Generator Malfunction

[dale farley]

I keep my bus plugged in all the time when not in use, and I usually try to start it about every month to exercise everything. I back it out of the shed and run the generator and all three cruise airs for about 30 minutes.

When I did this today, everything worked fine, but when I turned off the generator, I noticed that my fuel pump and hour meter were still energized. I tried to find a breaker to disconnect the power but was unsucessful. After about 15 minutes, the fuel pump and hour meter stopped.

I have a 20KW Power Tech generator that looks and runs like new. Does anyone have any idea why the fuel pump and hour meter stayed on for several minutes after I shut the unit down?

[mike kerley]

Just a guess, but I'd say a relay in the control panel was hung up. I'd cycle the generator a few more times to see if it repeated or cleared itself. Then plan on finding and changing that relay some day. A bad diode across the coil contacts of the relay may also be the culpert, but that would be the last item I'd check.

[dale farley]

Mike, I suspected a relay, but wasn't able to locate one when checking this morning. My manual doesn't seem to be much help in locating the problem, so I may end up calling Marathon or Prevost. Thanks.

[mike kerley]

Dale, I have a panel behind my genny accessed by a hatch in the first bay. I THINK thats were the control panel, auto start ect is located. Sometimes these controls are physically located on the gen set. I'll look around on mine to see what I can see.

Did it behave the second time you tried it?

Mike

[dale farley]

Mike,

I've tried it several times and have not been able to duplicate the problem. Maybe it was a one-time thing. I would like to know how to disconnect the power to it, if it happens again.

[garyde]

Hi Dale. You may have a seperate battery for your Generator start, which also powers the Generator contols. There may be a disconnect or fuse between the battery and the Terminal at the Starter or Controls.

[dale farley]

Gary,

I do have two separate batteries for my generator, and I didn't even think about that when looking for a way to disconnect. I went straight to my engine compartment and flipped both switches, and of course, that didn't make a difference. Just shows I'm getting old.

I don't actually know of a disconnect betweeen the batteries and the generator, but I am sure there has to be a relay somewhere that is sending power to the fuel pump and hour meter. Thanks.

[truk4u]

Dale,

On my 97, the generator cut-off switch was located on the curb side in the battery box bay. Mine had two 12V batteries connected in parallel charged by the generator or the solar panel.

1386
You can see the switch here on the left

1387
Also, there are relays inside the gen control box

Good luck.....

[MangoMike]

Hey Trukman,

Who did you steal those photos from?

Mango

[dale farley]

Tom, Mine also has the two generator batteries in parallel charged by the solar panel, but I don't see a disconnect. There is a 12V house disconnect and a 24V disconnect in the compartment with my house/generator batteries, but they don't affect the power to the generator.

[truk4u]

Mango - You know where they came from, snif, nif, snif....:(

Dale - Has to be a cutoff somewhere, a quick call to Marathon should solve your switch location problem.. I may be inside the battery box on the side.

[garyde]

Tom, I think your having phantom itch syndrome. You know, like when you loose a foot.

[dale farley]

I will give Marathon a call on Monday and see what they say. Surely there is a switch somewhere. I have tried duplicating the problem several times, and it hasn't happened again, so maybe it was just because I had let it set too long without starting it.

[truk4u]

Thanks Gary, I thought something was missing!:D

[Jerry Winchester]

Now Gary, the CrakMan is pretty sensitive since he is cruising around in a POS coach and I dont think it is his foot that's missing, so take it easy on him. And we won't mention the Jeep Liberty.........

[jello_jeep]

Hey Jerry, ya reckon GASTRUKSTER's liberty came with a free Rosie O'donnel tee shirt ? :confused: :D

[dale farley]

As a followup to the problem I had with my generator, I did the following. I removed the cover from my control box, and noticed that one of the relays was almost out of its socket. I verified that this was the relay that controls my fuel pump and hour meter, inspected it and pushed it firmly in the socket. I assumed that this loose connection could have caused the problem thta I was having.

Called Marathon a few minutes ago, and the tech said this is the same relay that controls my preheater for the genereator, and that it might be bad. Once I told him it had been out of the socket by almost 1/4', he said this could easily have been the problem. He said the loose relay could have been causing a ground problem. Since I have not been able to duplicate the fault, I assume the problem is solved.

I did ask the tech if there was a disconnect for the 12V feeding the generator, and he said there was not. If I have the problem again, I will just pull the relay.