Options/Tools for CEL/DTC on Volvo Penta EFI

[hostage]

I have a 2010 Volvo Penta 5.7Gi and I find it frustrating to have an issue and not know what it is. My marina charges $189 to read the DTC. I really miss not having to worry about codes with a carb or miss being able to read a CEL w/ an OBDII reader. What should I buy that can tell me WTF is my boat complaining about?

It isn't the cost that pisses me off, but the damn time, effort, and fun that is lost by these companies. If it is something simple then I can fix it or maybe give the marina a heads up to the problem. Most boats have battery switches to kill off parasitic loads, so the codes go with them as we don't want a dead battery, when they get around to it.

Are there any engine manaufacturers don't play these type of games and have the ability for consumers to see what is the issue w/o buying a $700 reader? I got a yacht device nmea 2k adapter and can see my engine parameters, though haven't gotten the DTC to show up as advertised. I see the Easy Connect by Volvo Penta, but one VP dealer said it wouldn't work, while the other said it was on back order. Apparently older VP could have a LED attached to it.

My assumption is I am fine, if there is no limp home mode, which I have experienced in the past. The season is way to short and mechanics are way to busy. These manufacturers are shooting themselves in the foot.

 

[hostage]

I have a CEL/DTC, no limp home mode this time. Though not knowing and the $189 computer diagnostic fee adds up quick. I tried Yacht Devices, as it claims DTC, though all I got was a digital gauges on my phone. I am hearing that Easy Connect can show DTC. My boat has the following engine: 5.7GiC-300-J

Last year I spoke to two dealers one said it was on back order, the other said it wasn't compatible. One reason I tries Yacht Devices. If they are back in stock, then I might give it a shot, if it can provide anything useful as mechanics are busy and codes can take a while to show up.

I am curious if anyone has used it and likes it. Would also like to confirm if it will work or not on my engine.

 

[Donald0039]

Buy a Diacom. If you are going to work on your VP engine yourself that has an ECM then I would suggest you get a small laptop and Diacom adapter and software.

 

[muc]

You don’t say exactly what engine you have, so this is just general information.
Easy connect will read some codes, but not all. It wasn’t designed as a diagnostic tool, it’s main purpose is to do what you already have plus if you want, you can share the data with a Volvo dealer.
Rinda techmate (the newest version) will provide you with most of the information, but won’t do everything a good technician might need. It’s the cheapest “code reader” available.
Rinda Diacom is a laptop based product and is the best option available to anyone who isn’t a Volvo dealer.
Volvo Vodia is the only one that will do everything. This is what an above average dealer will use. But it’s only available to dealers. <insert right to repair rant here>

Here is my opinion on why engines have gotten so complicated.
I was a boat mechanic for over 30 years and started way before EFI up through when Catalysts took over.
When EFI first started taking over the owner of the dealership I worked for said “I wish we could go back to the days of carbs and points” When I asked why he’d say that. He told me that the only customers who would buy a carb boat were the first time boaters. Every experienced boater was tired of pumping the throttle and waiting for the engine to warm up, and they liked the fuel economy. And now the dealership owner has to pay to train the techs and buy the newest diagnostic equipment. So the first reason for these complex engines is that’s what the market wants. The second reason is the clean air people. Carb engines pollute way more than EFI and because the majority of people don’t boat, they don’t think they should have dirty air and water so someone else can pursue their hobby.

Almost all codes are saved in the ECM when the battery switch is turned off. If you had a CEL you will have a saved code.

You say the manufacturers are shooting themselves in the foot. But in reality they are just trying to give a better experience to the average consumer. Most people don’t realize how complicated troubleshooting has become. Back in the days of carbs, if I wanted to check for a dead cylinder I would put on a welding glove and start pulling spark plug wires to find it. If you do that with one of these new engines you run the risk of blowing a coil pack or ECM, maybe even melting the catalyst. Can get real expensive real fast. Most of the newest engines are CAN bus controlled “fly by wire” which means that the computer needs to know what each component is and where it’s located. This means that names and locations need to be assigned. If you start swapping parts around you can get a faulty diagnosis. The rules that techs operate under during diagnosis have changed, we now need to know exactly what we’re working on so we know when we can do something as simple as unplugging the ECM. On some engines just turning off the battery switch isn’t enough, they have “keep alive” circuits and it’s possible to damage the ECM while it’s powered up.

