This is kind of long but I would like some feedback from anyone experienced or interested.
In am earlier thread I mentioned that in a trip to Florida in my new "previously owned RT" my generator would not carry the A/C. When I complained about the generator in my RV not being able to carry the load of the A/C for more than 15 minutes with out shutting down the dealer ordered and replaced the carburetor for me at no charge. They then told me it was running fine, well maybe.
On the drive home I started the generator and A/C as a test and after 15-20 minutes it shut down. I then tested the generator and A/C in my driveway and it ran, sort of, OK. Every now and then it would cough or sputter or give a little rumm - rumm and then keep going. After an hour I pushed the thermostat up to shut it down and then back down to start it again and the whole thing shut down. The service manager told me I should not have done that that the A/C needs more time to cycle off and back on. He did agree that it should not have shut down after 15 minutes while traveling.
I didn't get to test again for a week or so but then in the driveway started a new test with the following results.
10:00a start generator, wait two minutes and start A/C with thermostat at 77. Generator running and coughed once but keeps running.
10:50a push thermostat to 79 and A/C stopped. At 10:58a generator revs up and A/C turns on.
While generator is running I plugged in a multi-meter to check voltage and with the generator running smoothly voltage varies between about 117.7 and 119.1 Seems like every couple of minutes the generator gives an extra rumm- rumm and sometimes runs smooth and steady for a while.
11:41a A/C shutdown by thermostat
11:46a generator revs up (volts drop to 4 ??) and A/C starts up
checking voltage range it seems to vary 118.3 or .4 to 119.2
11:53a A/C running, generator gives a rumm - rumm , voltage has a brief drop to 0.9
when generator gives a cough or rumm or rumm - rumm depending on how deep or long the cough is the voltage change may be slight or in one case drops to 40 - 118 - 77 back to normal. The voltage changes are pretty quick and hard to catch the exact number but I believe the numbers are pretty close thought I missed some.
11:59a A/C off by thermostat, A/C back on at 12:03p did not catch voltage
12:04p gen. coughed voltage drops to 58.
12:05p gen. goes rumm - rumm voltage goes 20 - 118 - 70 - 118 - 30 back to normal
12:09p gen. goes rumm - rumm voltage goes 42 - 3.2 back to normal
12:10p gen. goes rumm voltage 69.
12:11p gen. goes rumm - rumm voltage shows 0.0
12:12p gen. goes rumm voltage shows 13.1
sometimes rumm rev up of generator seems to increase voltage with out noticeable drop
12:16p gen. gives big cough voltage drops to 0.0 (I think)
12:17p gen. goes rumm - rumm voltages drops to 0.2 then up and down then normal
12:21p stop A/C then stop generator
Next day take Roadtrek on an errand into Bethesda, start generator and A/C and began driving. At first generator hummed along but 18 minutes into drive it began to struggle. I could hear a clicking sound coming from the A/C now and then. At 22 minutes into the drive the generator began a continuous struggle and stopped running.
I believe that the generator originally started quickly with in a couple of seconds but that seems to have gotten longer so I checked it and last time I started it, it took 7 seconds holding the start before it began running.
So what's wrong? I know, you can't tell, but any ideas?
I'd suspect that the dealer did not replace the carb, or that the replacement is defective or was done incorrectly. From my experience, it sounds much like a slightly varnished-up carb. But it could also be the fuel pump or fuel line, or maybe the fuel filter.
They're right about one thing; too-quick cycling of the thermostat will trip the breaker or kill the generator. This is because the refrigerant head pressure in the A/C's compressor is stil quite high, and the motor draws too many amps trying to start.
Jim, "Jamestowne 1607: When survival wasn't a game."
'06 Tiger CX 'C Minus' on a Silverado 2500HD 4x4, 8.1 & Allison ('Loafer's Glory'); '07 Forester 2.5 ( the 'HANDBSKT'); '95 Toyota SR5 V-6 4x4 pickup, ARB locker, Bilsteins, Warn hubs & M8000, etc;
'94 968, M030 swaybars ('DOPPLER')
I have a Honda 3500 generator for blackouts at my house. It exhibited the same symptoms as yours - it would run (kinda) with no load, but quit with a load. A good cleaning by the dealer of the gas filter and carburator (esp. the jets) solved the problem.
