Westerbeke Engine Panel and Starting

jviss

.
Feb 5, 2004
6,745
Tartan 3800 20 Westport, MA
My first experience with a Westerbeke "Admiral" control panel, with oil, water, and volt gauges, keyswitch, and tach, plus push buttons for preheat and start.

The preheat and start buttons are wired such that the starter is not energized unless preheat is energized.

Why is this? I find it a bit clumsy to push both buttons at the same time.. If the engine's already warm, you don't need preheat. Also, if one's starting battery is weak, its better to de-energize the preheat before energizing the starter.

Is there some compelling reason they wire it this way?

I'm thinking of changing it so the starter can be energized without the preheat.

Here's a link to the schematic.
https://www.westerbeke.com/wiring diagram/12b-82b_108c_(39144_rev_j).pdf
 

BarryL

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May 21, 2004
1,000
Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 409 Mt. Sinai, NY
Hey,
I had a boat that was wired that way. It is to force you to use the glow plugs. I agree is it cumbersome. I changed my panel to allow the starter to be operated without the glow plugs and it felt it worked better.
Barry
 
Oct 22, 2014
20,993
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
Not sure why, but my thought is the engine may need the heat of the plugs to start the cold fuel without emitting a bunch of non combusted fuel. It would be due to engine compression, air, atomized fuel mix.

My Perkins does not use glow plugs at all. Built in 1973, it starts on the first or second compression rain, shine, heat or cold - as long as she gets fuel, air and the starter turns over.
 

jviss

.
Feb 5, 2004
6,745
Tartan 3800 20 Westport, MA
Yea, I think I will re-wire mine, too. It looks pretty simple to do, just move the starter wire on the preheat pushbutton from one terminal to the other. They are screw terminals, and easily accessible.
 

jviss

.
Feb 5, 2004
6,745
Tartan 3800 20 Westport, MA
Not sure why, but my thought is the engine may need the heat of the plugs to start the cold fuel without emitting a bunch of non combusted fuel. It would be due to engine compression, air, atomized fuel mix.

My Perkins does not use glow plugs at all. Built in 1973, it starts on the first or second compression rain, shine, heat or cold - as long as she gets fuel, air and the starter turns over.
Diesel engines with pre-combustion chambers generally require preheat to start. Direct injection engines generally do not.

My Universal M25, and now my Westerbeke 38B Four, will likely never start when cold without preheat. Once they are warmed up they will, which is what I do. They stay warm for a long time, too.

Yours is most likely a direct injection engine.
 
Oct 22, 2014
20,993
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
Yes. It is a direct injection engine. 4 cylinder producing about 47hp.
 
May 20, 2016
3,014
Catalina 36 MK1 94 Everett, WA
Probably too many guarantee issues with flooded mufflers backing up to the engine from idiots not using glow plugs when cold

Les
 
Feb 26, 2004
22,760
Catalina 34 224 Maple Bay, BC, Canada
Hey,
I had a boat that was wired that way. It is to force you to use the glow plugs. I agree is it cumbersome. I changed my panel to allow the starter to be operated without the glow plugs and it felt it worked better.
Barry
This is the thing to do, for the reasons discussed by others. I have an M25 engine which doesn't require both to be on at the same time. Simple fix as jvss says.