Public Discussion Forum

Greetings, fellow Seleners! I'm writing today to alert those whose boats are equipped with Twindisc EC200 electronic helm controls operating mechanically-shifted transmissions of the potential for critical failure of the Power Commander shift control.

Some of you know me as the current owner of Alyeska, a 2001 Selene 47, as the developer of a wireless docking control system, and an independent service tech on electronic vessel propulsion controls generally. Over the past few years I've been on many boats to consult on helm control issues, and to replace older control systems with newer CANbus-protocol controls. Within the past twelve months I've examined a handful of EC200 systems which had suddenly developed the worrisome tendency to get stuck in reverse gear. The initial symptoms in each case were an unusually-slow return from reverse to neutral, followed by a permanent stuck-in-reverse within a few days afterwards.

I've seen multiple examples of similar anomalies on other helm control systems, both with mechanically-shifted and electronic solenoid-shifted transmissions, but in each of those cases the problem was resolved by correcting under-voltage or over-voltage conditions at the control computers.

But on the Twindisc EC200 Power Commander the problem each time has been the failure of the internal servo motor that drives the Morse cable connected to the mechanical shift lever on the transmission. Unfortunately, to the best of my knowledge there are no replacement parts available for these units, as Twindisc has long ago orphaned the EC200 analog systems in favor of newer CANbus technology as has been the trend with all competitors. Although I've had some success at reviving a failed servo with custom-engineering, I would not consider it a viable solution due to the overall age of the components (20+ years) and the likely cost of a critical failure when docking. The only reasonable solution is complete replacement of the helm control computer/actuator and control heads with a new system.

Prior to this past weekend I assumed (perhaps somewhat arrogantly) that this failure mode was something that only happened to other people's boats, and that Alyeska's EC200 helm controls were not susceptible to the same failure because, well... because I have been diligent in their care and maintenance. But on this past Sunday while anchoring at a sandy spit at a somewhat crowded anchorage I found myself suddenly the newest member of the Twindisc EC200 reverse lock club. Despite my self-assured confidence in the superiority of my situational awareness, my boat backed almost 75' before I realized the problem and scrambled to shut down the engine and wait for the anchor to bite as we drifted briskly back towards several other boats anchored. Luckily the anchor finally grabbed and stopped us just as I was using the thrusters to turn the boat to try and steer clear of an incursion. I'm sure that I wasted at least a few seconds on disbelief and denial before accepting the reality of the situation and shutting down the engine. I shudder to think what would have been the result if this EC200 failure had instead struck earlier in the day as we were departing a tight slip in a crowded marina, surrounded by many boats more expensive than my own. This would have been a very different report in that case.

As with all of the other EC200 failures that I've seen, only the gear shift function was impaired, and throttle functions remained intact. So, in order to ready the vessel for return home I disconnected the shift cable from the Power Commander control box, manually checked the transmission for normal shift capability, and then yesterday we weighed anchor and returned to our moorage under slightly impaired maneuverability by shifting the transmission manually in the engine room -- a somewhat cumbersome operation when nearing our dock, but not unmanageable.

The takeaway that I would urge from this story is that if your boat is equipped with a manual-shift transmission and a Twindisc EC200 system, please give some careful consideration to replacing that older and now long-outdated system with a modern control system using CANbus architecture. The safety improvements in these newer systems easily justify the cost even if your old system is not "yet" showing any indication of failure, just as mine was perfectly happy until it was suddenly not happy.

A new Twindisc EC300 system to replace your EC200 system will likely cost in the neighborhood of $30,000 USD, but that's not your only option. This is need not be an excessively-expensive precautionary upgrade, and is vastly less expensive to do BEFORE a critical failure in a crowded marina.

I'm available to chat with fellow forum members who would like a little bit of coaching on their own DIY upgrades. My contact info is in my bio, and you can DM me.

