VP 2003 electrics

[DownWest]

Bit puzzled with a Westerly fitted with this engine. The panel has no keyswitch, just a starter button and the warning lights + rpm. So, unless he selects off on the engine battery isolator switch the engine electrics are permanently live? Looks a bit odd.
Any comments??

 

[pvb]

Bit puzzled with a Westerly fitted with this engine. The panel has no keyswitch, just a starter button and the warning lights + rpm. So, unless he selects off on the engine battery isolator switch the engine electrics are permanently live? Looks a bit odd.
Any comments??

If it's a Volvo Penta panel, there should be a push-button on/off switch if there isn't a key switch.

 

[MoodySabre]

Lots like that. No issue but you do need to remember to isolate the battery when you leave the boat.

 

[Chris_Robb]

Bit puzzled with a Westerly fitted with this engine. The panel has no keyswitch, just a starter button and the warning lights + rpm. So, unless he selects off on the engine battery isolator switch the engine electrics are permanently live? Looks a bit odd.
Any comments??

There is a push on/off switch on the right of the instrument panel. The get power to the engine to start - press on - do not forget to press off when you stop the engine.

Re battery switches Westerly fitted 1 2 both switch, wilts running the engine switch to BOTH, when you stop, remember to put the battery to 1 (domestci - otherwise you could end up with a flat battery.

 

[Seashoreman]

If it's a Volvo Penta panel, there should be a push-button on/off switch if there isn't a key switch.

And beside this is a test button which will sound alarm if the power is on.

 

[VicS]

Bit puzzled with a Westerly fitted with this engine. The panel has no keyswitch, just a starter button and the warning lights + rpm. So, unless he selects off on the engine battery isolator switch the engine electrics are permanently live? Looks a bit odd.
Any comments??

If you do not have one you can down load an owners manual for the engine from VP's website . https://www.volvopenta.com/marineleisure/en-en/for-owners/your-engine/manuals---handbooks.html

This will explain the operation of both keyed and keyless panels.

Type 2003 in the "product designation" box and pick the appropriate version from the list that drops down.

Change the file name to something recognizable when you have downloaded it so that you can find it again.

 

[DownWest]

Thanks to all.
There is a test button. But I need to look a bit closer for the rest.

 

[pvb]

Thanks to all.
There is a test button. But I need to look a bit closer for the rest.

The on/off button is to the right of the test button, if it's a VP panel.

 

[PaulRainbow]

Re battery switches Westerly fitted 1 2 both switch, wilts running the engine switch to BOTH, when you stop, remember to put the battery to 1 (domestci - otherwise you could end up with a flat battery.

Sorry, but that's bad advice. Using the switch on both should be reserved for emergency starting. If it's on both when under engine and a battery fails you can end up with all of the batteries flat, you won't know there's a problem until you stop the engine as everything will run off of the alternator. When you stop the engine everything will go off, leaving you with no electrics and no way of starting the engine.

In addition to that, if you forget to change the switch to 1 or 2 when you stop the engine you can end up with not enough power to start the engine.

 

[Chris_Robb]

Sorry, but that's bad advice. Using the switch on both should be reserved for emergency starting. If it's on both when under engine and a battery fails you can end up with all of the batteries flat, you won't know there's a problem until you stop the engine as everything will run off of the alternator. When you stop the engine everything will go off, leaving you with no electrics and no way of starting the engine.

In addition to that, if you forget to change the switch to 1 or 2 when you stop the engine you can end up with not enough power to start the engine.

Paul - I agree - my approach was partly influenced by what I do, as I have a more complicated set up - the engine battery charges the bow battery for winch and bow thruster, so need to be connected when the engine is running. And during day - at anchor I leave on both so that the solar charges the bow battery. Todate I have not forgotten to put to 1 overnight. Not ideal but works for me.

If you have a solid state splitter - then its doing what the 1, 2, Both switch is doing on both - so will give you the same problem re batteries

 

[PaulRainbow]

Paul - I agree - my approach was partly influenced by what I do, as I have a more complicated set up - the engine battery charges the bow battery for winch and bow thruster, so need to be connected when the engine is running. And during day - at anchor I leave on both so that the solar charges the bow battery. Todate I have not forgotten to put to 1 overnight. Not ideal but works for me.

If you have a solid state splitter - then its doing what the 1, 2, Both switch is doing on both - so will give you the same problem re batteries

Not so. If you were using a diode pack or something like the Victron ArgoFET, they will stop one battery pulling the other bank down, that's the point of them. You could fit an ArgoFET to the alternator output and it would charge the engine, domestic, and bow thruster batteries whatever the switch position, with no risk of one battery/bank draining the others. A VSR between the domestics and bow thruster batteries to achieve the same.