I had nearly this exact problem with my Cummins 2.8kW in my 2008 RT. When I would start the generator it would take a few minutes to settle out. Then, any load you added, it would surge for several minutes, after the load was added. If you added enough of a load, it would stall out. It would never start the AC. We used the generator while traveling from Iowa to Florida, and it would surge even with the 750W microwave. Obviously, a 2.8kW generator should hold the microwave.
In Orlando, I took the RT to Cummins Onan for service. Turns out that the stator in the generator was shorted to ground. The mechanic said that a generator that would not hold a load is a symptom on a grounded stator. They also replaced the carburetor because after replacing the stator, there was still some surging going on, but only at full load. Now it runs well.
FYI, this was warranty for me, but the bill shows the repair cost, then shows it credited back. It was about $1000.
Before getting too excited about the genset check the voltage draw on the ac unit. I had one the longer it ran the higher the amp draw for some reason. The amps went up the longer the ac ran until the amp load was too strong for the gen, but would also eventually blow the breaker if plugged into 120.
jeffcarp wrote: .,... Turns out that the stator in the generator was shorted to ground......
An intermittent problem like that would sure explain the low voltage excursions, and they in turn would explain the sound... the ignition voltage going away briefly... tho' the sound is also a symptom of carb problems. And Onan may have had some stator quality problems in '06... my '06 Tiger's Onan quit at 8 hours because of a rotor or stator problem. Onan replaced both (supposedly a matched set) at a warranty cost of ~$1600.
Get a letter from the RV dealer stating their willingness to pay, and get thee to an Onan-Cummins dealer.
Jim, "My family puts the 'fun' in 'dysfunctional'."
I will call the service manager Monday and talk with him and pass on the suggestions. The generator is out of warranty but the RT was sold to me as being road ready. So I will see what they will be willing to do for me. For what it is worth, while in Florida I plugged into what I believe was a 20amp outlet and ran the A/C over night several nights and with some down time it ran pretty much all night. At home in the driveway I have run the A/C on a 20amp plug for an hour or more at least.
My experience with RV service shop or RV dealer service of my 2800 MicroLite Onan in my 2002 C190P RT has not been good. The only service for the Generator I can count on is the local Onan distributor's service center - Cummins NorthWest in Portland, OR. One problem is that the gen set must be adjusted while under load or it's not going to work right. I've never seen an RV service shop or dealer's shop put a load on the generator while adjusting the output, or even an RV service shop that even has a load bank for adjusting generators.
Suggest you locate your local Onan Generator Distributor and talk to their service guys (or gals).
Actually, considering the potential cost of this repair, you might want to get it diagnosed (only) by Onan before bringing up the matter with your RV dealer, unless you feel he's a real straight-shooter. If you even hint at the possible cause & cost, he may suddenly develop a case of amnesia for the 'road ready' part of the sales agreement, unless it's a written clause.
BTW, when you say that the Onan's out of warranty, are you aware that their warranty covers 'major parts' thru the 3rd year (not real sure about 2nd owners, tho')? Whoever gets stuck with the bill should look into this if it's possible that it's covered. The bill might be 1/2 labor, but if it's a stator or/and rotor, parts are gonna be a big chunk.
Jim, "I like to wear black. It reflects my level of joy."
Thanks for the comments Jim. I was just reading the Onan info passed on to me by the first owner who did save all manuals which I really appreciate. I did believe on reading the manual that the stator and rotor were covered and I think this Roadtrek was first put in service in October 05, so I may be lucky. I do appreciate your confirming the 3rd year on "major parts" as I was not 100% confident I could read that complicated paragraph and understand it completely.
I do believe that the guys at the dealership have been straight forward and fair with me so far. The service manager seems like a decent guy and the feedback I have gotten from the mechanics seems good. So I think I will give them a chance to be fair. I hope it doesn't cost me $1000.
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