Portable Generator open ground

The original poster should take five minutes to look at this YouTube video and it will explain the whole problem - and the cure.

Testing and Bonding a Floating Neutral Generator

stickdog wrote:

Thanks for the info but it is irrelevant to solving the OPs problem of clearing the EMS code and more of a nerd reply to show how smart they are.

I really hate these mud slinging contests. In my first reply I specifically stated how to solve the problem:
"To make the EMS happy you need to add this neutral-ground bond. Many people think the simplest way is to take a standard plug and wire the neutral (wide blade) and ground pins together, then plug it into the same generator outlet that you plug the RV into."
Then I added a link to an article with a photo of the solution. What the heck else do you want?

Whether you call it a floating ground or an open ground, it is corrected by lieing to the EMS with the jumpered plug.
I will add that it is a floating neutral.

road-runner wrote:

Teamfour wrote:

road-runner wrote:
The "open ground" diagnosis is not correct.

The open ground diagnosis is correct. Straight from the folks who make the EMS:

I'm curious if you read the rest of my post where I explained why it wasn't correct? If the EMS doesn't have its own independent connection to ground (which it doesn't), it cannot positively diagnose an open ground. The EMS is sensing the lack of a neural-ground bond, and if it's not present, it assumes the fault is an open ground, when it in fact has no way of determining if that assumption is correct or not. In the floating output generator situation, you could drive the world's best ground rod, positively connect it to the EMS, and it will still say "open ground".

Thanks for the info but it is irrelevant to solving the OPs problem of clearing the EMS code and more of a nerd reply to show how smart they are.

Teamfour wrote:

road-runner wrote:
The "open ground" diagnosis is not correct.

The open ground diagnosis is correct. Straight from the folks who make the EMS:

I'm curious if you read the rest of my post where I explained why it wasn't correct? If the EMS doesn't have its own independent connection to ground (which it doesn't), it cannot positively diagnose an open ground. The EMS is sensing the lack of a neural-ground bond, and if it's not present, it assumes the fault is an open ground, when it in fact has no way of determining if that assumption is correct or not. In the floating output generator situation, you could drive the world's best ground rod, positively connect it to the EMS, and it will still say "open ground".

Make one cheap! looks like this:

make a bonding plug

to put in one of the outlets on the generator

grounding the generator frame to earth ground, does nothing for the EMS which is looking for a bond between the neutral wire and the ground wire/lug of the power source

You guys are awesome!
Thanks for the help.:)
I thought i was going to have to return a generator

You can buy a standard three wire cord body. Open it up as to install a cord. Get a short piece of 12 or 14 gauge wire, about two inches will be plenty. Strip the wire ends about 1/2 inch. Connect one end to the green screw, connect the other end to the silver screw. Re-assemble. Plug it into one of the receptacle on the genset.
That is all there is to do.

The bonding plug idea is interesting, I'll be trying that asap.