Oil Alarm D12 and i am traveling now...

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hkikis

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I am traveling at 900rpm and suddenly I hear the oil alarm !!! The oil pressure gauge shows normal pressure! Even if at 600rpm I have more than 30psi... What can I do?

Either the oil gauge has problem and if i will continue i will destroy my engine or the alarm sensor has problem and it just make me nervous...

What do you think? Now I am traveling with only 1 engine...
 
Assuming the bilge has not got any oil in , and the dip stick is showing between the marks ....then it’s telling you it does not like sustained low rpm running .
See this a lot on here .....is it me ? Or do others see it = complete mismatch of boat buying to the intended use pattern .

Daft questions like “ is it alright to buy a planing boat and run it like a displacement boat “ because they find out they can’t afford to fuel it ?
Equally daft = “ I have bought a twin hulled power cat and want to save fuel by using one engine instead of both , 7.8 knots to 6.7 knots ...is that ok ?It saves 0,5 L hr “ is that ok ? “Just one thing the switched off engine seems to have a very hot gearbox “


The sender alarms off because it can’t see high enough pressure for long enough.Rev the dam thing up to 1800 rpm after a re set .
Thats the best case scenario for you .Ck the oil level 1st btw .

Worst case could be your oil cooler has let go , the internal pipes and you have dumped the sump contents in a slick behind you ..unnoticed .Oil P exceed the low rpm coolant water P so the oil movement direction is out .

As said use the dip stick .

Another explanation is linked to your 98 degree water temp thread ...your loom resistance has changed with age so the sender is sending or the ECU receiving duff info .

There will be resistance values somewhere to measure the sender .If it’s within spec , replacing it will change nothing .
But I think you know that well trodden path when you paid a guy to change the sender + gauge with the 90 / 98 thread .Workshop manuals will have resistance values of the senders .This prevents a shotgun approach.


One the other hand it could be the other way ....too high .Hope not .
If it’s that “ hot “ engine ..then the head gasket could have gone .

Did you ever get hold of a IR temp gun and out of curiosity on a trip check out any temps ....the stat housing , coolers , water pump etc cylinder heads and so on ? Kinda developing a normal picture temp wise ?
 
Portofino in the other thread I wrote that the problem with the temps finished when VP dealer check with diagnostic computer and ir laser gun that the temps are 83-84 at full wot in a sea trial with 5BF waves front of me!! Very hard sea trial! So he told me that after summer he will try to find the wire that make the problem.


Oil quantity is full!! I don't know if in the same warning is also the reverse gear oil. It was low as I know that i have a small leak. I fill it up.

As about my low speed I don't believe that the engines have problem to work at 900rpm. If this is truth I could have a warning somewhere on boat or at owners manual. My oil pressure at my gauge is very good!!! But I dont know now what to believe... My gauges or the warning light...
 
Ι started again the engines and i am travelling... No alarm.. I hope that will is just the sensor or the cables.. Who knows..

Also I read the manual that the alarm starts at <35kpa 5psi 0.35bar....
So the alarm starts when the engine is almost broken!!

Also.... The engines as I read they have diagnostic.. If it has low oil pressure is going at limit 800rpm..

Screenshot
 
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As an aside I suspect that this boat has not been looked after. I know you said it was perfect but I am not so sure.

to be honest I would also suspext The heat exchangers are clogged Volvo view aside.
 
Jrjudge one alarm there is about oil... I dont know if these engines they have level sensors. I checked oil and they are full.

What do you make you think that it isn't a perfect? A problem with sensor wires that as I read in previous post most d12 owners have the same problems.

As about the pressure..
4bar 60psi at 850rpm
3bar 45psi at idle

I have wrote more than 30psi and I didn't remember exactly because it doesnt matter as the oil alarm is at 0.35bar 5psi...

Anyway false alarm I think so... I traveled for 30minutes with no problems...
 
Is there anything that can make oil pressure low suddenly and then again back to normal? I think no... But it is strange also that the alarm doesn't hit anymore.. If it the alarm sensor broken it must continue to hit.. Strange things!
 
hkikis said:
Is there anything that can make oil pressure low suddenly and then again back to normal? I think no... But it is strange also that the alarm doesn't hit anymore.. If it the alarm sensor broken it must continue to hit.. Strange things!
Click to expand...
Modern internal combustion engines ....any thing with “ EDC “ then sometimes the electrotwackery has a brain fart .Normally a wiring issue ...poor corroded contacts , hot ECU , or the insulation breaking down leading to spurious resistance values. .

As I said you can theses days actually test ( or your competent engineer ) the sender or any sensor resistance values and range .No guess work random chucking parts at it needed .

The more info you write with this new to you boat ,the more the loom resistance breakdown or dodgy ECUs potting failing diagnosis moves higher up the list of faults .

A competent Volvo guy with the Vodia diagnostic tool should be able to see a lot of mean block values inc sensor issues + much more .

A experienced Volvo guy in the Cote d Azur warned me about the spurious resistance changes in the loom of aged VP .
I was getting spurious temp readings ....as I said I sold the boat :) .Bit radical but a solution .
Could be Med heat soak brings it on .
So the Swedes never see it .
 
hkikis said:
Is there anything that can make oil pressure low suddenly and then again back to normal? I think no... But it is strange also that the alarm doesn't hit anymore.. If it the alarm sensor broken it must continue to hit.. Strange things!
Click to expand...
Does it happen with some heat in the engine room ?
 
No... I just travelling with 900rpm when the alarm started. Thanks God today also it didn't hit. But i have 110miles to arrive back to Athens and check with Volvo.

Portofino the solution isn't neither to sold the boat nor to believe that volvo penta will fix something.

To be like new it needs new engine harnesses that will cost a fortune. First I had problem with temps... Now with alarms... I will get crazy with these ghost problems...

Another cheaper solution than new loom is aftermarket gauges.. Not marine... From race cars. There is a multi gauge module that you can add for example 2 water temp sensors and 2 oil press sensors. It has Bluetooth android connection so you don't need wires to the fly or any real gauge.. Just sensors and modules.. It is from PLX.. And i will know exactly what is going on. Volvo as I see isn't very reliable at sensors. I see that there a lot of threads with the same problems like mine..

MultiGauge App OBD2 OBDII Wireless Bluetooth Diagnostic Scanner | Android Software

Here is the app of PLX.. 2 temp sensors, 2 oil press sensors, module and Bluetooth will cost around 500euro. And we will know exactly what is going on. Of course it has warning that you can adjust with the limits that you want!! I am tuning race cars and this is what I use...
 
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