Honda 2000 running errantly - Altitude issue?

[BobsYourUncle]

Been a while since I've posted anything here, been kinda busy...

Anyhow, I have spent the last month and a bit living at an Alberta government campground with no hookups as I do multiple repairs to an RV resort assaulted by 2 severe hail storms last fall. What a mess!

I have been running my Honda EU2000 daily here to make my morning coffee and keep the batteries up etc. and have encountered an issue I'm not sure about.

The genny is running errantly, not like I think it should. When it is idling with my TT plugged in, the idle speed is not consistent. It revs up then slows down, revs up then slows down consistently. Vroom Vroom Vroom - annoying as heck as it revs then slows over and over again.

This trip is the first time I have used it since I moved to Calgary Alberta from the BC coast. I am wondering if the altitude difference plays a part in it. Surrey BC is close to sea level while Calgary is about 3400 feet above sea level.

I bought the genny at the coast and it always ran fine there. But when I got here it runs errantly.

I can make it run smoothly by pulling the choke halfway. I really don't want to run it with the choke half on all the time.

I got in there and looked to see if there was a mixture screw to adjust but the only one I saw has a stopper on it preventing me from turning it any more than a small amount.

Funny thing though, it isn't all the time. It's running right now and it's reasonably smooth.

Any thoughts or ideas?

[BobsYourUncle]

Oscar43 wrote:
Hey I don’t have any experience with the Honda 2000 generator. Actually I don’t have any Genset yet. I own only the honda self propelled lawn mower honda self propelled lawn mower and it is working properly since I have bought this. Please consult an expert for getting it fixed.

On this forum we are all experts!! LOL!
:B:B

[Oscar43]

Hey I don’t have any experience with the Honda 2000 generator. Actually I don’t have any Genset yet. I own only the honda self propelled lawn mower honda self propelled lawn mower and it is working properly since I have bought this. Please consult an expert for getting it fixed.

[separated1]

BobsYourUncle wrote:


Thanks for your kind words about me. I really do appreciate that. I guess it rubbed off on me because I really do love to have fun and joke around.

Don't be sorry about the way things have gone with myself and my wife. It really is the best thing that could have happened and I am so much happier now than I have been in decades.

Banff was an awesome weekend and I really enjoyed the time. I don't say a lot about what I'm doing now but I do have some new friends here in Calgary. And I was with one of my friends camping in Banff. She enjoys the RV lifestyle and loves camping every bit as much as I do. So it really works well.

I am having more fun now than I have in the past 35 years. Life is good and I love it.

BobsYourUncle: Your sense of humour is very apparent. Many people have posted about it. Also references to over wintering in your trailer. Lots of posts about that. And building a trailer. Wow. You have really helped a lot of people learn what to do. And sometimes, what not to do. :S Your posts are so amusing yet very informative too. Hope that you start posting more of your adventures again.:@

It's nice to read that you are so happy and that you found someone that loves the RV lifestyle like you do! I guess your X-wife didn't like RVing. My soon to be X didn't like it either. You wrote that you are happier now than in the last 35 years. Yikes! Must have been awful.
So... happy RVing with your new friend. May you have many, many more trips together in the future years. What's next? Cross Canada, check out every province? Cross USA? You could always hit every state. Alaska? Down the coast to California and on to Mexico?
Wherever you two go, enjoy the life!

Well everyone, ta ta for now I'm off to pick up the grandkids in the morning and we are heading to the Grand Canyon. We'll get our kicks, "Tangoing" down Route 66!

[BobsYourUncle]

separated1 wrote:
I've read about you on the forums Bobs your Uncle (We're both Canadians) and have read a lot of your humorous posts. You have a wicked sense of humor.:D
Sorry to hear that things have gone this way for you with your wife.:( But happy to hear that you were able to get away to Banff and had an awesome time. I've heard that it's really nice there. Were you RVing with some of your new friends? You deserve to have some fun! Enjoy. 🙂 Oh, hope that you got your genny running better now.

Thanks for your kind words about me. I really do appreciate that. Sense of humor runs in my family, mainly on my mothers side. When together with her and her brothers and sisters, there was no end to the laughter. I guess it rubbed off on me because I really do love to have fun and joke around.

Don't be sorry about the way things have gone with myself and my wife. It really is the best thing that could have happened and I am so much happier now than I have been in decades.

Banff was an awesome weekend and I really enjoyed the time. I don't say a lot about what I'm doing now but I do have some new friends here in Calgary. And I was with one of my friends camping in Banff. She enjoys the RV lifestyle and loves camping every bit as much as I do. So it really works well.

I am having more fun now than I have in the past 35 years. Life is good and I love it.

As for the genny, I haven't had a chance to touch it yet. I've been super busy with work and don't have a lot of spare time. But I will tend to it as soon as I can.

[separated1]

I've read about you on the forums Bobs your Uncle (We're both Canadians) and have read a lot of your humorous posts. You have a wicked sense of humor.:D
Sorry to hear that things have gone this way for you with your wife.:( But happy to hear that you were able to get away to Banff and had an awesome time. I've heard that it's really nice there. Were you RVing with some of your new friends? You deserve to have some fun! Enjoy. 🙂 Oh, hope that you got your genny running better now.

[BobsYourUncle]

larry barnhart wrote:

. Happy to hear from you as I was wondering if you were ok.

chevman

Thanks for the concern.

Yes I am OK, but some very major changes in my life. Long story, I have posted a little of it here over the past year.
I have been really busy with my new life in a new city with a new job and new friends.... And no wife. Starting over at 60.

But I still do wander in here when I can. Haven't had my computer set up for well over a year and have been running all stuff through my laptop or my ipad.

