Diesel Engine Troubleshooting|21-22

The Best Guide For Marine

Engineers
January 17, 2021 by Marinediesel
Table of Contents
diesel engine troubleshooting

diesel engine troubleshooting|21-22 The Best Guide for Marine

Engineers 6
In this post on diesel engine troubleshooting- Marine Engines i will
explain the most common problem in marine Auxiliary Engines. This
post will be helpful in Marine Engineers and will be a guide in
problem-solving. Let us proceed further

Numerous cases of marine diesel engine failure are a moderately

small range of blunders. Most of the Engineer reports the engine
failure in a very short period without diagnosing the fault logically..
It is always critical to solving the problem logically and
systematically rather than jumping to conclusions.

It has often been observed that the tank had no fuel despite a gauge
reading indicating a full tank. These types of misleading readings
are the results of instrument malfunctioning with improper
calibration and the reliable way to ensure the amount of fuel in the
tank by looking at the sight glass and dipstick. Follow the tips on this
post for diesel engine troubleshooting.

diesel engine troubleshooting|21-22 The Best Guide for Marine

Engineers 7
The most common causes of diesel engine troubleshooting
are listed as under.

1. Abnormal Exhaust
2. Hard to start
3. Lack of power
4. Overheating
5. Defective instruments
6. Malfunctioning of alarms and sensors
 7. Air Leakages
8. Fuel leakages and malfunctioning of fuel injection
equipment.

Abnormal Exhaust (diesel engine troubleshooting)

Black Smoke

Inefficient combustion of fuel will produce the black colour smoke.

Due to the inadequate supply of air for the combustion, this
phenomenon occurs. This situation arises due to the restricted air
intake. There are the following reasons for the lack of proper air
supply for combustion.

 Failure of Turbocharger
 Restricted air intake
 Improper valve clearance
 Injector malfunctioning.
 Fuel injection pumps malfunctioning.
 Disturbed fuel timing.
 Poor grade of fuel
Remedy: – Carry out the following; for -diesel engine
troubleshooting

Check the Turbocharger speed and charge air pressure. In

case of speed is low with low charge air pressure then
overhaul the Turbocharger.
 Check restriction in air intake
 Check and adjust the valve clearance.
 Calibrate the injector and adjust the correct working
pressure.
 Check the fuel injection pump and check the pressure
developed by each pump with steady holding of fuel
pressure.
 Check and re-adjust the fuel timing.
 Get the fuel tested in the lab and match the parameters
that of the supplier with the lab report.
Blue Smoke:-is due to the Lubricating oil being carried into the
combustion chamber and getting burnt. Causes Lube oil in the
combustion chamber is as under for the diesel engine
troubleshooting

High oil level in Engine Sump.

 Excessive wear down of Cylinder Piston assembly. Due to
the increased clearances between Piston and Cylinder
Liner Lube oil will be carried into the combustion
chamber.
 Worn out Piston rings. If the oil scraper ring is not able to
scrape down the oil, it will remain on the cylinder walls
and will be carried into the combustion chamber.
Remedy: – carry out the following. (diesel engine troubleshooting)

 Check the sump level and maintain the correct working

level.
 Check the compression pressure and if the results of
multi-units are negative then undertake the overhauling.
Following reasons are the cause of Grey smoke.

 Retarded injection timing due to the leaky fuel Injector,

low injection pressure, Poor atomization of fuel.
 Leaky Valve seat rings.
 Excessive water mixed in fuel.
Remedy:-

 Test and calibrate the injectors.

 Check the compression pressures. If found less than the
specified limit then strip down the unit and check the
valve seat rings and condition of Piston and Liners
 Drain the water from fuel tanks’ regularly.

