โApr-01-2020 09:09 PM
โApr-17-2020 03:50 PM
โApr-17-2020 02:57 PM
tiffy2000 wrote:
I have a 5500 Champion for the house that has never let me down other than stupid Ethanol gas eating up stuff , carb was $35 for it.
โApr-17-2020 12:39 PM
โApr-17-2020 11:24 AM
โApr-08-2020 07:06 PM
โApr-05-2020 07:30 PM
โApr-05-2020 09:26 AM
way2roll wrote:
I would say that the folks that do not exercise their genny with no issues are just lucky and the minority. We have a whole house generator, wired to it's own sub panel etc. It starts itself up weekly and runs 2 minutes without a load and then 15 minutes with a load and then removes the load and shuts down a minute later. Why do you think the engineers designed it to do that? Personally I want to know that my things are going to work when I need them to. And that means periodically running them and proper maintenance. Storing them for months on end without doing anything is rolling the dice. That's my opinion of course and YMMV. Maintenance aside, do I want to know in the spring while prepping for a trip that mice have chewed a fuel line or wire? Or do I want to know that when I have time to fix it? Put simply if you don't properly maintain things and ensure they work the risk of failure when you need it increases exponentially.
โApr-05-2020 09:11 AM
Dusty R wrote:Interesting comment. I can prime from inside my motor home using the start switch backwards. If you are not setup for it, then most definitely pull the cover off the Onan and do it there. I would never be able to start my Onan after a long hibernation, if not for the process of extended priming.
On the prime switch. I don't it will work from the start inside, you have to do that from the start switch on the generator itself.
โApr-04-2020 09:33 AM
ron.dittmer wrote:
Hi CodyClassB,
I did not read through all the replies, so maybe this was covered.
Before spending a penny, before taking the rig in for generator service, first try these two things.
#1 - On your Onan, set the altitude adjustment to the proper altitude. It looks like this.
#2 - Many people don't know how to properly work the "prime" feature.
At your generator control panel, be very quiet. To prime the generator, you must push in the start switch in, but in the opposing direction (it is a rocker switch). HOLD it there and listen for any kind of sound. It would be the sound of the fuel pump running. If you hear nothing, have a family member press and hold it while you are outside under your Onan.
If you don't hear any hum or buzzing sound, then your fuel pump is not working. Check fuses and such. If your hear a hum or buzz, then your fuel pump works.
On the prime switch. I don't it will work from the start inside, you have to do that from the start switch on the generator itself.
Also, Listen very closely to the fuel pump when you are holding the switch. You can hear a difference when the carb bowl gets full, the pump it gets quieter.
Then make sure your main fuel tank is at least 1/2 full.
People don't realize how long they need to hold in the prime button to get fuel from the main fuel tank to their Onan. Each rig is different pending the distance between them.
Prime, prime, prime. I advise to do as I do. Hold in the prime button for 15 seconds the first time and then try to start the Onan. If nothing happens, hold the prime button in for 10 seconds thereafter and repeat until it starts.
I never ever run my generator during the off season. I put the rig away in the fall and start everything up in the spring time. A few years, our rig will sit an extra year, and everything always starts right up. I do maintain the batteries during off season. This has been my practice with our rig for 13 years. We do store our rig indoors in a climate controlled environment which I am sure makes some difference. But I never understood all the talk about monthly start-ups and such, though some necessity if the rig is stored in the worst of conditions.
โApr-04-2020 07:32 AM
โApr-04-2020 06:55 AM
โApr-04-2020 05:53 AM
klutchdust wrote:
It would be interesting to know what exactly failed in some of the Onan generators and what it cost to repair. I find it curious that some have had multiple Onan's yet experienced failures in each one and others seem to have outstanding service using them. What occurred that would lead someone to not ever want to own one even if for free. As I have said, my company had no less than 500 units powering refrigeration units and other than normal maintenance were not in the shop unless they were getting a rebuild.
โApr-03-2020 04:58 PM
โApr-03-2020 02:30 PM