Generator Issue

[mrtnjms]

I wanted to reach out to you to see if you all have had generator cutoff problems on any of the 302’s. I have not been able to keep mine running without it tripping the overheat sensor since I purchased the boat in March.

I have a Westerbeke Warranty call on it but it has taken nearly 4 weeks for them to look at it and they still do not have a definitive reason as to what the problem could be nor has it been resolved. I noticed what I believe looks like “could be” insufficient water flow but this being the smallest generator I have ever owned on a boat possibly I could be mistaken. If you have any suggestions I would be grateful. Possibly not enough water pumping into the water intake from the thru hull?

 

[Andrew Custis]

Hello. I’m not aware of this issue on other boats. I believe you had emailed us as well as your dealer and we are working with them to come up with a solution. I believe the generator would kick a code when it shuts down. Do you know what code it is throwing? If it’s water, have you checked your intakes to verify water flow is not restricted? I’ve also seen and heard about bottom paint getting inside. We put a high speed pickup on those units so it’s doubtful it’s not getting enough water from our setup. Please let me know if Pocket Yachts reaches out tomorrow with a plan of action.

Best regards,

 

[dtholden]

@ Andrew

I have a 2018 242 SC with a generator that is having the same issue. It will start and run fine for approx an hour. At that point, it auto shuts down with red fault lights indicated on the panel. The first review by a service tech from PY's thought it might be too much oil. He changed the oil and filled per spec. Next outing the generator followed the same behavior. I checked the oil level via the dip stick when we returned to the dock and it appeared to be at an appropriate level and looked and smelled clean.

I have a note into PY's earlier today with the latest info and hope that they are able to find a resolution.

As open as the 242 SC is, there is a lack of decent ventilation into the helm. So without a bit of AC running, it not too comfortable in the mid-atlantic heat/humidity.

Look forward to learning more about the generator issue and resolution on this site.
Good luck!

 

[Kevin Lamont]

@ Andrew

I have a 2018 242 SC with a generator that is having the same issue. It will start and run fine for approx an hour. At that point, it auto shuts down with red fault lights indicated on the panel. The first review by a service tech from PY's thought it might be too much oil. He changed the oil and filled per spec. Next outing the generator followed the same behavior. I checked the oil level via the dip stick when we returned to the dock and it appeared to be at an appropriate level and looked and smelled clean.

I have a note into PY's earlier today with the latest info and hope that they are able to find a resolution.

As open as the 242 SC is, there is a lack of decent ventilation into the helm. So without a bit of AC running, it not too comfortable in the mid-atlantic heat/humidity.

Look forward to learning more about the generator issue and resolution on this site.
Good luck!

Hello,

What is the fault code the generator is giving when it shuts down? Usually it will have 1 or 2 of the red lights on indicating what the shut down was for. We need that information in order to try and fix the issue as there are many things that will shut it down from heat, water flow, fuel flow etc. You can email direct if that is better for you. My email is below in my signature. Look forward to hearing from you.

Thank you,

 

[Cutwater28GG]

did I read a thread on Tugnuts a while back where the manual for the generator had been left under the cover of the generator causing bad air flow?

 

[dante3756]

I had the same issue with my Westerbeke and was getting two different fault codes. A Westerbeke authorized technician discovered a very slight fuel leak at the hose barb connecting the generator to the first fuel hose. It turned out that the hose barb (installed by the manufacturer) was one size too small, causing the slight leak. The technician advised that Westerbeke generators are very sensitive to any air in the fuel system. No further problems once he installed the proper fitting. Westerbeke was supposed to advise Cutwater of this issue to avoid further problems.

 

[trailertrawlerkismet]

Our genset is a NexGen and we had the breaker trip, the one attached to the genset engine with not much of a load all the time.NexGen advised the breaker amp should be changed to a 40 amp from the 30 amp it came with. It’s never tripped off since I’ve swapped it out. Granted this may not be your problem but it could be worth checking out.

Jim

 

[dtholden]

@ Andrew

I have a 2018 242 SC with a generator that is having the same issue. It will start and run fine for approx an hour. At that point, it auto shuts down with red fault lights indicated on the panel. The first review by a service tech from PY's thought it might be too much oil. He changed the oil and filled per spec. Next outing the generator followed the same behavior. I checked the oil level via the dip stick when we returned to the dock and it appeared to be at an appropriate level and looked and smelled clean.

I have a note into PY's earlier today with the latest info and hope that they are able to find a resolution.

As open as the 242 SC is, there is a lack of decent ventilation into the helm. So without a bit of AC running, it not too comfortable in the mid-atlantic heat/humidity.

Look forward to learning more about the generator issue and resolution on this site.
Good luck!

Hello,

What is the fault code the generator is giving when it shuts down? Usually it will have 1 or 2 of the red lights on indicating what the shut down was for. We need that information in order to try and fix the issue as there are many things that will shut it down from heat, water flow, fuel flow etc. You can email direct if that is better for you. My email is below in my signature. Look forward to hearing from you.

Thank you,

Hi Kevin,

I can confrim that the fault kicks on both red lights. Is that helpful?

Thank you for the reply and any thoughts that you might have.

Regards,
David

 

[dtholden]

Our genset is a NexGen and we had the breaker trip, the one attached to the genset engine with not much of a load all the time.NexGen advised the breaker amp should be changed to a 40 amp from the 30 amp it came with. It’s never tripped off since I’ve swapped it out. Granted this may not be your problem but it could be worth checking out.

Jim

Jim,

Thank you for the reply and interest in this thread!

We're still sorting out the issue - inbetween other on-the-land priorities 🙂

I'm also a fan of your BoatUS blog!!!

Best wishes,
David

 

[Kevin Lamont]

@ Andrew

I have a 2018 242 SC with a generator that is having the same issue. It will start and run fine for approx an hour. At that point, it auto shuts down with red fault lights indicated on the panel. The first review by a service tech from PY's thought it might be too much oil. He changed the oil and filled per spec. Next outing the generator followed the same behavior. I checked the oil level via the dip stick when we returned to the dock and it appeared to be at an appropriate level and looked and smelled clean.

I have a note into PY's earlier today with the latest info and hope that they are able to find a resolution.

As open as the 242 SC is, there is a lack of decent ventilation into the helm. So without a bit of AC running, it not too comfortable in the mid-atlantic heat/humidity.

Look forward to learning more about the generator issue and resolution on this site.
Good luck!

Hello,

What is the fault code the generator is giving when it shuts down? Usually it will have 1 or 2 of the red lights on indicating what the shut down was for. We need that information in order to try and fix the issue as there are many things that will shut it down from heat, water flow, fuel flow etc. You can email direct if that is better for you. My email is below in my signature. Look forward to hearing from you.

Thank you,

Hi Kevin,

I can confrim that the fault kicks on both red lights. Is that helpful?

Thank you for the reply and any thoughts that you might have.

Regards,
David

David,

There are 4-5 red squares, if you have two on there is a trouble code tree which indicates the reason for shutting down. For example if the two far left squares are lit up it indicates a water flow code I believe. Look at the start/stop panel when it fails and see what the "code/fault" is for those two lights. If you are unsure take a picture next time and email it to me.

Thank you,
Kevin Lamont