Volvo-Penta 5.7 Gi idles at 1800-2000 RPM

alldodge

alldodge

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Agree but this one looks like a 1 or 2 style.
fetch
 
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Firefighter5602

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Scott Danforth said:
only one I know of is Rinda http://www.rinda.com/marine/diacommarine.htm

I dont believe that the paperclip and LED works on VP's it only works on MEFI 1-4
Click to expand...

That would be awesome to have but for the price of it I can pay for a lot of diagnostic time. Not to mention the time I would have to spend learning how to use it, figuring out what everything means and figuring out what the parameters should be vs what I'm seeing on the computer. Too bad it isn't as simple as stopping by Auto Zone and having them check out the codes. lol

As unfortunate as it is, it looks like I may be at the end of my abilities without spending the money to buy specialty equipment. Looks like I'll be taking it somewhere in the next few days to get it checked out. I'm at the point of dumping money and time into buying equipment or spending the money for someone else who already has the equipment and knowledge to do the work for me. If I were to wait it out and buy the equipment I could spend all summer working on it and never get to use it, hopefully by taking it to someone else I can get it fixed and enjoy it this year.

My fire extinguisher has gone empty and the fire is still burning, time to call the fire department! lol

Thanks for all the suggestions and help, I'll be sure to post back up what the problem was once it gets fixed so everyone will know.

Doug
 
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Firefighter5602

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tpenfield replied to my pictures on page one with this :

Anyway, you may have to get the computer diagnostics, or at least a code reader on the engine. The engine controller in the picture looks like the MEFI-1 :noidea: figuring it is a 1995 model
 
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Firefighter5602

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I am still willing to give it a shot if its something I can do. I know my post seemed like an early white flag but I've been at this for a few weeks now and aren't any further along than I was when I started, other than eliminating things that it isn't.
 
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Firefighter5602

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Ok so I'm back as promised. I took it to a marina to have it worked on. They had it for the past 2 months and have replaced the IAC, MAP, TPS, ECM, intake temp sensor, knock sensor, and high pressure fuel pump. Now it won't idle, and won't rev up. When it starts and the idle settles back to where it should be it dies. If you try to rev it up to keep it running it bogs down and dies. I paid $1600 for them to change all the parts then yell at me like I did something wrong and told me to leave that they couldn't figure it out and I should just sell the boat and make it someone else's problem. Not exactly professional but regardless of that, this is where I am. I am leaning towards a fuel problem.

This boat does not have the fuel unit with the paint flaking problem I've read so much about. I have already removed the anti-siphon valve with no difference. Tomorrow I am planning to pump the fuel out of the tank and remove the tank, replace the lines and check to see if there are any blockages. Is there a screen on the pickup tube inside the tank? Maybe something has blocked it? The marina that worked on it said they checked the fuel pressures after each pump but they never checked it under a load. When they told me it was fixed and I picked it up it ran long enough to get it off the trailer but died before I got it out of the idle zone.

I'm also going to change the fuel filter tomorrow. After that my plan is to check the low pressure fuel pump and lines back to the reservoir and the float inside the reservoir. After that I'm at a loss. Anyone have any other ideas? I'm open to anything.

Thanks for the help in advance. I'd like to use my boat at least once this year. lol
 
tpenfield

tpenfield

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Yes, fuel infected engine can present challenges even for the repair shops. Then they throw a bunch of parts at it and you are in an expensive mess. Do they still have your old ECM, or did they just swap it temporarily to see if it was the problem? I would think the repair bill would be much higher if they replaced it.

Fuel pressure under load would be good to check. Also, I believe there is an ignition control module that may be worth checking out.
 
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mklearl

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Just run it on an external tank with fresh gas. I think I would make sure that it was the fuel before ripping the deck up and removing the tank. Cap and rotor changed? Ignition coil? Could be many things. Start easy and inexpensive first. Throwing parts at it is going to be costly!
 
alldodge

alldodge

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There are a lot of so called mechanic's that are actually only part changers. I would suggest need to measure the fuel pressure at the throttle body. Don't think its the tank, but agree with mklearl just run it off a remote tank, don't rip the tank out
 
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Firefighter5602

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Back again. Slowly working my way to fixing the boat but it just seems I fix one problem and another pops it head up. I pulled the throttle body and rebuilt it and found that the gasket between the throttle body and the intake was bad. When I put the throttle body back on after rebuilding it it idled perfect! When I had it on muffs in the driveway it ran like a new engine! It was a great day.

