Homemade remote start for Westerbeke

K

k9medic

Active Member
Mar 27, 2013
597
Florida
Boat Info
1998 420 Aft Cabin
Engines
twin 3116 CATs
I have a hate, hate relationship with my Westerbeke genny.

It has the remote start function on the panel that has all but failed. When I hold the panel switch down to start it, the genny makes all of the sounds that it should but when I release the switch it stops.

I have been having issues with the remote start since I bought the boat so now I am thinking of bypassing it completely since it starts and runs good when I start it from within the engine room.

My thought would be to simply extend the wires to the panel in the salon from the current switches in the engine room. Is there any reason that somebody can think of when this would not work?
 
Any chance that you have schematics for the current setup? I'd be happy to help you troubleshoot the existing setup if you wish to keep it.

The one thing that comes to the top of my head is what current do you expect to have flow through the new wiring? So the question is, does the functioning switch in the engine compartment control the starter solenoid or a smaller relay? If you do go this route, make sure that you fuse the new lines as close to the existing switch as possible so that the new lines are protected if accidentally pinched or cut.

Note: I do have the schematics for the 420 AC - I am looking at buying one in a few years...

Let me have a look
 
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I believe the Westerbeke generators have a switch on the side or back of the control panel (At the generator itself). This switch activates or disables the remote panel start. If you can start it at the generator but not from the panel it has been activated. My understanding is only one of the controls will work at a time depending on the position of this switch.
I would start there first.
 
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If you throw this switch to the opposite position, do the start controls at the genny still work?
 
I have to use the bypass switch that is mounted to the generator now.

I have tried a new remote switch and have also checked the power output as well as the
"safety" connections like oil pressure to make sure they all worked.

I'm leaning towards the genny control module being bad.
 
Hold on - A lot of sea rays in this era used a sea ray system for remote control of the genny......and people are known to have problems with it.....when I installed my westerbeke, I bought the remote control from them - essentially just a harness that does what your thinking of doing and a rocker switch...your genny probably has a remote harness plug in it (maybe the sea ray system is plugged into it.......despite how simple it is, I once had a problem too.....a contact on the control board leading to a pin on the remote plug went bad.....my solution? a jumper wire to splice into the internal harness - I feel your pain with westerbeke.......subsidizing a "sinking ship" of a company by fucking us on the cost of parts
 
Parallelling t he start switch is going to be tricky because you also have to rewirw the bypass circuit and include wiring for the preheat and start switches. Westerbeke does sell a remote panel with switches that is plug and play to the wiring in the control box.

But, I think you are correct.......the generator control module is bad. I would call Sea Ray Customer Service (after 1/2/18 when they re-open) and tell them your problem. I'm pretty sure they show the module as NLA, but their guys are usually helpful and will hook you up with the vendor they used. Their system for the vendors has a contact# and person to call for problems. On a 20 year old boat, I am sure the vendor restrictions against selling direct have expired. It is very likely that they have a similar module for another application that you can buy to avoid running a whole host of wiring to a very difficult spot to access on the boat.
 
Guys, I just had a similar issue and fortunately my genset guy was really good at working on these late 90's Sea Ray/Westerbeke issues. My issue, just as you describe was only a bad spade connector inside the control box on the genny. It was held on by one or two wire threads giving intermittent issues. Could only see the connection with a mirror. Our first thought was the control module was bad.

More importantly, my genset guy has a new in the box interface/generator control module that Frank references. They are impossible to find so I am happy to refer you to the source. Dan Frazier (Lakelandpower@outlook.com) or 706-352-7224.
 
Cocktail Time - thank you so much for the contact info. I called Dan and bought a module. It just so happens I'm headed to Jefferson GA tomorrow for the weekend and I'll pick it up in person on Friday.
 
Hope that fixes your genny issues, let us know how things work out. I see a lot of the same problems come up with these westerbeke gensets but they run great when they are working.
 
Well so much for the new module.

I got to the boat today and plug-in the module with much anticipation.

Unfortunately the same symptoms exist.

I also have a new one: I have no AC output from the generator.
 
Did you swap the old module back in to see if the no output issue went away? I wonder if the new module has an issue.
One way or another, I'm starting to think you have a wiring issue from the helm.
 
Yes. I swapped the other bottle back. The module only controls the starting side not the electrical output.

I’m now wondering if maybe it is a capacitor issue.
 
As far as the no output goes, if you dig in the other forums and dont find anything, that might be worth a new post in the electrical thread. I'm going to print the schems for your systems tomorrow at work and see if I can spot something or at least give you some places to do some checking. How strong are your electrical/electronics skills?
 
Thanks northshore.

I know my way around a multimeter pretty good. I've been staring at the wiring diagrams for the Westerbeke for the past hour.

I'm hopeful that when I go back down to the boat on Friday that if I bypass the AC circuit breaker on the genny it will solve my problem but somehow I don't think so.
 
Darnit, K9, I thought we had you hooked up. Hope you get this sorted and it isn't a big deal.
 
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