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Cinikal's avatar
Cinikal
Explorer
Oct 11, 2020

Need some help with a genset Onan 5500 starting issue

So I am working on a friends Pace Arrow 1998 and he brought it to me 3 months ago and the starter would spin but the bendix would not engage. I told him he needed a new starter and I replaced it. It is back now for the same problem but it seems to be a bit different. If you try to start it now, sometimes it engages and starts, or sometimes you just here a repetitive clicking sound, and sometimes it spins without engaging the bendix. Someone had mentioned to me that there was a upgraded starter that solved this problem but now I} can't find it. Or could it be a bad starter relay? After I had replaced the starter the first time it lasted for several trips for them no problem. Did the starter just fail again? Any help would be great!

Edit: Onan 5500
Class A
  • stugpanzer's avatar
    stugpanzer
    Explorer
    Oct 15, 2020
    Cinikal wrote:
    Thank you guys for the responses. After talking with the owner and with your help , the starter was purchased at parts-dot-revgroup-dot-com. I am not sure what they sell, New-OEM or aftermarket.

    That being said I also want to mention that the clicking sound that I am hearing is not the typical battery dead, loose connection to the starter loud clicking. This sound more like a clicking real fast paced Very quiet repetitive device that stays on for 2 or 3 seconds after releasing the button. Does that even make sense? Or is that what these gensets sound like when there is a bad connection, low battery situation? There is a relay hidden behind the panel of the start/stop button, does that have anything to do with it? Also all connections are clean and tight! Thank you


    That clicking might be the fuel pump.
  • Cinikal's avatar
    Cinikal
    Explorer
    Oct 12, 2020
    Thank you guys for the responses. After talking with the owner and with your help , the starter was purchased at parts-dot-revgroup-dot-com. I am not sure what they sell, New-OEM or aftermarket.

    That being said I also want to mention that the clicking sound that I am hearing is not the typical battery dead, loose connection to the starter loud clicking. This sound more like a clicking real fast paced Very quiet repetitive device that stays on for 2 or 3 seconds after releasing the button. Does that even make sense? Or is that what these gensets sound like when there is a bad connection, low battery situation? There is a relay hidden behind the panel of the start/stop button, does that have anything to do with it? Also all connections are clean and tight! Thank you
  • Dutch_12078's avatar
    Dutch_12078
    Explorer II
    Oct 12, 2020
    Did you install an Onan OEM starter or a third-party aftermarket starter? There are some aftermarket starters out of China that have a pretty poor reputation for reliability. I'm all for saving money, but sometimes it just doesn't pay...
  • theoldwizard1's avatar
    theoldwizard1
    Explorer II
    Oct 12, 2020
    Clicking usually means bad connection. Removing and clean ALL connections between the battery and starter, including the battery to frame ground and generator to frame ground. Find the chassis to body ground straps also.

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