I don't have a universal or any experience with one but it sounds to me like the glow plugs are drawing down the starting voltage. I would suggest installing a solenoid for the glow plugs in addition to a solenoid for the starter. The 2 articles below talk about poorly wired universal panels and make similar suggestions.
http://www.pbase.com/mainecruising/universal_wiring_harness_upgrade http://www.pbase.com/mainecruising/solder_trouble_shooting Josh Muckley S/V Sea Hawk 1989 C&C 37+ Solomons, MD On Aug 11, 2015 8:50 AM, "Neil Gallagher via CnC-List" < cnc-list@cnc-list.com> wrote: > The power to the starter button is supposed to come off the switched > terminal of the glow plug button. You are supposed to to have to push the > glow plug switch and the starter switch every time you start, as the glow > plug switch also powers both the electric fuel pump until the oil pressure > builds up, and silences the low oil pressure alarm. Once the oil pressure > rises, its switch powers the fuel pump. > > I put an M30B in our club launch and it has the same setup. > > Neil Gallagher > Weatherly, 35-1 > Glen Cove, NY > > > On 8/10/2015 11:15 PM, David Knecht via CnC-List wrote: > > Since I got my boat, I have been bothered by the fact that the engine will > not start in the way it is described in the manual unless plugged into > shore power. The manual says to hold the glow plug button for about 30 > seconds and then while continuing to hold that button in, push the start > button. When I do that, the starter does not turn over. If I release the > glow plug button and push the start button the engine starts fine. My > father (retired electrical engineer) and I (genetic engineer- useless in > this case but sounds good) spent some time trying to diagnose the problem > this weekend and found two interesting things: > > 1. The buttons both tested fine in terms of their switch function. We > then tested power at the engine. There is a heavy red cable coming from > the battery to the starter measured 12V. The red-yellow wire from the > start button is attached to what I am presuming is the solenoid (the wiring > diagram in the manual does not show a solenoid). We only measured 8 volts > at the solenoid when the button is pushed, but 12 volts everywhere else. > So that probably explains the fact that both the glow plugs and starter > won’t work at the same time because we appear to be losing 4 volts in the > solenoid. I will pull the starter next winter and have someone test it > unless someone has an alternative suggestion. > > 2. The wiring diagram in the manual (Fig 2 on page 13) shows the power > from the key switch coming into the glow plug button and then a wire from > the other lead to the start button. The manual shows that wire running > from the downstream side of the glow plug switch so that the start button > should only be energized when the glow plug button is pushed (as the manual > describes). If that were the case, the I would not be able to start the > engine with only the start button. Nevertheless, it does start the > engine. Tracing the wires, we found that the bridging wire actually came > from the hot side of the glow plug switch, so that either button will work > independently as both are always powered. What I don’t understand is why > you would wire it the other way (as the manual shows) since that would > remove the ability to start the engine without the glow plugs (as in an > already warm engine). I don’t know if the PO or some yard mechanic made > that change or if it is indicated wrong in the manual, so I am curious how > other Universal panels are wired. The way it is actually wired makes more > sense to me than what is in the manual unless I am missing something. > > Thanks- Dave > > Aries > 1990 C&C 34+ > New London, CT > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Email address:CnC-List@cnc-list.com > To change your list preferences, including unsubscribing -- go to the bottom > of page at:http://cnc-list.com/mailman/listinfo/cnc-list_cnc-list.com > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Email address: > CnC-List@cnc-list.com > To change your list preferences, including unsubscribing -- go to the > bottom of page at: > http://cnc-list.com/mailman/listinfo/cnc-list_cnc-list.com > > >
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