Cruisers Forum
 


Reply
  This discussion is proudly sponsored by:
Please support our sponsors and let them know you heard about their products on Cruisers Forums. Advertise Here
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Rate Thread Display Modes
Old 29-01-2016, 13:55   #1
Registered User
 
vtomanov's Avatar

Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: UK , London
Boat: Jeanneau Sun Liberty 34
Posts: 225
Volvo Penta 2003 / Starting

My Volvo Penta 2003 - 28hp ( Non Turbo) does not have glow plugs by design and have a cold start procedure - push the throttle to max, pull the stopping cable and push it back, return the throttle to 3/4 and push the start button...

OK this generally works but not every time - some time from the second try with the described procedure, some time from the third of forth try of the procedure...

Honestly this is little bit annoying - is there any way that I can fix this issue e.g. I may have some problem somewhere or what to look for ?

ANY suggestions from fellow owners of similar engines will be greatly appreciated
vtomanov is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 30-01-2016, 05:20   #2
Registered User

Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 1,613
Re: Volvo Penta 2003 / Starting

Try the starting procedure as stated, but don't move the throttle back to 3/4.......

i.e. Give it full throttle or close to full throttle, pull out and push in the stop cable, and then hit the start button. Don't back off the throttle until the engine starts.

DougR
DougR is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 30-01-2016, 09:06   #3
Registered User
 
vtomanov's Avatar

Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: UK , London
Boat: Jeanneau Sun Liberty 34
Posts: 225
Re: Volvo Penta 2003 / Starting

Quote:
Originally Posted by DougR View Post
Try the starting procedure as stated, but don't move the throttle back to 3/4.......

i.e. Give it full throttle or close to full throttle, pull out and push in the stop cable, and then hit the start button. Don't back off the throttle until the engine starts.

DougR
Tried already no difference ...

the only think helping is retry the procedure ...

e.g. if I keep turning on first try it starts eventually after 30-40 seconds

but if I try the procedure 3-4 times with 1 turn it start also on just on first turn .. e.g it looks to be the procedure do not engage the more fuel option property on first try...
vtomanov is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 30-01-2016, 09:12   #4
Registered User
 
Vasco's Avatar

Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Toronto
Boat: CS36Merlin, "La Belle Aurore"
Posts: 7,557
Re: Volvo Penta 2003 / Starting

Check the compression.

Sent from my SGH-I747M using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app
__________________
Rick I
Toronto in summer, Bahamas in winter.
Vasco is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 30-01-2016, 09:19   #5
Registered User
 
vtomanov's Avatar

Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: UK , London
Boat: Jeanneau Sun Liberty 34
Posts: 225
Re: Volvo Penta 2003 / Starting

Quote:
Originally Posted by Vasco View Post
Check the compression.

Sent from my SGH-I747M using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app
all good there ...
vtomanov is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 30-01-2016, 12:53   #6
Registered User
 
Vasco's Avatar

Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Toronto
Boat: CS36Merlin, "La Belle Aurore"
Posts: 7,557
Re: Volvo Penta 2003 / Starting

Quote:
Originally Posted by vtomanov View Post
all good there ...
Then there is no solution other than replacing the engine. That's what I did, got a 3gm30f. Many bad posts re the 2000 series engines.

Sent from my SGH-I747M using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app
__________________
Rick I
Toronto in summer, Bahamas in winter.
Vasco is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 30-01-2016, 13:17   #7
Registered User

Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Bellingham
Boat: Outbound 44
Posts: 9,319
Re: Volvo Penta 2003 / Starting

Have you checked the battery and cables to the starter? It needs to spin the engine fairly quickly to start.
__________________
Paul
Paul L is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 30-01-2016, 13:21   #8
Registered User
 
vtomanov's Avatar

Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: UK , London
Boat: Jeanneau Sun Liberty 34
Posts: 225
Re: Volvo Penta 2003 / Starting

Quote:
Originally Posted by Vasco View Post
Then there is no solution other than replacing the engine. That's what I did, got a 3gm30f. Many bad posts re the 2000 series engines.

