Poartable Desiel Generator - Trouble shooting tips!

Power generating equipment is a vital concern for boat surveys…. Some tips on portable marine generators…

Fiscar Panda 5000i silent marine Generator. With no noise it is a great system. Hope the same had been true with the Out board motors, Boat surveys would be a peaceful job. However the generator being unused for 8 weeks… won’t start!

Point to note…

Diesel engines should be run at least 60% to 75% of their maximum rated load. Short periods of low load running are permissible providing the set is brought up to full load, or close to full load on a regular basis. 

It's not really good for it to be run without load; it's like accelerating your car in neutral.

 

Diesel engines can suffer damage as a result of internal glazing and carbon buildup.

Internal glazing ( bore glazing or piling) and carbon buildup is due to prolonged periods of running at low speeds or low loads or when an engine is left idling as a 'standby' generating unit, ready to run up when needed. However eight weeks of idling is not a long time, for a new generator, to develop fault.

 

Trouble ( the narration…)

On start, the actuator moves to its position to let the fuel supply flow, after few seconds of preheating the pulley rotates, followed by some cranking noise, blows out grey (sometimes black) sooty exhaust and after a couple of jerks it stops. The starter is turning the motor, but fails to start.

Troubleshooting steps…

Step 1: Check the actuator moves to its position to let the fuel supply flow. Check the fuel actuator solenoid. If it gets built up with rust it may not want to release when the voltage is cut to it. This should have a rubber boot accompanied with spring center shaft that attaches to a governor control/fuel rail. If no actuation, check the connector for voltage, (directly off the harness).

Step 2: Check the battery … diesel engines require high power to start. A 12V starter battery is expected to dispense at least 12.6 V to kick it to start… While starting check the Voltage, it may drop up to 11V, if it goes lesser… recharge or replace the battery.

Step 3: Make sure that your fuel tank is not dirty with trash and if not....second go to the fuel pump the way to know is that when you turn it to run (not start) and vibrates.

Step 4: fuel filter and its line. Filter must be in good neat if those give dirty looks, remember that of the two filters one is the water separator. 

Step 5: Take out the nut from the fuel intake solenoid and bleed the air. You will have to shut the engine off with the throttle lever or remove the +ve connection on the starter solenoid, The ECU (Electronic Control Unit) will shut off the pump after some time… repeat the procedure a few times till air is fully bled out; or best don’t start the generator, start the fuel pump by a direct battery +ve connection to it.

Step 6: Next take out the fuel cut-off solenoid and remove the plunger and spring and then re-install the solenoid. Then bleed all the air out and start the engine. If that works check for loose connections and low voltage to the fuel cut-off solenoid. You may have flow but do you have pressure, is your fuel pump blocked slightly (this may have to be timed if you have more than one cylinder).

Step 7: Loosen injector line from the combustion chamber… while cranking see if fuel coming from injectors. At the injector pipe where it connects to the injector the fuel should shoot out with force. Maybe you have a clogged injector, this would cause a sputtering or spitting sound as it misfires accompanied with black smoke (unburned diesel). If you have good flow all the way to the injector, well.

  

Step 8: Glow plugs are there to heat the air or the block in some cases before compression of said air to raise the temp. before the diesel is injected. Diesel fuel doesn't require heating before use unless it’s severely cold and the fuel has solidified (and that doesn't happen much especially with the additives they put in it now).

To initiate the combustion (if it’s not happening by the standard system) ...squirt a small amount of starting fluid into the air inlet (take the air filter off first). while cranking these diesels for extended periods, trying to start them, don't use starting fluid, use silicone spray lube, or wd 40 to give the upper end some lubrication, it also helps spin faster.

Step 9: Again on the checklist is electricity, but it won't govern itself. Often a generator has a governor control unit which may be electrical or mechanical.

If electrical check your wiring diagram first to ensure it’s connected properly and your connections are good you know corrosion or looseness. If yet not fixed, just save time and replace that component.

 If Mechanical, they usually run on oil pressure. If the oil is contaminated it may have clogged up the journals on this component. Removal is easy and an overnight stay in parts washing fluid should be enough. Installation is also easy don't worry it doesn't have to be timed.

The oil is getting blackish means fuel is mixing in the engine oil through the combustion chamber, in case the oil is getting whitish, it’s a water mixing in…

Under-loaded running inevitably causes white smoke from unburnt fuel and over time will be joined by blue smoke of burnt lubricating oil leaking past the damaged piston rings, and also black smoke caused by damaged injectors.

 Always check:

The water inlet liver has to be turned on before start & off after switch off. The water inlet is connected through a water filter and it has an adjacent water outlet.

Placing a primer in the fuel line for priming oil… is a good idea.

Usually portable generator is connected to Inverter for AC power; In case, you are getting AC… it may be the inverter. The inverter also supplies power input to the battery charger.

Some more Information:

 

Electronic Diesel Control is a diesel engine fuel injection control system for the precise metering and delivery of fuel into the combustion chamber of modern diesel engines.


An actuator is a type of motor for moving or controlling a mechanism or system. It is operated by a source of energy, usually in the form of an electric current, hydraulic fluid pressure or pneumatic pressure, and converts that energy into some kind of motion. It can be electrical, mechanical or software based. Actuators or solenoids convert the control unit's electrical output signal into mechanical control movement.

 

These topics are broad enough to merit new discussion…. so the next time. Hope you got some tips …& it was interesting too. Do comment!