Jim Martyn

Alyeska

47-07

Hi, Mark. You are correct that this issue is limited to EC200 systems that connect to mechanically-shifted transmissions and does not affect those systems without mechanical actuators, as those EC200 systems do not involve servo motors but simply send voltage signals to the shift solenoids on electronic-shift transmissions. I have not yet come across any failures of EC200 systems failing to send the appropriate voltage shift signals.

I'm following up to report more recent observed trends that necessitate revising my prior reported opinion.

Previously I was seeing EC200 failures only in those control boxes with mechanical actuator servos, but not in boxes that output exclusively electronic actuation signals (which are always digital system voltage for the shift solenoids, and analog voltage, current or PWM for throttle control.)

But more recently I'm seeing a steady pattern of failures on the late-model EC200 and subsequent EC300 all-electronic systems. For clarity I point out that determination of which system you have is not controlled by the badging on the face of the control head(s), but by the data tag on the Power Commander unit(s) located most commonly in your engine room. The EC200 control heads are sometimes used with the analog EC300 systems, but are not compatible with the later (though now also obsolete) CANbus-protocol EC300 systems. I haven't seen any failures in the EC300 CANbus systems, which is unsurprising since the CANbus architecture neatly eliminates the inherent vulnerabilities of the prior analog systems.

From discussions with operators of the affected boats I get the impression that there tends to be little-or-no warning of failure, and that these boxes are tending to fail at 12-15 years age with little apparent distinction between lightly and heavily used boats.

The best precaution that I can suggest is to have a spare preconfigured Power Commander control box on hand as insurance against extended outage. But, since there are no longer any new boxes of either EC200 or EC300 systems available anywhere for purchase, even this precaution is a bit of a gamble.

Jim Martyn

Alyeska 47-07

Hi, John.

Yes, there are options, ranging in price from a few thousand dollars up to fifty thousand. The best choice of course is to replace the aging EC200/300 system with a state-of-the-art CANbus system that brings enhanced error protection, self-diagnostics, and greatly enhanced insulation against interference from voltage excursions in the vessel’s power supply, and that can be achieved well below the middle of that range with careful selection, though most of the newer systems will run in the upper half of the range.

At the bottom end of the range there is very limited availability of verified used equipment, and also limited refurbishment available for broken units, though not from the manufacturer in either case.

Your trusted local yacht repair tech should be able to resource the new equipment for you easily enough, though many aren’t aware of the used and refurb options.

If anyone would like more details on the pros, cons and actual costs, I’m happy to have those conversations directly outside the forums. My email address is in my bio. For transparency, I should state here that I'm actively engaged in the business of selling and servicing propulsion control systems, so I am enthusiastic about upgrading older controls.

Jim Martyn

Alyeska 47-07

For those thinking of acquiring used spares, there's a 12v EC200 control box with mechanical gear and throttle actuators and two control heads available on Ebay right now at a very low price.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/226609734858?itmmeta=01JMT3818X1RXHDQY656JC58GX&hash=item34c2fe24ca:g:73IAAOSw9GtnpM3q

The seller has it listed as "remanufactured" based solely on the presence of two loose red "RMA" tags that were floating around in the box with these parts, but has no working knowledge of the equipment. The control box has considerably higher than average appearance of corrosion on the case, which suggests it lived a hard life, and that it has not been serviced, and the control heads show signs of considerable weather exposure. The box could be dead, or could be workable, and might be a good deal as spares for someone adventurous... or just an invitation to frustration.

Also, that particular control box would not be suitable as a spare for boat's like Mike's, whose engines have have mechanical throttle governors, because the lower servo is only for actuating a trolling valve, so the only throttle control available from that box is electronic (output at the A pin on the J6 connector), and it is unclear from the data tag whether that box is configured to output the throttle signal as voltage, current or PWM. I don't believe that early version box is user-adjustable on that signal.

Jim Martyn

Alyeska 47-07

Several forum members reached out and asked what options are available for bypassing an EC200 propulsion control failure to get the boat home if they don't have an alternate powertrain onboard. The topic seemed like a good one to address in this thread also.

