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Completely rewiring mastervolt generator


boathunter

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I'm hoping someone can offer some advice.

I've bought a boat with some mastervolt kit.

A whisper 3500 generator

A 2kv inverter

A 12/80 charger.

 

The previous owner engaged a generator engineer to service the generator because he's a nice chap. Previously I saw the generator start on the button a couple of times. Once when the vendor had been there a few hours and next morning when I got there first.

 

During the service the engineer decided the starter motor needed replacing. He procured one that turned the engine the wrong way. He then got the correct one.

 

When started it gave a hot exhaust failure immediately. He has put this down to the control board being faulty so has completely removed it and it's wiring plus the remote panel wiring.

 

He has then got a DeepSea Electronics 3110 control module/panel and pretty well wired it in with some relays for the fuel valve and start.

 

This has taken about 2 months and frankly my patience has run out. Hevrepeatedly fails to show up when arranged, turns up unannounced and I don't feel like going anywhere without it working as the boat isn't set up to be frugal with power and the batteries are old, no solar yet.

 

I'm thinking of sacking him off and sorting it outyself but the controller is modern, needs software on a laptop to set it up that I don't have etc. None unsurmountable, but if there was an analogue controller available I'd be happier I think.

 

I know not a lot but I'm determined. Any advice other than "chuck it" would be gratefully received.

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I'm hoping someone can offer some advice.

I've bought a boat with some mastervolt kit.

A whisper 3500 generator

A 2kv inverter

A 12/80 charger.

 

The previous owner engaged a generator engineer to service the generator because he's a nice chap. Previously I saw the generator start on the button a couple of times. Once when the vendor had been there a few hours and next morning when I got there first.

 

During the service the engineer decided the starter motor needed replacing. He procured one that turned the engine the wrong way. He then got the correct one.

 

When started it gave a hot exhaust failure immediately. He has put this down to the control board being faulty so has completely removed it and it's wiring plus the remote panel wiring.

 

He has then got a DeepSea Electronics 3110 control module/panel and pretty well wired it in with some relays for the fuel valve and start.

 

This has taken about 2 months and frankly my patience has run out. Hevrepeatedly fails to show up when arranged, turns up unannounced and I don't feel like going anywhere without it working as the boat isn't set up to be frugal with power and the batteries are old, no solar yet.

 

I'm thinking of sacking him off and sorting it outyself but the controller is modern, needs software on a laptop to set it up that I don't have etc. None unsurmountable, but if there was an analogue controller available I'd be happier I think.

 

I know not a lot but I'm determined. Any advice other than "chuck it" would be gratefully received.

Which Engine unit does this Generator have?

 

CT

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It's quite straightforward really.

Starter

Fuel solenoid

Glow plug

Lift pump

Oil pressure switch

Oil temp switch

Exhaust temp switch

 

It did have a current transformer, I think this was to report load rather than do anything as a result. This has been discarded. Perhaps the digital controller covers it somehow.

 

I only lost my patience a couple of hours ago and started to look myself, I was enjoying someone else doing the thinking!

Edited by boathunter
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The Mastervolt 3500 has a bit of a dodgy reputation. Air / oil cooled high rpm power unit with intercooler to enable water cooling. Not sure if its designed for much use - do you know how many hours it has done? Why did it need a new starter?

 

Forum member PaulsNuLife42 had one on his boat but not sure he is posting here any more.

 

 

 

I think they did a normal non programmable remote for it before the flashy touchscreen one so maybe that is available as a part from MasterVolt £££ ?

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The Mastervolt 3500 has a bit of a dodgy reputation. Air / oil cooled high rpm power unit with intercooler to enable water cooling. Not sure if its designed for much use - do you know how many hours it has done? Why did it need a new starter?

 

Forum member PaulsNuLife42 had one on his boat but not sure he is posting here any more.

 

 

 

I think they did a normal non programmable remote for it before the flashy touchscreen one so maybe that is available as a part from MasterVolt £££ ?

It's done about 2000 hours so some life left in it?

 

I think the engineer was providing a cheap simple solution with the control panel as compared to mastervolt spares.

 

What was wrong with the starter? I have no idea. Same engineer pronounced the engine/genny starter battery knackered - it hadn't been charging on the maintenance charge output from the mastervolt charger as the + sense wire was broken giving a duff reading.

 

At the same time I appreciate that he can't know the whole boat system, he's trying to service it and IMO it's got out of hand. It's possible the only thing wrong was a few duff connections and a semi flat battery. It's also possible he's been chasing a trail of real faults. Who knows?

 

The engineer is not daft and doesn't bullshit, the main problem I have is lost faith in him turning up and finishing the job at all and I don't like the feeling of being trapped at someone's whim.

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I think this little genny is quite a cool bonus item on the inventory? I know they come bottom on all comparison's but it's diesel, built in, has a posh seperator for a very quiet water cooled exhaust and is leagues ahead of a honda petrol on the tow path? You can barely hear it outside.

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The plot appears to have been lost around the time of the starter change. Put it all back to exactly how it was pre-service when it appeared to work perfectly, including boards, connections, the lot. Then, having re-established a known baseline, start again - see what faults it then has and cure those, not the symptoms, in a logical order (by that I mean don't change the starter if the battery is flat). You may wish to add 'with a different tech', but that's for you to decide. I didn't usually have that luxury (often it was a good guy with just his feet sticking out of the rabbit hole he'd gone down anyway) and the principle remained valid, but you need to know enough to keep him or her on track for that.

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The plot appears to have been lost around the time of the starter change. Put it all back to exactly how it was pre-service when it appeared to work perfectly, including boards, connections, the lot. Then, having re-established a known baseline, start again - see what faults it then has and cure those, not the symptoms, in a logical order (by that I mean don't change the starter if the battery is flat). You may wish to add 'with a different tech', but that's for you to decide. I didn't usually have that luxury (often it was a good guy with just his feet sticking out of the rabbit hole he'd gone down anyway) and the principle remained valid, but you need to know enough to keep him or her on track for that.

that would be my outlook too but I didn't see it before the wiring was ripped out, the looms have been snipped through at each end... Doable but more painful than it might have been. :(

The starter is no longer an issue but the hot exhaust fault is.

 

The previous owner fitted all this kit and tells it always did what it says on the tin. I believe him. That's part of what's making me think I should take over. Damn shame when someone else was paying the bill!

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