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29-05-2019, 05:31
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#1
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Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Sailing around the world
Boat: 2018 Robertson and Caine, Leopard 40
Posts: 274
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Engine blower not working
One of my engine blowers stopped working. If I test it with a multimeter, with the Power On, I get this.
What should I do next for troubleshooting the issue?
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29-05-2019, 06:35
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#2
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Moderator
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Denmark (Winter), Helsinki (Summer); Cruising the Baltic Sea this year!
Boat: Cutter-Rigged Moody 54
Posts: 33,864
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Re: Engine blower not working
I think this is very simple --
If there's power getting to it, and it doesn't work -- toss it. That's all the troubleshooting you need to do.
Those things have limited life and are not user serviceable. My expensive Jabsco one died almost to the hour at its rated 3000 hour life. I had to have a new one shipped into the Faro Islands last summer.
When you replace, choose carefully -- engine room blowers need to be higher hour rated than intermittent use blowers. There is a big cost difference, but you get what you pay for.
__________________
"You sea! I resign myself to you also . . . . I guess what you mean,
I behold from the beach your crooked inviting fingers,
I believe you refuse to go back without feeling of me;
We must have a turn together . . . . I undress . . . . hurry me out of sight of the land,
Cushion me soft . . . . rock me in billowy drowse,
Dash me with amorous wet . . . . I can repay you."
Walt Whitman
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29-05-2019, 06:36
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#3
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Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2015
Boat: Bruce Bingham Christina 49
Posts: 3,328
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Re: Engine blower not working
A little hard to tell from the pic, but it looks like you are testing the power/wires coming from the panel(?) and you have basically no voltage to run the blower.
How about at the switch/panel do you have power there? Bad breaker? If power at the switch, then bad wiring to the blower. Check for continuity on each line (power & grd.).
We just had a blower go down but we had power to the motor. Replaced the blower and working fine.
Bill O.
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29-05-2019, 06:38
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#4
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Moderator
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Denmark (Winter), Helsinki (Summer); Cruising the Baltic Sea this year!
Boat: Cutter-Rigged Moody 54
Posts: 33,864
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Re: Engine blower not working
Oh, and buy two. The other one will go out too, soon enough.
__________________
"You sea! I resign myself to you also . . . . I guess what you mean,
I behold from the beach your crooked inviting fingers,
I believe you refuse to go back without feeling of me;
We must have a turn together . . . . I undress . . . . hurry me out of sight of the land,
Cushion me soft . . . . rock me in billowy drowse,
Dash me with amorous wet . . . . I can repay you."
Walt Whitman
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29-05-2019, 07:15
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#5
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Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Sailing around the world
Boat: 2018 Robertson and Caine, Leopard 40
Posts: 274
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Re: Engine blower not working
So when I check the voltage at the wires going to the blower my multimeter reads only 0.053 volts.
I checked the 10A blade fuse in the Junction box and I have continuity.
So the question is how come the voltage delivered to the blower is so low? What should I check next?
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29-05-2019, 07:27
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#6
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Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Skagit City, WA
Posts: 25,514
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Re: Engine blower not working
That reading is likely some stray current. You dont have power to the blower. Check fuse, wire, ground etc. Often ground wires get corroded and lose continuity. Follow that wire and look at any connections/joints in the wire.
__________________
"I spent most of my money on Booze, Broads and Boats. The rest I wasted" - Elmore Leonard
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29-05-2019, 07:29
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#7
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Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2015
Boat: Bruce Bingham Christina 49
Posts: 3,328
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Re: Engine blower not working
You'll need to work backwards to see where you are losing power. Use a separate grd/or a known good grd and check at the fuse and panel switch. Breakers do go bad.
If you have power coming out of the switch, then you need to check the wires to the blower. The check for a broken wire check both power and grd wires separately for continuity (from switch to blower).
Bill O.
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29-05-2019, 08:21
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#8
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Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Boston's North Shore
Boat: Pearson 10M
Posts: 839
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Re: Engine blower not working
i suggest pulling the fuse out of the holder and then checking for continuity.
I can't see where your black lead is going from the multi-meter when you have the red lead shoved in the fuse holder.
I'll also suggest getting a good book on 12v systems, 12 volt bible is one that comes to mind.
finally Ohm's law V=R*I is your friend,
Voltage = Resistance(ohms) x Current(amps).
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29-05-2019, 09:35
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#9
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Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Montreal
Boat: Dufour 39 Frers
Posts: 403
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Re: Engine blower not working
Run 2 wires directly from the batteries, for testing the blower.
If it runs, then you know it is a wire issue.
If it does not run, then the blower is dead.
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29-05-2019, 10:25
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#10
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Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: New Jersey
Boat: Aquarius 23' and a 17' Kit bass boat
Posts: 53
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Re: Engine blower not working
The .005 is just stray current. Next see if power is at the switch, if power trace that side to blower.
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29-05-2019, 11:27
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#11
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Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 4
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Re: Engine blower not working
The engine blower on my Jeaneau Sun Odyssey has a thermostat that runs on one of the power lines. (Not sure if its the positive or the negative now) So the blower only comes on when the engine room temperature rises above the preset value of the thermostat (usually after 20 minutes or so of motoring) and will stay on till the temp comes back down. The blower runs independently of the engine circuit so that it will stay on even with ignition key turned off. I prefer it this way as it helps cool the boat down when I get to an anchorage. Normally the blower will stay on 15 to 20 minutes and cycles off /on several times after the engine is turned off as the engine radiates heat. Understandably ambient temperature makes a lot of difference. This difference is easy to notice in winter as the fan will take longer to start and is quicker to turn off.
In my experience the fans (even the name brands) do not last longer then 2 to 3 seasons. So the last time I replaced with a much cheaper unbranded one which has been there for 2 seasons now. In that time I have never had a problem with the thermostat. I check the thermostat by blowing a hot hairdryer on it to simulate a hot engine room. Do make sure there are no fuel fumes in the engine compartment before starting a hair dryer.
If you supply the motor with DC directly from a battery and it runs OK then start following your power supply lines.
Hope this helps
Ron
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29-05-2019, 12:08
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#12
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Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: SoCal
Boat: Formosa 30 ketch
Posts: 1,004
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Re: Engine blower not working
It's obvious your engine room is waaay too clean, and the electrons are just sliding off that shiny surface.
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29-05-2019, 14:31
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#13
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Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: San Diego, CA
Boat: Beneteau 40.7
Posts: 343
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Re: Engine blower not working
You may have a broken / corroded wire from panel to blower. Try measuring from the positive fan terminal to a known negative point like the battery (-) terminal and vice versa. if you see 12 v in either case you will know where the faulty wire is.
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29-05-2019, 15:28
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#14
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Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Gibraltar
Boat: Jeanneau 49DS
Posts: 332
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Re: Engine blower not working
Put away that meter and do what Emouchet advises.
My money is on the blower. In my experience the only thing expensive about them is the purchase price. Otherwise they are cheap rubbish and you should always carry a spare.
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29-05-2019, 16:37
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#15
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Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: New Franklin, Ohio
Boat: Homebuilt schooner 64 ft. Sold.
Posts: 1,486
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Re: Engine blower not working
Quote:
Originally Posted by Emouchet
Run 2 wires directly from the batteries, for testing the blower.
If it runs, then you know it is a wire issue.
If it does not run, then the blower is dead.
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There you go !
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