Volvo penta MDI Box

[Catleya]

Volvo Penta D2 40 MDI box problem
Now even my 3rd mdi box that I after big problems got out on warranty has broken.
Although Penta themselves sent out a bulletin containing my box's serial number, they refuse to give me a replacement box.
This is what the manager at Volvo Penta's Marketing Company Imatech in Gothenburg says:
"You don't have a receipt"
I- No the box I have received on warranty from you but you gave me a box that has a built-in error according to your own bulletin "
I show the printout to the manager who says "We take no responsibility for that because you don't have a receipt, so you have to buy a new one"
I- So you give me a box that you know has a built-in error and when it breaks you take no responsibility?
The manager "Sorry for you, if you don't have a receipt, you can buy a new one"
I- Does it help? This is the 3rd to break... That the engine starts is important to me, there can be an accident if the engine does not start at the wrong time.
Penta Manager "It's Volvo Penta who who decides, I can't do more for you"
I- Damn...#¤%&.../ - Then that meeting was over...
My question is is it possible to rebuild the engine, so you avoid the MDI box? A new one costs over 7000kr, ☹

[Scubaseas]

You might find this article helpful.
box/https://nordkyndesign.com/engine-rel...mdi-black-box/

The engine itself is fine. The MDI control the starter solenoid, shut down solenoid, excitation of the alternator and the gauges on the instrument panel. Nothing wrong with the engine itself. You could buy new gauges and install a manual starter button and be fine. I'm sure someone out there is rebuilding these.

[DougR]

Yes, of course you can change out your MDI system for a conventional system.

The original model D2-40A engines were delivered before the MDI system was introduced, and these engines used conventional senders and gages. Look back in the parts books to see what they used.

Back then the engine had a “box” mounted in the same location as your MDI box and it contained a relay for the start motor, a relay for the glow plugs, a fuse to protect the wiring going to the instrument panel, and a resistor to feed low voltage to the alternator to energize it. The tach was driven by the same flywheel pulse counter as is on your engine, the low oil pressure alarm switch is the same as yours, the stop solenoid is the same, the alternator is the same. I’m not sure about the temp sender and temp alarm values....they might need changing.

Go to your local VDO supplier and get new gages, tach, a few relays and relay holders, start and stop buttons and you’re in business.

[alamoana]

I went through 7 boxes all under warranty and they swapped the whole deal for a different brand of electronics (it is in the forum somewhere). If I was in your situation I would go the old way, with relays and analog gauges. Good luck!

[Newf1]

I've probably posted this before on another thread.

I have a 2014 VP D1-30 in a little Ranger Tug. I've been really fortunate in that I still have the original MDI box and just passed the 2800hr mark.

I have installed an emergency start button just in case and added oil and temp gauges. If or when my MDI fails I will add a push button for preheat. For my uses I can probably do without the tachometer.

It's unbelievable that VP has not been able to solve this issue.

[SV_FlyingTigress]

Search youtube for volvo pants doomsday box. It is the Sailing Athena channel

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wHR5P4Wf7Ec

[Rufduck]

I just built and installed an MDI bypass and it works but with a strange side effect.
I originally thought it was simply a bad starter solenoid and replaced the starter.
99% sure I hooked the wires back correctly. Basically, the alternator came out first with a single wire to a small stud (W terminal?) and a heavy red wire that went to the large lug on the starter solenoid. Once removed, that accessed the lower starter mounting bolt next to the engine. Also on that heavy lug were all the other wires except for the one to the blade terminal that excites the solenoid.

Then I made a three wire loom, red/yellow, red and orange and attached them to the three lugs on the side of the MDI. Red = +, red/yellow + red = start and red + orange = glo plugs. I left the old MDI installed and double tapped each lug.
I ran the other ends to 2 waterproof 50amp momentary "starter" switches (red and black). One for heating the glow plugs (hold for 5-10 seconds) and the red button for the starter motor.
The square starting MDI panel was unresponsive when I pressed "power" and nothing lit upon the tach window. However, when I pressed the new starter button and the engine started, the tach screen went active showing engine hours, my vp temperature gauge registered a rising temp and the tach went active which is my question.
At idle (725rpm engine speed) the tach shows 2800-3000 and when I increase throttle the tach shows an increase all the way up to 4000+.
Any guesses what gives? I just assumed that the flywheel sensor that feeds the tach goes through the MDI and the scrambled electronics in the boards are feeding false information to the tach. OR did I somehow mess up where all the original existing wires went to.
One last bit is that the dash panel "stop" button kills the engine and when I press the "power" button it shuts the data interface down.

