20 Most Recent Watts Onan Portable Generator - 4000 , Model# 5500 - Page 5 Questions & Answers

Do you have a volt meter so that you can check battery output when unit is running. The charge rate on most small engines is about 3 amp so it will not charge very fast. If you have a battery charger I would disconnect negative cable from battery, check voltage on battery then hook up charger for a couple hours. Recheck voltage.Then leave battery neg. cable off overnight and check voltage again the next day.You may have a bad battery that wont hold charge. If it holds charge overnight then I would hook neg. cable back up and leave set for a day or two and recheck voltage. If voltage has dropped then you have something draining battery. Before I did anything to drastic I would clean all connections to battery and starter switch. If your system is really not charging you will have to replace starting diode. Good luck.

Remove the float bowl and the fuel solenoid from the bottom of the carburetor. In the area where the solenoid screws into there is a jet. Most likely there is debris in the jet orifice. You cn use a small nail or a scribe to GENLTY scrape in the throat area of the jet to clear any obstructions. Then spray carb cleaner into the jet orifice area as a final cleaning procedure. Before you re-install the float bowl also remove the fuel supply hose from the carb and spray carb cleaner from the float needle area back to the supply connection. You may have to remove the float pivot pin but, I would not remove it unless your absolutely sure that there is debris in the float valve needle area. Getting ready to install the float bowl.... spray the plunger of the fuel solenoid with carb cleaner. Once your sure that the fuel supply passages are clear install the float bowl and solenoid. Then connect the main fuel line and test the generator.

There is one more thing you can check but you have to be real careful. That is checking fuel supply during engine cranking with the fuel hose removed. (FIRE DANGER) There should be good fuel flow via that fuel tank, fuel pump and fuel filter during cranking. If you don't have good fuel flow with the fuel supply hose removed from the carb, the problem can be debris in the bottom of the fuel tank, a clogged fuel filter or a bad fuel pump.

Thanks for choosing FixYa.

Kelly

Your going to have to go to a Cummings Onan Dealer for the gasket. You can however walk in to any lawn mower repair shop with the part in hand. (example match up) You will save money and walk out with the part you need in hand. I can't remember if it is the Honda GX series gasket or the Tecumseh L series that will work. Honestly is has been a while so you would be better off seeing the exact match up at the Local Lawn mower Parts source. Most RV & or Marine equipment service dealers have them also. Very common item.

Kelly

Kelly

Are you sure there is fuel in the cylinder?
- If your sure that there is fuel in the cylinder then the next question is.....
*"Is there spark at the spark plug?" If no... suspect the low oil level sensor is dirty. You can remove it and clean it with carb cleaner then test it while NOT installed.
Open air... continutiy
submerged to threads in oil... +open / infinity reading.

This unit has a fuel pump and fuel filter. I don't remember if there is a fuel solenoid relay on the bottom of your carb or not. Older units do ot have them but newer ones do.

I really need to know Yes or no to these answers
Copy and past then delete the answer you do not want me to see. I.e. Y = del N or N= Del Yes

1. Fuel in cylinder Y / N
2. Oil sensor check good Y / N
3. Fuel pump running Y / N
4. Fuel solenoid installed Y / N
5. Spark at Spark Plug Y / N
6. Fuel Selector ON Y / N

I think we can do this but I really need to know the above answers.

Kelly

follow wire and it should bring you to a fuse and it is probably blown

check coil and oil

If it starts when you add fa fuel source to the carb throat it is not the oil level sensor. The oil level sensor and generator fault circuits all shut off the spark. You have a fuel blockage most likely in the carb float bowl caused by debris / corrosion that has made its way into the fuel jet orifice located inside the hole that the fuel bowl nut threads into into. Get some carb cleaner and shoot into the hole that the float bowl nut threads into. Make sure you dump the fuel float bowl contents. With the bowl removed use a spray can lid or something similar to check fuel flow. Fuel selector on float down you should have fuel flow. Genyly lifting the float to level the fuel flow should stop.
If you do not have any fuel flow then there is a problem with the fuel supply. Remove the fuel supply hose at the carb. Feul should flow freely. Good flow from hose = float needle problem.
No flow from hose = check fuel filter and fuel tank outlet / fuel selector for debris.

If you have checked all of the above then jumper pins 5 to 9 on the main board. You should hear the fuel pump running. If you don't hear it running then the fuel pump has probably failed.

Reconnect and re-install everything and fuel leak test before starting.

Thanks for choosing FixYa.

