Warning, clever engines coming

[FinesseChris]

PBO is happy with the prospect of new car-derived Volvo marine diesels which have computerised engine management systems and will save fuel.

Hope some maker will stick to basic, simple engines: computers are enough trouble in cars.

My car's 'advanced diesel' has been plagued with low power under load since I've had it. Main dealer 'computer analysis' (£100) produced yards of colour print-out, "no problems, sir" and no cure. Finally I discover via an enthusiasts' website that a tiny air temperature/humidity sensor in the air cleaner can and will fail. It then sends erroneous messages to this mysterious 'computerised engine management system'. This has the effect of strangling the fuel supply, and cutting power as soon as the air temperature rises above about 15 degrees C.

Unplug the little sensor gizmo, and the car goes like a bat out of hell.

I don't think I want an "computerised engine management system" in a marine environment, thanks all the same. There's enough to go wrong already!

Chris

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[Talbot]

I totally agree. Unless you have all the diagnostic aids it is impossible to tell what is wrong with a modern car engine. The thought of having something like this at sea is horrifying.

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[oldharry]

...not to mention the cost of gettiung an engineer out to the boat with a boat load of diagnostic gear!

And with Volvos reliability record....!

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[MainlySteam]

Errrr. I think you will find that most modern diesels above the little toy sized ones are in fact computer contolled and have been so for quite some time.

Have a look at the MTU Friedrichshafen site, as just one example. They are quite safe at sea and bring the advantage that the engine's control parameters can be programmed for the particular installation that the engine is in.

John

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[pvb]

Quite right, although...

You're right, for the average leisure yachtsman, the prospect of computerised control of an inboard diesel is worrying. But I fear we may be forced to accept these engines in the future when the environmental lobby targets boat engine emissions.

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[Talbot]

Oih, mine isnt a toy! I can see the applicability on gert big turbo beasties, where you normally have a spare. But where it is the tool of last resort, would prefer something more akin to my technical expertise!

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[FinesseChris]

My 15hp Kubota is innocent of anything with a chip in it, is 3 years old, and works, given clean fuel and a little attention. If it's a toy I want to go on playing please, you big boys can fiddle with your parameters as much as you like.

Chris

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[Walnut]

Re: Quite right, although...

I sail for 8 hours on Sunday and had the 20 hp diesel engine on for 15 minutes to go in and out of port. The rest of the time I had the sails up. You don't get much more fuel efficient than that!

I know what I need, a computer controlled sail management system for efficient wind management.

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[MainlySteam]

Don't worry I have not gone over to the dark side myself - I stick with oars and a little man out in front in a rush coracle paddling along waving a red flag /forums/images/icons/smile.gif.

None of this modern fangled rotating machinery stuff for me - the filtery things might block (just made of paper they are, would you believe that?), the water pumpy fail, and all those other thingummybobs on them just a bursting to give up the ghost at a critical moment. Just can't see how people don't realise that poking juice in one end of a lump of iron and getting smoke out the other is just plain trickery played on them by the oil companies.

John

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[Guest]

Unplug gizmo ...

Sounds like my old Montego ....... unplug the air sensor - car ran fine and no hiccups.
Sounds also like my Carlton 24V that I had .....

Computer management on engines is great till the sensors / items used to manage engine go t'up and fail.

A certain well known UK Car manufacturer really wnet overboard on computers - had 3 of the buggers in even their low range cars ...... what happened ? Reliability suffered and they were sold out to a foreign company - who then took all the good bits and left the rest for a management buy-out .....

Sorry - KISS is the way to go on boats - Keep It Simple Stupid ---- I can just imagine the average yard diesel guy investing in data check machines for marine !!!!!!


<hr width=100% size=1>Nigel ... and of course Yahoo groups :
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gps-navigator/

 

[Guest]

How many toy engines ?

I have had a 32hp and now a 40hp ...... I don't consider those toy-sized ....

No offence meant - but a small chip on the later engines is not really what this guys on about - full management systems on a boat engine ? I'm a die-hard skeptic on this one.


<hr width=100% size=1>Nigel ... and of course Yahoo groups :
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gps-navigator/

 

[MainlySteam]

Re: How many toy engines ?

<<<... 32hp... ...40hp... ...I don't consider those toy-sized >>>

Pulling my leg Nigel? - unless, of course, your experience at sea was before Rudolf Diesel came on the scene (18ninetysomething if I recall) /forums/images/icons/smile.gif.

Regards

John

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[Guest]

Seagoing ....

about 60% of my MN time was on Steamships ...... lovely - AND benefited from Midships accom's.

Then later sailed motor ships ..... ugh ! vibrations, beers wouldn;t stay on bar, noisy, smelly ........

Still back to yachts / boats ........ many boats have smaller engine than I have so I still reckon 40HP is not a toy.....

Ner de Ners !!

<hr width=100% size=1>Nigel ... and of course Yahoo groups :
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gps-navigator/