Onan MicroLite 4000 series generator question

isswindy wrote:
I will answer all questions in this area and hope I am doing it correctly.
j-d you were right, the first three characters are 4KY. I had written it as 4K4 in my manual.
....

Go to page 1-2 (page 7) of this PDF: http://www.cumminsonan.com/www/pdf/manuals/981-0503.pdf

Then take a flashlight over to the generator, open it and get the model number and serial number off of it. Then compare that with the breakdown information in the PDF.

Who knows? You may find that you have the wrong manual for the generator.

Don't feel bad. It happens to lots of us. I just recently paid
$2350 to repair mine. He's right use it or lose it.

Bob

Handbasket - Well you certainly had an effective way of silencing me and I assure you I will not go any further.

Meaning no offense, but if you're going to continue to neglect it, it's best to quit now, instead of wasting your time & money. These things _need_ to be run regularly. The manual recommends 2 hours at 1/2 load monthly when not in regular use. Onan will void the warranty on a new one that hasn't been run enough. The reasons are many.

2 hours every 5-7 weeks works for mine so far. I'd suggest either committing to doing that, or have the generator removed to save hauling dead weight. Even not running, it's worth something to someone; put it on Craigslist or eBay as 'cranks but doesn't start.'

Jim, "We do precision guesswork."

isswindy wrote:
I will answer all questions in this area and hope I am doing it correctly.
j-d you were right, the first three characters are 4KY. I had written it as 4K4 in my manual.

exeter acres - I get no response when I push the start button, no "pop" at all and I have half a tank of gas in the tank

dougrainer - I found the reference to the starter overcrank protection feature listed under Standard Features in the "RV generator set Quiet Gasoline Series RV QG 4000" 4 page brochure that came with my generator unit and is not a part of the RV GenSet Operator's Manual.

I certainly want to thank all of you for responding to my questions with regards to the problem. I guess my concern really is whether or not I want to spend another $500 to $700 dollar repair bill on this type of situation when my use of the generator has been so minimal.

It IS part of the operators manual as that is where I got the reference. As I stated, it is listed as a function, it just does NOT state Overcrank feature. Section 2.1 in the operators manual under starting the Gen set. Doug

We think of use and exercise as being needed for the Engine Part of the GenSet. It's also needed for the Generator Part. If not run long/hot enough to drive moisture out, it's possible for the steel laminations in the Generator to rust and they swell when they rust. Enough rust and the Rotor can't Rotate. There are also Contacts in the Genset (Slip Rings and Brushes) that can corrode or stick. Then it won't Generate.
You'll lose it if you don't USE it.
About "No Pop" when you try to crank it... The generator seems to check for adequate Battery Voltage before allowing the Starter to engage. At least that's what happened with our 4KY Spec K when the Coach (House) Battery failed. Most coaches are set up so the Chassis Alternator charges the Coach Battery when the Engine is Running. Try running the Road Engine awhile then try to start the GenSet. If it tries then, the Coach Battery (and of course any Connections) might be suspect.

I will answer all questions in this area and hope I am doing it correctly.
j-d you were right, the first three characters are 4KY. I had written it as 4K4 in my manual.

exeter acres - I get no response when I push the start button, no "pop" at all and I have half a tank of gas in the tank

dougrainer - I found the reference to the starter overcrank protection feature listed under Standard Features in the "RV generator set Quiet Gasoline Series RV QG 4000" 4 page brochure that came with my generator unit and is not a part of the RV GenSet Operator's Manual.

I certainly want to thank all of you for responding to my questions with regards to the problem. I guess my concern really is whether or not I want to spend another $500 to $700 dollar repair bill on this type of situation when my use of the generator has been so minimal.

Are the first three characters in your Model Number actually 4K4? I would have expected 4KY. The rest of the characters, beginning FA, make sense, and your Spec is H.
ONAN gensets, with proper maintenance, are very long-lived machines. If it wasn't run much in actual "duty" as a power source, wasn't run monthly or so as "exercise" if not otherwise run, and the fuel wasn't stabilized, then problems crop up. Their carburetors have tiny passages and that makes them very vulnerable to Gum and Varnish. Then they won't start or won't keep running. Then we work the starter too hard...

really need to start at the beginning....

when you push the start button. what happens?

Nothing?

anything?

cranks, but won't start?

any "pop" at all?

How much gas is in your tank?

Starter Overcrank Protection is a built in timer to prevent burning up the Starter by engaging longer than 30 seconds. Once you engage the starter and the unit does NOT start, after 15 to 25 seconds the starter will disengage. You then have to wait a few seconds and retry. IF you have overheated the starter, you may have to wait longer for it to cool down before a restart. This is IN the Onan operators manual, not NOT listed under a Overcrank feature. Doug