First, it's helpful to keep in mind that the core of the EC200 is not the control heads, but the rather the Power Commander control box usually located in the engine room. Each control head is directly connected to the control box via its own 8-wire cable (or a pair of 8-wire for a twin-engine configuration). The control heads do not directly interact with throttle or shift actuation, but only send their control requests to the control box.

So, if 're experiencing a control anomaly, start by checking to see if a different control station can operate normally. If so, then carry on with that station. If not, then the control box is indeed malfunctioning.

If your transmission is mechanically actuated then the temporary solution is crude-but-simple: Disconnect the Morse cable at either the transmission end or the Power Commander box and have your first or second mate (or galley slave) man the gear shift lever in the engine room as required for gear changes.

If your transmission is electronically actuated, then you can prepare a backup shift control ahead of time to be ready to handle primary shift control failure either by use a simple three-wire cable and double-throw switch, or by buying and installing a cheap industrial crane type wireless remote control connected directly to your transmission's shift solenoids.

For the wire cable method: 1) Connect one wire to a battery voltage source matching your control box's system voltage (probably 24v), and connect the other end of that wire to the center post of your switch; 2) Connect the second wire to one end post of that switch, and the other end of that wire to the Red wire of the Forward solenoid on the transmission; 3) Connect the third wire to the opposite end post on the switch, and the other end of that wire to the White wire on the Reverse solenoid on the transmission; 4) Secure that switch to the side of your helm control head or another safe location so that when the switch is in the middle neutral position it applies no voltage to either shift solenoid, but when flipped to its forward position system voltage is applied to the Forward shift solenoid, and likewise for Reverse position.

For the wireless controller method, do essentially the same as above, but wire the power input into the wireless receiver box, and its two button control outputs to the signal wires leading to the Red and White solenoid inputs. Keep the wireless transmitter at or near your helm and powered off until needed. You don't want anyone surprising you (and maybe blowing out the clutches of your transmission) by activating that transmitter and playing with the buttons while you're underway!

Usually EC200 failures start with shift failures, and then sometimes later progress to throttle control failure, so you'll probably be able to manage throttle settings from your control head(s) to safely get home. But, if your throttle function also fails and is electronically-controlled by variable voltage signal (typical for Cummins and JD engines), then you can rig a simple throttle bypass control by use of a simple potentiometer jumpered between the G and A pins on the J6 connector of the control box. That potentiometer will take voltage input from the ECU at the G pin, and needs to be able to deliver 0.5-4.5v output connecting to the A pin. It's important that the output voltage is limited to 4.5v max which signals wide open throttle (4.05v for Cummins), so be careful when turning up throttle, and maybe consider getting a voltage reducer with potentiometer that will not output in excess of that limit.

Alternately, or if an EC200 throttle failure besieges you before you've had a chance to get your project supplies, you can achieve a workable cruise throttle setting with a AA battery, a few short pieces of wire, and some duct tape (or bubble gum). Jumper the positive end of the battery to the J6-A pin, and the negative end to the H pin. Depending on the state of charge of that battery and which throttle range your engine's ECU is configured for, you should get a throttle response around 1100-1300rpm. Pull off either wire from that little battery and your throttle immediately returns to idle.

It's not elegant, but it works - except not for CAT engines - which respond only to PWM signals, and not for MTU or MAN engines - which respond to mA signals (and let's not even get started talking about Volvo throttle signals).

I hope this information will help ease some concerns, and maybe spare someone a big towing bill at some point. There's no need to feel like you have to rush out and replace your EC200 system tomorrow... maybe next week or the week after. 😉

Happy cruising!

Jim Martyn

Alyeska 47-07

Hi, Garry.

I'm glad to hear that the information is useful! Keep me posted on your results. You can message me on Whatsapp too.

Jim

Jim Martyn

Alyeska 47-07

I agree with all of your first paragraph, though the problems that I have seen on various vessels didn't involve the final shift cable linkage. Those always appear to move freely and properly. More specifically, the problem invariably has been in the servo motor in the Power Commander driving that final shift cable. (When converting from older Morse cable controls and similar, I frequently see binding problems in the mixer controls where the upper and lower control heads combine to drive the final shift cable.)