Sent from my SGH-I747M using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app
hmmm the engine is good I just need to fix the starting mechanizm which adds additional fuel on startup
like shoke in the old pertol cars ... I'm still very far away in my thinking from changing a good engine on just 1900h... and if I ever change it - it will be for BETA 4cyl or NANNY 4cyl - will never ever want a 3cyl engine to be honest...

Back to the main point - I hopping someone from the forum can point me to the exact schematics of startig mechanics of the VP2093...
vtomanov is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 30-01-2016, 13:35   #9
Registered User
 
vtomanov's Avatar

Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: UK , London
Boat: Jeanneau Sun Liberty 34
Posts: 225
Re: Volvo Penta 2003 / Starting

Quote:
Originally Posted by Paul L View Post
Have you checked the battery and cables to the starter? It needs to spin the engine fairly quickly to start.
yes no probs with the battery and cables engine spins very happy is actually start from half turn - when the cold starting mechanism engages ... just it seems the starting procedure did not manage to get the mechanism engaged every time e.g. I need to do the procedure 2-4 times..

hence I'm searching for detailed schematics of the starting mechanism of VP 2003
vtomanov is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 30-01-2016, 14:20   #10
Registered User

Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: New Bern, NC
Boat: Holman & Pye Red Admiral 36
Posts: 512
Re: Volvo Penta 2003 / Starting

Hi - if you have an in-line electric fuel pump, turn it on before the start up procedure. This will insure fuel is to all of the injectors.

I do the move the throttle handle all the way forward then back to neutral about 2x times, with the little red button pushed in. I then leave the handle - with the red button pushed in - forward about to 1/3 throttle. Then I pull out the "stop" cable 2x times, and try for a start.

Sometimes, especially when it is COLD, it will half heartily start on a cylinder or two and then die if you stop trying to start it. If you crank it for a couple of more seconds while it is running on one cylinder, you can usually get all the cylinders firing.

If it doesn't start, I'll sometimes give it a tiny, tiny, tiny, tiny spray of ether and wait a minute or two for the ether to disperse into all of the intake manifold.

When renewing things, I went with heavy 4/0 wire from the battery switch to the starter. I also use the house bank of 4D batteries (2 of them) to start the engine.

It pretty much always starts on the first try now, and my engine has 2400 hrs on the block, about 200 on the head (did a valve job)

I totally love my 2003 and it has always been pretty fool proof with just normal maintenance. If you can find the generic parts instead of the VP parts, your cost will go way down.

Good luck!
Doug Brown is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 30-01-2016, 14:26   #11
Registered User
 
Vasco's Avatar

Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Toronto
Boat: CS36Merlin, "La Belle Aurore"
Posts: 7,557
Re: Volvo Penta 2003 / Starting

Vtomanov,

I went all up and down the east coast (US) in 1990/91 and not one Volvo dealer could fix my 2003. Same hard start plus other problems. That's why I bit the bullet an repowered.

Sent from my SGH-I747M using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app
__________________
Rick I
Toronto in summer, Bahamas in winter.
Vasco is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 30-01-2016, 14:54   #12
Moderator
 
Pete7's Avatar

Cruisers Forum Supporter

Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Solent, England
Boat: Moody 31
Posts: 18,423
Images: 22
Re: Volvo Penta 2003 / Starting

VT, if you haven't already guessed Vasco doesn't like these engines. However, since we both have them fitted in our boats then we wil have to make the most of it.

I notice your in London and with air temperatures in single figure (centigrade) then its tough on an engine without a cold start. The quick way to start them is with a squirt of easy start, but don't go OTT with the stuff.

There are some other things you can check, on the side of the engine were the throttle cable joins the engine, does the throttle open fully? and does the engine stop cable work fully. You probably need two people to do this, one to move the levers and one to look at the engine. Next if you are feeling brave is to take side cover off the box the cable levers attach to. Unfortunately I don't have the access to do this without removing the engine on my boat. Inside is a series of springs, clips and widgets which move the fuel rack forward to increase the amount of diesel injected on each stroke. Anything broken or worn in here isn't going to help.

