1joester2
Well-known member
Hello all!
It's been a while since I visited the site, but I fell on bad times and am getting back "Onto my feet" so to speak...
I opened up my Coachmen this spring to find a coach battery that held almost enough charge to properly turn over the generator (Onan 4KY FA26100J) fast enough to start it. I had the battery on a trickle charger, but I think the extreme cold last winter took it's toll. The battery would not charge beyond about 10 volts so my diagnosis was a bad cell.
Got a replacement and installed it. Hit the starter, and it turned over a few times then quit. Investigation revealed a horribly corroded ground cable from the block to the frame and a secondary code of 3-2 (insufficient starter speed). I couldn't pull the control board due to rusted screws, so I put a secondary ground cable where the first one went, and fastened it to the frame. I now have a generator that will turn over like new, start and run for about 1-2 seconds, then shut off. The 3-2 code returns. I know it's grounded well, it has plenty of fuel supply, it just shuts down. If i quickly hit the starter when it begins to shut down, it will run again for another 1-2 seconds. I can keep it running indefinitely like that.
I can't find a manual for it that's worth a darn that might help explain a few questions I have, and the Onan repair phone people want to repair it themselves. The nearest repair center is about an hour and a half away, so just popping over for a while isn't really an option. I do think we might be that way in a month or so, but not until then.
If possible, I would like to know:
1. Does this genset have an electronic ignition? It would explain the shut down if the run circuit was faulty and it was only running on the startup voltage.
2. If it has electronic ignition, where is the control module located? I would bypass it just to confirm the unit being bad, and would replace it myself if I could. I just don't know where it's mounted.
3. Is there another shut down circuit I should explore?
I sure would like to have the generator up and running this summer. Any help you fine folks can offer is greatly appreciated.
Joe
It's been a while since I visited the site, but I fell on bad times and am getting back "Onto my feet" so to speak...
I opened up my Coachmen this spring to find a coach battery that held almost enough charge to properly turn over the generator (Onan 4KY FA26100J) fast enough to start it. I had the battery on a trickle charger, but I think the extreme cold last winter took it's toll. The battery would not charge beyond about 10 volts so my diagnosis was a bad cell.
Got a replacement and installed it. Hit the starter, and it turned over a few times then quit. Investigation revealed a horribly corroded ground cable from the block to the frame and a secondary code of 3-2 (insufficient starter speed). I couldn't pull the control board due to rusted screws, so I put a secondary ground cable where the first one went, and fastened it to the frame. I now have a generator that will turn over like new, start and run for about 1-2 seconds, then shut off. The 3-2 code returns. I know it's grounded well, it has plenty of fuel supply, it just shuts down. If i quickly hit the starter when it begins to shut down, it will run again for another 1-2 seconds. I can keep it running indefinitely like that.
I can't find a manual for it that's worth a darn that might help explain a few questions I have, and the Onan repair phone people want to repair it themselves. The nearest repair center is about an hour and a half away, so just popping over for a while isn't really an option. I do think we might be that way in a month or so, but not until then.
If possible, I would like to know:
1. Does this genset have an electronic ignition? It would explain the shut down if the run circuit was faulty and it was only running on the startup voltage.
2. If it has electronic ignition, where is the control module located? I would bypass it just to confirm the unit being bad, and would replace it myself if I could. I just don't know where it's mounted.
3. Is there another shut down circuit I should explore?
I sure would like to have the generator up and running this summer. Any help you fine folks can offer is greatly appreciated.
Joe