All thoughts appreciated.

Have ordered a new 23231607 MDI ($1000) but will keep the "emergency start" panel hooked up as described when I install it. Should have looked at the old MDI part number when I had it out. Be a bummer if it is
When finished, will post my results.
Cheers, Martyn Adams

[Scubaseas]

Sounds like your MDI doesn't have switched power to B+ for the unit and you are powering it through the alternator W wire. I'm no expert and it's been years since I worked on this issue or looked at the wiring diagram. Plus I'm apparently an idiot.

"OR did I somehow mess up where all the original existing wires went to." sounds more likely. Read the article below. If you do replace the box move it off the engine, it'll last longer.

I would try powering the red wires in the MDI and see if you get signal to the instruments that way.

The tach has to have 12V+ and a ground AND signal from the tach piezo pickup/sensor if memory serves. Check that the brown wires are grounded. I suspect you have no switched power to the tach until the engine is running. There is a relay that supplies the B+. D+ power to things that you took out of the system perhaps.

https://nordkyndesign.com/engine-rel...mdi-black-box/

[Scubaseas]

Then again from the article... "Doing away with the Volvo Penta EVC instruments system once and for good. This would require installing standard automotive gauges for coolant temperature, oil pressure and engine speed, as well as a few stand-alone switches and relays to deal with the glow plugs, starter and electric stop."... "The second option has always been highly desirable in my eyes, because it would replace a proprietary system with one that is standard and fully maintainable at low cost, more or less anywhere in the world. The field of engine instrumentation seems to be split between European and American standards. Here, any such solution would rely on European gauges and the only challenge would be identifying the factory-installed sensors to select compatible gauges. Worst case, some of the sensors could require replacement to ensure compatibility."...

You may have to replace the gauges. Get thee a VDO catalog if you go this route. I'd still first check for switched 12V + and ground at your tach though.

[Rufduck]

Well, foo.
I just knew that the answer would include nearly everything that I know nothing about.

Have located a new 23231607 which will be here next week and replace the existing defective one. I am not trying to resurrect the old MDI. Just happy that the emergency start addition does indeed work.

In kindergarten language, can you repeat what you said above?
Any reason that I should not wire the switches on top of the three leads as I have done.
To be clear, I did not remove any of the wires from the MDI harness plugs and only removed/replaced the three individual wires that I mentioned.

The boat is a cat so I will carefully examine the undisturbed port engine regarding the alternator wiring to the starter and match each individual wire leading to the starter 12v lug on the solenoid. I’m almost positive that to remove the starter, I only removed several wires leading to the starter solenoid and ditto only two wires to the alternator. If I’m mistaken, well, I will have answered my question.
Cheers, Martyn

[Scubaseas]

Sorry. My composition skills are very poor and like Nixon said “I know you think you believe you understand what you thought I said, but I am not sure you realize that what you heard is exactly what I meant.”

Maybe check with a Volvo Penta dealer or here to see if you have any kind of warranty on your part. https://www.volvopenta.com/your-engi...l-information/

The MDI probably takes a power source from the B+ (alternator red, heavy gauge wire). It probably has at least one red switched power lead on the center connector.

The MDI powers your gauges. Your gauges speak EVC (which is Volvo CAN bus) which is not the same as "dumb" gauges. Nordkyndesign suggests removing the EVC gauges and replacing them with standard automotive or marine gauges that match the existing sensors you have on the engine. His second option completely bypasses everything on the MDI circuits and dumbs it all down to basic tach, oil light and temperature gauge. Simple, easy, reliable, what's not to like?

