Volvo Penta D3's error

[Markhammond]

Despite Being serviced I am getting an error coming up on the instrumental panel for the starboard engine.

It says 'ENGINE ELEC. FAULT SERVICE SOON' and there is a flashing 'AL' in the top left hand corner of the display.

Any ideas?

 

[CLB]

Could be almost anything. I am not a fan of d3s.. Heard and seen so many problems with them, almost always stupid alarm modes that stop play even though mechanically the engines are fine.
It will be a bit if dodgy wiring or a faulty sensor no doubt. You will have to get Volvo to look at it as no one else us allowed the diagnostic electronics. Despite that, I would not rely on your Volvo engineer actually being able to sort it. I have known a couple of d3 owners who ended up selling their boat simply because they Got fed up with constant fault codes.
I honestly hope you get it sorted.

 

[aquatom]

When do you get the fault? Is it as soon as ignition is turned on or only when you accelerate?

 

[Markhammond]

When do you get the fault? Is it as soon as ignition is turned on or only when you accelerate?

It's pretty random. I'm located on the Thames so there is no hard acceleration any more. It normally occurs after the engines have been running a while, there is no change in performance in the engines. It just flashes up on the helm.

 

[aquatom]

It's pretty random. I'm located on the Thames so there is no hard acceleration any more. It normally occurs after the engines have been running a while, there is no change in performance in the engines. It just flashes up on the helm.

You can get this fault from many things but a common one on the D3,s is caused by air in the fuel system.

 

[Markhammond]

You can get this fault from many things but a common one on the D3,s is caused by air in the fuel system.

Thanks, is this something that's easy to fix? Why do you need to do to release the air, is there a way to bleed the system?

 

[spannerman]

If you have recently had a service and the diesel filter on the engine has been changed, try tightening it up, they need to be really tight as they can suck air in past the O ring which will give a fault warning. The air on earlier D3's can be bled out at the bleed screw on the filter housing, the new type air self bleeding when you press the button for the electric priming pump.