Generator problems basic diagnosis

[thomaswos]

WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN THE GENERATOR LIGHT STAYS ON?

1. Check that the battery terminals are tight and have not vibrated off and are free from salt and corrosion. Ensure that the leads have not rubbed through where they go into the battery boxes. They should be grommeted.

2. Remove the fording caps and ensure that the fording switch presses in and out OK.

3. Unbolt the top of the generator panel and check both fuses ensuring that you just haven't blown a fuse. If you have a blown fuse, replace the fuse wire and assemble the cover back on ensuring that both fording caps are fitted. The inside cap does not screw on. Start the engine if a fuse was found to be blown and see if the light goes out.

4. Inspect the plug at the generator and ensure that it is not loose and remove the plug and physically inspect the terminals. Do they show signs of arcing, black or burnt? If so this could be the problen and requires repair or replacement of the plug.

5. Check visually the wire mesh cover on the generator. If it has excessive oil there, the seal in the generator gearbox may have given up the ghost and your generator will be full of oil creating it to fail.

6. Ensure the fan belts are still intact and not too loose but also not over tight. Missing fan belts don't drive the generator pulley so it won't charge. The engine will get hot too because the water pump won't be operating either.

7. Crank the engine by hand. Does the generator drive pulley turn? If not chances are that the gearbox has siezed and will require repair.

8. Is the generator drive pulley securely connected to the generator. The bolts have been know to vibrate out and the pulley just spins on the generator shaft.

9. Check the 2 connections at the generator panel, the large rubber connectors. Are they in good condition or burnt out? Relace the damaged components.

10. With all electrics off, leave the vehicle for 10 minutes and see if it will generate as the thermal circuit breakers may have opened. Allowing them tuime to cool may rectify the problem but this indicates that there is an overload in the vehicles electrical system SOMEWHERE!! Your guess will be as good as the next man.

11. Check all the screw on connections at the generator panel to ensure they are tight and making the correct contact. Ensure the pins are not damaged.

12. Disconnect the batteries. Remove the generator panel front cover carefully and delicately ensure that no wire has broken loose on the back of the plugs and other terminals.

13. If this does not rectify nor produce any obvious faults, take it to a professional Automotive Electrician that has experience with Carbon Pile Voltage Regulators.

WARNING: Running the engine with the batteries disconnected to the system can cause damage to the carbon piles in the regulator or generator panel and or cause the generator to reverse pole. A sure sign that the generator has reverse poled is that it continually blows the warning light globe. To check if the globe is ok, turn on the ignition and see if the globe lights up. If not it has possibly blown so replace it. If the new one blows, you can drive the vehicle safely by disconnecting the generator from the generator panel. To do this, remove the fording caps. It can then be driven to your expert auto electrician.

You could try fitting another generator panel if you suspect the one fitted is faulty.

Alex

[crestiksa]

I havent seen anyone talk about a propane powered generator. Are they too heavy, too large, or is it just too hard to carry enough propane? Seems theres a propane version of the generator that sailquik has.


Herb
Áåñïëàòíûå êóðñû LonWorks - óìíûé äîì ñâîèìè ðóêàìè. Ãèáêîå ðàäèîóïðàâëåíèå ñâåòîì.

[joebiplane]

I had a generator in my camper that was made to run on Propane.
Runs clean as a whistle but it uses 3 gallons of Propane to run as long as a gas oline unit will on one gallon og gasoline. But since i had no source of gasoline.....short of siphoning from my truck...Propane seemed practical...but it was expensive to operate .
joebiplane