What you seem to have done is bypass the start and preheat relays of the MDI. What you did not do is deal with the two power supplies to the MDI unit which is why your gauges don't show life until you run the engine. You're probably powering the gauges by the "W" light circuit of the alternator. Or maybe the MDI unit is fried.

Maybe think of it like this maybe. The MDI has two sides to it. One is relatively high amperage/heavy gauge wired for the start and glow plugs which you dealt with/bypassed. The power source for the glow plugs and start solenoid come from the B+, red 10 gauge wire on the starter to alternator circuit. The other power side of the MDI is low amperage EVC circuitry which you have not dealt with which is switched power on the red wire of the center plug. This usually comes from the ignition switch or instrument panel

This might be helpful also: https://bavariayacht.org/forum/index....0;attach=4558

Page 44 has the wiring diagram.

[Rufduck]

No warranty. Engine is a B model D1-30 2006 in a 2007 boat and just misses the engine recall which stopped at 2007 (thank you VolvoPenta and Fountaine Pajot). I believe the MDI in question is original, at least the engine hours, around 2800, agree and I believe they are stored in the physical MDI.

The MDI was no longer functional and mimicked the problems that plagued the port engine MDI before the certified Volvo tech grudgingly and expensively replaced it…twice. Thus I no longer trust the engines or Volvo tech and must have some alternative method for starting as we prefer more desolate locations on the Canadian west coast (ie, no communications).

Can’t seem to access the Bavaria site you mentioned and would like to.

My hope is,to start, I activate the new MDI via the 4 button pad on the dash and then manually start via the two new buttons I have installed. I just don’t want the MDI doing anything other than the Volvo "talk" function. Easy enough to add a manual choke cable to the "stop" lever on the fuel pump. Then, I’ll just press the power button to shut the electrical part of the MDI down when finished sailing for the day. Any minor inconvenience is offset by extending the life of the MDI.

I’m sure this will void any warranty on the new MDI but simply relocating it from the engine, doing a self install or probably just using it also voids it.

Of interest, when we took delivery of the boat in Grenada and sailed it back to Florida, we struggled into the Gulf Stream with a fifteen knot northerly. Bit lumpy but kind of fun until the port engine died. Seemed like fuel so changed fuel and oil filters, swore a bit and finally got it running for the completion of the trip.
Fast forward four years and transiting Deception Pass (San Juan islands, PNW) east bound with an easterly flood current at full throat and a whale watching excursion cat running west to give the tourists a thrill which threw up a series of short 2 meter standing waves. The first waves pitched us to a boat length of the south shore, killed all the forward speed and the starboard engine quit just like off Florida. Same drill and we limped home.
The point is that I now wonder if the real problem was the MDI boxes doing their thing instead of either fuel or oil. If this is the case, it sure isn’t particularly safe.

Cheers, Martyn

[Scubaseas]

Check your download folder the link is a PDF file that is the service manual for the MDI system. You need this. Called the "Werkstättenhandbuch" aka service manual aka workshop manual for group 30 (MDI)

I doubt remounting the MDI box off the engine would void any warranty. Especially if you don't mention it. Volvo makes great engines. Putting sensitive electronics on something that is hot and vibrating all the time is just dumb.

Your engine hours may be stored in the tach.

As long as you are not removing or disconnecting the heavy gauge red wire from the alternator while it's running no problems with what you propose. Hard to say without a wiring diagram/sketch on a napkin though.

[Rufduck]

Well, this is embarrassing. Did 7 hours of fixing stuff in the engine well yesterday including: install new 23231607 MDI, relocate the new MDI to the port hull bulkhead, add the remote emergency start system and replace the original pressure relief valve on the hot water tank. I can’t move today but that’s not unusual after working on the engine.
All original wiring was left intact. The emergency start panel worked previously but remains untested in the new installation.
Turn on master switch. Press the 'power' button… well, nothing, nope, nada. The only real question is, could I have possibly reversed the two side by side plugs. I just presumed that they were indexed so that they could NOT be reversed and didn’t bother to take a picture.
Okay oh wise ones, how do I tell which plug goes where? Is there an exploded view of the MDI showing where they go? 😢
At least the pr-valve doesn’t leak.
Cheers