Kad44 sticking in gear

petem

petem

Well-Known Member
Joined
16 May 2001
Messages
19,108
Location
Cotswolds / Altea
www.fairlineownersclub.com
I believe I have an issue where the boat is intermittently staying in gear instead of going into neutral as selected. I'll try and recreate the issue this morning but am I correct in thinking that a throttle recalibration can sometimes fix it? Note that I was advised at the service a couple of weeks ago that one of cables was becoming stiff and should be changed when the bellows are next changed otherwise it could damage the actuator. In the meantime the cable re-greased.

If the recalibration doesn't work then the issue is either:

a) the cable
b) the throttle potentiometer
c) the actuator
d) clutch cones
 
petem said:
I believe I have an issue where the boat is intermittently staying in gear instead of going into neutral as selected. I'll try and recreate the issue this morning but am I correct in thinking that a throttle recalibration can sometimes fix it? Note that I was advised at the service a couple of weeks ago that one of cables was becoming stiff and should be changed when the bellows are next changed otherwise it could damage the actuator. In the meantime the cable re-greased.

If the recalibration doesn't work then the issue is either:

a) the cable
b) the throttle potentiometer
c) the actuator
d) clutch cones
Click to expand...

Pete,
This is pretty much how the issues on my T37 started with my starboard engine which I have partly documented on the Fairline Facebook forum. Fortunately we are now fixed but it highlighted a number of issues, some of which may be worth looking at before replacing expensive parts.

Throttle recalibration may fix your issue but the local engineers initially diagnosed a faulty actuator. Turned out it wasn't this but a faulty fuse holder on the actuator power supply. However, with it still not working properly it's been diagnosed that the throttle potentiometer needed to be changed as he felt there was a fault there. These are reasonably cheap and it's a common Bosch part that is used in cars so doesn't have to be sourced from the normal marine suppliers. I had both sides changed.

On top of this, the micro switches inside the starboard actuator were not working properly - the metal flap that hangs down from the switch makes the circuit had become lose and thus it was intermittent in making a circuit. This may explain putting the gear back into neutral but it remaining in forwards/reverse.

With the micro switch flaps now reattached we are working again, so it may be worth getting someone to check inside the actuator. I was quoted £1,200 to fit a new actuator!

As you know, changing the cables is a boat out of the water exercise but is worth doing when the outdrives are looked at. Not sure about clutch cones.
Fortunately you're not yet at the point where the engine management kicks in and says fault code and stops working.
Hope the above helps.
 
Groova said:
Pete,
This is pretty much how the issues on my T37 started with my starboard engine which I have partly documented on the Fairline Facebook forum. Fortunately we are now fixed but it highlighted a number of issues, some of which may be worth looking at before replacing expensive parts.

Throttle recalibration may fix your issue but the local engineers initially diagnosed a faulty actuator. Turned out it wasn't this but a faulty fuse holder on the actuator power supply. However, with it still not working properly it's been diagnosed that the throttle potentiometer needed to be changed as he felt there was a fault there. These are reasonably cheap and it's a common Bosch part that is used in cars so doesn't have to be sourced from the normal marine suppliers. I had both sides changed.

On top of this, the micro switches inside the starboard actuator were not working properly - the metal flap that hangs down from the switch makes the circuit had become lose and thus it was intermittent in making a circuit. This may explain putting the gear back into neutral but it remaining in forwards/reverse.

With the micro switch flaps now reattached we are working again, so it may be worth getting someone to check inside the actuator. I was quoted £1,200 to fit a new actuator!

As you know, changing the cables is a boat out of the water exercise but is worth doing when the outdrives are looked at. Not sure about clutch cones.
Fortunately you're not yet at the point where the engine management kicks in and says fault code and stops working.
Hope the above helps.
Click to expand...
Sorry but reading your post it sounds like whoever was working on your boat has absolutely no idea what they are doing at all trying to fix your problem .
The location of the actuator on the 37 is an easy one to get to through the side moulding if your small enough to get in .
£1200 fitted when they are half that price, the Labour for an hours work sounds a bit steep.

