Maintaining Your Volvo Penta Engine: How to Determine if Your Usage and Operating Conditions Require More Frequent Maintenance
While the Volvo Penta engine is known for its reliability and durability, there are still some common issues that can arise over time. Here are a few examples of these issues and how to prevent them:
1. Corrosion: The engine is made up of many different components, and any one of them can be susceptible to corrosion over time. Now Active Corrosion Protection (ACP), a new system is fully integrated to new yachts enabling you to monitor the protection status directly from the helm for a seamless experience. For traditional anodes, it is recommended to perform inspections from time to time and replace anodes regularly.
2. Overheating: If the engine is not properly cooled, it can overheat and cause damage to the system. The normal operating temperature is around 85°C, if it’s over 90°C means slightly high. Over 97°C will trigger overheat alarm. If the overheat alarm hits, please stop the engine immediately. Here are what you can do:
- Check if there is any debris stuck at the water inlet causing insufficient water flow in the seawater filter.
- If the temperature stays over 90°C but no alarm triggered, check the hull bottom is clean or not
- Whether the impeller of seawater pump is in good condition
- Clean the heat exchangers if needed
Volvo Penta recommends operating the engine at optimal speed for maximum 1 hour only. Overall speaking, to prevent overheating, it is important to perform regular inspections of the cooling system and to keep it clean and free from debris.
3. Propeller Damage: The propellers can become damaged if they come into contact with underwater objects, such as rocks or debris. To prevent propeller damage, it is important to navigate carefully and to avoid shallow or rocky areas. You should also regularly inspect the propellers for signs of wear or damage.
4. Electrical Issues: The electrical system can experience issues if it is not properly maintained or if there are loose or damaged connections. Normally a fault alarm will be triggered if the engine detects any electrical problem. Once alarm occurred, please check the details of the fault alarm and fix it instead of ignore it. If the engine is equipped with EASY CONNECT, forward the fault message to Volvo Penta service dealer to follow up.
How to determine if your usage and operating conditions require more frequent maintenance for your Volvo Penta engine?
It is important to consider how frequently you use your boat and how many hours of operation the engine is accumulating. We recommend regular maintenance is required every 12 months or 200 hours of operation.
Another point to note is to check the engine oil level and coolant level and ensure sufficient fuel in the tank before each cruising.
Also, it is important to consider the type of use your boat is getting. For example, if you frequently operate your boat at high speeds or in rough waters, this can put additional strain on the engine and other components, which may require more frequent maintenance.
It is crucial to be proactive with maintenance and to address any issues or concerns as soon as they arise, in order to prevent more serious problems down the line.
By following a regular maintenance schedule and taking care to prevent common issues, you can ensure that your Volvo Penta engine operates at maximum performance and continues to provide reliable and efficient propulsion for your boat.
Contact us to determine if your usage and operating conditions require more frequent maintenance. Grandtech Hong Kong, as the certified dealer of Volvo Penta engines, our team can provide guidance on the specific needs of your boat based on your usage and operating conditions, and can help develop a customized maintenance plan to ensure optimal performance and reliability.
Email us at info@grtech.com.hk or call us at +852 3106 0735 to speak with our dedicated team today.