Chapter | 08 - Operating Troubles, Emergency Operation | Page 1 of 6
08 Operating Troubles, Emergency Operation version : 08-9601-00
08.1 Troubleshooting
Preventive measures, see chapter [03] and [04] . Some possible operating troubles require prompt action. Operators should acquire knowledge
of this chapter for immediate action when needed.
Trouble See chapter,
Possible reason section
1. Crankshaft does not rotate at starting attempt
a) The turning device is engaged. [11.1.1] , [11.3] , [21.1]
NOTE! Engine cannot be started when turning device is engaged.
However, before starting, always check that turning device is removed.
b) Starting air pressure too low, shut-off valve on starting air inlet pipe closed [21.1]
c) Starting air solenoid valve faulty [21]
d) Starting automation outside engine faulty [03.1.2] , [23]
e) Air starter faulty [21.2]
f) Starting air pressure too high (> 10 bar) starting interlock [21.1]
2. Crankshaft rotates but engine fails to ignite
a) Too low speed, see 1b
b) Automatic shut-down device is not in start position [23]
c) Load limit of control shaft or of governor is set at too low a value [Fig 22-1]
d) Faulty overspeed trip device solenoid valve [22.5]
e) Governor does not respond [22.4]
f) Some part of fuel control mechanism jamming and prevents fuel admission [22]
g) Fuel and injection system not vented, pipe connections between injection pumps and injection valves not [Fig 07-6] , [16.3] ,
tightened [17.4]
h) Fuel filter clogged [17.1]
i) Three-way cock of fuel filter wrongly set, valve in fuel inlet pipe closed, fuel day tank empty, fuel feed [17.1]
pump not started or faulty
j) Very low air and engine temperatures (preheat circulating water!) in connection with fuel of low ignition [02.1]
quality
k) Fuel insufficiently preheated or precirculated [Fig 02-1] , [02.1.6]
l) Too low compression pressure. Inlet or exhaust valve jamming in open position. "Negative" valve [06.1]
clearance (strong blowing noise).
m) Faulty governor [22]
3. Engine ignites irregularly, some cylinders do not fire at all
a) Jamming valves, inadequate fuel supply, too low temperatures, see 2f, g, h, j, k, l, 4d
b) Injection pump control rack wrongly adjusted [22.3]
c) Injection pump faulty (plunger or tappet sticking; delivery valve spring broken, delivery valve sticking) [16.2]
d) Injection valve faulty; nozzle holes clogged [16.4]
e) Piston rings ruined; too low compression pressure [11.4.4]
f) In special cases, in engines which have to idle continuously for longer periods (several hours), for some
reason, it is advisable to adjust the rack positions carefully (reduce rack position somewhat on those
cylinders having the highest exhaust gas temperatures, increase somewhat on those cylinders not firing).
This adjustment should be done in small steps and the difference between rack positions of the cylinders
should not exceed 1 mm.
4. Engine speed not stable
a) Governor adjustment faulty (normally too low compensation) [22]
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Chapter | 08 - Operating Troubles, Emergency Operation | Page 2 of 6
b) See point 2f
c) Fuel feed pressure too low [01.2]
d) Water in preheated fuel (vapour lock in injection pumps) [02.1.3]
e) Loading automation outside engine faulty (e.g. controllable pitch propeller) [23]
5. Knocks or detonations occur in engine
(if reason cannot be found immediately, stop the engine!)
a) Big end bearing clearance too large (loose screws !) [06.2] , [07.3]
b) Valve spring or injection pump tappet spring broken [12.3]
c) Inlet or exhaust valve jamming when open
d) Too large valve clearances [06.1] , [12.2.4]
e) One or more cylinders badly overloaded, see 3b
f) Injection pump/valve tappet (multihousing) guide block loose [Fig 07-4] , [16.1]
g) Initial phase of piston seizure
h) Insufficient preheating of engine in combination with fuel of low ignition quality [Fig 02-1]
j) Fuel injection timing wrong [13.2.2]
6. Dark exhaust gases
a) Late injection (wrongly set camshaft drive) [13.2.2]
b) See 3b, c, d
c) Engine overloaded (check the positions of the fuel injection pump racks)
d) Unsufficient charge air pressure Test Records
- air intake clogged 04.7
- turbocharger compressor dirty 04.4
- charge air cooler clogged on air side 04.9
- turbocharger turbine badly fouled 04.5
NOTE! Engines starting on heavy fuel may smoke if left idling.