Engine hard to start

Listed below are the reasons for the hard to start

 Low Starting air pressure

 Main air starting valve malfunctioning.
 Stuck starting valve in the cylinder head.
  Ingress of water into combustion chamber due to leaky
cylinder head causing hydraulic lock and restricting the
movement during starting.
 Air in the fuel system
 Choked fuel filters
 Closed fuel line valves.
 The stop trip has not been re-adjusted.
 Low Fuel oil level in tank or no fuel in tank
 Water in fuel
 Faulty fuel injectors
 Wrong fuel timing
 Fuel injection pumps leaking
 Leaky fuel injection pipes
 Plunger seized in a barrel of FIP
 Fuel rack stuck in one position.
 Broken delivery valve and spring in FIP.
 The engine is cold.

Lack of power

 Chocked air supply

 Restrictions in the exhaust line
 Wear in the valve train
 Fuel injection valve not working properly
 Fuel injection pumps are not supplying the metered and
fuel with appropriate pressure
 Lack of Compression
 Worn piston rings
 Heavy carbon deposits on intake valve or valve seats
 Leaky inlet valve
 Defective turbocharger
 fouled charge air cooler

Engines run on air but don’t start firing

 Valve open
 Airlock in the fuel system
 Chocked filter
 Incorrect setting fuel pump
 High viscosity fuel
 Low Lubricating oil level in tank
The engine slows down or stops

 Defective Governor driving gear

 Low fuel delivery by fuel valve/injector
 Fuel contaminated by water
 Overload
 Unbalanced load in cylinders
 Cooling water pump stopped/not working

Engine over speeds

 Governor gear damaged or out of order

 Inadequate response of fuel pump to the governor

Excessive back pressure

 Chocked exhaust outlet

 Insufficient lift of exhaust valve

Engine kicks back

 The leaky or sticky starting valve

 Sluggish roller movement on cam base circle sufficient or
low air pressure

Low compression pressures in cylinders

 Leaking Valves
 Carbon formation on the valve face
 Leaky or broken piston rings
 Cylinder head joint leaking
 Choked air inlet filter
 The dirty charged air filter in the Turbocharged engine
 Turbocharger not running at the correct speed
Incorrect firing times (diesel engine troubleshooting)

 Wrong clearance between fuel pump cam and roller

 Incorrectly meshed transmission gear between the main
gear and camshaft gear
Engine runs irregularly

 Damaged Governor gear

 Fuel line or fuel pump is with air lock
 Water in fuel
 Overload
 Leaky fuel pump valve
 Leaky injection nozzle
 Sticking fuel pump
 Defective/enlarged injection nozzles
 Faulty delivery of fuel

Heavy Knocking-in cylinders (diesel engine

troubleshooting)

 Too early or too late injection

 Chocked or enlarged nozzle holes
 Improper sitting back of Injector valve
 Abnormal pressure setting of the Injection nozzle
 Slack top or bottom bearing
 Piston slap
 Too high tappet clearance of inlet or exhaust valve
 Overload
 Insufficient lubricating oil
 Too hot circulating water.
Pre-ignition in Cylinders

 Disturbed Injection nozzle

 Early Injection
 Early ignition
Engine stops suddenly

 No fuel
 Water in fuel
 Airlock
 Seized piston
 Vapor lock in the fuel line
One cylinder stops firing

 Airlock
  Leaky fuel pump
 unequal fuel supply
 Wrong fuel valve timing
 Fallen of compression
Lubricating oil pressure drops for the diesel engine
troubleshooting

 Chocked oil filter

 Leaky /bypass valve
 Low oil level in the sump
High cooling water outlet temperatures

 Vapor lock in the water line

 Low water pressure
 Chocked PHE ( Plate heat exchangers)
 Failure of cooling water pump
 The engine is too hot
 Malfunctioning of thermostatic valve
Knocking at top dead center

 Early injection
 Wrong fuel
Reasons for foundation bolts cracking on marine
diesel engines

There have been instances when cases of Foundation bolts cracking

have been reported. The common reason for the foundation bolts
cracking is listed below.

1. Checking of the tightness has not been carried out during

maintenance.
2. High vibration in Engine.
3. Material Failure