Honda generator problem

[Rich Biebel]

Its hokey but is a proper way to flash the field on some portables and is described in their manuals.

Take a 9 volt battery and attach 2 wires to it with a snap cap easy to buy.

You can stick the 2 wires directly into an outlet with the unit not running.

If that doesn't work you can do it running.....very quickly....and get outta there...because 120 volts will be there if it starts generating and very quickly.....

The rotors do indeed lose residual magnetism....

Many machines have a built in field flash circuit during startup....
That would have to be a electric start machine with a battery...the battery voltage is applied to the brushes as it cranks...

Hondas usually have a voltage regulator....if yours doesn't it may have a capacitor to control output voltage.....cheap generators use just a capacitor......It may be bad if it has that for voltage regulation....

Older/cheaper machines tend to do this.....not make AC output without some external help on initial startup after sitting around unused.....