Volvo Penta D4-300 Rebuild, common faults and everything you need to know
Volvo Penta's top-end unit for planing motor boats of 35-50 ft. Single exhaust turbo with charge air cooler, DOHC four-valve technology, common rail.
The D4-300 is Volvo Penta's mid segment for planing motor boats of 35-50 ft - more power than the D3, less weight than the D6. Common rail injection, EVC control and a single exhaust turbo with charge air cooler deliver impressive performance and fuel economy. The modern common rail technology and the many electronic components are also why the service costs are considerably higher than on older Volvo Penta generations. The catastrophic failure modes - burst copper sleeves around the injectors, turbo failure at high running hours, ageing common rail injectors - call for early diagnosis. We handle both cylinder head reconditioning, cylinder boring, crankshaft reconditioning and complete engine reconditioning on the D4-300 in our own machine shop with 12-month warranty. See also our boat engine rebuild hub page.
The D4-300 at a glance
Data from Volvo Penta's official product brochures (D4-300 I 2013, D4-300/DP 2016, D4-270/300/320 DPI 2019).
The D4 family
The D4 platform was launched in 2003 (D4-260 from August 2004). The current generation is the D4 DPI from June 2019.
| Variant | Power | Torque | Launch |
|---|---|---|---|
| D4-180 | 180 hk | ~500 Nm | 2003 |
| D4-225 | 225 hk | ~540 Nm | 2003 |
| D4-260 | 260 hk | ~615 Nm | 2004 |
| D4-300 Top | 300 hk | ~700 Nm | 2007 |
| D4-320 | 320 hk | ~700 Nm | 2015 |
EVC and electronic components
The D4 is a fully electronic engine with Volvo Penta's EVC system. All diagnosis and fault code history is accessed via EVC. Fault code readout is done on our diagnostic rig before dismantling.
Common faults on the D4-300
Cross-verified against Volvo Forums, Trawler Forum, Power Products Systems, the Tugnuts service archive and Volvo Penta service bulletins. For a complete engine reconditioning we follow a standardised dismantling sequence with a measurement protocol.
Copper sleeve failure around the injectors
Catastrophic • Critical- Symptoms
- Coolant disappears with no visible leak, white smoke, mixes with the oil, freeze plugs blow out.
- Cause
- The copper sleeves that seal between the injectors and the coolant channel in the cylinder head crack. Coolant enters the combustion chamber and on pressure spikes the freeze plugs blow out. The most notorious catastrophic fault of the D4/D6 - 32 documented failures were reported in 2007.
Aftercooler corrosion
6-10 seasons • High- Symptoms
- Drastically reduced power, black smoke on acceleration, hot charge air, lower top rpm.
- Cause
- Sea water on one side and charge air on the other. The aluminium tubes corrode internally. On leakage, salt water mixes with the charge air - cylinder failure.
Common rail injectors ageing
3,000+ hours • High- Symptoms
- Falling power, rough running at lower rpm, higher fuel consumption, possible smoke.
- Cause
- The solenoid or piezo injectors lose atomisation quality. Return volume rises on individual cylinders.
Turbo wears at high running hours
At high running hours • High- Symptoms
- Low boost, sluggish acceleration, whistling or oil leakage from the turbo, fault codes.
- Cause
- Wear in the turbo's bearings and shaft seals after many running hours causes lost boost and can draw oil into the charge air system.
Crankcase ventilation leaves oil traces
Recurring • Medium- Symptoms
- Oil in the intake system, carbon deposits on the intake valves, falling power.
- Cause
- The crankcase ventilation filter (P/N 3584145) ages. Oil is drawn into the intake and deposits build up on the valves.
D4-300 reconditioning prices
Modern common rail engine with higher service costs. Prices excl. VAT and parts. All main operations - cylinder boring, crankshaft grinding, cylinder head resurfacing - are carried out in our own machine shop.
Cylinder head reconditioning
Bottom end
Full rebuild
Common rail injectors
Cylinder machining
| Service | Price |
|---|---|
| Cylinder boring 4 cyl (103 mm) | 3 818 kr |
| Plateau honing 4 cyl | 1 050 kr |
| Cylinder liner replacement 4 cyl | 8 400 kr |
Cylinder head and copper sleeves
| Service | Price |
|---|---|
| Cylinder head removal and inspection | 3 200 kr |
| Cylinder head pressure testing | 2 100 kr |
| Copper sleeve replacement 4 units | 2 800 kr |
| Resurfacing DOHC cylinder head | 1 920 kr |
| Valve seat cutting 16 valves | 1 820 kr |
See also
Other Volvo Penta marine diesels we service and related services.
Questions and answers about the D4-300
Is the D4-300 twin-turbo?
No. The D4-300 is neither twin-turbo nor supercharged. It has a single exhaust turbo with a charge air cooler (aftercooler). A supercharger plus turbo belongs to the older KAD/KAMD series, not the D4. "Twin-turbo" and "parallel twin-turbo" circulate incorrectly in third-party sources.
What is the copper sleeve fault?
The copper sleeves that seal between the injectors and the coolant channel in the cylinder head can crack. Coolant then enters the combustion chamber and on pressure spikes the freeze plugs blow out. It is the most notorious catastrophic fault of the D4/D6 - 32 documented failures during 2007 - and requires cylinder head removal to put right.
What does it cost to recondition a D4-300?
Cylinder head reconditioning incl. copper sleeves SEK 9,000-12,000 labour. Complete engine reconditioning SEK 55,000-95,000 labour, plus parts. Common rail injectors may add SEK 25,000-50,000. Aftercooler reconditioning or replacement SEK 8,000-22,000. All prices excl. VAT.
How long does a D4-300 last?
4,000-7,000 running hours with the right maintenance. Less than the D2 series, since common rail, turbo and more electronic components wear faster. At 3,000 hours the injectors start to lose performance. At 5,000 hours aftercooler reconditioning is often due.
Does the engine have to come out for diagnosis?
Initial diagnosis can be done with the engine in the boat via Volvo Penta EVC. Fault code history, common rail pressure, injector return volume and turbo boost can be read on site. Dismantling is only required if the cylinder head or copper sleeves are involved.
How long does a D4-300 reconditioning take?
Cylinder head reconditioning with copper sleeve replacement: 2-3 weeks. Complete engine reconditioning: 4-7 weeks in the workshop. Lead time on common rail injectors (if replaced) may add 2-4 weeks.
Do you have a D4-300 that needs looking at?
Call us or send a quote request. Reply within 24 hours. Quote after inspection. We service all types of boat engines - see the boat engine page for more on our marine service. Every reconditioning comes with a 12-month warranty.