Starting a sleepy Onan Microlite 4000
Hello Travelers. I've got a tip for many that own an Onan 4000 Microlite that has been sitting for a few months without being started. I take the cover from the generator and manually start the unit o...
Forum Discussion
parkmanaa wrote:
I have a Onan 4000 Microlite, but it runs on propane.
This rig sat for a year with engine only being started every
week or so, but never started the Onan.
Now it just has a high clicking noise when I attempt to start
it.
Any clues?
Thanks,
That sounds like a dead or low battery or a bad 12V electrical connection. A propane fueled generator won't be likely to have the same carburetor problems that gas powered ones do since there's no varnishy residue left behind from propane evaporating.
Very often the generator starter is powered by the house battery, not the chassis battery. It may help to start the main engine so that the alternator and chassis battery are tied into the house 12V system. The Onan starter needs a lot of current, somewhere around 90A or so on my motorhome.
