Propane generator won’t start in the morning

[mcewena]

Onan 3600LP  By 10am or noon it will be fine, but not first thing in the morning.  Winter or summer, muggy or dry.  I can run it the evening before or not for weeks.  The only pattern seems to be the time of day.  I’ve had it serviced by an Onan dealer and it works fine on their fuel supply.   I’ve replaced the regulator.   Can’t think of what else to look at.

[opnspaces]

Well that makes no sense. But then again the whole failure if fairly puzzling so hopefully that fixed it.

[mcewena]

3rd new plug (Champion rn14yc) and removed the sock from the end of the vent tube (tube clear beforehand) and it’s started 3 mornings a row.   ?!?

[MNtundraRet]

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@mcewena wrote:

3rd new plug (Champion rn14yc) and removed the sock from the end of the vent tube (tube clear beforehand) and it’s started 3 mornings a row.   ?!?

Nice to hear it may be working now.

Was the sock on the end of the vent-tube before?

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[mcewena]

Sock (actually just a scrap of cloth) had been there for 10 years without an issue in order to prevent bugs from blocking the tube.   Maybe it deteriorated in a very temperature specific way?

[MNtundraRet]

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@mcewena wrote:

Sock (actually just a scrap of cloth) had been there for 10 years without an issue in order to prevent bugs from blocking the tube.   Maybe it deteriorated in a very temperature specific way?

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You should have mentioned this in the first place. It was a dumb idea. Generators have their own filtration system You wasted a lot of time and expense dealing with this problem.

[mcewena]

Maybe so, but I’ve also read a lot of posts and personally experienced that vent tube being blocked and preventing starting.

[jkwilson]

The only thing I can imagine is that there isn’t enough propane in the lines in the morning. Can’t come up with a reason that would happen.

Do you have solar? Is it a motorhome? Maybe the battery is low in the morning and the solenoid isn’t open?

I’d try another tank if possible, using as much of the RV equipment as possible and see what happens.

[mcewena]

I should have mentioned I tried with/without engine running and while connecting to shore power and it turns over fine.   I can smell propane out the exhaust so fuel is getting to it.   I also installed a stay/play to hook up a full BBQ into the system.   All no dice.

[MNtundraRet]

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@mcewena wrote:

I should have mentioned I tried with/without engine running and while connecting to shore power and it turns over fine.   I can smell propane out the exhaust so fuel is getting to it.   I also installed a stay/play to hook up a full BBQ into the system.   All no dice.

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A couple of questions.

Are your batteries connected to allow charging while you are one an electric site? They would weakest in the morning.

Your hook-up for the BBQ may have something to do with the generator not getting enough propane to start in the morning. Did you have the problem before that upgrade?

[mcewena]

House batteries fully charged, >13v when connected to shore or charging from chassis.

Stay and play added after the problem started to try and eliminate the supply as a problem.

All other propane appliances are fine but the system comes from Winnebago with a dedicated regulator for the Genny so that's not a diffinative test.   Replaced both regulators anyway.

[mcewena]

And regapped a new plug to Onan spec.