Problem or problems with Honda 2000i generators?

[Thunder_Mountai]

I have a problem or problems with a pair of Honda 2000i generators. I've had them since about 2004 or 2005. Typical Honda product. They usually start on the first pull. Second on a bad day. They aren't high hour units. They are running in parallel for dry camping. Always maintained and properly stored. Last year we were camping in September in the mountains. Awoke to about 18 degrees. One of the generators kept dying and the oil alert light would come on. Oil level full. The other had no issues. After restarting it about six or so times it ran fine. I assumed it was because the oil was too thick. Running 10W-30 as recommended.

Fast forward to this week. Went camping. Lows were in the upper thirties or low forties. One generator required multiple restarts. However, the rest of the day it started fine. I understand that the oil sensor/switch can go south on these units.

Now for another issue. Twice the generators would bog, voltage dropped and TV went out. I've camped at the same location multiple times with no issues. So, I know it is not altitude related. I dumped all loads including the lights, TV and dish. Attempted a restart of the A/C with no luck. This was on the initial A/C start up. I shut everything down and pondered the situation. My first thought was the starter capacitor on the A/C compressor.

The next afternoon I fired up the generators and turned on the A/C. Everything was working correctly. After about an hour, the generators bogged down, and I shut them down.

I'm now home where I have a 30 amp outlet. I turned on the A/C multiple times with no issues. So, I don't think it is the starter capacitor on the A/C.

So, do I have one or two problems? I found out how to bypass the oil level sensor which I haven't done yet. Next question... How would I trouble shoot the bogging issue including determining which generator is at fault?

Thanks in advance for your help.

[wa8yxm]

I will say again. Check the current to the AIR CONDITIONERS.

One in fact both of Mine I suspect but the new one is not old enough for it to have happened yet.. If the condenser gets clogged. CLICK goes the 20 amp breaker. And that will overload those paired Honda's I suspect.

And yes. it can take an hour for the heat to build that far. THE FIRST TIME and current will remain high less you leave it off long enough to fully cool down.

[SoundGuy]

pianotuna wrote:
In Canada at least, premium gasoline has no ethanol in it. I only run premium in the generator.

BC_Explorer wrote:
Same here (in BC.) I only use premium in my generator and boat motors. However I always treat with Stabil as an extra precaution as the generator and boat motors may sit for some weeks or months without use.

Not true at all, not all brands of premium are ethanol free in all provinces ... here in Ontario Shell & Esso premium grade gas is 100% ethanol free but other brands not necessarily so.

[MEXICOWANDERER]

Or and this is a BEEEG Or...

The "other" generator is not pitching in...

Go outside and listen. If the second generator goes not grunt why is that? Why does the second generator keep running while whistling dixie? A problem in load sharing? Purchase and use DeOxit D100 electrical contact shiner-upper on both ends of all connectors.

[Thunder_Mountai]

OP here... Thanks for all the suggestions. Just a few answers to some of your suggestions. Generators are always stored without gas if not being used for longer than a month. So no fuel issues. I do believe the oil pressure switch is faulty on one generator. Will replace it.

I spent the morning load testing the generators. Connected each of them to a 1500 watt convection/toaster oven and let it run for way over an hour. Then put them in parallel and ran two convection/toaster ovens for over an hour. No issues what so ever. Then hooked them up to the TT and ran the air conditioner for two hours. No issues.

The only thing I can think of is I might not have had one of the connectors on the parallel cord fully seated.

[wa8yxm]

I MIGHT have an answer on the bogging down and it's NOT the generators.

Most RV Air Conditioners draw 13-14 amps running, way more starting but only for a brief period.. BUT IF THEY GET HOT then the amps go up. 15-16-17-18-19-20-click of a circuit breaker.

The most common cause of that is a DIRTY CONDENSER COIL

Though I'm having issues like that just not and it does not LOOK dirty (First look) I"m planing more indepth research (Flashlight and lay down so as to look THROUGH the beast) next week.

[pnichols]

MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
Head to head testing a pair of 2000 watt generators versus a 30-amp household service drop is not a fair test.

That may be due to - a guess on my part - the fact that an EU2000i can deliver only 1600 watts continuous, so two of them in parallel would be good for only 3200 watts continuous ... while I believe that 30 amp service is usually good for 120 volts times 30 amps = 3600 watts continuous.

[MEXICOWANDERER]

Head to head testing a pair of 2000 watt generators versus a 30-amp household service drop is not a fair test.

It still could be a bad capacitor. Assume nothing, check everything.

[shastagary]

check the vent on the fuel caps try swapping caps between generators they will stop getting fuel if a vacuum forms in the tank.
i have forgotten to open the vent and had mine stop running after a hour or so.

[BC_Explorer]

pianotuna wrote:
In Canada at least, premium gasoline has no ethanol in it. I only run premium in the generator.

Same here (in BC.) I only use premium in my generator and boat motors. However I always treat with Stabil as an extra precaution as the generator and boat motors may sit for some weeks or months without use.

[2oldman]

pnichols wrote:

Why would the gas engine part of newer Honda portable generators be more finicky than the gas engine part of their old models?

Smaller carb jets. It takes about a minute to drain the carburetor for storage.

[pnichols]

RoyF wrote:
You don't say whether you are using ethanol-free gasoline. I can testify that Honda's do not like alcohol in their gasoline. I (now) use only ethanol-free.

Off topic slightly, but just as a reference for the OP: Needing ethanol-free gasoline may or may not help modern inverter-type Honda generators start or run better. What does the operator's manual state?

My 25-30 year old non-inverter Honda four-cycle portable generator doesn't care about ethanol gas one way or the other. I usually use California regular gas in it. Starts up on the first pull (if I remember to turn it's manual choke ON first) after sitting for months with any age of any kind of gas in it. I use Mobil 1 synthetic oil in it and the proper type E3 advanced spark plug in it.

Why would the gas engine part of newer Honda portable generators be more finicky than the gas engine part of their old models?

[theoldwizard1]

Cold weather oil issues issues do not usually bother Honda generators until about 10F. If you are regularly using it BELOW 10F, switch to a 0W-30 full synthetic.

[pianotuna]

In Canada at least, premium gasoline has no ethanol in it. I only run premium in the generator.

[Bobbo]

With the generator bogging down, I don't think the problem is with the oil pressure. That should cause it to just die. Bogging down does sound like the carburetor.

Gasoline is cheap. To be sure you don't have water in the gas, drain the tanks and replace all of the gasoline.

I agree with the Seafoam recommendation. My Honda will never see a drop of gasoline that doesn't have Seafoam in it. (It will also never see a drop of gasoline with ethanol in it if I can find a station that sells "recreational gasoline.")

Seafoam does work. I had some lawn equipment that almost wouldn't run because the carbs were gummed up so badly. I ran them a season on double concentration Seafoam, starting them every day or two for 10 minutes. That was long enough to flush out the crud that had dissolved overnight, and put fresh Seafoam in the carb. By the end of the season, all of those tools were running like they did when brand new. Now, I put Seafoam in the gasoline container before going to the station to buy (ethanol free) gasoline.