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Rich Biebel · 09-15-2019, 11:25 AM

Powertech makes reasonably good diesel units.

I have repaired a number of them and they have issues at times just like Onan's

Onan gets a bad rep but to be honest nobody makes anything better...

Powertech generator ends are mostly import built units. The engines are Perkins or Kubota. They use a common controller that can be adapted to most any engine.....and build their own units...

The Powertechs with brushes will usually fail by 5000hrs and the unit will have to come out to repair...and sometimes is more than just brushes...and they use a separate voltage regulator...

I have serviced and repaired many Onan's with well over 5000 hrs on gas units and as high as nearly 10,000 and 10,000 on diesels....

I service 2 medical exam buses regularly with Onan 10 or 12 kw diesels and they use them constantly and their only issue has been water pump belt failures and more than once. My best guess is it is from the diesel engine vibrations thru the balancer and drive pulley causing the belts to fail.

The control board issue is really one that creates a large number of problems and it really should not be but it is. Boards are made in China and say it right on the box....There is one other supplier for control boards and voltage regulators as well as other controls and I have used them a number of times. They make some items that Onan no longer sells and their prices are somewhat lower.....

The control board issue is common in all Onans, gas or diesel...It is a single unit that controls the engine, does shutdowns and controls output voltage....all one unit...

I have one on my to do calendar starting tomorrow....a 5.5 diesel that has had 3 board failures in about 2-3 years.....

09-15-2019, 11:25 AM	#27
Rich Biebel VIP Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Northern New Jersey suburbs Posts: 2,275 Likes: 25 Liked 510 Times in 200 Posts	Re: ONAN Marquis Gold 7000 Gas Powertech makes reasonably good diesel units. I have repaired a number of them and they have issues at times just like Onan's Onan gets a bad rep but to be honest nobody makes anything better... Powertech generator ends are mostly import built units. The engines are Perkins or Kubota. They use a common controller that can be adapted to most any engine.....and build their own units... The Powertechs with brushes will usually fail by 5000hrs and the unit will have to come out to repair...and sometimes is more than just brushes...and they use a separate voltage regulator... I have serviced and repaired many Onan's with well over 5000 hrs on gas units and as high as nearly 10,000 and 10,000 on diesels.... I service 2 medical exam buses regularly with Onan 10 or 12 kw diesels and they use them constantly and their only issue has been water pump belt failures and more than once. My best guess is it is from the diesel engine vibrations thru the balancer and drive pulley causing the belts to fail. The control board issue is really one that creates a large number of problems and it really should not be but it is. Boards are made in China and say it right on the box....There is one other supplier for control boards and voltage regulators as well as other controls and I have used them a number of times. They make some items that Onan no longer sells and their prices are somewhat lower..... The control board issue is common in all Onans, gas or diesel...It is a single unit that controls the engine, does shutdowns and controls output voltage....all one unit... I have one on my to do calendar starting tomorrow....a 5.5 diesel that has had 3 board failures in about 2-3 years..... __________________ Rich Biebel S/C 1479 Last edited by Rich Biebel; 09-15-2019 at 11:31 AM.