TROUBLE SHOOTING
US / WHISPER 6/8/11 / July 2009 / Copyright © 2009 Mastervolt
25
5 TROUBLE
SHOOTING
5.1
ALTERNATOR/ ELECTRICAL FAULTS
Beware of parts which are live!
Remove 3 Amp. Fuse in the control panel
while working on the generator to prevent the
engine from starting
A failure code is displayed when a hardware failure at the
generator is detected
5.1.1 General
If any problem should occur, check basic conditions and
examine all external wiring, switch gear and circuit
breakers. Also check if measuring instruments give the
correct value. If in doubt, measure directly on the
alternator terminals with an independent instrument. This
should only be carried out by an experienced electrician.
If during these measurements the engine immediately
stops after starting and an error code is displayed at the
remote control panel ( “AC VOLTAGE”), one can start the
generator by means of a “service start” at the service
menu (see paragraph “service start” of the user’s manual
of the Digital Diesel Control). By doing this, the generator
will keep running for 2 minutes before it stops. This offers
you the possibility to carry out measurements to
investigate the cause of the failure.
Check if the engine is running correctly at 3600 RPM (60
Hz) according to its settings and does as well under load.
•
Whisper 6:
A RPM drop of 5% at full load is
acceptable. Therefore a no load setting should be at
3750 RPM = 62.5 Hz. Under no circumstances should
the RPM under full load be below 3540 RPM = 59 Hz
•
Whisper 8 and 11:
A RPM drop of 1% at full load is
acceptable. Therefore a no load setting should be at
3636 RPM = 60.6 Hz. Under no circumstances should
the RPM under full load be below 3560 RPM = 59.4
Hz.
When the problem is in the RPM refer to the engine fault
finding paragraph.
Digital Diesel Control system will help to indicate failures
and display causes
Failure code
Problem
COMMUNICATION
Communication error between the panel end the generator
LOW START BAT
Starter battery voltage too low
ALTERNATOR
No output battery charging voltage
EXHAUST TEMP
Exhaust temperature is too high
WATER TEMP
Coolant temperature is too high
OIL PRESSURE
Oil pressure failure
AC VOLTAGE
Generator AC output voltage is either too high or too low
HIGH CURRENT
Generator is in overload
FREQUENCY
Output frequency of the generator is too low
5.1.2
Trouble shooting table
Problem
Possible cause
What to do?
•
Circuit breaker "off" or faulty fuse
Check switches and fuses and measure
directly on the alternator to exclude external
causes.
•
Low engine RPM.
Check the engine RPM and adjust (refer to
special procedures).
•
Loss of residual magnetism.
Check the residual magnetism and flash the
alternator (refer to special procedures).
•
Capacitor loose or broken.
Check by independent excitation if the problem
is in the capacitor or in the windings.
No output (Voltage) at all
•
Rotor diodes broken.
Check the diodes in the rotor (refer to special
procedures) The Whisper 6/8/11 has one
diode in the rotor.
•
No load at all or very low load.
Switch on a load and check voltage.
•
Engine is not reaching the rated RPM.
Refer to special procedures to readjust RPM.
Generator output voltage too
low when no load is on it (less
than 105V / 210V).
•
Defective capacitor.
Check capacitor and replace if necessary
(refer to special procedures).
