And my sad Generac Generator saga continues…
I originally started this post 2 years ago and the topic is now closed but it can still be viewed here: Original thread that is now locked
Here is the current update:
So here is the full update, I’ll try to keep as brief as possible but without leaving out pertinent info.
I took it to a local Sacramento shop who pulled all new wires from the Generator to the Power Transfer Switch (PTS is a Todds Engineering model #TS30) But, after they replaced all of the fried wires, they couldn’t get the Generator to start. (likely the due to the Garretson/IMPCO type KN regulator (zero governor) that was mentioned here earlier!) But I never replaced that after finding all of the melted wires, I figured lets start with the melted wires and go from there, right? But the Generator would still run fine as long as the breaker was OFF, it was just still VERY hard to start…
Unfortunately I never ran it for them when I brought it in, so I had no recourse to say, “it worked when I gave it to you”, so the repair to get it running again was on my dime! NOT happy about that at all though! They took it to a generator place that said it needed a new “brain”. So $900 dollars later, it had a new brain and it did start now. (even though I suspect the brain was fine and it was just hard starting from the KN regulator, but more on that in a bit) So, with the old melted wires replaced and a running generator, they all “assumed” it was fixed and told me to come get it, but they never tested to make sure it would output power and stay running! So when I went in, “We” tested it at the shop, gen fired up, A/C unit ran and blew cold air, cool, it works. Well, come to find out later, it was still hooked up to shore power when we “tested it”! I think they knew that and tricked me! DOH! Cuz as soon as I got it home, I fired it up (no shore power) it runs fine, I throw the breaker ON and after about 5 seconds it dies… if I shut off the breaker on the front of the generator, it will run, run, run… smooth, no problem. But as soon as I throw the breaker to “ON”, 5 second delay, the generator shuts down! SO PISSED NOW! About $2,000 later and it is STILL doing the exact same thing I brought it in for in the first place!
Here is what I have “learned” since then… the PTS has about a 5 second delay before it lets the juice from the generator kick in. So, when I fire up the generator and watch the PTS, I can see and hear the rocker switch change positions (from shore power mode to generator mode) and the little green “system is working ok” LED indicator light come on for a second, then the generator dies and the LED goes dark and the switch toggles back to shore power position… (note that the above is when the shore power is NOT plugged in)
So I’m guessing, either I have a bad PTS or there is something shorted when the switch goes into Generator supply mode? Maybe what caused the wires to fry in the first place? But, to my knowledge, the PTS just substitutes the Generator power for shore power right at the switch, it’s just a different 120V input source, so everything else “downstream” from there is the same or should be? If there is/was a short, it would be shorted on shore power as well, right? So does that just leave the PTS as the faulty component? Todd Engineering is now out of business from what I see online AND the place that I took it to (RV Doctor George) in Sacramento, the owner GEORGE has now since passed away so I doubt they will be much help? I wasn’t real thrilled with their “service” to begin with, doubt his passing will improve that if they even stay in business now?
And finally, when I took the generator to them it was running fine, the motor was, it just had electrical issues. Then I had to pay for a new brain. And it is STILL doing the EXACT same thing I took it in for in the first place, with the old melted wires and old brain. I wonder if they were “diagnosing” by replacing parts and my old brain is actually still perfectly good? How hard is it for me to swap them out and test my old brain? Any chance of harming anything doing that?
Thanks again for any and all info. and advice.
NRALIFR, if you're still out, I'd love to hear your input, you seemed to know a lot about these generators, thanks.
Here is the current update:
So here is the full update, I’ll try to keep as brief as possible but without leaving out pertinent info.
I took it to a local Sacramento shop who pulled all new wires from the Generator to the Power Transfer Switch (PTS is a Todds Engineering model #TS30) But, after they replaced all of the fried wires, they couldn’t get the Generator to start. (likely the due to the Garretson/IMPCO type KN regulator (zero governor) that was mentioned here earlier!) But I never replaced that after finding all of the melted wires, I figured lets start with the melted wires and go from there, right? But the Generator would still run fine as long as the breaker was OFF, it was just still VERY hard to start…
Unfortunately I never ran it for them when I brought it in, so I had no recourse to say, “it worked when I gave it to you”, so the repair to get it running again was on my dime! NOT happy about that at all though! They took it to a generator place that said it needed a new “brain”. So $900 dollars later, it had a new brain and it did start now. (even though I suspect the brain was fine and it was just hard starting from the KN regulator, but more on that in a bit) So, with the old melted wires replaced and a running generator, they all “assumed” it was fixed and told me to come get it, but they never tested to make sure it would output power and stay running! So when I went in, “We” tested it at the shop, gen fired up, A/C unit ran and blew cold air, cool, it works. Well, come to find out later, it was still hooked up to shore power when we “tested it”! I think they knew that and tricked me! DOH! Cuz as soon as I got it home, I fired it up (no shore power) it runs fine, I throw the breaker ON and after about 5 seconds it dies… if I shut off the breaker on the front of the generator, it will run, run, run… smooth, no problem. But as soon as I throw the breaker to “ON”, 5 second delay, the generator shuts down! SO PISSED NOW! About $2,000 later and it is STILL doing the exact same thing I brought it in for in the first place!
Here is what I have “learned” since then… the PTS has about a 5 second delay before it lets the juice from the generator kick in. So, when I fire up the generator and watch the PTS, I can see and hear the rocker switch change positions (from shore power mode to generator mode) and the little green “system is working ok” LED indicator light come on for a second, then the generator dies and the LED goes dark and the switch toggles back to shore power position… (note that the above is when the shore power is NOT plugged in)
So I’m guessing, either I have a bad PTS or there is something shorted when the switch goes into Generator supply mode? Maybe what caused the wires to fry in the first place? But, to my knowledge, the PTS just substitutes the Generator power for shore power right at the switch, it’s just a different 120V input source, so everything else “downstream” from there is the same or should be? If there is/was a short, it would be shorted on shore power as well, right? So does that just leave the PTS as the faulty component? Todd Engineering is now out of business from what I see online AND the place that I took it to (RV Doctor George) in Sacramento, the owner GEORGE has now since passed away so I doubt they will be much help? I wasn’t real thrilled with their “service” to begin with, doubt his passing will improve that if they even stay in business now?
And finally, when I took the generator to them it was running fine, the motor was, it just had electrical issues. Then I had to pay for a new brain. And it is STILL doing the EXACT same thing I took it in for in the first place, with the old melted wires and old brain. I wonder if they were “diagnosing” by replacing parts and my old brain is actually still perfectly good? How hard is it for me to swap them out and test my old brain? Any chance of harming anything doing that?
Thanks again for any and all info. and advice.
NRALIFR, if you're still out, I'd love to hear your input, you seemed to know a lot about these generators, thanks.