Kelly

Make sure there is no demand on it when you are starting it, and check the gas. It sounds like a fuel problem more than anything. Make sure it flows freely, no clogs, no clogged filter, squirt some fresh gas in the piston and fire it up, see if the fuel pump , if there is one, is pumping, check the fuel line, Take it off the carb and see if it flows out, pumps out, Blow back through and see if it is clear. How old is the gas? Check it out, hope this helps.

Hello. 'll assume you checked the obvious things first; fuses, circuit breakers, cords, etc.
Use an ohm meter to confirm the windings are actually connected to the outlets. With the engine shut off (!) measure the resistance between the live and neutral lines. It should appear as a short circuit.

Here is something from my generator web page which you may want to try...
If the engine is working fine, but there is no output voltage try this trick. It may work on standard alternator type generators, but not on those which use an inverter. It worked for me in the past, but try at your own risk. First check to ensure that all circuit breakers and fuses are ok. Shut off the engine and remove any cords from the generator. Plug in a cord with bare wires on the other end to one of the 120VAC outlets. Connect one end of the cord to a car battery. Very quickly touch the other wire to the other battery terminal. Do not leave it there longer than to create a few sparks or you may destroy the windings. If the residual magnetism in the alternator had weakened, this may be enough to get it started again. J.

Probably fuel problem. Not getting enough fuel for full air flow. Check fuel filter, shut off valve, carb probably dirty.

Adjust the carberator. You have to do this while the engine is running and it usually takes a straight slot screwdriver. You can turn a spring loaded screw to adjust fast or slow which ever is needed.

4000 kW is a very big generator. I asume that your is 4000W = 4 kW.
If - with electrical start it should be MicroQuiet 4000.
Never mind by all types of electricaly started engines this will mean:

If by "not engage" you mean that solenoid only clicks, but neither the starter motor is turning, nor the bendix wheel is engaged to wlywheel. This may mean that battery voltage is low, in order to engage the bendix and make its power contact, or the bendix is mechanicaly blocked.
If by "not engage" you mean that solenoid clicks, the starter motor is not turning, but the bendix wheel is engaged to wlywheel. This may mean that the bendix relay power contacts are bad or starter motor collector or brushes are bad.
If by "not engage" you mean that solenoid clicks, the starter motor is turning with a scratching sound, the bendix wheel is partially or not engaged to wlywheel. This may mean that the bendix throw out lever is bent or broken, or the wheels on bendix and flywheel are worn out..

You most likely either have a crack in the filter or your fuel line has started to harden and is no longer sealing. The best solution is to replace both the filter, lines and be sure to replace the clamps if they are the spring type.

What about when you have it powering the motorhome, without AC on, does it trip then? Do you have anyone you know with a multimeter and knows how to use it? How about buying a plug in voltage meter at a hardware store as a good start. You simply plug it in to a receptacle in your motorhome and it will tell you the incoming voltage and they are not very expensive. That will help diagnose generator problem.

If you have it for 12 years, it ran only 80 hours, it may have got rusty.
If you can open generator back cover, try to see the condition of generator iron (stator and rotor).Check the bearings.
Check the oil (level and condition, it may have water or gas in it).  
Take out the spark plug and without fuel try to turn the motor manually.
If you can turn it, try to clean if any rusty parts, drain the oil, clean the crankcase with cleaning oil (make a few turns)and fill it with good new oil.
Try to spray some WD 40 or some rust remover spray where you may have rust: the generator interspace, bearing legs, through the spark plug hole etc.
Thats all I can advice now. If no result try another quiary.

The reason can be:

1. Bad or loose ignition (spark plug, magneto, coil cable etc);
2. Water in the gas;
3. Dirty fuel strainer;
4. Not set on level surface;

I wouldn't say the ethanol is the problem, but perhaps the brand of gasoline. I can tell you that many cars including my own run crappy on certain gasolines (even though all gasoline contains 10% ethanol), when they get older. For example I get horrible gas mileage on Exxon gas, while I get wonderful mileage on Shell or BP gas. Experiment with that a little and if there is no improvement you (or if your not sure how a shop that deals with generators can do it for you) can adjust the idle and check any filters that may be one the generator.

If it has an AVR you prob fried it. But if its just a capasitor coupled it may have lost its residual magnetisem, this is easy to re excite it , but if youve never done it before it can KILL YOU. take it to a sparky

What is the problem?

Because it wont start does not indicate a control board problem It will start but it will shut down within a few seconds if it was. enail me and i will try to help you with the problem [email protected]