[PUP] Passagemakers under power, and sails

[Dave Cooper]

<Scott wrote: I think the FUD around these motors will die down as
experience is built.  There will be stories of failures, but that's also
true with none electronic varieties as well.>

If the Lugger tier 2 engines can do this great. I recently had an experience
with the 575 HP Volvos and if you don't have 24 volts they won't run,
period. No amount of bypassing nor replacement will work around this. Plus
the 24 volts must be in the range that the ECU's will accept...not to high
not to low.

I suspect that few of the newer Tier 3 engines will run if subjected to
electrical under/overloading.

Next time you are on your boat and the engine is running flip the battery
switch to the engine to the off position. See if it stays running. This is a
good test and one the Volvo's fail. BTW make sure the alternator has a Zap
Stop or similar diode across the output of it will be zapped.

This is a pretty simple test and one the factory techs are not going to like
no matter what the marketing techs reps tell you.

If you have electronic controls do the same with their power source. See if
they reboot/restart when you re-apply power. This too can be a problem with
some systems.

My point is that a car with a dead battery doesn't run not does a combine
nor an OTH truck. They all need power and today that power must be of much
better quality than in the past.

Cranking an electronic engine with a low battery that gets to 10 volts
during cranking won't allow the engine to start as the computers generally
need 11.5 to work. Run your start batteries down to 11 volts.....then try to
start the engine. It will crank but doubtfully start.

When the fan is blowing the s..t around isn't a good time to find out all of
these things. Better to subject the systems to a bad day at sea while still
tied to the dock, IMHO.

As always YMMV,

Cheers

Dave & Nancy
Swan Song
Roughwater 58
Caribbean Cruise '07