I just spent 3 days camping in Banff Alberta at a wonderful CG there. Had an awesome time and saw a lot of really nice rigs and some great people. Just got back a couple hours ago. Life is good.

Back to the the genny thing, I haven't had time to look at it yet but I will.
I appreciate all the help from you guys.
Thanks

[RAS43]

profdant139 wrote:


Frankly, I am surprised that Honda has not built an ethanol-tolerant carb. Whether we like it or not (and I don't), ethanol is not going away any time soon.
?

I have used Honda generators for 14 years using ethanol gas and have had one issue with poor running and it was dirt, not the fuel. I believe they are ethanol tolerant. And mine may sit for 6 months and still start and run fine.

[Garry_Gayle]

Never bother draining the fuel I just add Stabil to all my power equipment fuel ever since I had an issue with my Honda Lawnmower running rough, added Sea Foam with zero results so tried some Schaeffer's Nutra fuel additive problem solved in half a tank of fuel.
I just add them both when filling the fuel can now.

[profdant139]

I have often used my Honda 2000 at 9500 feet with the stock carburetor -- no problem. It starts and it runs. But I have had frequent "surging" problems due to dirty carb jets. I always drain the carb but it still gets cruddy. I run it under a 1500 watt load for a half hour every month and add Seafoam, but it still runs rough. It has to be the California gasoline -- and there is no way around that.

Frankly, I am surprised that Honda has not built an ethanol-tolerant carb. Whether we like it or not (and I don't), ethanol is not going away any time soon.

I wonder if the Yamaha generators have the same problem??

[larry_barnhart]

BobsYourUncle wrote:
Thanks for the tips guys.
Yeah could be a gummy carb. It sat for quite a while with the same gas in it. I do run it once in a while and let it get to full operating temperature.
Never thought about the non ethanol gas either.
Just got back from my working out of town trip so I'll check the thing out when I have a spare couple hours.

I guess seafoam is what the answer as I would tell it is. Happy to hear from you as I was wondering if you were ok. I use seafoam and non ethanol gas for the Honda 1000 that we never use but it starts. New gas each year and seafoam keeps it running.

chevman

[NinerBikes]

Lately, what I have been doing, at home, is every Saturday, when all the towels get washed at home, I fire up the little Honda Eu1000i, and plug the washing machine into into it for a 45 to 50 minute cycle to run some gas through it and do the laundry. This is week 3 or 4, and the little Honda is running good now, no searching for rpms. 1 oz of Seafoam added to the 1/2 gallon tank of fuel the Eu1000i holds.

washing machine is a high efficiency model, and the electric motor never hits full load on the generator at start up, it is rather gentle, the start up, probably due to the electronics in the washing machine unit.

[Ron3rd]

NinerBikes wrote:

marcsbigfoot20b27 wrote:
I have a Honda EU2000i made in Japan that I bought brand new. Never really used it and the carb would have issues after sitting for 3 months or more.

Since having to clean the carb with 2 hours on the gen, I figured out the best way to prevent that from happening again....even with the crappy Phoenix ethanol gas we have here.

When done with gen, shut it off. Take off side cover, open carb bowl drain screw and let fuel drain out. With it still open, pull the start cord 5 or 6 times and more fuel may come out. Then put on full choke and pull 5 or t6 more times. Screw carb drain back in and put cover on.

I had 1 year old gas in the gen and filled it this weekend up in Greer at 8300 ft with 2 year old gas in a metal gas can and it fired right up (after 7-8 pulls on choke, carb was drained) and ran perfect.
Put 7 hours on it last weekend and it purred like a kitten. When done I drained the carb.

\

This is the same thing I do with all my Honda products, be it generator or portable outboard motor for the boat. Get the carb completely dry of fuel before storage.

That's really the ideal thing to do, ie, drain the carb. I have not done that in years as I normally keep fresh gas in my EU2000 with a little Sea Foam in it and have had no problems, except the one I mentioned above after the genny sat for about 6 months.

[jwmII]

Altitude is not the issue. 3400 ft. elev. is a cake walk for that generator. It's the crud in the carb main jet. The sea foam as recommended here might clear it up and might not. If it does not clear up get a spray can of carb choke cleaner and disassemble the carb including removing the main jet. Blow everything out with the spray choke/carb cleaner. If you have compressed air finish up with that. If nothing a can of canned air from the electronics supply place works for an air supply. Do not put anything thru the jet to clean it out. That can damage it. Soak it in alcohol or spray some of that choke cleaner into the cap on the can and soak the jet in that and then blow it out. At the beginning of this particular thread there is a sticky on this very project. It is an easy and simple job if you do have to take it apart. !0-30 minutes at the most.

[NinerBikes]

marcsbigfoot20b27 wrote:
I have a Honda EU2000i made in Japan that I bought brand new. Never really used it and the carb would have issues after sitting for 3 months or more.

Since having to clean the carb with 2 hours on the gen, I figured out the best way to prevent that from happening again....even with the crappy Phoenix ethanol gas we have here.

When done with gen, shut it off. Take off side cover, open carb bowl drain screw and let fuel drain out. With it still open, pull the start cord 5 or 6 times and more fuel may come out. Then put on full choke and pull 5 or t6 more times. Screw carb drain back in and put cover on.

I had 1 year old gas in the gen and filled it this weekend up in Greer at 8300 ft with 2 year old gas in a metal gas can and it fired right up (after 7-8 pulls on choke, carb was drained) and ran perfect.
Put 7 hours on it last weekend and it purred like a kitten. When done I drained the carb.

\

This is the same thing I do with all my Honda products, be it generator or portable outboard motor for the boat. Get the carb completely dry of fuel before storage.