Recalibration makes little difference unless the pot sensor is worn out where it slides into the throttle shaft .

In past years I’ve found that shift actuator issues are either the shift cable that’s partially seized maki g the actuator motor work overtime , in your case if the fuse holder was corroded allowing low voltage to the actuator causing your problem .
That kind of diagnosis is basic ABC stuff and should have been the first port of call to answer your problem .
Then check the neutral lamp goes out when shifting , often when the neutral switch fails it still shifts into gear but gives you very little revs as the edc still thinks the engine is in neutral, this only gives minimal throttle position to the pump.
 
That's a fair analysis Volvo Paul. I was not in my home marina so had to use local firm who I had no history with but were VP authorised. The faulty fuse holder should have been diagnosed on visit 1 not visit 3. Lesson learned.
It all worked after visit 3 but then not when I went to leave the marina a few days later. At that point I got my own engineer to look at it - he changed potentiometers and found the micro switch problem. So it wasn't just the fuse holder but a series of issues.

The gist of my initial reply is that it may be small components that need to be looked at rather than changing an entire actuator.
 
petem said:
I believe I have an issue where the boat is intermittently staying in gear instead of going into neutral as selected. I'll try and recreate the issue this morning but am I correct in thinking that a throttle recalibration can sometimes fix it? Note that I was advised at the service a couple of weeks ago that one of cables was becoming stiff and should be changed when the bellows are next changed otherwise it could damage the actuator. In the meantime the cable re-greased.

If the recalibration doesn't work then the issue is either:

a) the cable
b) the throttle potentiometer
c) the actuator
d) clutch cones
Click to expand...

PM sent - good engineer near Altea
 
Sorry to hijack the thread, but as I have EDC controls myself, I like to educate myself...

I am putting together a manual for all these sort of things, in the event of ever needing to fix an issue (happy to share with others).

Does anyone have a part no. for this Bosch micro-switch? And is there much to replacing the switch in the throttle assembly?
 
alt said:
Sorry to hijack the thread, but as I have EDC controls myself, I like to educate myself...

I am putting together a manual for all these sort of things, in the event of ever needing to fix an issue (happy to share with others).

Does anyone have a part no. for this Bosch micro-switch? And is there much to replacing the switch in the throttle assembly?
Click to expand...

The Bosch potentiometer is 0280122001. Its also referred to as a throttle position sensor. Don't think it's a major job.
 
Groova said:
The Bosch potentiometer is 0280122001. Its also referred to as a throttle position sensor. Don't think it's a major job.
Click to expand...

Cheers for that. However, I notice that that's a separate part to specifically mentioned above 'micro switch' - See here: https://www.marinepartseurope.com/en/volvo-penta-explodedview-7738870-27-4995B.aspx

The part you refer to above is 12, but there's a micro-switch, part 31

Is part 31 the part that specifically might refer to petem's problem? Or am I being blonde?!

-EDIT- I was being blonde. When a micro-switch was mentioned previously, it was specific to the actuator, not the throttle.

I presume the micro-switch in the throttle is to stop the engine being started in gear?

petem - I did some Googling, that Bosch part can be gotten for €30 on ebay... would be a cheap fix!!
 
Last edited:
alt said:
Cheers for that. However, I notice that that's a separate part to specifically mentioned above 'micro switch' - See here: https://www.marinepartseurope.com/en/volvo-penta-explodedview-7738870-27-4995B.aspx

The part you refer to above is 12, but there's a micro-switch, part 31

Is part 31 the part that specifically might refer to petem's problem? Or am I being blonde?!

-EDIT- I was being blonde. When a micro-switch was mentioned previously, it was specific to the actuator, not the throttle.

I presume the micro-switch in the throttle is to stop the engine being started in gear?

petem - I did some Googling, that Bosch part can be gotten for €30 on ebay... would be a cheap fix!!
Click to expand...

Does the actuator have a micro switch?
 
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