Wireing Gremlins in the 460DA Help Appreciated

[Asureyez]

I've traced numerous little electrical nags on the boat during the time I've owned it. Starboard engine failed to start after work was performed behind breaker and rocker panels. Problem was terminal blocks had worked loose after being disturbed. Solution wire tie the blocks tighly together. I did every block that can be accessed. That problem solved.

But that isn't the gremline that haunts my sweetheart.

When the GPS, VHF and Chart Plotter are on and the s/b engine is fired up, the electronics shut down and must be re started. It does not happen when the port engine is fired up. The bug is intermitant.

Local electronic engineers scratch and shrug and say call SR, Yeah right. Anyone have the same bug or similar bug?

Then the Engine Synchronizer will not release the starboard engine promptly and will hang on to control for a minute or two or I have to back the engines down to idle ... to get a clean release ... sometimes it gives guests a thrill with rapid down throttleing ...

NOTE I do have all the wireing diagrams for the 460 including the schedules not provided owers unless requested and they have not allowed me to a trace common lead that makes sense.

Any ideas will be appreciated.

Asureyez
460DA

 

[fwebster]

Not only will the entire terminal block separate on Sea Rays, but individual pins will retract inside the block itself....try to find one of those! Just be aware that it can happen the next time something fails to work and you start running down a circuit.

The electronics gremlin is in all larger Sea Rays with diesel engines. It happens on one but not both sides because your electronics buss is powered by only one battery bank. The problem is simply that when you hit the starter the voltage on the bank supplying the electronics drops below the threshold and they turn themselves off. It can and does happen on boats with fresh and fully charged batteries, short of another isolator and a separate battery for the electronics I don't know of a fix for it other than powering down the electronics before you crank up. ON some models you can use the emergency start solenoid to keep the voltage up, but it is not designed for regular use.

On the synchronizer, you problem may be that the slow release is a product of cable loading on the synchronizer. Do you advance the slaved engine throttle when the synchronizer is on? On most Sea Rays it is the stbd engine. Try this sequence: turn on the sync switch, advance to stbd throttle (if the sync has disconnected it) to full WOT throttle position....this removes the cable load for the throttle lever and its cable from the sync. Then operate the boat on normally with the port throttle. When coming off synchronizer, bring the boat back to idle with the port throttle lever, turn off the sync switch and finally pull the dead stbd throttle back to idle stop....you will feel it reconnect as it passes the actual throttle position for the engine.

The slaved (stbd) throttle lever is deactivated by the sync and it has no effect when the sync is on, but unless you release the cable pressure by moving it to WOT position, the snyc still has to push the cable load to control the engine speed which makes is slow to resopond and sluggish. You can deactivate the sync at any speed with the stbd throttle lever advanced, but it is still disengaged, so grab it and pull it back slowly until you feel it reengage.

This only works with a Glendenning synchronizer

Sounds to me like you have a "normal" 460DA!

 

[Asureyez]

Tip O' The Hat Frank

Frank thank for the reply and the tips, the release on the Glendenning is gonna get a try ASAP.

I hauled today for a fresh coat of paint and to get one of those new Vetus props (bow thruster) discussed and shown in another thread.

Just curious on others experience with engine zincs on the Cummins 450's. My port engine is a ravenous zic consumer and S/B consumes at about half the rate. I'm having the bonding system check but I thought I'd ask if anyone else has fought this skirmish?

Chad on Asureyez

 

[kspring01075]

2000 460da

I believe your problem with electronics rebooting up is a normal thing. It happens to me on my 460. As for the synchro I have had the same problem. Once it almost cost me my boat because i lost my port engine due to a vacuum leak and it was stuck in synchro with the starboard engine being a slave. With no throttle to the port engine to increase power i was stuck with an idle for power out of the starboard side. Luckily I was in a cove and dropped anchor. If I had been out further in open water the tides and seas would have made it difficult to get a good hold with the anchor. We manually grabbed the shaft leading into the Glendenning synchro unit and disengaged it. Just grab the shaft and pull. You should practice doing this at dockside so in case of emergency you'll have a quick fix.

Pat Spring from the Spring Break Greenwich Bay Marina Rhode Island

 

[fwebster]

I am curious to know how that could have happened. Did you determine if there was a problem with the Glendenning?

The way they are designed, if you kill the power to the synchronizer, it should disengage from the port engine (where it gets is throttle input) immediately. If your stbd throttle was advanced past where the prot engine was when the Glendenning was disengaged, you may have to wiggle it or bring it to idle position to free it from the Glendenning mechanism, but I'm at a loss to figure out how it was stuck.

 

[kspring01075]

frank,

yes it is a problem with the glendenning. You are absolutly correct that it is designed to disengage automatically. The service rep from Bassett Boat said he has seen the problem a few times in the past and that there are adjustments that can be made to keep this from happening. He has yet to adjust mine but it is on the punch list for him to take care of. The manual fix is simple to do if you've done it once. Hence my advice to practice at the dock to manually pull the shaft to disengage. I'll go thru my manual and see if I can find any other info on adjustments and post back to you.

Pat "Spring Break"