Have been unable to start generator, Class C is 8 months old. I get the sound of the Gen trying to start, but it wont turnover. I have run it fairly regular while in storage, but not for the past couple months. I have full tank of gas. Have tried plugged into shore power and while not plugged in. Have not tried with coach running.....
Any ideas what to look for? I am thinking it is due to not running in a couple months. Would love to not have to take this in, as we leave in three days for an extended trip.
Any tips or things I might try?
Thanks
Bob and Lynn w/6 kids(Girls 20, 16, 11 and 6; Boys 9 and 3)
2011 Jayco Greyhawk 31FS Bunk model Class C
What generator do you have?
When you say it's "trying to start, but won't turn over", are you saying that the starter won't crank, but you can hear the solenoid clicking?
You may just have a bad connection from the battery, or at the ground strap on the genset. I had a bad ground, and was able to just remove the cable, clean the ends with a wire brush, and then re-tighten it.
It could be that your solenoid has just crapped out...it happens. You could try "jumping" it, to see if it's the solenoid, or the starter?
If it's an Onan, have you tried starting it out at the genset? There should be a start switch there, and if you push the "Stop" side of the rocker switch, it will run the fuel pump, to prime the engine, and help start it (if there aren't other problems).
Good luck
Bill & Claudia / DD Jenn / DS Chris / GS MJ Dogs: Sophie, Abby, Brandy, Kahlie, Annie, Maggie, Tugger & Beau RIP: Cookie, Foxy & Gidget @ Rainbow Bridge.
2000 Winnebago "Minnie" 31C, Ford V-10
Purchased April 2008 FMCA# F407293 The Pets
If it does not turn over, I assume that means that the starter just clicks but no cranking. That is probably due to low voltage from the coach battery. I suggest that you start the chassis engine, then once it is running hold down your emergency start switch to tie the two battery systems together and then try starting the generator. Doing that will jump start the generator, just as holding that switch to start the chassis engine will jump start it from the coach battery. You could also try using some jumper cables from your running automobile to the coach battery and once they are connected with the car running, try starting the generator. Let us know if any of this helps.
By the way, the subject line states Onan generator set.
Good travelin! ........Kirk
Professional Volunteer
Fulltimer for 11 years, URL:www.adventure.1tree.net
Quote: I get the sound of the Gen trying to start, but it wont turnover
This could be the sign of a low battery or bad cable connections with the resulting “stuck starter”.
I had a similar problem with my generator. I checked it before a trip to Alaska and all appeared to be fine. Used it a couple of times on the trip and then it wouldn’t start.
It got to the point that it wouldn’t turn over and just made a click (klunk) that sounded as if the starter was jammed.
After returning home, I found information this forum that explained that sometimes the piston in the engine could stop near the top of the compression stroke and the starter motor then could not turn the engine over.
The solution was to turn the engine over by hand so it was past the top of the compression stroke. I found that by putting a wrench on the nut on the flywheel, I could get the engine rotated past the compression stroke. I also discovered that I was getting a big drop in the 12 volts as I tried to start the generator.
As a test, I used jumper cables from my truck directly to the generator (negative to generator frame – positive to battery side of starter solenoid) and it started instantly.
In my RV, the frame was used for the negative wire and the connections from the frame to the generator had corroded and although I could get a 12-volt measurement, the corroded connections would not allow enough current to pass to run the starter. In addition to replacing the corroded connectors, I ran a heavy gauge copper wire from the battery ground to the starter ground. This solved my problems.
As stated above, a large drop in voltage when trying to run the starter indicates a bad connection. You might need to check ALL of your ground connections from the generator all the way back to the batteries.
A bad electrical connection increases the resistance in a circuit. Ohm’s Law states E=IR where E = voltage I = current and r = resistance - Since the battery voltage will not increase (it actually decreases with each attempted start), increased resistance causes a decrease in current.
With a decrease in current, the starter motor produces less torque (turning effect) because the magnetic field produced in the starter is proportional to the current.
When the piston in the motor’s cylinder goes upward during the compression stroke the volume of the area from the top of the piston to the bottom of the cylinder head becomes less, According to Boyle's law, if you reduce the volume of a quantity of gas, the pressure will increase.
When the force of the gas pushing down on the piston (pressure) equals the torque of the starter the starter motor stops turning.
Attempted restarting does nothing to change these forces and the starter motor in an attempt to turn just runs the starter bendix into the flywheel producing the clicking sound.
By physically turning the motor past top dead center, by pulling on flywheel or placing a wrench on the flywheel nut, the piston starts on its downward stroke and the pressure becomes less so that the torque of the starter is adequate to rotate the motor.
Kirk wrote: If it does not turn over, I assume that means that the starter just clicks but no cranking. That is probably due to low voltage from the coach battery. I suggest that you start the chassis engine, then once it is running hold down your emergency start switch to tie the two battery systems together and then try starting the generator. Doing that will jump start the generator, just as holding that switch to start the chassis engine will jump start it from the coach battery. You could also try using some jumper cables from your running automobile to the coach battery and once they are connected with the car running, try starting the generator. Let us know if any of this helps.
By the way, the subject line states Onan generator set.
So it does crank, and crank and crank, but never starts. There is not a click, the generator tries to start, but does not. It will go off on overload fault dues to excessive cranking. I have tried starting the generator at the generator itself, not just the remote start, I have held the prime down for 30 seconds, then cranked it local. Same turn over, but no start. I am thinking I have enough battery power, I tried with Coach running, but did not try while pushing aux start. That is next.
PapPappy wrote: What generator do you have?
When you say it's "trying to start, but won't turn over", are you saying that the starter won't crank, but you can hear the solenoid clicking?
You may just have a bad connection from the battery, or at the ground strap on the genset. I had a bad ground, and was able to just remove the cable, clean the ends with a wire brush, and then re-tighten it.
It could be that your solenoid has just crapped out...it happens. You could try "jumping" it, to see if it's the solenoid, or the starter?
If it's an Onan, have you tried starting it out at the genset? There should be a start switch there, and if you push the "Stop" side of the rocker switch, it will run the fuel pump, to prime the engine, and help start it (if there aren't other problems).
Good luck
Not just a click, the gen actually tries to start, turn over, turn over, just does not start. I have tried starting at the local gen start switch instead of the remote....
hold the start switch to stop for about 15 seconds, wait a second then another 15 seconds. try to start it again. Have you opened the front of the generator case and listened for the fuel pump when pushing stop??
christopherglenn wrote: hold the start switch to stop for about 15 seconds, wait a second then another 15 seconds. try to start it again. Have you opened the front of the generator case and listened for the fuel pump when pushing stop??
Yes, the fuel pump sounds like it is working when i push and hold stop..... i have been pushing and holding for 30 secs, then pushing and holding start for 15 seconds, and repeating. No luck. Tried this at remote and on gen start itself.....
Offline
FMCA# F407293
