generator operstions

B.B.Upch wrote:
Ok so I guess I ran it out of fuel when I was checking the fuel pump & now it will not do anything. It will not even try to turn over. Is there a switch or something that turns it off when the fuel level gets to low? Can I do something different?

In most cases the pickup tube in the fuel tank for the generator only extends down to the 1/4 mark. The idea is to not allow the generator to empty the fuel tank. On an older unit the rubber sections of the tube may be rotted and cracked. You may get enough fuel through the tube for light loads, but when the carb calls for more fuel you may be sucking in air through the deteriorated line.

The symptom you describe is similar to when the lawnmower is running low on gas. When the fuel level gets near the bottom of the pickup tube the engine surges until it gets enough air that it finally dies.

What year is your Onan? If it is late 90's or newer it probably has a governor board that can be adjusted for frequency using the meter that Ron described or any frequency meter. Earlier ones may have springs like on a lawn mower to govern rpm. The manual will say what to set the frequency at, probably 60 HZ. When you say that the genset surges do you mean the rpm is varying up and down? Or is it running at too high of an rpm constantly?

OK I will pick that up tomorrow & check it. If I was going to service the generator its a onan 7000 marquis do u know what oil I put in it? I'm thinking about changing fuel filter, oil filter & oil, spark plug & possibly fuel pump. If I change the fuel pump can I go with the cheaper one or do I have to go with the one that's on it? Also going to clean the carburator. Clean the brushes & rings.
Is there any thing else I can do or check?

There is a small inexpensive device that plugs in to any 120 volt electrical outlet and can tell you the voltage and the frequency at all times when the generator is running. It is called "Kill-A-Watt" and is available online or at Home Depot or Lowes. Kill-A-Watt

The oil level is good. What's the best way to check the voltage when this happens?

What is happening to the voltage while this is going on? The governor is supposed to adjust the throttle on the generator so that the voltage remains constant as the load is increased. Perhaps the governor is shutting the motor down when it cannot adjust to the AC load.
The generator might also be shutting down if the oil level is low.

Ok so I turned all the breakers off & started the gen & it runs great. When I turn on the breakers at the gen but leave all breakers off in the rv it engages & runs pretty good. Then I turned on the microwave & it ran good. Then I turned microwave breaker back off & just turned on the ac breakers. It would run about 5 minutes then the generator would die. Any suggestions?

B.B.Upch wrote:
Ok any clue where I can have that done in Texas?

If it is an Onan gen-set, check your area for a Cummins-Onan Service Center. Here is the link for their service center locator.

http://power.cummins.com/sales-service-locator

Ok any clue where I can have that done in Texas?

B.B.Upch wrote:
Thanks for the suggestion. It was a loose battery cable. Now the my inside lights work & my generator starts up again & runs great until I try to turn on the breaker. I went to turn on the microwave & it bogs down really bad. The microwave clicks on for a half second then back off again. Any suggestions?

It sounds like the governor portion of your generator is not functioning as it should. If the motor is not throttled up as the load increases, the voltage will drop and this could damage your microwave.
Your generator may need to be serviced by a technician and it could be something as simple as a lost spring, or it may need to have the carburetor serviced and adjusted.