7. Engine exhaust gases blue-whitish or gray whitish
a) Excessive lubricating oil consumption due to: gas blow-by past piston rings; worn or broken oil scraper [03.3.5] , [06.2]
rings or worn cylinder liners; sticking compression rings; compression rings turned upside-down; ring
scuffing (burning marks on sliding surfaces)
b) Blue-whitish exhaust gases may occasionally occur when engine has been idling for a lengthy time or at
low ambient temperature, or for a short time after starting
c) Gray whitish exhaust gases due to water leakage from turbocharger or multiduct
8. Exhaust gas temperature of all cylinders abnormally high
a) Engine badly overloaded (check injection pump rack positions) Test Records
b) See point 6d
c) Charge air temperature too high [01.2]
- charge air cooler clogged on water side or dirty on air side [15.2]
- water temperature to air cooler too high, water quantity unsufficient [01.2]
- engine room temperature abnormally high [01.3]
d) Excessive deposits in cylinder head inlet or exhaust ports [12.2.1]
e) Exhaust pipe pressure after turbine high
9. Exhaust gas temperature of one cylinder above normal Test Records
a) Faulty exhaust gas thermometer/ sensor [23.1.6]
b) Exhaust valve [12.3]
- jamming when open
- "negative" valve clearance
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Chapter | 08 - Operating Troubles, Emergency Operation | Page 3 of 6
- sealing surface blown by (burned)
c) Faulty injection valve [16.4]
- opening pressure much too low
- sticking of nozzle needle when open
- broken spring
- nozzle cracked
d) Late injection [13.2.2]
e) Fuel supply insufficient (filter clogged) [01.2]
f) Injection pump faulty, fuel rack sticking in high load position [16.2]
10. Exhaust gas temperature of one cylinder below normal
a) Faulty exhaust gas thermometer/ sensor [23.1.6]
b) See 2f, h, 3b, c, d
c) Leaky injection pipe or pipe fittings [Fig 07-6]
d) When idling, see 3f
11. Exhaust gas temperatures very unequal
a) See 9a, c, e
b) Too low fuel feed pressure: too small flow through injection pumps [01.2]
(see 2h, i). May cause great load differences between cylinders although injection pump rack positions are
the same.
Dangerous! Causes high thermal overload in individual cylinders.
c) See points 2l, 3b, c, d, e
d) When idling, see point 3f
e) Exhaust pipe or turbine nozzle ring partly clogged [15.1.3]
12. Lubricating oil pressure lacking or too low [01.2]
a) Check the pressure difference indicator [23.1.6]
b) Faulty pressure gauge, gauge pipe clogged [23.1.6]
c) Lubricating oil level in oil sump too low [01.1] , [18.1]
d) Lubricating oil pressure control valve out of adjustment or jamming [18.5]
e) Three-way cock of lubricating oil filter wrongly set [18.8]
f) Leakage in lubricating oil suction pipe connections [18.1]
g) Lubricating oil badly diluted with diesel oil, viscosity of oil too low [02.2]
h) Lubricating oil pipes inside engine loose or broken [18.1]
13. Too high lubricating oil pressure
a) See 12b and d
14. Too high lubricating oil temperature [01.2]
a) Faulty thermometer [23.1.6]
b) Insufficient cooling water flow through oil cooler (faulty pump, air in system, valve closed), too high raw [19.1]
water temperature
c) Oil cooler clogged, deposits on tubes [18.6]
d) Faulty thermostat valve [18.7]
15. Abnormally high cooling water outlet temperature, difference between cooling water inlet [01.2]
and outlet temperatures too large
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Chapter | 08 - Operating Troubles, Emergency Operation | Page 4 of 6
a) One of thermometers faulty [23.1.6]
b) Circulating water cooler clogged, deposits on tubes [19.1]
c) Insufficient flow of cooling water through engine (circulating water pump faulty), air in system, valves [19.3]
closed
d) Thermostat valve faulty [19.4]
16. Water in lubricating oil [03.3.1]
a) Leaky oil cooler [18.6]
b) Leakage at cylinder liner O-rings (always pressure test when cooling water system has been drained or [10.6]
cylinder liners have been dismantled)
c) Faulty lubricating oil separator. See separator instruction book!
d) Leakage at LT cooling connection between engine block and free end cover [19.1]
17. Water in charge air receiver (escapes through drain pipe in air cooler housing) [15.2.1]
a) Leaky air cooler [15.2]
b) Condensation (too low charge air cooling water temperature) [Fig 03-1]
c) Leakage from multiduct [20.1]
18. Engine looses speed at constant or increased load
a) Engine overloaded, a further increase of fuel supply is prevented by the mechanical load limiter [Fig 22-1]
b) See 2c, f, g, h, i
c) See 4c, d, 5g, 19d
19. Engine stops
a) Shortage of fuel, see 2h, i
b) Overspeed trip device has tripped [22.5]
c) Automatic stop device has tripped [23.1]
d) Faulty governor or governor drive [22.1]
20. Engine does not stop although stop lever is set in stop position or remote stop signal is given
a) Injection pump control rack wrongly set, see 3b
Trip the overspeed trip device manually. If the engine does not stop immediately, block fuel supply as
near the engine as possible.
