Generator will not start!

[Danss]

After learning a whole lot of info at POG 4, on the way home tried to crank Gen. Battery says I have 12.6 volts but it will not click or turnover. Is there a circuit breaker or master cut off normally for the generator? I looked at all visible circuit breakers on panel in coach and there is none for Gen. Any help will be appreciated. Dan & Jo

[Joe Cannarozzi]

What make gen. do you have?

Did you try starting it off the button right at the controls on the gen. in addition to trying at the remote?

Have you slid it out recently, could have pulled a wire end terminal loose.

Check Bat. connections?

All fuses for ours are on the Gen itself. The house breakers are for power coming out of it, and have nothing to do with current between the gen and its battery.

If it still does nothing at the start switch on the gen itself and battery is 12.6
look on the gen itself for a breaker or fuse.

Put a test light to the starter solonoid terminal while on and off the start switch to see if current is making it to there.

[MangoMike]

Dan,
What was the final outcome on the generator?

Mike

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Dan,

When you say it will not start does this mean your start cycle will not result in cranking? On my coach I can by-pass the watchdog and auto-start and do a manual start on the generator. Do you have that capability?

[Danss]

I did everything Joe,Jon and everyone else suggested and found absolutely nothing wrong, loose, frayed corroded etc. Tried again at the gen and still nothing. Later yesterday I drove about one mile to wash bay and coming back I tried again and you guessed it!!!! Turned it off and dried coack etc. tried again it still works! Guess i will gamble on it and do nothing as its is hard to find a problem when there is none. It probaly heard my threat to kick its ???. Thanks for the suggestions. Dan

[Jon Wehrenberg]

The next time it fails to start will be when you need it most.

The good news is that with a diesel engine if you can provide it with fuel (insure the fuel solenoid valve is open) and get it to spin (short across the starter solenoid) it will run.

[Joe Cannarozzi]

This problem sounds like a loose end terminal to me. I have experienced a couple on our current unit as well as a couple on a previous one and have recently helped a neighbor hunt one down on an Onan.

I would categorize the phenomena as common.

Continue to endeavor to persevere, you will find and it will be one of those eureka moments.:)

[rbeecher]

Dan,

I seem to recall having experienced this on our Vogue with the Yanmar Martin 17.5 generator. The receipts are in the bus at Marathon but I believe Featherlite first replaced a transfer switch (?) with burned contacts, which was on the front wall closest to the bay door. At first that seemed to do it but they later had to replace the starter and that did it.

Hope this is of some help.

Richard Beecher
2002 Marathon XLII
1996 Vogue XL for sale

[garyde]

I remember years ago on one of my VW Buses, I had to crawl underneath the bus and short a screw driver across the terminals to get the damn thing to turn over. The starter may have a intermitant problem.