Final thought is when was the last time the engine injectors were pulled and tested for the spray pattern? be warned that they live in a copper jacket which seals them from the engine coolant in the cylinder head. If you are not careful taking the injectors out the copper jacket comes out too and that is a head off job to replace them, if you can buy them as they are getting rare. Deciding against this when I changed the fuel filter last year I did a 50/50 mix with diesel and injector cleaner to clean out the 3 x FIPs and injectors. Worked a bit so will repeat again this year.

When was the last time the tank was cleaned out? muck (diesel bug) in there blocks the fine mesh filter in the older type of fuel pumps which won't help starting.

Final thought, when was the air filter last cleaned? the process is in the manual available from the Volvo Penta Website or Blue Moment forum, but it involves soaking in a bath of diesel, the filter is a wire mesh inside the metal canister and can't be opened up. The alternative is to fit a £30 K&N filter and do away with the volvo one. K&N have general purpose filters for engines not on their popular lists.

It is never going to be easy to start them in cold weather but the above might it might help.

Pete
Pete7 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 30-01-2016, 15:18   #13
Moderator
 
Pete7's Avatar

Cruisers Forum Supporter

Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Solent, England
Boat: Moody 31
Posts: 18,423
Images: 22
Re: Volvo Penta 2003 / Starting

BTW I tried to start the engine a fortnight ago without easy start. However, as the temperature was so cold on board (Portsmouth Harbour UK) even the can of easy start had blocked up and wouldn't spray so I had to revert to running the heating on board for 20 minutes first with one of the air pipes directed at the engine intake without the filter housing. That worked.

Pete
Pete7 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 30-01-2016, 15:19   #14
Senior Cruiser

Cruisers Forum Supporter

Join Date: May 2013
Location: Oregon to Alaska
Boat: Wheeler Shipyard 83' ex USCG
Posts: 3,499
Re: Volvo Penta 2003 / Starting

Adding a catalyst to the fuel helps in cold weather. I started using it because of my diesel truck hard starting below freezing. I use Archoil AR 6200. I just started using it on the boat, but does wonders in the truck, also about 10% better mileage.
Any heat will help, if you have power, a heat gun played on the air intake, block heater, oil pan heater, etc.
Also I was told (by a diesel overhaul mechanic) that brake cleaner can be used in place of starting fluid with less chance of breaking the rings.
I would look into the possibility of adding glow plugs into the intake somewhere. Just because they're not there doesn't mean they can't be added.
Lepke is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 30-01-2016, 16:26   #15
Registered User

Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Gulf Harbour, New Zealand
Boat: Farr Phase 4, 12.8m
Posts: 1,160
Re: Volvo Penta 2003 / Starting

I have a 2003T. Has 9500 hours on it. Never been hard to start. If the compression and cranking speed are within spec, then the issue is fuel, or injection timing. Find a decent mechanic. Alternatively post here what the compression is for each cylinder, and the cranking speed. The priming system is mechanical, and just enriches the mixture to assist cold start.

Sent from my D5503 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app
__________________
Matt Paulin
Neptune's Gear is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
penta, volvo

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes Rate This Thread
Rate This Thread:

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
For Sale: Volvo Penta 2003 Engine Parts Doug Brown Classifieds Archive 11 10-07-2012 11:10
Volvo Penta 2003 Fuel Recirculation santa clara Engines and Propulsion Systems 0 14-11-2011 23:40
Volvo Penta 2003 Anti Siphon Valve Kist Engines and Propulsion Systems 0 12-11-2011 17:30
For Sale: 2003 Volvo Penta for Parts CaptJim53 Classifieds Archive 2 01-01-2011 20:40
Volvo Penta 2003 Impeller pdeppisch Engines and Propulsion Systems 4 19-07-2009 19:55

Advertise Here


All times are GMT -7. The time now is 17:27.


Google+
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Social Knowledge Networks
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.

ShowCase vBulletin Plugins by Drive Thru Online, Inc.