Honda Generator Help Low voltage at Idle

[Airh22]

I have a Honda EX1000. It does not I’ll put enough voltage at idle around 8.5 V. If you manually increase the RPMs the voltage will read properly. Anytime I Plug Something in it Will Not Automatically Increase The RPM to supply Enough voltage. Not sure what this could be any suggestions?

[Tom_M1]

If the OP tried to make adjustments to slow the generator down to idle speed, that was his first mistake. A non-inverter generator has a governor that will try to maintain a constant speed, most likely 3600 rpm. When a load is applied, the governor will open the throttle to maintain 3600 rpm.

[SidecarFlip]

Could be as simple as bad gas. Gas today does what is referred to as 'phase seperation' where the alcohol drops out of the gasoline and gums up the works. Depending on where he lives, he could have picked up some +10 percent e-gas, which is death to a small air cooled engine as well.

No small engine built today can stand alcohol concentrations in the excess of 10% and prefer actually, non e-gas, which I can and do purchase here in Michigan but some states have none.

I always recommend Marine (blue) stabil in every gas can, every time.

[Lynnmor]

I looked at the manual for the generator in question. It shows an adjustment screw and a frequency meter. The OP apparently played with the adjustment. No wonder that Honda did away with those features.

[MEXICOWANDERER]

Basic governors are not easy for amateurs to deal with. The concept transcribes physics of centrifugal force into linear movement. Are you prepared to increase same length spring tension? Amplification via axis (percentage)? Sensitivity? Other than cleaning the mechanism and lubing it the governor should not be tampered with.

[Tom_M1]

SidecarFlip, good explanation of how an inverter type generator works, but the OP's generator is an older type with no inverter.

It sounds like a governor issue.

[SidecarFlip]

Every inverter genny, Honda, Yamaha, Champion, even the Harbor Freight Predator, uses an electronic throttle control to control throttle plate position. There is no idle screw like a conventional carb, throttle position is electronically controlled by the regulator which sends a signal voltage to the carb. On top of the carb, attached to the throttle plate arm is what is essentially a stepper motor and that sets the engine speed according to what the regulator tells it to.

When you run the unit in normal mode, the regulator tells the stepper motor to open the throttle to it's high speed position. In economy mode, the throttle is closed until the regulator senses a load and then it tells ther stepper motor to open the throttle plate to compensate for the load.

Not sure about a Honda, but a with a Yamaha (which is essentially the same (Yamaha holds the patents on the design and Honda uses Yamaha's technology), you can reset the stepper motor by disconnecting the molex connector, manually opening the throttle plate all the way (t you have to remove the air cleaner so you can access the throttle plate and open it up with a slim object (pencil works well) and with the throttle plate held open, replug the connector and keep the throttle plate open and start the engine. As the engine picks up rpm, release the plate. That resets the stepper motor. Thats how you reset a Yamaha.

If it don't reset and resume normal operation, the stepper motor is bad and needs replaced. Yamaha's are around 50 bucks, I presume the Honda unit is about the same or you can buy a complete carb for about 150 bucks. The stepper motor secures to the top of the carb with 2 phillips head screws and nad a spring inside. Don't loose the spring. The replacement stepper motors don't come with a spring.

The is no user adjustments on any of the carbs. It's all electronically controlled.

All inverters use a multi pole head that makes DC current which is electronically rectified and excited to 60hz.

Why they cost more than a conventional 3600 rpm 2 pole ac generator that relies on constant rpm to produce 60hz. An inverter does not. It inverts the dc to ac and excites the ac output to 60hz.

I have a Yamaha shop manual. You can download the shop manual from the net. Not sure if Honda has the same option but both are very similar.

[MEXICOWANDERER]

Slower than 55 Hz the critical cornering frequency presented to the voltage regulator reverts to volts per Hz. Meaning severely reduced field voltage. The exact thing being discussed.

This is a REPAIR issue not an adjustment.6

[pnichols]

I have a Honda EX1000 in pristine condition. To my knowledge it does not have an idle speed setting (maybe I should have gone out to take a look at it ... but the dog was fast asleep on my lap along with the laptop that was awake). I think that my EX1000 runs all the time at a constant 3600 RPM. However, I do have a contractor's fixed speed 3600 RPM generator that does indeed automatically drop back to idle when no load is on it.

Maybe the OP was referring to an EU1000i Honda inverter generator?

[SoundGuy]

Airh22 wrote:
I have a Honda EX1000.

horton333 wrote:
The 2k units say in the manual that the 12volts is only to be used with ecomode off, ie full throttle. May be the same for the 1k units...

The OP has an older, discontinued EX1000 which is an entirely different animal than the inverter series EU1000i.

[MEXICOWANDERER]

Service Time
Governors are nothing to play with unless you know Hondas plus you know the discipline. One misadjustment and kablooey goes the voltage regulator.

[Airh22]

I was trying to use the 110 AC. There is no eco-mode on this model. During idle I can manually increase the RPMs and will get the 110. Anytime I plug something into the outlet it will not increase the RPMs Or voltage. The only way I can increase the voltage is manually increasing the RPMs on the carb.

[horton333]

Airh22 wrote:
I have a Honda EX1000. It does not I’ll put enough voltage at idle around 8.5 V. If you manually increase the RPMs the voltage will read properly. Anytime I Plug Something in it Will Not Automatically Increase The RPM to supply Enough voltage. Not sure what this could be any suggestions?

The 2k units say in the manual that the 12volts is only to be used with ecomode off, ie full throttle. May be the same for the 1k units...

[Lynnmor]

I didn't know that the EX1000 has a throttle. Is there a throttle to idle the engine?

[donn0128]

If I remember correctly voltage is RPM sensitive. The idle RPM is a bit too low. Any compentent Honda dealer should be able to check for other problems, service it, and have it running right for you.