Mep-016e

[Manstein]

I have a MEP-016E that turns over and won't start. The electric fuel pump and the solenoid that controls the throttle will only work very intermittently. Since the machine was converter to the yanmar engine, it doesn't appear to have worked because the oil in it is golden clear like it was poured in 30 seconds ago. Fuel tank is full and the floats seem to be working. The engine will run off starter fluid and I can unplug the fuel pump and touch the connector to the battery and pump will start clicking which I guess means it's pumping. I have checked the connectors to make sure there is no loose connections and have not found any.
If unable to find the short, can you straight wire the fuel pump and throttle solenoid?

Any help or suggestions greatly appreciated.

Q

 

[ETN550]

I have a MEP-016E that turns over and won't start. The electric fuel pump and the solenoid that controls the throttle will only work very intermittently. Since the machine was converter to the yanmar engine, it doesn't appear to have worked because the oil in it is golden clear like it was poured in 30 seconds ago. Fuel tank is full and the floats seem to be working. The engine will run off starter fluid and I can unplug the fuel pump and touch the connector to the battery and pump will start clicking which I guess means it's pumping. I have checked the connectors to make sure there is no loose connections and have not found any.
If unable to find the short, can you straight wire the fuel pump and throttle solenoid?

Any help or suggestions greatly appreciated.

Q

I'm just getting up to speed on one of these myself. But I have been around the B which the E came from.

For test purposes you may hard wire the pump and the solenoid, no problem.

Or just pull the solenoid back and tie wrap it to something. cut the tie to shutdown.

If the fuel system is tight and the pump is tight it will stop when it makes pressure on its own. It is nothing more than a hollow solenoid plunger with check balls in it and a spring to allow it to push fuel. When the fuel pressure rises and meets the spring pressure the plunger stops moving. So it is not necessarily a problem if the fuel pump starts and quits, as long as the fuel pressure is up.

However, the solenoid must remain energized any time the master switch is in the aux run or run position.

Given the fact that both are behaving the same at the same time would lead me to think the problem is upstream in the electrical system. The unit tank pump is down low under the fuel filter and it has its own relay. The relay for the fuel solenoid is in the control box on the left side board. So, again if both are acting up at the same time then only the master switch is upstream of that. If it won't crank when it drops the solenoid then I would look at the ground or the master switch feed because the crank signal uses a 3rd relay also mounted on the board (followed by another solenoid on the back of the control box). If it does not crank when the fuel solenoid drops then either the ground is bad or the feed to the master switch is bad. If it does crank when the fuel solenoid drops out then I would suspect the master switch or any common output wire from the master switch to the control board. Sometines contact cleaner will help the switch.

Something that has helped me a few times, and I did have one with an intermittant fuel solenoid, is to power it up and shake all of the wiring you can get a hold of a piece at a time while observing if the solenoid starts clacking on and off. This led me to find a bad crimp connection within the solenoid plug on the harness at the solenoid. (after I burned time inspecting all the relays and tank floats and such!) I should have begun with the easiest procedure first!

In all likelyhood it is just a loose connection somewhere and will be a breeze when you discover it.

BTW if you do suspect a bad relay on the leftside control board, they are 8 pin reversible and interchangable relays and will work installed either side up. Pull the suspect one out and flip it over or swap it around and re-install it to see if there is any change. They don't fail much, though.

Good luck and please post what you find!

 

[derf]

^^What he said about the electrical.
About the mechanical:
I can email you a copy of the E conversion manual. I've had several Bs and still have a D and an E. One thing I've found is they tend to sit before the auctions. I've had a few with gummed up injector pumps. Make sure you have good fuel getting to the injector pump. Yanmars generally have a high mounted tank and are gravity fed but on the E you probably have an electric lift pump instead that feeds the IP (injector pump). Once you get fuel to the IP then crack the fuel line at the injector with a 17mm wrench and turn the motor over until it squirts a little fuel regularly. If no fuel, then suspect gummed up IP. If it runs on starter fluid then you probably have compression and valves are probably OK. I avoid starter fluid in the little air cooled engines. Starter fluid is for worn out dozers, IMO. Familiarize yourself with the shutdown controls and how to operate them manually. Some Yanmars have a little lever that you have to latch for them to run and another little lever that you depress to release the latch which kills the IP. On the Es the solenoid is supposed to take the place of the latching levers and hold the IP control lever in the run position. I'll attach a pic. This is also where you set the gen speed and power output frequency (tied to speed). In the pic, part #3 is supposed to push the little lever (lever probably has a red rubber/plastic end) to the right. If you can hold that lever to the right and you have fuel at the IP and the air is bled from the line between the IP and injector then it should start and run. If your IP is gummed up they are not difficult to clean. If you remove the IP there is a little inspection plate on the bottom that you remove so you can see and get the lever in the control fork when you reinstall the IP. If the IP control lever is outside the block mounted control fork it will not run. The fork is connected to the shutdown lever and also acts as a speed control.

 

[Manstein]

response

Thanks for the info boys, it is helpful. I know the IP is not gummed up because when the Solenoid "thumps" and drives the IP lever it will run and mine does but only very very sporatically. So, I'm thinking back to the master switch. I have turned the switch to the "Run" position and wiggled wiring till I'm blue with no response. I have dropped the front and upper panels and peered inside for possible loose connectors but have not seen any. I did notice the 4 relays and carefully removed them and switched them around to see if that would change anything but no success.
Is there a source for the master switch?
Also, please e-mail the copies of the "E" upgrade if you don't mind.

bg_service@yahoo.com

Thanks!

 

[ETN550]

Thanks for the info boys, it is helpful. I know the IP is not gummed up because when the Solenoid "thumps" and drives the IP lever it will run and mine does but only very very sporatically. So, I'm thinking back to the master switch. I have turned the switch to the "Run" position and wiggled wiring till I'm blue with no response. I have dropped the front and upper panels and peered inside for possible loose connectors but have not seen any. I did notice the 4 relays and carefully removed them and switched them around to see if that would change anything but no success.
Is there a source for the master switch?
Also, please e-mail the copies of the "E" upgrade if you don't mind.

bg_service@yahoo.com

Thanks!

Are you good with electrical diagrams and troubleshooting?

Reason I ask is I would proceed to take a small length of wire and jump the switch terminals by hand. Also verify the switch is getting power into it.

If the switch appears to be in good condition and it appears to move smoothly throughout its range it can probably be cleand u if it is the culprit.

The electrical diagrams will also show which relays are involved.

Use the manual for the 016B as the box was not changed when converted to the E.

Did you say it will crank ok when the fuel solenoid is cutting out?

How sure are you that the float switches are ok? Is there enough fuel in it to burry the lower float on the rod in the tank?

Hang in there it is probably something very minor.