You might be ok continuing to use a boat with a CEL on, but probably not. A lot depends on if it’s amber or red. You didn’t say what exact engine you have and different engines treat faults differently. But once the engine starts to go into derate mode (power reduction) it’s now a serious problem thats probably causing damage.

I’m not saying you can’t fix this yourself, you probably can with the right knowledge and tools (there’s a reason a good tech has read most of that 400 page manual, he needs that knowledge). Just like you can remove your appendix if you want to, it just requires knowledge and tools. But sometimes it’s worth it to make an appointment and hand over the charge card.

 

[muc]

See my too lengthy reply to your other post.

Options/Tools for CEL/DTC on Volvo Penta EFI

I have a 2010 Volvo Penta 5.7Gi and I find it frustrating to have an issue and not know what it is. My marina charges $189 to read the DTC. I really miss not having to worry about codes with a carb or miss being able to read a CEL w/ an OBDII reader. What should I buy that can tell me WTF is my...

forums.iboats.com

 

[Donald0039]

You don’t say exactly what engine you have, so this is just general information.
Easy connect will read some codes, but not all. It wasn’t designed as a diagnostic tool, it’s main purpose is to do what you already have plus if you want, you can share the data with a Volvo dealer.
Rinda techmate (the newest version) will provide you with most of the information, but won’t do everything a good technician might need. It’s the cheapest “code reader” available.
Rinda Diacom is a laptop based product and is the best option available to anyone who isn’t a Volvo dealer.
Volvo Vodia is the only one that will do everything. This is what an above average dealer will use. But it’s only available to dealers. <insert right to repair rant here>

Here is my opinion on why engines have gotten so complicated.
I was a boat mechanic for over 30 years and started way before EFI up through when Catalysts took over.
When EFI first started taking over the owner of the dealership I worked for said “I wish we could go back to the days of carbs and points” When I asked why he’d say that. He told me that the only customers who would buy a carb boat were the first time boaters. Every experienced boater was tired of pumping the throttle and waiting for the engine to warm up, and they liked the fuel economy. And now the dealership owner has to pay to train the techs and buy the newest diagnostic equipment. So the first reason for these complex engines is that’s what the market wants. The second reason is the clean air people. Carb engines pollute way more than EFI and because the majority of people don’t boat, they don’t think they should have dirty air and water so someone else can pursue their hobby.

Almost all codes are saved in the ECM when the battery switch is turned off. If you had a CEL you will have a saved code.

You say the manufacturers are shooting themselves in the foot. But in reality they are just trying to give a better experience to the average consumer. Most people don’t realize how complicated troubleshooting has become. Back in the days of carbs, if I wanted to check for a dead cylinder I would put on a welding glove and start pulling spark plug wires to find it. If you do that with one of these new engines you run the risk of blowing a coil pack or ECM, maybe even melting the catalyst. Can get real expensive real fast. Most of the newest engines are CAN bus controlled “fly by wire” which means that the computer needs to know what each component is and where it’s located. This means that names and locations need to be assigned. If you start swapping parts around you can get a faulty diagnosis. The rules that techs operate under during diagnosis have changed, we now need to know exactly what we’re working on so we know when we can do something as simple as unplugging the ECM. On some engines just turning off the battery switch isn’t enough, they have “keep alive” circuits and it’s possible to damage the ECM while it’s powered up.

You might be ok continuing to use a boat with a CEL on, but probably not. A lot depends on if it’s amber or red. You didn’t say what exact engine you have and different engines treat faults differently. But once the engine starts to go into derate mode (power reduction) it’s now a serious problem thats probably causing damage.

I’m not saying you can’t fix this yourself, you probably can with the right knowledge and tools (there’s a reason a good tech has read most of that 400 page manual, he needs that knowledge). Just like you can remove your appendix if you want to, it just requires knowledge and tools. But sometimes it’s worth it to make an appointment and hand over the charge card.

Well where I live near DE beaches it's as issue where most boat shops service outboards and don't want to work on I/O. So I bought a Diacom. I have lots of tools. I read a lot.

Even if I wanted to whip out my credit card it might wait a month at a boat shop.