improved fuel efficiency. Mechanical diesel engines
are saddled with an injection system that can only
cope with one variable—load—and it can only achieve
one injection per power stroke. Electronic diesels are
capable of taking in a great deal of information about
their environment and then tailoring the injection
profile for maximum efficiency. Among their most
remarkable feats is their ability to provide each piston’s
power stroke with multiple injections of fuel, creating
more torque and quieter idling. Electronic diesels still
retain the diesel din, however, at idle and especially
when cold, they are noticeably quieter and they
produce virtually no smoke.
In addition to the efficiency factor, electronic diesel
engines are capable of providing the user with a great
deal of information, sometimes too much, including
self-diagnostics. When I sea-trial an electronic diesel, I
don’t need to bring my strobe tachometer, the engine
display provides completely accurate and reliable
rpm info, and I don’t have to make an educated guess
regarding engine loading and how it relates to propeller
selection. Among other things, the display will provide
rpm, percent load, percent throttle position, fuel
consumption (beware, fuel use is calculated rather than
actual), and turbo boost, along with the usual voltage,
oil pressure, and coolant temperature.
As a former mechanic, I’ll say that diagnosing and
repairing diesel engines isn’t what it used to be, you
need much more than a set of hand tools, a good ear,
and experience, however, the electronic sword is double
edged. When it comes time to diagnose a problem
with a computer-controlled electronic engine, much
like today’s automobiles, a technician with a laptop
can extract fault codes that the engine has stored. This
makes life considerably easier for mechanics, and likely
less costly for owners.
My customer who dreaded the thought of buying
the electronic diesel for his refit was able to get a legacy
mechanical engine, which greatly relieved him. While
I’m certain he’s happy with that engine and his decision,
it’s very likely that the electronic engine would have
not only served him well, it would have also saved fuel,
been a little quieter, and less smoky in the process.
AGM AND GEL BATTERIES
Known in the industry as SVRLA, or sealed
valve regulated lead acid, AGM and gel batteries
have been around for many years. While both were
first offered to recreational marine users in the 1980s
and ’90s, only in the last 15 years have they gained
widespread acceptance.
I recall attending an educational seminar in 1994
touting, among other things, the virtues of SVRLA
batteries. It seemed that everything they offered was far
and away better than the legacy flooded battery. Since
that time I’ve installed many SVRLAs in a variety
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