Volvo 2001 not turning over.

Rustyknight

Rustyknight

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After being laid up ashore for nearly 18 months, I thought that today I'd get the engine (Volvo 2001) started up and run it up to normal operating temp.

However, after powering up the control panel, pressing the starter button produced what at first seemed like a deafening silence...... no starter motor trying to grind away, and no solenoid clicking.

Pressing the start button did result in a clicking coming from a relay (Bosch 0332014112) housed just below the main fuse, though I've no idea what this relay does, or if by "clicking" it's working normally, or broken. Googling this relay suggests that it's mainly used in the auto trade for fuel pumps and similar bits and bobs.

The DIY manual suggests the fault may lie with the start switch and/or it's wiring. However, as the relay mentioned above shows signs of life, I thought I'd see if anyone here can shed any light on the problem....
 
Batteries are two years old, and have been stored in the garage whilst the boats been laid up. Both were charged up a few weeks ago, and not used since.

It would be a bit strange for them both to fail at the same time, and I'd still expect to hear the starter solenoid click, rather than a relay thats purpose is unclear.

Having said that, I've bought the main battery home to top up the charge before exploring further.
 
Presuming you can turn the engine over by hand and that the battery is fully charged. Then you need to check power is getting through to the starter motor. They can stick and sometimes loosen up with a few taps. Otherwise you will need to remove the starter motor and check it on a bench. Mine only needed cleaning and greasing of the Bendix gear.
It's worth checking the earth strap on the engine, they can corrode and not pass the necessary current.
 
2. get a multimeter, a cheap one will do- measure voltage at battery while attempting to crank engine, measure at switches and starter solenoid until you find a bad connection.
A chattering relay is usually caused by a bad connection somewhere- as said above check neg lead as well.
 
Thanks for the input David.

I've just seen a post by davidwf concerning a Yanmar IGM 10 that has what seems to be the same problem, so I'll be watching that carefully for more possible fixes.

The Bosch relay I mentioned in my first post not only connects to the starter solenoid, but to the temp. alarm and oil pressure alarm. If anyone can say whether being able to hear it click is normal or not, I'd be obliged.
 
one click on energising is normal, and one click on switching off. If it 'chatters' there is a problem, but not necessarily with the relay- more likely a bad connection feeding its coil.
 
As far as I can remember, it was just the one click when pressing the starter button, then another when releasing it...... so from whats been said so far, it looks more like a wiring problem than a component.

What a shame I'm not an electrician..... /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif
 
If it is a saildrive unit check the -ve solenoid which is mounted where the -ve battery cable connects to the engine. These often fail but can be replace with a lucas type rather than a volvo one.
 
I'm not entirely sure I know what component you mean, but is it the part marked on the pic with two red arrows?

Untitled-1.jpg


If yes, I did have this fail once some years ago and had it replaced under warranty, though as far as I can remember there was a definite click from the starter motor when pushing the starter, which is absent in the current situation.

Also, IIRC, there's a button at the rear of the component that could be pushed in to make the relay work manually if it had failed. I did try this today, but I'm not sure if I was doing it correctly.

If it is what you mean, do you have the Lucas part number for it?

Thanks in advance!
 
A long shot- has it been fitted with start-in-gear-protection?
Make sure the gearlever is in neutral.
If not back to no. 2, the voltmeter!
 
The relay you indicate is the negative or earthing relay that Bendyone mentions. It should close when the button is pressed. It operates at the same time as the starter solenoid and both are energised via the red/ yellow wires from another relay when the button is pressed.

I suggest you refer to the appropriate wiring diagram in the owners manual. HERE if you have mislaid your copy. and check for a supply appearing on the red/yellow when the button is pressed, following the circuit back to the instrument panel if necessary.
 
Thanks for the response Vic.

The relay I reffered to in my first post (the one that clicks) is the one shown under Alternative A, Engine Part No. 1...... so at least that clicking suggests that power gets there when pressing the button.

I guess the next thing to do is check if the power is going on from there.

I just wish I wasn't such a numpty where electrics are concerned! /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

Before I next go down to the boat, I'll print out this thread as an aid.
 
Yes that seems to indicate that power is reaching the Panel OK , but I guess the waning lights and alarm test told you that anyway, and that when the button is pressed that the relay #1 is operating. Now you have to check if power is getting to the starter solenoid (terminal 50) and the earthing relay.
(Don't overlook the possibility of a bad connection somewhere on the negative side)

I take it you have properly checked the battery connections and the isolators. I was completely fooled a couple of years ago when a friend's boat would not start. One battery had a bad connection on the positive the other on the negative!
 
Thanks for that Vic. If/when I find the root of the problem, I'll hopefully report back here with its solution.

1st thing to do is find a friend to cadge a multometer off, and hopefully the instructions for its use.
 
Yes that the part I replace it with a standard Lucus part, from a car acc. shop, note sure of the part no but it was one for a morris 1000 starter circuit.
 
A 12 volt bulb on a couple of leads may well be a better bet than a meter, especially a modern digital one.
They require such a minute current to operate them that very often you can get a normal reading even through a very poor connection. With a bulb its got to have good enough connections to draw a significant current in order to light.
 
Volvo 2001 RESULT!

After printing out the replies to my query, this morning I took off back to Wareham, only stopping on the way to splash out £12 on a multimeter.

After arriving at the boat, and after some head scratching in regards to how the multimeter works, I resorted to the old fashioned fault finding method of tugging wires to see what happened.

Here's the result...... and yes, it is the relay metioned above by both Bendyone and VicS! /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

relay2.jpg


As you can see, there's quite a bit of corosion on the terminal (that terminal is the one closest to the engine, and hidden from casual inspection). and the wire had broken at the crimp. Because of the sleeving, a visual check without a yank wouldn't have shown anything.

A few inches of new wire. and one new crimp later, and the engine was again turning over. A quick bleed, and a bit of cranking soon produced a puff of black smoke, followed by a happy chug chug chuggy chug!

Thanks to everyone who responded! /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
Why does the Volvo need a negative earth solenoid. Cannot this be shorted out or binned?

[/ QUOTE ]
Normally on a saildrive it will isolate the leg from the battery to stop the leg corroding away.
 
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