Onan generator doesn't work

Now that it's running, and maybe you have a new battery (time'll ell on that one!) I suggest you do what I've learned the hard way to do:

1. Exercise that ONAN about Monthly. Apply as much load as you can.

2. Put Stabilizer in your Gas. I was having trouble with ours and coveted how another camper's ONAN was running. He told me he put StaBil in every drop of gas that went into that big 55 gallon RV tank. Long trip or not. I started doing that, and it's been wonderful. Switched to Starbrite's StarTron, which is far less expensive with equally good reviews.

I want my ONAN to serve when called upon, and I don't ever want to replace its Carburetor again.

stargirl96 wrote:
This is an update to the generator issue. I was able to start generator after starting motorhome engine. Does this mean the house battery needs to be charged since I had to have the engine on for it to start? Sorry if this is a dumb question.

No Dumb Questions, Sister!

Couple observations on our Jayco with Onan Generator:

1. It cranks from the Coach/House Battery

2. It's supposed to help charge that House Battery once it's running (unless ONAN has deleted that feature. They may have.)

3. When you started the Road Engine, two things happened:
a. The Engine's Alternator began to charge your House Battery through the Isolator.
b. That same Isolator had you your Road and House Batteries connected, same idea as Jumper Cables from Under Hood to House Battery

4. Very surprisingly, the Ancient IOTA Converter/Charger (from 2002) does NOT boil our house battery.

5. For just a tiny little motor cranking about an Eight Horse Engine on the ONAN, it is VERY demanding on the House Battery. Our Battery will do everything we want it to till we go to crank the genny. Then off to Walmart for another Group 27 Deep Cycle (Trolling Motor) Battery.

Yes to both of your questions...read my first post. You need to add distilled water to your house batteries which your dumb charger has boiled the water out of.

stargirl96 wrote:
This is an update to the generator issue. I was able to start generator after starting motorhome engine. Does this mean the house battery needs to be charged since I had to have the engine on for it to start? Sorry if this is a dumb question.

Possibly, but I don't know where your generator is drawing it's starter power from.
You can find out by using a meter and comparing voltages between generator starter switch, house batteries, and chassis battery. Unplug shore cord before measuring.

This is an update to the generator issue. I was able to start generator after starting motorhome engine. Does this mean the house battery needs to be charged since I had to have the engine on for it to start? Sorry if this is a dumb question.

I hope this works. http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/22296760/print/true.cfm

I had that happen once. Piston stops at top of compression stroke, moved fly wheel by hand. I found this today on a trouble shoot thread, tried to copy and paste with no success. I am 83 years old not a computer expert.
Bill

chassis battery can definitely impact the generator if that is where your generator is powered from.

Charge you battery and before you try and start the generator turn the RV engine on which will put both the coach/chassis batteries on-line which will help insure max power to start the generator. You should also clean/tighten your battery/generator cables and clean your the chassis ground on the batteries/generator.

Suspect 1: House batteries low and need charging (Already mentioned)(
Suspect 2: Bad connection, start at the batteries. often the connections need a bit of cleaning, then the chassis end of the NEGATIVE cable.. then follow the positive and check and clean as needed.

Suspect 3 and on are the Generator. The starter or solenoid CAN fail the engine can sieze up but those are .. Rare

Suggestion. Get a JUMP START battery, about 900 amps or more if you can about 100 at Auto-Zone more or less in other stores.

Charge it in house (120 volt) for the specified time in the manual that comes with it (I think 36 hours on mine) and then hook the RED lead to the RED-+ bolt on the generator. Black to the generator Chassis.. Try it then and see if it varooms. Keep connected till auto transfer kicks in and lights inside RV brighten.