Emergency Stop Activated

[tlkenyon]

Yesterday, while negotiating a narrow channel in the Small Boat Channel in Georgian Bay (windy with granite on both edges), the motor quit five times in rather quick sucession. Each time, it shut down the engine controller and did a re-start. It is a D3-150 in a 2016 R-25sc. The engine display showed “Emergency stop activated, Reset emergency stop button” with some error codes.

This has been a recurrent problem since last September when we started the loop. We first thought is was fuel. Nope. We then did the software update. Nope. We thought it was old batteries. Replaced all four for $1K. Nope.

Last night after anchoring (whew), I tried the “auxiliary stop button”on the engine with the engine running. It did not work. Hmmm. Might be a bad button assembly telling the motor to stop, thinking it had been pushed. This morning, I tried the aux button and it worked, and gave the same error codes.

Via BoatUS, we were escorted to Langley Marine in Honey Harbour, Ontario. We were not towed, but were ready. Diagnostics are underway....more later.

 

[TexasEye]

WAYYYYYY Too Much electricity in modern Boats, Cars and Aircraft. Remember when the engine stop was a T handle and cable...

Y'all sure have racked up the mileage since leaving Joe Wheeler...

 

[Andrew Custis]

Thank you for posting the issue for others in case this comes up again. As we discussed on the phone and by text yesterday, please report back on the new emergency stop switch that was sent to you today. My understanding is that this issue has happened before but not common. First time I have seen it with all of the Volvo 150's we have delivered but certainly looking forward to the report back once it is swapped.

Thanks again,

 

[tlkenyon]

Will post additional info as a available. Also replacing solenoid.

 

[knotflying]

Well, Honey Harbour isn't a bad place to be stuck! Hope it all works out.

 

[BB marine]

Testing the button is a quick test with VOA meter. Test for open circuit when deactivated and closed circuit when activated. It is a simple momentary switch. The relay would be more of a suspect. This is the explanation of possible code you saw.
FMI 11 – Unidentifiable fault
Fault code explanation:
Stop input at EECU is activated.
Fault indication:Code
Symptom:
Engine stops or can not be started.
Conditions for fault code:
Stop input is activated.

• The aux stop button has been activated.
• The external stop relay has been activated.
• Faulty external stop relay.
• Open circuit in external stop relay cables.
• Faulty aux stop button.

1 Check what triggered activation of the external stop relay, fire alarm.
2 Check the external stop relay.
3 Check cables and connectors to and from the external stop relay socket.
4 Check the contact pressure in socket A12 in the engine connector.
5 Check that the auxstop button is not stuck or broken.


Circuit description
The electrical system has an external stop relay as standard.
When the stop relay is unactivated the voltage poten- tial on pin A12 is 0V. When the stop relay is activated the voltage potential on pin A12 is approx. 0.8 x battery voltage . When the stop relay has been activated, the engine control unit shuts off the fuel injection. Once the stop relay has been activated, the system must be shut off before a re-start can be done.

Good Luck on your Troubleshooting and repair

 

[tlkenyon]

Brian, thanks for the info. It mirrors what the tech printed off yesterday. Later today we will replace switch and solenoid.

The challenge is that this is an intermittent problem and, despite my best efforts to reproduce the apparent causational conditions, cannot be reliably reproduced. Each fix so far was thought to work, only to have the problem surface, a few weeks or months later. It just happens out of the blue.

We are gonna go thru the checklist, replace the parts, do an overall inspection and go for it. Might not know if this is truly the “fix” for a while.

My greatest fear is that there is a fault somewhere in the wiring harness that is hidden in the mass of wires and only produces the fault randomly. And....wiring faults are essentially shorts and they cause fires. In know this is low voltage wiring...but it makes you think....especially when crossing one of the big lakes out of sight of land.....

Will post results....

 

[BB marine]

Just to add a thought to your trouble shooting. With the top shroud of engine removed access to the relays and stop switch is achieved . First a visual of all connections should be preformed. Next with the engine running I would move connections at button and at relays and harness associated with the stop circuit. If the system failure can not be duplicated I would then replace components Button and relay. In past experiences with electronics, Relays included temperature can contribute to the component giving intermittent problems especially if the component is compromised. Temperature changes resistances. I have used a heat gun before to try to simulate an intermittent failure with electrical components on engines, . I bring this up because you said the circuit didn't work last night, but did this morning. Was the engine still warm ? Have you had the issue ever with a cold compartment or has it always happened after running for a while? I would suspect the relay is giving you the issue if all connections visually look good, I would also change the button easy replacement and it sounds like it is on its way. Good Luck.

 

[tlkenyon]

Brian, in both cases, the engine was either cold or had cooled for several hours, so temp does not seem an issue. Additionally, we have been thru quite a temp range on this trip, from the 50’s to nearly 100. No temp correlation is evident. In fact, I have not been able to identify any correlative factors, despite many many sleepless hours going over and over the conditions when the stoppage occurred.

We are going to check all connections for corrosion and add suitable corrosion protection.

If this does not fix the problem, and it might be some time before that can be determined, this vessel is essentially unsafe and therefore unusable. Contemplating contacting our insurance carrier.

More later.....thanks for your insight.

TK

 

[tlkenyon]

The mech installed the relay and the switch. Checked a bunch of connectors, all seemed tight with no corrosion. Checked motor mount bolts for tightness. Spent time doing a once-over looking for issues, found none.

A great big thank-you to Andrew....called him on Wednesday afternoon and had parts here in Canada on Friday.

Hope this solves this rather elusive problem.

Leaving Honey Harbour Monday deeper into the Small Boat Channel in Georgian Bay. Wish us luck!

TK

 

[davidmccarthy]

Thanks for these posts and please update. The same thing began happening on my Ranger 25 last week. Also far away from my home port. I am at a marina on Lake Champlain now and will pass on this thread to them. Good luck.

 

[tlkenyon]

So...it looks like there are now two of us that are having the same problem.

After the mech installed the switch and solenoid, I asked if this was "the fix" and if he was confident that the problem would not re-occur. He commented that the switch and solenoid were the only parts that could reasonably be replaced and that if the problem was due to some other cause (wiring fault??) we would just have to wait and see...not what I was hoping to hear as we are (were) headed into the more remote parts of the Georgian Bay.

If there are any others out there that have had this problem, please speak up so that maybe more light can be shed on this problem. As is, the boat is kinda unusable on anything but protected, low-risk waters, at least for now.

TK

 

[edSB]

I have now had this occur several times with my 2015 R25SC (and again today). It is usually at 2400 RPM and above. It does not build confidence in one's boat. Engine stops but restarts without an issue (so far). Error Code MID 128 PPID 6 FMI 11.

I also had a connector issue on the PCU (MID 128). I had to reseat the connector. It solved my EVC communication error between the PCU and Helm.

I will inspect this area closer.

Ed

 

[edSB]

It appeared to be a loose connector on the shutdown switch. So far, so good.

Ed