Generator Won't Turn Over
Onan 5500. Soooo...... We camped this past weekend at the local lake/state park. Had an awesome time! On the way there, as I always do, I ran the generator so I could run the house A/Cs and to...
Forum Discussion
10forty2 wrote:
Looks like I'm going to have to pull the generator to replace the starter. I can manually turn the engine and it turns freely. The starter solenoid seems to be working good, and the voltage is getting there, but all that happens when I hit the button is the solenoid "CLICK" and the fuel pump running.....but not turning the engine. Gotta plan another day with a couple friends, some bottle jacks, and boards to slide the genset out so I can get to teh starter to replace it. Guess that'll be a good time to do all the other servicing too.....
Before pulling the generator, I would recommend that you connect a voltmeter to the studs on the 12V supply on the generator itself. Try to attach to the end of the threaded section and not to the cable itself.
Step 1 - Then take a reading. Should be same as batteries.
Step 2 - Then have someone attempt to start the generator and observe the voltage reading. You may find that the voltage droops very low (i.e. < 9 volts).
If voltage is less than battery volts in step 1, check your ground cable
If voltage drops low in step 2, it means you probably have a bad/dirty connection on the 12 V cable(s). If voltage does not drop in step 2, then it is probably a bad starter or solenoid.
Note... a low voltage on step 2 could be the starter/solenoid, but a bad connection is more likely so should be checked before removing/working on generator.
