Lister Control Panel

[Ben2108]

Hi. I am trying to sort out a faulty wiring on the control panel for a Lister LPSW4 (canalstar?).

Does anyone have a wiring diagram for the panel?

The boat wiring has been rearranged and the split charge relay is not energising (relay OK), engine battery charging OK but not the cabin bank!

Where is the relay supposed to be driven from?

Any help appreciated.

[Tony Brooks]

Hi. I am trying to sort out a faulty wiring on the control panel for a Lister LPSW4 (canalstar?).

Does anyone have a wiring diagram for the panel?

The boat wiring has been rearranged and the split charge relay is not energising (relay OK), engine battery charging OK but not the cabin bank!

Where is the relay supposed to be driven from?

Any help appreciated.

 

 

The W or tacho terminal on the alternator if you have one (it will be a small terminal, not the warning lamp one, that only becomes live when the alternator is charging).

 

Otherwise it can be a bit of a kludge:

 

From the ignition on terminal on the ignitions switch - but it will click in before the engine starts and it is theoretically possible that a faulty engine battery could burn out the relay contacts unless its the one Gibbo recommends.

 

The warning ignition switch to warning lamp cable BUT it may still energise before startup - see above. It may also make you rev the engine to get the alternator to energise.

 

Then we have methods of making it disengage under cranking like wiring it between the ignition on terminal on the ignition switch and the large nut terminal on the starter solenoid that connects the the motor (not the battery).

[Dual Rectifier]

A post of enlightenment there above

I have a Canalstar LPWS4 that does exactly that with the charge lamp as well as a tacho that stays in one place after moving when the charge light goes out.

I shall probe further around alternator and W connection now.

 

Thanks

[Tony Brooks]

I find that diagnosis suspect.

 

A short while ago Sir N said it could be worn alternator brushes so take the alternator belt off and try turning the pulley by hand with the ignition turned on. If the light flashes brushes or slip ring problems are the most likely faults.

 

You can disable the Sterling by disconnecting the fly-lead that pokes out from the back f the alternate or if the Sterling has a multi-plug on it disconnecting that when everything is turned off. If the problem goes away whne you run the engine its the Sterling so you may as will disconnect it.

[Dual Rectifier]

Many thanks for your comments Tony, I have been following other posts of yours as well. All very helpful.

 

Excuse my ignorance but what is a 'Sterling' ?

 

I inherited a right mess as regards engine control panel. It is a 1992 boat with a Canalstar 36 HP which has a Thornycroft control panel with nothing working intrument wise apart from the water temperature gauge that eventually rises after some work. The tacho is without its mounting hardware obviously removed when a previous owner was messing and oil doesn't register nor does the alert sounder which is taped some 6 inches down the cable.!!!

The alternator lamp looks like an add on as it impedes the square seating of the tacho and the ammeter also is dead.

If starting at low revs then the alternator light comes on and the tacho stays at Zero, a blip on throttle will let the light go out and the tacho goes and sits at around 1600 RPM solid regardless of engine speed. Seems it is all back to the W connection to me.

 

I am minded to change the engine control panel a) for my OCD and as a sparks its not a good advert. What is available as a replacement control panel for an LPWS4 engined boat?

[Tony Brooks]

I am sure when I wrote that last night there was another post about a flashing warning lamp immediately after your post that now seems to have disappeared. In fact it was identical to the one before my last post in the "Is my alternator broken" thread which is why my reply in that is a copy of this one pre-fixes with "Echo on".

 

Sorry about that, I have no idea what happened since.

 

Anyway in your case set a multimeter to Hz or the lowest AC volts setting , connect to the alternator W terminal and rev the engine. The meter reading should rise to some extent. If not its the alternator, probably a blown diode. Repeat at the end of the W cable at the revcounter. It should do the same as at the alternator. If not its the wiring, if it doe sits the revcounter.

 

Finally check you have 12V at the + revcounter terminal and then put the meter set to 20V DC between the revcounter neg. and battery negative. With the ignition turned on it should read all but zero. If it is higher than a few .1s of a volt there is a problem with the negative wiring.

[mrsmelly]

I am sure when I wrote that last night there was another post about a flashing warning lamp immediately after your post that now seems to have disappeared. In fact it was identical to the one before my last post in the "Is my alternator broken" thread which is why my reply in that is a copy of this one pre-fixes with "Echo on".

 

Sorry about that, I have no idea what happened since.

 

Anyway in your case set a multimeter to Hz or the lowest AC volts setting , connect to the alternator W terminal and rev the engine. The meter reading should rise to some extent. If not its the alternator, probably a blown diode. Repeat at the end of the W cable at the revcounter. It should do the same as at the alternator. If not its the wiring, if it doe sits the revcounter.

 

Finally check you have 12V at the + revcounter terminal and then put the meter set to 20V DC between the revcounter neg. and battery negative. With the ignition turned on it should read all but zero. If it is higher than a few .1s of a volt there is a problem with the negative wiring.

 

Once again Tony goes the extra mile. There are still some great posters left.

 

Tim

[WotEver]

 

Once again Tony goes the extra mile. There are still some great posters left.

 

Tim

The resurrection of a 7 year old thread probably confused him too - it did me.

[mrsmelly]

The resurrection of a 7 year old thread probably confused him too - it did me.

Haa me too. I never look at the dates lol.

 

Tim

[jonathanA]

You can occasionally pick up canal star control panels on fleabay.

 

Worth checking the multiway connector at the engine end (side of relay box) and behind the control panel although sounds like this may have been butchered

[Dual Rectifier]

I am sure when I wrote that last night there was another post about a flashing warning lamp immediately after your post that now seems to have disappeared. In fact it was identical to the one before my last post in the "Is my alternator broken" thread which is why my reply in that is a copy of this one pre-fixes with "Echo on".

 

Sorry about that, I have no idea what happened since.

 

Anyway in your case set a multimeter to Hz or the lowest AC volts setting , connect to the alternator W terminal and rev the engine. The meter reading should rise to some extent. If not its the alternator, probably a blown diode. Repeat at the end of the W cable at the revcounter. It should do the same as at the alternator. If not its the wiring, if it doe sits the revcounter.

 

Finally check you have 12V at the + revcounter terminal and then put the meter set to 20V DC between the revcounter neg. and battery negative. With the ignition turned on it should read all but zero. If it is higher than a few .1s of a volt there is a problem with the negative wiring.

 

Many thanks for that Tony. Will be going through process next time I am there.

 

You can occasionally pick up canal star control panels on fleabay.

 

Worth checking the multiway connector at the engine end (side of relay box) and behind the control panel although sounds like this may have been butchered

 

I have found the multiway joined to another on top of the engine but sadly no separate relay box. Only relay found is what I assume to be the heater relay.

All very annoying.

[Martin Megson]

Here's the wiring diagram

 

 

Engine Wiring Diagram.pdf

[Dual Rectifier]

Thanks Martin. I can see the relay box drawn on those. Sadly it doesn't make one appear :-)