Honda eu1000i oil alert comes on, oil is full

Another reason to add a little more oil instead of fighting it.
Our group has about 10 years experience with these generators save one, and in cold weather we don't do anything any different and they always keep us warm and watching tv. ;)

I camp with other campers with honda 2000's and 1000's. In cold weather, when it gets below about 40F the low oil level thing is pretty much the normal when we start the generators in the morning. the colder it is, the more time we need to restart.

That's why this is a discussion board, not a knowledge resource.

Can't believe anything on the Internet without confirming it. If you look at the forum posts from about 10 to 12 years ago you'll find some of them confidently declaring that the eu-series output is two 60 volt "legs" with respect to generator ground. This was the "fact" concluded from measuring the output with a high impedance meter combined with no knowledge of inductive and capacitive coupling, or that a load was required to get a correct measurement. I haven't read this fact for years so it's hopefully dead. Another claim was that connecting one of the 120 volt outputs to generator ground would burn something out. I believe that one has been firmly debunked. I've seen more incorrect statements on this forum about inverter generators than pretty much anything else. I suspect dougrainer has seen 100x more incorrect facts than most of us have because he's had exposure to just about every rv system and accessory that exists.

Without a doubt, but why is there any confusion at all? Seems to be pretty straightforward so why is there any place that says the Oil Alert has anything to do with oil pressure.

No wonder there's so much misinformation on the internet. Even when it's all in black and white they screw it up.

fj12ryder wrote:
^^^^^That may be true for the eu2000i, but the OP is talking about the eu1000i.

And several sites note that the Oil Alert on the eu1000i "protects the generator by shutting the engine off when low oil pressure is detected". Including Home Depot that sells the darned things. I dunno.

And the eu1000i Owner's Manual, readily available on the Internet, says "The Oil Alert system is designed to prevent engine damage caused by an insufficient amount of oil in the crankcase", and they manufacture the darned things. Also, the eu1000i wiring diagram shows the same "Oil Level Switch" as in the eu2000i. Anyone with even the slightest knowledge of the Honda eu-series knows that the eu1000i is a proper size-reduced version of the eu2000i.

While Home Depot's web site correctly says the eu2000i oil protection is level-based, a Honda Canada 2017 generator catalog incorrectly says it's pressure-based, while the Honda Canada web site says it's level-based. The most concise free info is the wiring diagram in the Owner's Manual.

eu1000i Owners Manual Wiring diagram on page 71.

The service manual, not free, has more info. It has hints like "The engine is splash lubricated by a dipper on the connecting rod cap", and talks about testing the "Low oil shutdown switch". Guess you just have to decide who and what to believe.

I'll find my quart of 10W30 and drizzle a little more oil in there. I don't think I can fit much more in without it running out.

It wasn't that cold yesterday morning, and I've run it in much colder temperatures (near zero F) in the past with no issues...

^^^^^That may be true for the eu2000i, but the OP is talking about the eu1000i.

And several sites note that the Oil Alert on the eu1000i "protects the generator by shutting the engine off when low oil pressure is detected". Including Home Depot that sells the darned things. I dunno.

fj12ryder wrote:

It just seems weird that there can be so much difference in information about something so straight forward. Either the EU1000 has splash lubrication and an oil level sensor, or it has a pressurized system and possibly a oil pressure switch. At this time, I'm leaning towards the splash system and an oil level switch.

Did that guy make that stuff up out of whole cloth? That just seems so unreal. Why would someone do that?

I just found the article and passed it along with the note that it sounded plausible.

It's not very difficult to figure this out. The eu2000i Owner's Manual says in 4 places that the Oil Alert is based on the oil level, and the wiring diagram in the manual shows the "Oil Level Switch".

My Honda 2000 did the same thing after oil change last fall. I was sure oil was full. Added more oil until it was right to the lip. It has worked fine all winter.