Generator Questions

[Rich Biebel]

Originally Posted by FED 387

looking at a used onan model 4BGEFA 26100J ---says he has been having problems starting the unit also when he had it last running the engine would rev up then go down then rev up again---- not much to go on but any ideas on a fix & is this a good unit??? Price is almost a steal but do not want to buy a money pit either-- whats a fair price on a used one--- Thanx & Regards FED 387

Yes they are good units but older. They have not made those for well over 10 years. Unstable engines are almost always a carb issue. Dirt inside it will cause problems. They are also very sensitive to adjustments of the mixture as well as the governor mechanism.....

Like all small engines....if they sit with gas in them and are not used you are going to have problems....It is a very common problem and adding fuel stabilizer is not always going to prevent this issue.

There is no way to say if it is worth buying without seeing it and doing an evaluation of what it may need.

Looks tell a lot but sometimes they don't look all that good but work fine. Sometimes they look good but have serious problems that would be costly to repair.

Get it running.....try to stabilize it....see if it has normal AC output....Go from there...

[BMFRACING]

I have a motorhome with a Guardian RV 5500 gas generator by Generac and it is leaking oil. It sounds fine but the oil runs out in a stream. The generator only has 198 hrs. Any ideas. Thanks, Bob

[Jim Wahl]

Thanks guys for this forum! I have noticed that you recommend replacing the fuel pump and fuel filter in many of your fixes. Where do we get parts for the Onan generators? Do local parts stores carry them? Jim


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[396chevy]

I am replacing a generator that had its own internal "chassis" battery charger. Its battery was totaly isolated from the rest of the trailers "house" batterys which was powering up the 1600 watt power invertor and the 12 lighting tasks of the trailer. We are now installing a onan 6K 6HDKAH-1044K quiet diesel gen set. Do I need to run some type of power isolater from the "house" batterys to the "chassis" battery keep the chassis battery charged to run the generator fuel pump and starting system? Thanks Bill

[Rich Biebel]

Bill......On that model battery charging output is an option. It would have had to be ordered with B183 which is a 10 amp battery charging output.

The ID label shows a lot of info and I would look there to see if B183 is listed anywhere. If not the only other way to tell if it has battery charging is to run it and put a voltmeter on the battery after it is running. Battery voltage should rise if it does. If it does not it will slowly drop.


If it does not have that option you have to make other provisions to charge the generator battery. Motorhomes and RV's often have a DC converter and they use that to charge the battery.

If you do not have battery charging and want to isolate the generator and it's battery from the rest of the RV all you need to do is add a small external type automotive charger that runs on 120 volts and is connected to the battery. Any small charger with a 5-10 amp output will work.

[Jim Wahl]

Originally Posted by Jim Wahl

Thanks guys for this forum! I have noticed that you recommend replacing the fuel pump and fuel filter in many of your fixes. Where do we get parts for the Onan generators? Do local parts stores carry them? Jim


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Nobody? Anybody know where to get Onan genset parts? Jim

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[Painter]

Jim, Cummins owns Onan or vice-versa. You should be able to find a Cummins dealer locally. I got some parts from Cummins Jacksonville one time when we on the road moving a boat. They have several lacations, some are down in the middle of the state.

[Jim Wahl]

Thanks Painter. Jim

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[FED 387]

And dig real deep in your pockets --Onan replacement part prices are EXORBITANT !!!!! Your gonna need the title to your car ,pick of the litter and your first born to buy even the smallest part!!!! My experience it was cheaper to buy a non running gen and take off the part I needed---- it was a small carb choke spring and choke plate and then turn around and sell the gen for what I paid for it!!! ended up getting the parts for free---FED 387