thesameguy
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jun 6, 2014
- Posts
- 623
I have an Onan 4BGEFA26100K and, I have to admit, I've been negligent in its maintenance. I just don't use it that often, which, I suppose, is part of the problem.
After the smog shop crashed my motorhome into their garage, I was unable to start the generator to test the AC. I assumed it was something simple, but it's not. The generator is very slow to start - it cranks readily, but takes probably a minute and a half of cranking in total - I usually crank it for 10-15 seconds, let it rest a bit, repeat, to prevent the starter from dying. Once started, it won't idle - it revs up and down pretty much in perpetuity. Stopping and restarting changed nothing - still a bouncing idle. It used to take 45-60 seconds total cranking, and would idle instantly, always.
The autochoke is causing the problem - the actuator bounces back and forth, back and forth. On Saturday, I adjusted the idle stop screw to a point where the idle fluctuation was somewhere between minimal and nil and ran it for 5-10 minutes. I did not put a timing light on it to see how fast it's running, but that's neither here nor there.
As I mentioned, I did this to myself. It has not been touched in two years (!!!) which was obviously a mistake. I have a bunch of supplies coming for it - oil change, fuel filter, air filter, and spark plugs. I don't expect any of these will cure it, but I'm hopeful. I have no maintenance history on it whatsoever, I know only that it worked. Beyond the things I've mentioned, is there anything else anyone recommends looking at to a) help it start easier, and b) fix the idle situation? Since purchase, I've been considering a new fuel pump as I don't think even 60 seconds of cranking is normal, but perhaps that's related to a greater issue, perhaps with the carb?
Any thoughts are appreciated!
After the smog shop crashed my motorhome into their garage, I was unable to start the generator to test the AC. I assumed it was something simple, but it's not. The generator is very slow to start - it cranks readily, but takes probably a minute and a half of cranking in total - I usually crank it for 10-15 seconds, let it rest a bit, repeat, to prevent the starter from dying. Once started, it won't idle - it revs up and down pretty much in perpetuity. Stopping and restarting changed nothing - still a bouncing idle. It used to take 45-60 seconds total cranking, and would idle instantly, always.
The autochoke is causing the problem - the actuator bounces back and forth, back and forth. On Saturday, I adjusted the idle stop screw to a point where the idle fluctuation was somewhere between minimal and nil and ran it for 5-10 minutes. I did not put a timing light on it to see how fast it's running, but that's neither here nor there.
As I mentioned, I did this to myself. It has not been touched in two years (!!!) which was obviously a mistake. I have a bunch of supplies coming for it - oil change, fuel filter, air filter, and spark plugs. I don't expect any of these will cure it, but I'm hopeful. I have no maintenance history on it whatsoever, I know only that it worked. Beyond the things I've mentioned, is there anything else anyone recommends looking at to a) help it start easier, and b) fix the idle situation? Since purchase, I've been considering a new fuel pump as I don't think even 60 seconds of cranking is normal, but perhaps that's related to a greater issue, perhaps with the carb?
Any thoughts are appreciated!