Generator only runs with engine on
Onan generator running without issue while to Ford E450 motor is running. Turn the motor off the generator stops running any where between 5-15 mins. The generator will not start off the house/coach...
Forum Discussion
I don't want to say right off that your coach batteries are dead. How old are they? There are other issues that could come up including corrosion, or loose battery connectors that will cause good/charged batteries to not power anything. Sometimes corrosion is not so obvious either, just a light film of corrosion on the battery terminal can prevent current from flowing. Ask me how I know..
Clean the battery terminals and the clamps and charge the batteries if necessary.
If batteries are over 6 years old then suspect that they are getting old, of over 8 or 9 then likely they are just dead from old age.
Check the water level in the batteries, have you ever topped them off with distilled water? They could be dry.
Most generators put out some 12 volt DC power, but not necessarily all of them. The 12v they do put off is not a lot, but should be enough to keep a battery topped off, yet not enough to do a good charging - or should be enough to provide the fuel pump enough power to run, but again, not necessarily and completely dead batts could negate this.
Yes, the RV's battery charger/converter should provide plenty of DC power to run everything even with a dead battery, but if the battery (batteries?) are wired some way then maybe not.
The vehicle motor running means there is DC power provided across the battery terminals or connectors, and this is from probably a 90-130 amp alternator, so power is available, and much much much more than what the gen puts out. Your issues is from a lack of DC power, but track down the easy to fix, free to fix possibilities first before buying new batteries.
Even if you have new batteries, if you let them go completely dead, then you likely will need new batteries. True deep cycle batts can go dead and be charged again, but to go dead and stay dead for weeks is not a good thing.
Clean the battery terminals and the clamps and charge the batteries if necessary.
If batteries are over 6 years old then suspect that they are getting old, of over 8 or 9 then likely they are just dead from old age.
Check the water level in the batteries, have you ever topped them off with distilled water? They could be dry.
Most generators put out some 12 volt DC power, but not necessarily all of them. The 12v they do put off is not a lot, but should be enough to keep a battery topped off, yet not enough to do a good charging - or should be enough to provide the fuel pump enough power to run, but again, not necessarily and completely dead batts could negate this.
Yes, the RV's battery charger/converter should provide plenty of DC power to run everything even with a dead battery, but if the battery (batteries?) are wired some way then maybe not.
The vehicle motor running means there is DC power provided across the battery terminals or connectors, and this is from probably a 90-130 amp alternator, so power is available, and much much much more than what the gen puts out. Your issues is from a lack of DC power, but track down the easy to fix, free to fix possibilities first before buying new batteries.
Even if you have new batteries, if you let them go completely dead, then you likely will need new batteries. True deep cycle batts can go dead and be charged again, but to go dead and stay dead for weeks is not a good thing.
