My first thought when reading his post was BATTERY, he hits the start button and everything goes out, current load from the starter draining surface charge. Plugs into shore power and hits the start button, just clicking, again Battery, converter trying to charge up a dead battery, heavy current load from hitting the start switch. If it is not the battery itself, then one of the battery cables.
The first thing to check when you have 12 v problems is the battery. How many volts does it have, a fully charged battery will read 12.6 volts. Anything less than that you need to charge the battery first then give it a try again before proceeding on trouble shooting. So is the battery charged?
Othertonka
2004 Southwind 32VS 8.1 Workhorse chassis
2002 CRV Toad
U. S. Gear Unified brake system
Retired Fire Captain, SFD
1995brave wrote: My first thought when reading his post was BATTERY, he hits the start button and everything goes out, current load from the starter draining surface charge. Plugs into shore power and hits the start button, just clicking, again Battery, converter trying to charge up a dead battery, heavy current load from hitting the start switch. If it is not the battery itself, then one of the battery cables.
Sorry folks I'm back. I haven't had a chance to mess with it. When you say solenoid....you're saying solenoid on the generator's starter, or the motor's starter?
I was just wondering if the emergency switch on the dashboard not working had anything to do with the generator not starting (via solenoid somewhere), as if 'something' isn't clicking over. I'll mess with it this weekend including battery status, cables, etc.
I leave it at a storage facility with shore power on and the battery disconnect switch on 24/7. I have a little charger that shows a green light 'full' status hooked up as well, and it doesn't overcharge. It just helps the converter from having to charge all of it.
I think of "Solenoid" as the venerable Delco type that powers the starter motor AND mechanically throws the Starter Drive into engagement with the flywheel. On a Ford chassis, the "Solenoids" are what I call Heavy Duty Relays. They pull a low current coil and contacts to complete the high current circuit to whatever the "Load" is. Starter Motor, House Circuits, etc.
If this was mine, I'd test both Chassis and House batteries, then go through all the primary connections. Battery terminals, ground cables, etc.
It's possible for a factory-made battery cable to go "open" inside a terminal that doesn't appear corroded or burned. Do you know how to do a Voltage Drop Test? You take a DC voltmeter, set to a low scale like 12VDC, 20VDC etc. To test a battery cable, you might press one probe onto the battery post itself, not even the terminal. Then the other probe onto where the opposite end of the cable attaches. Have somebody apply the Load, like cranking the road engine or generator. There should be essentially NO voltage reading shown. If there IS a voltage shown, that means that the amount read out on the meter is being lost in that cable and/or its connections.
Since the Generator's "Solenoid" is only a Relay, the Starter has to spin its Drive into the Flywheel on its own RPM. If it's an ONAN "KY" type genny, they're notorious for starter drive sticking. Either not releasing from the flywheel or not engaging it. Low voltage makes all that more likely.
God Bless, jd
2003 Jayco Escapade 31A on 2002 Ford E450 V10 4R100
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