Onan info

[erkme73]

Originally Posted by Rich Biebel

I can help you or anyone that has Onan issues. I have been working on them and lots of other electrical equipment and machines for many years. I kill time amusing myself reading posts on here during the day or at lunch.....some very entertaining stuff usually in the S/SS area......

Hi Rich - sorry to revive a two-year old thread. Hopefully you're still monitoring for new posts.

I don't want to hijack, but I didn't think starting a new thread, on a very similar issue, for my first post is justified.

I have the same generator (7kw version) that uses the same 300-5374 ECU. It shuts down on its own. It's completely random. Sometimes it'll run for hours without a hick up. Other times, it'll run for 5 minutes then shut down. What is odd is that the shut down is sudden and abrupt. No sputtering, no bogging. It's as though someone hit the stop button.

I've had issues a few years ago with a fuel line that had gotten chewed by rodents. Also had a problem with a rocker arm snapping due to a defect in the cylinder head design. And in those cases, the genny threw an error code.

However, when it shuts down itself, it doesn't blink. When I recall the last error code (clicking the prime button 3 times within 3 seconds), the error reported is from any previous experimenting.

For example, if I ground out the oil transducer line, I'll get error 2 (low oil pressure). If I then let the genny run (with transducer connected) for however long it takes for an auto shut down, when I recall the code, it'll still be 2.

When I run it again, and pull the power to the fuel pump, after it stalls out, I get a 36. If I then restart (with fuel pump back in operation), and it shuts off on it's own, the recalled error code is still 36.

In other words, the auto shut down DEFINITIVELY does NOT register an error code. Unless there is some safety/auto shut down sequence that is triggered/completed which does not generate an error code, my assumption is that I have a bad control board that is randomly telling the system that I hit the STOP button - or I have a short in my cabling that makes it think I hit stop.

To eliminate the latter, I disconnected the remote cable that runs from the dash to the genny - and fired it up. No dice. After about 3 hours of run time, it abruptly shut down again - no error.

I'm getting ready to drop the genny out of it's spot (no easy task on a Damon Intruder) to get access to the wiring. Perhaps there is an internal control cable that is chaffing or melting and grounding out. Or, worst case, I'll have access to the control board(s) to replace it/them.

My primary concern with the genny shutting down randomly is the resulting lack of A/C. In FL, in the summer, with unattended dogs, it can lead to disaster.

Any other ideas?

ETA: The genny is in a 2002 motor home, and has about 600 hours on it. When it runs, it runs like a top. Perfect in every sense - even under full load of both A/Cs. Not a single hick up.