Training News from HIGMAN BARGE LINES, Inc.

Take your multi-meter, place on "DC Volts"; use the 0 to 50 volt scale. Probe the starting battery terminals. Is the voltage less than 12 volts? If it is, the battery may be discharged too much to spin the starter. Yes it's called a 12 volt battery, but a battery with only 12.0 volts is less than 50% charged.

If voltage is less than 12 volts, recharge or replace the battery. Add water to the cells if needed.
If you have good voltage at the battery terminals, then trace the wires to the starter. If there is low voltage at the starter, then check the terminals on both ends of the wire. Clean and tighten the terminals.
Check the overall condition of the wires. Look for insulation breaks and burnt spots.

Ok, the battery and wiring are ok; what's next? Is the starting solenoid kicking in and turning the starter?

If not, jump the solenoid leads at the starter. If the solenoid or the solenoid switch is bad, the engine should start with this technique.
If the starter solenoid is ok, but the starter will not turn when the the leads are jumped, suspect a bad starter. Replace the starter.

The starter turns over but the engine is not starting. Diesel engines require fuel and air to run, so lets start looking there.

Is fuel getting to the engine? I know this may seem like a dumb question, but stranger things have happened. Check the fuel line up to the engine. Is the supply valve open? Follow the path of the fuel from the supply valve.
Check for water in the Racor fuel filter/water separator. Drain off water and replace the filter if needed.
Have the fuel filters been recently changed? Were they filled with fuel to displace air when changed? Crack the outlet line from the cannister filter and use the manual lever on the lift pump to pump fuel to the filter. Watch for air bubbles and fuel as you displace any air that may have been trapped in the filter.
After the cannister filter, fuel goes to the injector pump and then to the injectors. Is the injector pump pressuring the injector fuel line when the engine is turned over?
Crack open an injector fuel line at one of the cylinders and turn over the engine. Are there signs of fuel seeping out? Is there a sign of bubbles or a foamy diesel coming out? The latter means there is air in the fuel. The injector lines can be cracked open, one by one as the engine is cranked to bleed out the trapped air.
A restriction in the air intake can also prevent starting. Inspect the air filter to ensure it is clean and free of restrictions.

Once you have thoroughly, logically gone through the starting phase, piece by piece and still no start, then it is time to call repairs.

Any tricks you have on starting a difficult generator engine, let us know!

How Do You Predict Success?

By Rich Weider

Teamwork in action

You and your crew have just rigged together a device to repair a leaking gasket in a most difficult environment. What are the chances it's going to work?

Whenever you are put into a situation where new and untried solutions are required, what can you do to maximize the possibility that it will turn our right the first time and on time? You can come up with nearly any scenario. I find the greatest predictor of success is a constant.

No one can give you a certain formula, but I can offer some observations. With all the teams I have observed in over 20 years of experience watching groups work together, I've noticed one constant that seems to predict success more than any other. It doesn't have to do with any fabulous tool, or any one person's keen insight. It's a very general principle, and I see it repeat itself over and over again.

**M/V SANDY POINT crew working on making a bumper.**

It has to do with how a team STARTS its task that is the greatest predictor of whether it succeeds in the end. If you BEGIN with a disciplined approach to get everyone aware of the situation you are in, share all the facts at hand, make clear the requirement needed for a solution - if you gather and share all the facts with each other - that's the first step to getting things right.

When you do that, you set the stage for everyone to be fully involved in contributing to A solution. (Notice, I didn't say THE solution, but A solution. More on that distinction next time.) The first thing you want to happen from the beginning is to get everyone on board - on the same page - ready to fully contribute to a solution. Then you are starting off strong, and with the greatest potential for success.

Even if it's just one other person with you, the old adage applies, perhaps even more than with a larger group, that two heads are better than one. Talk the facts out with each other, make sure you both grasp the situation at hand, and then get to work in sync from the outset.

- Rich Weider is founder and President of Team Craft, Inc. which has been providing team building programs for companies and large organizations for over 20 years. Go To teamcraft.com for more information.

Editors Note: Rich Weider provided Team Building activities and skills training at out Wheelmen's Meetings and at the Higman Leadership and Management Seminars....gak.

New CBT Login

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With the recent Personnel System change to the new 5 digit employee ID numbers, our Computer Based Training (CBT) Website has also been converted.

All usernames and passwords for the CBT Website have now been converted to your five digit ID number. No longer use your four digit ID number.

When you login with the five digit ID, all of your records will be available. None of your training records have been lost. If you are having difficulties logging in please contact Gordie Keenan or Kelly Cleaver.

Nav Zone

Small Pleasure Craft

With the upcoming Labor Day weekend, all vessels should be on alert for small pleasure craft. Most small pleasure craft operators do not hold a USCG license. Thus they may not understand the Rules of the Road. When operating around small pleasure craft you should be expecting the unexpected.

The M/V John T. McMahan recently understood the lack of knowledge with pleasure craft operators when passing through Houma. As they were coming through the bend at Mile 57, a small pleasure craft with a skier stopped just off his starboard bow. The Wheelman on Watch sounded the danger signal and correct to the port. After correcting for this small pleasure craft on the starboard, three more pleasure crafts were coming up on the port side. This made for a sticky situation for this Wheelman.

This is a good example of why you need to be extra cautious when operating around pleasure crafts. Remember you can be liberal with the danger signal. If you have any doubt that they do not understand your stopping ability or maneuvering, then sound the danger signal. This will attract their attention!

Online Training Questions

The fourth part of our engine room series is entitled "Steering System Parts Replacement". What happens if a steering ram fails? How does the boat effect repairs and proceed to an area where permanent repairs can be made?

Here are answers to our questions.

How did your crew do? steering Quadant