pig

Hi Richard, and thanks for your help. I've just taken the fanbelt off, and the starter makes no attempt to turn the engine. I also took off the 3 wires to the alternator,and again, no joy. I'm afraid alternators are a mystery to me so your help is appreciated. just after I posted that, I tried with the engine charge light disconnected (alternator still disconnected and fan belt off) and the engine turned over and started.

Just been fitting a water temperature gauge, it's the capillary type, just needs a 12v feed for the iluumination inside the gauge. I accidentally touched the live return from the bulb to the control panel....... Now the engine will only turn over if I disconnect the charging warning light on the control panel. The engine starts and runs ok until I reconnect the warning light, whereon the engine labours, the warning light is illuminated, and I stop the engine. With the warning light connected the starter motor will not even turn. I suspect the 12v return from the bulb touched one of the lucas connectors on the warning light. The engine wiring diagram shows this wire going to the alternator "B" terminal. Any idea what I've done? If it is the alternator, can it be repaired or is it new alternator time? Thanks for any help Neil

The electrically operated guillotine lock at Salterhebble has failed, due to gearbox failure. Passage through the lock is impossible at present. BW are going to update the situation this afternoon, but as yet there is no date to fix.

The Aftermath - further downstream at The Navigation, Broad Cut, between Wakefield and Dewsbury. Well, what an eventful 24 hours. Yesterday morning, I got a phone call from one of the liveaboards at my moorings, warning of the rising water level. I went down and helped loosen off all the lines. I had to leave at about 1pm, just as the rain was stopping. There was a rumour of flooding upstream at Mirfield, and Sowerby Bridge, and that a "surge" of water was heading our way.... During the afternoon the levels rose quickly- I tried to get down to the moorings again, but the access road was by then waist deep in water. I managed to get down at about 0130 this morning- apparently the level had dropped very quickly during the evening, so much so that the team of liveaboards and BW staff were kept very busy pushing boats off the towpath as the water subsided. Hearty thanks to them. This morning I went down and found these boats had succumbed: The 3rd picture is a cruiser that broke it's mooring rope, was carried downstream, and only just stopped short of the river (and a rapid journey to Wakefield) by the trees. The rumour is that the rain is on it's way again this evening..........

Well my boat's had two BSS exams with the see-through separator fitted, and passed on both occasions. Neil

Just to add my 2p worth; Once, after refuelling my narrowboat at a local boatyard, I experienced many problems with the engine, on one occasion having to haul the boat 3 miles back to her moorings. I was having to change the fuel filter frequently, and the engine would misfire and die at inopportune moments. I decided to get to the bottom of the problem and used a drill pump to empty the diesel tank into a big container. I couldn't believe the amount of rust, crud and water (no sperm though ) that came out. It appears I had the fag end of the diesel in the boatyard's tank. Very difficult to prove of course, so no joy in getting a refund from the supplier. I fitted an inline separator in addition to the existing filter, and with a new tankfull, have had no problems since. I suppose I'm lucky that the rusty crap didn't damage the engine. I'm always careful now to buy my diesel from a hireboat yard if possible, for the reasons posted above. I would recommend a separator with a clear bowl- you can see any problems with the fuel immediately. My boat was a cheap'n'cheerful narrowboat, so didn't have one as standard; I suppose they all have 'em nowadays. hth Neil