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Volvo IPS 500 Overheating

Discussion in 'Engines' started by Cpt. Dad, May 23, 2011.

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  1. Cpt. Dad

    Cpt. Dad New Member

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    I have two Diesel Volvo IPS 500 installed in our Marquis 40SC 2008 yacht.
    Engines have only 250 hrs but they overheat as soon as we try to plan the boat at 2700 RPM. Up to that speed temperature is normal and temperature returns to normal as soon as we reduce the RPMs when they overheat. Unfortunately engines are now out of factory warranty.
    The technician from Volvo's dealer has replaced all impellers, removed and cleaned all heat exchangers and hoses, checked all sea strainers but problem is not solved. All sea side of cooling system has been revised.
    I would like to know if someone has had same problem and if so, what was the solution.
    Could it be an electronic problem with sensors in both engines? Any help or commentary will be really appreciated.
  2. Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

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    Have you had a reputable diver cleaning the bottom? If the propellors are heavily covered with barnacles, the engines could be really straining to turn rpm's and that will create a lot of heat. Check your raw water intakes, clamshells if so equipped on the bottom of the hull. Chances are they are full of barnacles. Check raw water hoses from sea strainer to raw water pump and see if they are collapsing when you bring the rpm's up. Volvo usually has a small pre-filter on the engine for the raw water before or after the raw water pump, they sometimes leak, are clogged, or allow air into the system and the raw water pumps suck air and not water.
  3. Fishtigua

    Fishtigua Senior Member

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  4. Cpt. Dad

    Cpt. Dad New Member

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    Bottom and propellers are clean. We do a monthly bottom service.
    This model of Volvos has the strainer after the sea water pump and no barnacles were found in the hoses.
    I will check the belt tensioners.
    Could it be something wrong with the electronics at the coolant side of the engines?
    The problem is exactly at same 2700 RPM's and is like one step up to overheat and same step down to normal.
  5. Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

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    Have you verified engine temperature with an infra-red heat gauge? Could the engine intakes possibly be sucking air at this speed due to hull configeration? What temperature does it run at if you quickly get over 2700 rpms?

    Do the engines achieve top rated rpm and full power? If the vessel is overpropped, a lot of times they will run hotter at cruise rpm's. What type of load factor are you seeing at 2700 rpms? What is top rated rpm, and cruise rpm?
  6. Cpt. Dad

    Cpt. Dad New Member

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    Normal temp is 185F from 600 RPM to 2700 RPM, Over 2700 it jumps to 207 F and electronic alarms turn off and engines reduce speed to 2700 RPM. Engines reach for some minutes top rated speed and full power.
    Top rated speed is around 3600 RPM and cruising is 3200 RPM. At 2700 rpm I see like a 70% -80% factor because boat is not planing yet.
    Boat performed ok the first 200 hours.
  7. Steve in SoCal

    Steve in SoCal Member

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    Have you checked for exhaust restrictions in the underwater sections, from your description it is not a single point failure of a particular component. Both engines are affected at the same power setting each and every time. Has the engine management been checked for proper operation. These engines use variable geometry turbochargers, are they functioning correctly? The issues you have seem like a parameter out of calibration or an obstruction common to both engines. Do you have exhaust bypass and have you tried running the engines in bypass?

    Steve
  8. K1W1

    K1W1 Senior Member

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    Hi,

    That is very good advice, my thought was if the exhaust has a spray ring type arrangement that has become restricted by a build up of salt/rust or if there is a wire reinforced rubber hose somewhere in the suction lines that the inner liner has come adrift on, these can look fine at no or low speed and only cause problems when the suction increases.

    Is it possible to measure the sea water pressure on the engines and see if there is any noticeable variation at the critical speed range?
  9. Karl2

    Karl2 New Member

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    The engines do not use variable turbo chargers. There are no parameter calibrations that can/should be done.

    “… Boat performed ok the first 200 hours…”. What happened ? One day ran good next day both engines run hot ? Or developed gradually over time ?
    Prior to this overheat condition was any work done to the engines cooling system ? Has the coolant been replaced ? If so; are you sure that the mixture is correct (Should be 60% water, 40% antifreeze) ?
    Are both seacocks on the drive units open ? Where are you located ?

    Karl
  10. K1W1

    K1W1 Senior Member

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    It would appear to have done 50 hrs since and as yet we do not know if it started happenning to both at once at 200 hrs and 1 minute or one then the other somewhere between 200 and what they have done now.

    We also do not know as yet if the boat has sat between the last time it ran perfectly and the trouble starting.

    I guess if the Original Poster knew that he wouldn't have posted his question, would he?


