Onan Generator replacement

3sacrwd wrote:
Did you check for voltage when you hooked it up? Do you have 12 volts going to it now? Battery disconnect on, or batteries low? Should be a fairly easy problem to fix. Are you trying to start from inside the coach, or at the genset with the start switch there? Check for voltage at the Genset Starter. I am assuming it is Diesel and not propane.

The OP mentioned in the very first post that it's a GAS unit.

MM.

He said it was a gasoline generator. The motorhome is gasoline.

When he said the person that sold him the motorhome told him that he had a Kabota motor, I was thinking for sure it was diesel. Onan gasoline generators have the Cummins engine. I believe that is what he probably got.
As far as I know the Onan Quiet diesel 7500 does have a Kabota motor. I think that is what I have. What ever it is, it has been trouble free for eleven years.

Did you check for voltage when you hooked it up? Do you have 12 volts going to it now? Battery disconnect on, or batteries low? Should be a fairly easy problem to fix. Are you trying to start from inside the coach, or at the genset with the start switch there? Check for voltage at the Genset Starter. I am assuming it is Diesel and not propane.

Genny bench tested fine, I installed it and it wont even try to turn over, completely dead. Unfortunately I did not take any pictures of the wiring as it seemed fairly straightforward but who knows I could have crossed something somewhere. I may need to bring it to a "pro" and have them look at the wiring.

Did it run before installation?

Was the problem with the engine or the generator motor? Meaning, will the thing crank and run, but no power? Or the engine wouldn't even start? And if the engine wouldn't start, was it just cranking and cranking (as if it were out of gas), OR did it not even crank (as if someone stole the starter)? The answer to these questions may help us diagnose why the new one isn't starting because that might be why the old one wasn't working (meaning you might have bought a new generator for no reason)

There should be a negative cable running from the generator somewhere to the frame. If there isn't one, make one. It needs to go bolted somewhere on the engine itself. And wherever it goes make sure it's not painted. Wire brush the paint off, bolt it down, and repaint after its hooked up to keep it from rusting. Do NOT bolt it to the bottom tray the generator sits on, as the generator is isolated from it via the rubber mounts it sits on. Mine would bearly crank, if At all, because the original ground cable was a metal strap that was corroded and want making good contact. I went to advance auto and got a 4 gauge battery cable and replaced the strap, and it fired right up.

OSCBRADLEY wrote:
Well it has taken me a while but I finally just ordered a replacement generator. A friend and I installed it today but it does not seem to want to run. The only thing that is standing out to me is that I connected the positive battery cable to the generator but I do not see a negative cable. Hate to sound ultra stupid here but should'nt I be connecting a negative cable? Generator is a Onan Emerald 5000 gas.

OSCBRADLEY,
Well Sir, let me ask, when you say "it doesn't want to run", does that mean it cranks over but, doesn't start? Or, it won't crank over at all?

When you say you don't see a negative battery cable to hook up to the gen, did you remove one from the other gen you replaced? The last gas gen we had was an Emerald 5500 in our last coach, a '99 Fleetwood Bounder, 34V. And, that gen was rubber mounted so, it did in fact, need a good ground strap from the gen housing to a good ground on the frame of the coach.

And, you may or may not know this but, all factory generators are plumbed so that they stop running when, you've got only 1/4 tank of fuel left. The theory is, they (the factory) doesn't want you running your fuel tank all the way down to nothing, in the middle of the desert while dry camping, 'cause you're running the generator for whatever purpose. Good luck and please post what you find out on the issue of not running/cranking.
Scott

OSCBRADLEY wrote:
Well it has taken me a while but I finally just ordered a replacement generator. A friend and I installed it today but it does not seem to want to run. The only thing that is standing out to me is that I connected the positive battery cable to the generator but I do not see a negative cable. Hate to sound ultra stupid here but should'nt I be connecting a negative cable? Generator is a Onan Emerald 5000 gas.

By not running, I take that to mean that the starter won't turn over?
As far as a neg. battery return, we could assume that bolting it down would do the job, but I would also find a place to run a heavy wire from the genset frame somewhere and connect it to a good chassis ground on the coach.

If you are going to buy another generator rather then fix the problem on the one you have, I would stick with Onan. Generac are a piece of garbage. I have seen so many RVers with generator problems and when I ask them what brand they have, they claim it is a Generac.

I have seen some Onans also, but not as many. I have the Onan 7500 Quiet diesel and I have never had any problems in eleven years.

Well it has taken me a while but I finally just ordered a replacement generator. A friend and I installed it today but it does not seem to want to run. The only thing that is standing out to me is that I connected the positive battery cable to the generator but I do not see a negative cable. Hate to sound ultra stupid here but should'nt I be connecting a negative cable? Generator is a Onan Emerald 5000 gas.