on what to do.

Ignacio
Click to expand...
 
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