Onan Generator - Only kicks on after being on the road
- Thread starter stingme62
- Start date
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If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
darsben
Well-known member
What do you means does not engage? Have you checked your automatic transfer switch?
Larry N.
Well-known member
I'm not sure what you mean by "pump." Is it the fuel pump? And what is "engage?" If you would mention the rig it's in that would help, as some have automatic transfer switches and some have to have the shore power plug be connected to a special generator hookup, assuming that by "engage" you mean you don't get power from it into your rig.
So please get back to us with more info, such as what your rig is (year, make, model), and perhaps other information you might have.
So please get back to us with more info, such as what your rig is (year, make, model), and perhaps other information you might have.
Thank you for your replies. When I say engage, means I've started the motor but there is no power going to the transfer switch. I have started it and put my multimeter on it to check the two 115 poles and get no power. When I drive the RV around while on the road when the generator is running it randomly will start getting power and everything is working. The "pump" is referring to the fuel pump, sorry about that. I've sprayed electrical cleaning solution on it but that didn't do anything.
Arch Hoagland
Well-known member
Curious why you changed the fuel pump.
Isaac-1
Well-known member
Are you sure there is no power going to the transfer switch, or is there no power coming out of the transfer switch? The generator should shut down after a few seconds if it is not generating AC power.
If it is no power coming out of the transfer switch, my first thought is possibly a sticking relay in the transfer switch, or other wiring fault.
If it is no power coming out of the transfer switch, my first thought is possibly a sticking relay in the transfer switch, or other wiring fault.
phil-t
Well-known member
Maybe a faulty circuit breaker, on the genny.
The old fuel pump on the generator went bad. I had no issues with the new pump the unit started right up. I put in a new transfer switch and checked it out, it was fine. I went back to where the wires first come out of the generator to see if I had power, which I wasn't getting any. I checked to make sure there were no issues with the neutral wire which was ok. I put everything back together, started it, motor runs fine but no power to the transfer switch. I get it out on the road and leave my AC unit on after driving a while I will feel the cold air and will know the power has kicked in. I wasn't sure if there is another module that could possibly be lose.
Gary RV_Wizard
Site Team
Those two breakers probably have a plug on an internal wiring harness and either the plug connection of the wires themselves could be intermittent. Everything you describe indicates that either vibration or heat is causing contact to be made, so you are going to have to slog through wiring and the components to see where it is.
Have you tried letting the genset run while the coach sits still? I'm thinking it may be heat expansion (rather than road vibration) that is affecting a component or connection.
If you can't find a free service manual online, there are usually inexpensive one on CD on Ebay.
Have you tried letting the genset run while the coach sits still? I'm thinking it may be heat expansion (rather than road vibration) that is affecting a component or connection.
If you can't find a free service manual online, there are usually inexpensive one on CD on Ebay.
Gary RV_Wizard
Site Team
Start wiggling wires!
Lou Schneider
Site Team
- Joined
- Mar 14, 2005
- Posts
- 13,231
And try banging on the ass end of the generator while it's running. You could have stuck brushes that are preventing the regulator voltage from getting to the slip rings.
If dirty brushes or slip rings are the problem Flight Systems has a nifty slip ring cleaning tool
The 10 minute video on their home page shows the connector you should make sure is seated fully, if that doesn't help it shows how to use a multimeter to test your generator's rings, stator and slip rings via that socket:
https://www.flightsystems.com/
They also make excellent replacement regulator and control boards if that turns out to be the problem.
And if that's not enough, there's a button at the top of the page to let you make an appointment for 30 minutes of free telephone tech support if you get stuck.
Yeah, I like their customer service attitude and the stuff they make. But there's no connection beyond my being a very satisfied customer.
If dirty brushes or slip rings are the problem Flight Systems has a nifty slip ring cleaning tool
The 10 minute video on their home page shows the connector you should make sure is seated fully, if that doesn't help it shows how to use a multimeter to test your generator's rings, stator and slip rings via that socket:
https://www.flightsystems.com/
They also make excellent replacement regulator and control boards if that turns out to be the problem.
And if that's not enough, there's a button at the top of the page to let you make an appointment for 30 minutes of free telephone tech support if you get stuck.
Yeah, I like their customer service attitude and the stuff they make. But there's no connection beyond my being a very satisfied customer.
