Westerbeke 7kw problem solved

Daryl

New Member
Jun 25, 2008
62
Lake Texoma
Boat Info
2014 250 SLX
Engines
8.2 Horz.
I recently posted in another thread about a generator issue. I just wanted to say the problem is solved no thanks to Westerbeke. My local marina and AER tried there best to get assistance through Westbeke but they were unresponsive to calls and emails. Thanks to my local contacts we were able to solve the issue. :thumbsup: My point is, there are numerous problem in the industry and you need to develop a good relationship with local repair facilities.:grin:

FYI, the problem was 2 burned out capacitors and diodes. I first noticed it when my A/C would not run on generator power. The Westerbeke book I got from Sea Ray was limited help since my generator was apparently not built per the book.:smt021
 
I have a Westerbeke too. This past weekend the output would only reach 40-50 volts, so nothing was working. I have not had time to look into it any further. I was just wandering if this sounds familiar.
 
I have had fits with my Westerbeke 7.0 BCG where I have to turn on the stove burners to get enough load to get the voltage from 50v to 100v until the a/c compressors kick in. It rarely goes over 100v on genset, with 2 16000 btu a/c units, and nearly all other 12 and 120v appliances on. It will run all day like that, though. Shore power, 120v on the nose.
 
I have had fits with my Westerbeke 7.0 BCG where I have to turn on the stove burners to get enough load to get the voltage from 50v to 100v until the a/c compressors kick in. It rarely goes over 100v on genset, with 2 16000 btu a/c units, and nearly all other 12 and 120v appliances on. It will run all day like that, though. Shore power, 120v on the nose.

Might want to service that governor on the genny. They are to have the oil changed every once in a while. SOunds to me like a low load rpm problem.
 
Sounds similar in that when the A/C tried to kick on it pulled 25amps and my bad capcitors could not catch the load. We installed new capaitors, spark plugs and a clean air filter then readjusted the rpms. When the A/C kicked in the load would go down less that 100v and shutdown the A/C. The low voltage lead us to bad diodes. So after replacing 2 (18mf) capicitors and new diodes, all is good. I am now putting out between 120v-130v and holding that output when stuff kicks on.

I mention the capacitors size because that is not the size shown in my Westerbeke manual but it was the size that was installed at the factory. Also there were gain controls mentioned in the book that my generator does not have! It is my understanding that these gain settings some how effect how quickly the generator responds to changes in load.
 
Thanks for the suggestions. The whole genny needs a once over. It's been 10 years, and I'm sure the PO didn't do anything to it. Unfortunately, I have to pull half an engine to get it out.
 
Westerbeke makes solid generators. They do not sell direct to end customers or work directly with end customers. They sell through their distributor and dealer network. To expect them to diagnose problems over email is wholly unrealistic. End customers exposing themselves to high voltage in a confined space is a reciept for disaster and lawsuits.

Most of their products can be easily maintained and diagnosed. Sadly, most are poorly maintained by their owners which results in the generators early demise. A unit that is not producing proper voltage (greater than 0 and less than 110v) should be serviced by someone who is trained to work on it.

-John
 
I like Westerbekes compared to Kohlers or whatever else is available out there for the marine industry because they are rated at 1800 rpm and quiet without a sound shield, vibrate less, are fundamentally simple and easy to repair, actually very reliable and last for thousands of hours if maintained right. Now, if Honda would make marine generators, I would definitly want one of those, but they don't.

I wonder what impact it had on Westerbeke to lose the Sea Ray contract to Kohler. MAtter of fact i don't even know who anymore installs Westerbeke's today.
 
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I had to have mine unbuckled and pulled out of he baot yesterday so my tech can pop the top and assess the damage. I had water intrusion after being serviced due to hunting. Well the hunting was fixed but I discovered water in the oil and a tick I have never heard before. Before pulling, mech said cylinder #1 had no compression and #2had 30lbs less than #3. When he pulled the gen out he discovered that the anti-siphon valve was either stuck, bad or installed incorrectly (forgot which one he emphasized).
 
I have the service manual for the 7.0 BCG. I read the troubleshooting instructions a few times, and determined the cause and solution for 2 issues that I am having.

Hard starting: 30 seconds or more of cranking to get the engine to fire
This is due to the choke solenoid not pulling the butterfly closed. I confirmed this by physically holding the choke solenoid when cranking. Started right up. I removed the flame arrestor and observed that the solenoid was not pulling the arm in and closing the butterfly. The reason was a build up of salt and corrosion on the linkage arm springs and the arm's mounting bolt. I (gingerly) dissassembled the linkage and cleaned all parts. I also replaced the spring with a new one from a carb rebuild kit, and it now works perfectly.

Low voltage with no load, and low voltage with load: I have experienced appx 50-70 volts on startup, that will rise to about 100v with full load. I performed a continuity test of the windings to make sure I had continuity across the diodes, but no continuity between the 2 sets of windings. That gave me confidence that the engine was running slow. I made a gross adjustment of the governer speed control to obtain 115 volts at full load. The governer did a little hunting, and then settled down. I am now convinced that I have been living with a genny that was just running slow. To make a fine adjustment, you need a frequency meter to set the speed for 60 cycles, as that is more important than the voltage setting. I have found a couple reasonably priced frequency monitors. the one I picked has other purposes too, such as calculating how much electricity a particular appliance uses in a month. I ran the genset yesterday for about 6 hours and everything worked great. Here's a link to the frequency/voltage monitor.
http://www.amazon.com/P3-International-Kill-Electricity-Monitor/dp/B00009MDBU
 
Just an idea for those that don't have or want to purchase a frequency meter. If you have a clock that works from the 120VAC (the old ones) this is run by a synchronous motor. Run the generator and plug the clock in and adjust the generator speed until the second hand of the clock matches the rate of the second hand on your wristwatch. To get better accuraracy make the adjustment say after 5 minutes or so, this slould allow you to get close to the desired 60Hz frequency. I haven't tried this technique but it should work.
 
Received the freq/voltage meter today, and checked my blind adjustment. I was at 58-59 hz, so not too bad. Adjusted to 60.5 with no load, and 59.5 to 60.5 full load. I will run it this weekend to see how stable it stays. I plugged it into a short extension cord in the cockpit, and had it right next to me when adjusting the governer. Best 20 bucks I've spent yet!
 
Old thred, new problem for me. 3yo WB 7.0 BCGD. Flawless performance for 3 seasons. 104 hours. All maintenance as per manual. Out of nowhere this year getting 50 volts at 1800rpm, as confirmed by digital handheld tach. Generator is still under 5 yr warranty. Sounds like a diode or capacitor issue but that's a bit above my knowledge base. Need to find some authorized WB person here in NJ to take a look. This is not going to be easy.
 
Just had this same issue. I removed the side panel where the transformer is located. The main white wire was vey loose. I tightened the nut and it’s fixed. So look for loose wires!
 

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