Starting The Engine; Before Starting; General About Starting - Volvo Penta D4 Operator's Manual

Starting the engine

Make it a habit to give the engine and engine bay a visual check before starting. This will help you to discover
quickly if anything abnormal has happened, or is about to happen. Also check that instruments and warning dis-
plays show normal values after you have started the engine.
To minimize starting smoke in cold starting, we recommend that a heater should be installed to warm the engine
bay at temperatures below +5°C.
WARNING! Never use start spray or similar products as a starting aid. Explosion risk!
30

Before starting

●
Open the fuel tap
●
Open the sea cock (reversing gear)
● Do the tasks under the "Daily before first start"
heading in the maintenance schedule.
●
Turn the main switches on.
IMPORTANT! Never disconnect the current
with the main switches when the engine is
running. This can damage the alternator.
●
Start the engine bay fan, if one is installed, and let
it run for at least four minutes.
●
Check that the amount of fuel aboard is enough for
your planned voyage.
●
Check the oil level.
●
Lower the drive(s) if raised.
General information about starting
The engine control lever must always be in neutral be-
fore starting. The engine management system ensu-
res that the engine receives the correct amount of fuel
- even when the engine is cold.
The engine is pre-heated by the engine control unit,
which allows the engine to crank several revolutions
with the starter motor before fuel is injected. The col-
der the engine is, the more revolutions the engine ma-
kes. This raises the temperature in the combustion
chambers, which ensures reliable starting and reduces
starting smoke.
The idling speed is also governed by engine tempera-
ture, and is somewhat raised after a cold start.