I finally got the chance to head to the lake and when I got out of the idle zone and tried to accelerate it bogged, backfired and almost died until I backed out of the throttle. It still idled fine. I slowly rolled into the throttle and it would accelerate slowly and get up on plane. It would not however run at WOT. I could run about 3/4 throttle and it would run fine at about 3800-3900 RPM but when I tried to accelerate more than that it would just bog down and slowly lose speed and RPM, if I backed back down to 3/4 throttle it would pick back up and maintain 3800-3900 RPM and run just fine.

My decking has an access panel to the tank so I have already checked that, the pick-up tube and the lines going to the fuel pump. Both fuel pumps have been replaced, the throttle body has been rebuilt and every sensor on the engine has been replaced along with the ECM. Now I am leaning towards the ignition system. The plugs, wires, distributor cap and rotor button have been replaced. I am leaning towards the ignition module and/or coil. I am trying to decide whether to buy the module or the entire distributor since it comes with a module. Opinions?

I'm so deep into this boat now that I'm going to fix it, I'd be stupid to sell it and start over with another boat now. I've had this boat for over a year now and have never had it running right and have only been on the water 4 times with it. Its driving me nuts but I'm committed! Thanks again for the help, I'm sure with your help I can get this fixed eventually! lol
 
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Firefighter5602

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I just replaced the pick-up coil on the distributor, the ignition module and the coil with no changed in the way the engine runs. I know there is a specific way to set timing on this but can't find it anywhere right now. I did bring it to #1 TDC on compression stroke and make the mark and take pictures before removing the distributor and have everything lined back up perfect to what it was before. It fired right up and idles fine but still bogs when I give it too much throttle at once. While I had everything apart I cleaned everything well and made sure everything moved and spun freely. I could also feel the magnetic pulse when I spun the distributor shaft prior to reinstalling it. Just a quick run down on everything that has been replaced to this point so you don't have to go back and look at the other posts.

MAP sensor
TPS
Crank position sensor
knock sensor
IAC
intake temperature sensor
ECM
low pressure fuel pump (lift pump)
high pressure fuel pump
fuel/water separator and fuel pump
removed anti-siphon valve on tank
checked float and lines to fuel reservoir back by high pressure fuel pump
rebuilt throttle body with new fuel pressure spring and diaphram
new throttle body base gasket
cleaned injectors
new rotor button
new distributor cap
new NGK spark plugs
new plug wires
new pick-up coil on distributor
distributor removed, cleaned and reinstalled
new ignition module
new coil
new fuel in tank several times over
new fuel line from tank to fuel filter housing (all stainless lines after that)
run 2 bottles of Sea Foam through with gas (not a fan but at my witts end!)
checked compression on all cylinders and they are all good
checked for vacuum leaks and can't find any

I can not come up with anything else to do. I have had it to a shop also and they charged me $1600 to replace some of the sensors and it ran worse when I got it back than it did when I took it to them. I only took it to them because it was spring and during baseball season (I coach) so I didn't have time to work on it and wanted it running right for the summer. That didn't work well for me. :(

If someone has the instructions on how to put the engine into timing mode so I can check it I would appreciate knowing how. I don't think its off but I'd like to check anyway. It is a 1995 Volvo-Penta 5.7 GI PMDA serial # 411 01 12778 386 B 016

I'm at a loss here, only other thing I know to do is pull the engine and start checking internals. It just seems to me that it runs too well at idle and by slowly building RPM to be something actually wrong with the engine itself.
 
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Firefighter5602

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Also, I did buy this boat used last summer. It has never run right for me and I have no idea what the history of the boat is or what work has been done in the past.
 
alldodge

alldodge

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The Gi uses the Delco EST distributor and therefore needs to be put into base timing mode. If this was a Merc you look for the DLC connector and jump pins A and B together with a paper clip to place in base timing
 
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