Before restarting the engine, the fault must be located and corrected.
Great risk of overspeed.
b) Faulty stop automation. Stop by means of stop lever [23.1]
c) The engine is driven by generator or propeller or by another engine connected to same reduction gear
21. Engine overspeeds and does not stop although overspeed trip device trips
a) Injection pump control rack wrongly set, see 3b. Load the engine, if possible. [16.2]
Block fuel supply.
b) An overspeeding engine is hard to stop. Therefore, check regularly the adjustment of the control [22.2]
mechanism (the injection pump rack positions)
1) the stop lever being in stop position or the overspeed trip device being tripped and the speed governor
at max. fuel admission
2) the stop lever and the overspeed trip being in work position and the speed governor in stop position.
This control should be done always when the control mechanism or the injection pumps have been
touched.
08.2 Emergency operation
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Chapter | 08 - Operating Troubles, Emergency Operation | Page 5 of 6
08.2.1 Operation with defective air cooler
If the water tubes of an air cooler are defective, the cooling water may enter the cylinders. If water or water mist flows out of the drain pipe at
the bottom of the cooler housing, check whether it is cooling water or condensate. If condensate, reduce cooling (see chapter 03., [Fig 03-1] ).
If raw water, stop the engine as soon as possible and fit a spare cooler.
If no spare cooler is available, the following can be done as an emergency solution:
1 Dismantle the cooler for repair and blank off the opening in the charge air cooler housing. Connect the cooling water supply direct
to the lubricating oil cooler. Repair the cooler, e.g. by plugging the leaking tubes.
Note!
This will influence on the water flow to the lube oil cooler and the lube oil temperature will increase.
2 Operating with a partially plugged or removed air cooler. Engine output must be limited so that the normal full load exhaust
temperatures are not exceeded.
The turbocharger may surge before the admissible exhaust temperatures are reached. In such a case, engine load must be reduced
further to avoid continuous surging.
08.2.2 Operation with defective turbocharger
See chapter 15., section [15.1.6] .
08.2.3 Operation with defective cams
If the camshaft piece with damaged cams cannot be removed and replaced by a new one, the engine can be kept running by the following
measures:
A) Injection pump cams:
Slight damage:
Set injection pump control rod into zero position and lock it by a wire around the pump.
Bad damage:
Lock the tappet roller of the injection pump in the upper position. See chapter [16] .
Attention!
Concerning torsional vibrations and other vibrations, see chapter 08, section [08.2.5] .
When operating with a shut-off injection pump over a long period of time, the valve push rods of the inlet and outlet valves are to be removed,
and the indicator valve on the respective cylinder is to be opened once an hour to allow any accumulated oil to escape.
Caution!
Oil mist escaping from the indicator valve may cause a fire.
With one cylinder out of operation, reduce load to prevent exhaust temperature of the remaining cylinders from exceeding normal full load
temperatures.
B) Valve cams
Stop fuel injection to the cylinder concerned, see chapter [16] . Remove the valve push rods and cam followers of the cylinder. Replace the
tubes covering the push rods.
Attention!
Concerning torsional vibrations and other vibrations, see chapter 08, section [08.2.5] .
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Chapter | 08 - Operating Troubles, Emergency Operation | Page 6 of 6
With one cylinder out of operation, reduce load to prevent exhaust temperatures of the remaining cylinders from exceeding the normal full load
temperatures.
08.2.4 Operation with removed piston and connecting rod
If damage on piston, connecting rod or big end bearing cannot be repaired, the following can be done to allow emergency operation:
1 Remove the piston and the connecting rod.
2 Cover lubricating oil bore in crank pin with a suitable hose clip, and secure.
3 Fit completely assembled cylinder head but omit valve push rods.
4 Shut down injection pump (chapter [16] .).
Attention!
Concerning torsional vibrations and other vibrations, see chapter 08., section [08.2.5] .
With one cylinder out of operation, reduce load to prevent exhaust temperature of the remaining cylinders from exceeding normal full load
temperatures.
If the turbocharger surge, reduce load further to avoid continuous surging.
Operation with piston and conrod of one or more cylinders removed should be performed only in absolute emergency conditions when there are
no other means of proceeding under own power.
08.2.5 Torsional vibrations and other vibrations
When running the engine with one cylinder or more out of operation, the balance of the engine is disturbed, and severe or even dangerous
vibrations may occur. The vibration conditions are in practice dependant on the type of the installation, but as general advice it can be said that
when there are cylinders out of order, the following should be applied.
In installations with variable speed the lowest speed should, if possible, be used when driving acc. to chapter [08.2.4] .
Copyright ©2001-2007
Wärtsilä Corporation
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