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Glendinning Controls Froze Up

Discussion in 'Technical Discussion' started by ntavila, Oct 30, 2012.

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  1. ntavila, Oct 30, 2012
    #1
    ntavila

    ntavila New Member

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    Dec 28, 2011
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    FLL
    Hi All,

    Wondering if anyone else has experienced this. I was moving my 38' Viking up the new river in FLL today. Never went above idle speed. Everything was fine for the whole trip but at the very end my Glendinning Controls flashed the Alarm sound and then the controls froze up completely. I was near my slip when it happened the canal is not very wide. For some reason the port control would not move at all and the starboard control was sort of working. After a rather harrowing five mins (wondering whose yacht I was going to take out) I was able to "soft crash" onto a unused dock. I know that when the controls trigger the alarm, the system ceases to function, but I couldn't get the levers back to neutral.

    Everything ended ok, but I can't stop thinking about how badly this could have ended. During my 1 hour trip up the river I had to pass several 100+ foot yachts that were leaving FLL after the boat show. It's hard to think what would have happened if the controls fails while I was holding for those ships to pass at the bridges.

    If anyone has experienced this please let me know. I don't want to go out again until I can get this fixed.

    Thanks for your help!
  2. Capt Ralph, Oct 30, 2012
    #2
    Capt Ralph

    Capt Ralph Senior Member

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    Satsuma, FL
    Thru the years, there have been a few different models. Would you have the system/model number for your controls? Electronic clutch and throttles? Or how old for us to start guessing?
  3. ntavila, Oct 30, 2012
    #3
    ntavila

    ntavila New Member

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    The controls are from 1991. I think I have the ECC3, but not sure. I am looking for that info now but it may be at the boat. Which means I won't be able to get until tomorrow.
  4. Capt J, Oct 31, 2012
    #4
    Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

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    There were some glenndenning controls back in that era, where the pots would get loose inside of the control and they would move around. For example, you'd put the control from foward to neutral and it would engage reverse. When you say that they were stuck, do you mean that you couldn't move the levers at all? Low voltage can also make the controls do strange things as well.
  5. ntavila, Oct 31, 2012
    #5
    ntavila

    ntavila New Member

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    Hi Capt J. At first the levers would not move at all. Then the Starboard lever began to move but the response was abnormal, meaning not the normal thrust based on the position. The Port side never moved. It was stuck solid.
  6. ntavila, Oct 31, 2012
    #6
    ntavila

    ntavila New Member

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    Update

    After speaking with the Glendinning folks it seems the voltage droped below the accepted level and caused an alarm to go off. However, the mechanical back up did not respond like it was supposed to which is why the gears froze up.

    Now they've referred me to a local guy that can fix the system. I think we're already off on the wrong foot. He says my system is old and I should just purchase a full updated system from him. Not sure I want to do that.

    Anyone ever had to replace the handles on a ECC system? From today's trouble shooting, it seems that may be the problem.
  7. Capt J, Oct 31, 2012
    #7
    Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

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    I have had to replace a dozen head units over the years. Man, ZF, Microcommander, etc..... haven't had to replace a Cat/sturdy head unit as of yet. Do you have a picture of which one you have? What caused the voltage to drop? That is another issue that needs to be resolved first.
  8. Freespool, Nov 2, 2012
    #8
    Freespool

    Freespool New Member

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    Kemah, Texas
    This happens when the mechanical back up controls are frozen and the electrical control kicks out for some reason. It is a good idea to cycle the control heads a few times before turning them on to move the mechanical back up pieces. They will be harder to move and not very smooth.

    What happens is the mechanical back up never gets moved or used for years as people get in the habit of turning it all on, starting the engines and going. The cables and back up portion of the head and actuators freeze up over time like anything on a boat that does not get used. By that time to get everything working properly you have to replace or work on a large part of the system.
    Just my $0.02 worth.