Owner’s Notes for
Ardent
March 26
th
, 2021
23
Engine Alarm Procedures (see alarm indicator descriptions on next page below):
Engine Overheat
The most common cause of engine overheat is eelgrass plugging up the raw water strainer and reducing or
blocking cooling water flow. The best solution to this problem is prevention—keep a lookout for eelgrass mats,
especially along tide lines. Safely steer around them.
If the engine panel alarm sounds while the engine is running, look at the engine panel to determine the cause
of the alarm - high temperature, low oil pressure, battery charging. See alarm panel legend below.
High Temperature:
If safe to do so, reduce RPM to idle. Before shutting down the engine, check if cooling water is still gurgling out
of the exhaust. If not, then most likely a failure of cooling water flow. Shut down the engine and perform the
following:
•
Check the engine raw water strainer:
a)
Shine a flashlight through the glass bowl looking for obstructions like eelgrass and other debris.
b)
Clean out, if necessary, by unscrewing the wing nuts at the top of the strainer, remove the cap
and metal sieve, clean out and replace.
Make sure the rubber gasket is in place in the lid
(and
not lying in the bilge.)
c)
Strainer is above the waterline so no need to close the inlet seacock.
d)
The seacock is located on the port side of the sail drive housing behind the engine (access via
inspection hatch in the port aft stateroom). Make sure it’s OPEN!
•
Restart the engine. Check for water gurgling out of the exhaust. If none, shut down the engine and
perform the following:
a)
Check the coolant level in the overflow reservoir bottle and if none is seen, add enough to reach
the top-level line on the bottle.
b)
AFTER THE ENGINE COOLS DOWN, remove the cap on the engine block and add coolant.
c)
Check the bilge for a light green liquid. If found in the bilge, call San Juan Sailing.
d)
If the coolant reservoir bottle is full, check to see if the engine threw a belt. Without a belt on the
raw water pump, the coolant won’t circulate and cool the engine. (Replacement belts are in the
engine spares kit.)
e)
One other possibility is that the impeller in the raw water pump has failed. While they are
replaced each spring with a new one, it’s still possible that a hard object may be drawn in and
break off an impeller blade. (A replacement impeller is found with the engine spares.) Call San
Juan Sailing if you suspect you have an impeller problem.
Low Oil Pressure:
Shut down the engine, check the oil level, check for oil under the engine and contact San Juan Sailing.
Battery Charging:
Shut down the engine, check the alternator belt and, if necessary, contact San Juan Sailing.
Sail Drive Seal:
Water is detected between the sail drive seals. Inspect the sail drive housing area (at the aft end of the engine
– access via the hatch in the starboard aft stateroom) for water leaks. Contact San Juan Sailing for guidance.