However, I have to disagree with your distinction regarding the existence or absence of a Power Commander unit in the EC200 systems. Every Twindisc EC200 system includes a Power Commander control unit, even those with only electronic throttle and transmission. The control heads communicate their requests to the Power Commander, and the Power Commander sends the appropriate voltage shift signals to the transmission and - in the example of a Lugger or Deere engine - sends a variable 0.5-4.5v output to the engine for throttle setting.

Somewhere in your boat there must be a Power Commander control box, since that is the point of power-up for all other components, and for interface with your engine and transmission. If the propulsion control architecture on Koinonia does not include a Power Commander control box, then that fine vessel is truly more unique than I previously imagined.

A few readers have asked me how to identify whether they have a Power Commander control unit of the type relevant to this discussion. Here's how to verify:If you have propulsion control stations like shown in the first pic attached here, then go to your engine room and find the Power Commander control box for those EC200 controls. If that unit is like the one shown in the second pic with a gear shift lever, then you have the version that is susceptible to the same shift failure with age.

Dear Jim,

As I'm crossing the Baltic Sea in rough seas, I read your post. May I call you 24/7 if I start have issues with my EC200 Twindisk?

~LC

mv Ho'okipa

S4326

Of course! Though I can’t guarantee that I’ll hear and answer in the middle of the night.

Hi, LC.

The failure mode under discussion in this thread would not have the tendency to cause a shift reversal while underway, but only a failure to return to neutral at some point in time later, and even then probably only when shifting from reverse to neutral.

Hopefully your crossing was all happy and the problem never finds its way aboard Ho’okipa.

Aloha!

Jim

Did Twindisc refurb your unit? You’re very lucky there. I’m hearing that they’ve orphaned them.

Hi, Mike.

The control box version shown in your photo is the variant for which I've been seeing the highest rate of EC200 failures. I was on the East Coast a few weeks ago replacing the same version on a tug (twin screw). The starboard control gear actuator generally fails first, followed shortly after by the port gear actuator. Most of those failures are occurring on systems at around 18-20 years age, but I'm seeing them earlier on commercial boats.

Jim Martyn

Alyeska 47-07

A member asked me privately whether a wireless controller could be a factor in the shifting issues. I'm sharing my response here for others who may have the same question.

I can say with absolute confidence that the wireless controller had no possible role in the gear-lock failure that I experienced. Even leaving out the failsafe emergency functions of our system, I was able to repeat the symptom 100% of the time after completely disconnecting our base station from the boat’s wiring. We further disassembled the Power Commander control box and positively identified the failure of the servo motor.

I have also been called in as a consultant to examine helm control malfunctions on numerous boats where either Yacht Controller or Dockmate controls were suspected to be the cause of undependable or erratic shift events. In each case I eliminated that possibility with complete certainty by firewalling the wireless control system from the boat wiring, and then instead found the power supplies to the shift control boxes (various brands) to be suffering from undervoltage in the case of reverse-stuck failures on other brands, and overvoltage in the case of unauthorized forward shift events.

The problem of reverse-lock critical failure is not unique to the Twindisc EC200 system; I understand from talking with colleagues that similar failures have been seen in older analog controls from other manufacturers too. There are significant benefits to upgrading to newer CANbus controls. The linear actuators in the mechanical shift control units are substantially more accurate and dependable than the rotary servos in the older units, and the self-diagnostic functions provide additional safety that is lacking in the older units. A well-designed system includes an easy means of switching back to mechanical operation in the event of a failure of the electronic controls, which is handy for getting home in an emergency.

To determine whether your boat is susceptible to the failure I described in my original report, start by looking at your helm’s propulsion control head; if it is an EC-200, then go down to the engine room and look at the tail end of the transmission to see if there is a push-pull control cable connected to it; if there is a cable, then it is driven by the Power Commander control box and is susceptible to same failure. I’ve seen this failure on boats with as few as 1,000 total hours operating time, and there does not appear to me to be any pattern of other identifiable contributing factors.