    OP's profile suggests Miami Beach Marina so I would hazard a guess that is where the boat is.
  11. Karl2

    Karl2 New Member

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    Thank you for your constructive input

    Karl
  12. Cpt. Dad

    Cpt. Dad New Member

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    Boat is in Miami,Fl. and it has not been sitting down for a long time. Only work done was to replace sea water hoses between the strainers and the exchangers.
    It was working fine until one day that we went to a 2 hrs trip to the keys and it overheated coming back at 3200 rpm. From that date problem continues invariable.
    These are the Volvo IPS that exhaust through the propellers.
    I tried to send a message to Volvo but they do not service their products, all service must be trough the dealers.
  13. Karl2

    Karl2 New Member

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    OK - Understand. Two engines developing the same problem at the same time is very unusual. The two engines cooling systems as well as instrumentation are not connected in any way - The common denominator is the fiberglass they are installed in. I'm not familiar with any of the Volvo dealers on the FL East Coast in general and Miami in particular. I do not doubt that the technician you had onboard was trained/experienced/skilled but I suspect something simple was missed.

    I'm not capable of troubleshooting this from afar on the www. The best I can do is suggest you call a Volvo dealer I'm familiar with and may be one of the best in the country; Call Mattos Marine in Ft. Meyers, ask for Hugh Green (239-332-2515). He may be able to help himself or guide the tech you are currently working with.

    Karl
  14. K1W1

    K1W1 Senior Member

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    Hi,

    Were these hoses replaced before or after the problems developed?
  15. Marmot

    Marmot Senior Member

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    It sounds like the props are fouled, the hull is dirty, out of trim, or has gained a lot of weight and the boat is not getting over the "hump." This happens to waterjet boats that are very dependent on impeller inflow and can easily be overloaded if they hang up at a certain speed and cannot accelerate quickly through that zone.
    Last edited: May 25, 2011
  16. Yachtjocky

    Yachtjocky Senior Member

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    Call Sun Power (Dania Beach) 954 237 2200 and ask for Roland or call Bill at Apex Marine (old Allied yard) and ask him.
  17. Cpt. Dad

    Cpt. Dad New Member

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    We replaced them after the first overheating, one was leaking.

    Engine manual shows that thermostats open first at 185 F and a second stage at 196 F. Is it possible that these are broken? and stay partially open at 185 F.

    Does somebody know the experience of any friend with these Volvo IPS systems?
  18. CatTech

    CatTech New Member

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    I know its been said already but, Very strange for both engines to have the same problem.
    I would suggest checking coolant glycol concentration as pure coolant without mixing it with water as needed will hold heat and can cause an over heat condition.
    The tech should be checking temps of the engine while under way with a temp gun or probes. A delta T(temperature) for in and out of the engine is the first step to help narrow down the issue. a close delta T will indicate a cooling system capacity problem IE lack of raw water flow. A Far delta T will indicate a flow problem of the cooling system IE; stuck thermostat. these examples are not all inclusive but are the most common issues.

    A clear hose on the outlet side of the raw water system will help determine if the engine is drawing air into the raw water system while under way.

    AS stated by another member fouling of the hull and or props should be considered.
  19. W. Arthur

    W. Arthur New Member

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    Hello Cap. Dad,

    I'm pulling mid 20th Century diesel engine history into your 2011 overheat picture... we’re traveling back to an extremely difficult to diagnose diesel engine overheat occurrence, circa mid 1960’s – spent a year to locate the problem (along with Perkins Factory Technicians finally onboard for a long demo cruise). Because I and my dad were so close to this situation it still feels like yesterday ...my memory works well on this baby!

    Seeing as both of your engines began to overheat at the same time and at the same level of higher RPM: Think very carefully; did you overheat or in any way stress the engines to the point that could have warped or hairline cracked the engines’ heads? As was found to be our case, miniscule warp or hairline fracture on the heads might be your problem. In our Perkins it was a hairline crack in the head and it ran cool at low to mid rpm... soon as we powered up it slightly warped and overheated every time. Perkins’ Factory Tech Engineers had heat sensors attached all over the head as we powered up and overheating began. They finally diagnosed the cause. Once a new head was installed – no more overheating any longer at any rpm.

    I know this cause is hard to locate and expensive to rectify. I hope you find a simpler solution – but if you run out of options, or feel you may have had something occur that might have damaged both engines heads simultaneously, keep what I say in mind. GOOD LUCK!

    Best regards, W.
  20. K1W1

    K1W1 Senior Member

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    Hi,

    If the thermostats are in doubt they can be removed and tested in a pot of hot water with the temperature being measured as each part opens.


    That said I would be surprised if they had all gone leg up at the same time.

    CatTech has offered some good troubleshooting tips to narrow down the areas where the problem is occurring.