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...
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I got around to trying the OP's suggestion, on a 30 degree day. YES! The typical Onan 4K hard starting is a choke problem. I don't know if it's a poor design or just adjustment.
When cranking, the spring loaded linkage lets the choke flap closed and then wide open repeatedly. Whether the oscillation is as the engine shakes, or sucks air on the intake stroke, I don't know. Whatever, it's not closed long enough to be effective. When I just held the actual choke lever closed, it started instantly.
In a couple of weeks I'll be camped in warm weather and will have time and comfort to check to see if it is adjusted to spec. I suspect the spec is lean for some reason, though.
Oh, and thank you, OP!! Big time.
When cranking, the spring loaded linkage lets the choke flap closed and then wide open repeatedly. Whether the oscillation is as the engine shakes, or sucks air on the intake stroke, I don't know. Whatever, it's not closed long enough to be effective. When I just held the actual choke lever closed, it started instantly.
In a couple of weeks I'll be camped in warm weather and will have time and comfort to check to see if it is adjusted to spec. I suspect the spec is lean for some reason, though.
Oh, and thank you, OP!! Big time.
