Question 1

During your oral exam you are asked: a main engine cylinder exhaust temperature on one unit is consistently 40°C higher than the others, with no change in load. What is your systematic approach to diagnosing this?

Accepted Answer

Cross-check the affected unit's indicator diagram (if available), fuel injection timing and condition, exhaust valve condition, scavenge air distribution, and turbocharger performance, comparing against historical trends, to narrow down whether the cause is combustion-related, mechanical, or air-supply related before deciding on corrective action A single-unit exhaust temperature rise with constant load is a classic symptom requiring systematic elimination of causes — late or excessive fuel injection, exhaust valve leakage (loss of compression/blow-by), scavenge air maldistribution, or a developing turbocharger fault can all produce this pattern but require very different remedies. Jumping to fuel adjustment without diagnosis risks masking a mechanical fault (e.g. a leaking exhaust valve) that will worsen, while immediate shutdown without investigation is disproportionate unless other indicators (knocking, smoke, crankcase oil mist alarm) suggest an imminent failure.

Question 2

You're draining a thermal oil system that was running normally a short time ago. Before opening the drain point, what should you confirm?

Accepted Answer

That the system has cooled and depressurised, and you are positioned clear of the drain point's discharge path On the dredger MV Amazone, two crew members draining a thermal oil system after months of contamination were sprayed with hot oil, suffering severe burns. The investigation found company procedures lacked clear instructions for safe drainage — confirming the system has cooled and depressurised, and standing clear of the discharge path, are essential before opening any drain point on a hot oil system.

Question 3

A thermal oil system has been contaminated and needs draining for cleaning. The written procedure tells you to open the drain valve but doesn't specify a cooling-down period or PPE. What should you do?

Accepted Answer

Treat the gap as a hazard in its own right: apply a suitable cooling/depressurising period and full PPE before proceeding, and raise the procedure gap with the Chief Engineer The FEBIMA investigation into the MV Amazone incident found that although the crew followed company procedures, those procedures lacked clear instructions for safely draining a thermal oil system. A procedure that's silent on cooling time and PPE for a hazardous task is a gap to be closed before the job starts — not a green light to skip those precautions.