Generator Question

[salem]

My brother has a Honda 2000 generator. (Sorry, that all information I have at the time.) He told me today that when he starts it up it starts easily enough but will quit running as soon as he takes the choke off. He even let it warm up for about twenty minutes but again, as soon as he takes the choke off it stops. He said it's like turning a key off it stops so fast. Of course, I told him that my buddies on RVNet would have some suggestions.

[mchero]

Pull the float/fuel bowl & you will see what looks like Jello! Its gummed up.

I have put stabilizer in gas & forgot to drain the tank in the fall but low & behold the Honda 600watt generator started right up the next spring.

[2oldman]

salem wrote:
he probably stored it with gas in it. He knows to run it every it so often, but that just kind of got put on the back burner this time for some reason.

Thanks. Yes, it's easy to forget. The best way is drain the darn thing.

[salem]

2Oldman: I'm not 100% sure, but my guess would be that yes, he probably stored it with gas in it. He knows to run it every it so often, but that just kind of got put on the back burner this time for some reason. Thanks again.

[2oldman]

salem wrote:
. As to the old gas question, no, he put fresh gas in it.

Ok.. not to belabor the point, but, was it stored with gas in it? If it wasn't, then how long was gas allowed to stay in it until it was drained.. properly?

The point (obviously) is that leaving gas in them is a big no-no, for most of these gens.

[salem]

Repariman said exactly what you guys were saying. Gummed up carb. from ethonol in today's gasoline. Thanks again and have a great Thanksgiving.

[salem]

Thanks for the responses. As to the old gas question, no, he put fresh gas in it. He needs it this weekend so may not have time to try the seafoam treatment in case that didn't work. Will probably take it to a repair shop. Thanks again.

[nomad297]

rockhillmanor wrote:
Save yourself some time and first check the draw from the fuel pump.

Fuel pump?

Bruce

[rockhillmanor]

Save yourself some time and first check the draw from the fuel pump.

[Snowman9000]

Also, the sticky thread at the top of this forum shows how to do a manual carb cleaning on the Honda 2000.

[Snowman9000]

As others said, the carb is the problem. There is a small passage plugged. This is a common problem with Honda gensets if stored with untreated gas, and with many small engines as well.

Run Seafoam in the gas. Start it, run it with the choke for a little bit. Let it sit 24 hours. Repeat every day for several days. See if it cleans up. I've had it work! Usually you'll see progress every day. Another good chemical for cleaning up dirty carbs is Sta-Bil Marine or Sta-Bil Ethanol formulas. Use the clean up ratio, which is twice the storage ratio. I've had the Sta-Bil work when the Seafoam failed. But don't use the old original version of Sta-Bil; it's worthless with today's gas IMO.

Then use the Sta-Bil Marine or Ethanol in gas, at the storage ratio, in the Honda from now on, or at least when the gennie is going to be sitting.

[TEXAS]

I just worked on two with the same problem. Carbs need to be cleaned.

[tvman44]

Sea Foam to clean the carb. 🙂

[nomad297]

Wayne Dohnal wrote:
Good chance it's a gummed-up carburetor. In that situation they usually just run rough with the choke off, but I could envision it dying completely with a severe gumming-up. Sometimes running a while with Seafoam in the gas will clear it up, other times the carb has to be taken apart and cleaned. See the first sticky thread in Tech Issues for more info.

Yup. I would take the bowl off and spray carb cleaner up into the carb and inside the bowl. I would also spray carb cleaner into the air intake after I took the air filter off. Then I would put it back together and see how it works.

Bruce

[Wayne_Dohnal]

Good chance it's a gummed-up carburetor. In that situation they usually just run rough with the choke off, but I could envision it dying completely with a severe gumming-up. Sometimes running a while with Seafoam in the gas will clear it up, other times the carb has to be taken apart and cleaned. See the first sticky thread in Tech Issues for more info.