Generator will not start

[Ron & Kerrie]

We have a 7.5 Gen. I started it approx. 1 1/2 months ago and let it run for about an hour. And it started fine. Tried to start it today and all it would do is make a clicking sound. It has been cold here today high 22 degrees. It has always started in the past this is the first time I have had an issue. Just wondering if the problem is that it is just to cold? It always started in the winter before.

[Solo_RV_Guy]

Clicking only? Do your other 12v things work? Usually the genset starter is on the house batteries so I suspect your batteries are not holding charge. Are they more than a couple years old? Did you use the battery disconnect switch ("salesman's switch") while stored? Even fairly small parasitic loads can deplete a battery over a couple of months.


If your 12v systems are working correctly the issue could be a number of things - rodent damage to genset control board or control wiring; corroded or loose +12v wire to genset starter; possibly up-stream issue other 12v control devices.


You might try a search of the forums because this comes up a lot.

[Greenbarn1]

Remember at that temperature you will need to hold the start button for quite a while while glowplug gets hot enough to start.

[tmw188]

Batteries. Use parallel switch, or charge. What have you been doing to keep the batteries up?

[Smosher]

Have you tried your start switch on the gen itself. My mechanic let my batteries go down during service and he went to the gen and started it. Might try that, but it sounds like the batteries are down. You might try your boost switch and that might work to get it started

[WoodyS]

22°? Oh boy! Cold is hard on lots of things. You could have several simultaneous problems.

1) Batteries don't do well in the cold. And sub-freezing they do even worse. A weak battery that works at 70°, probably won't work at all at 22°.

2) Poor electrical connections are worse in sub-freezing conditions. You could have bad positive battery connections or bad ground connections -- or both.

3) Engine oil and diesel fuel both thicken when it gets below freezing. And thick oil and fuel make it harder for the starter to crank the engine. Does your generator have the proper multi-viscosity oil in it? I don't know about your generator's engine, but when it's that cold, you need an oil that's thin when it's cold -- or the starter just can't crank it. And although this probably isn't your problem because your engine never even cranked, did you fill your diesel tank with Winter Diesel? If you have regular #2 diesel in your tank, the engine might not start anyway.

Even though 22° isn't considered extreme cold -- it's cold enough to make less than healthy batteries totally useless. That's the first thing I'd check -- your batteries. Either they aren't charged, or they're not healthy and therefore not strong enough to crank a cold engine.

You mentioned using the generator over a month ago. Have the batteries been charged since then -- or was that the last time they were charged? Over a month is way too long to leave batteries in RV's -- particularly when it's as cold as 22°. For one thing, batteries naturally lose their charge over time. And for another thing, most RV's have small devices constantly draining the batteries -- indicator lights, clocks, smoke detectors, digital memory, etc. And even though those battery drains might be small, they add up -- and can kill your batteries in a month.

[txcpl]

I experienced the exact same symptoms last week. Started the coach engine and then started the generator. I know that our batteries did not get a full charge before storing the coach. Our batteries are less than 1 year old, so I fully suspect that the lack of fully charging is the problem. However, before our next outing I will be charging the batteries and then checking them for a full charge.

Hope your problem is just batteries needing to be fully charged.

[Ron & Kerrie]

Originally Posted by Ron & Kerrie

We have a 7.5 Gen. I started it approx. 1 1/2 months ago and let it run for about an hour. And it started fine. Tried to start it today and all it would do is make a clicking sound. It has been cold here today high 22 degrees. It has always started in the past this is the first time I have had an issue. Just wondering if the problem is that it is just to cold? It always started in the winter before.

I do have it plugged in while being stored. And The engine did start and drove it about 45 minutes yesterday. But the Gen would not start. I thought while it was plugged in The batteries were charging ?

[FatChance]

The generator uses the house batteries to start. Either the batteries are bad or they are not charging. What is the voltage in the house batteries? It is simple to determine if they are getting charged. Turn off shore power and check voltage. Then turn on shore power and check voltage. They should show over 13v with shore power on if they are being charged. If not, you should check the BIRD controller for proper function because it may not allowing the house batteries to charge. 007 has information on the BIRD system in his links.

[Ljwt330]

Lots of good suggestions given.


One question, just what is the "clicking" sound like? Meaning, when you hold down the START switch, do you hear a rapid, repeated clicking, or just one click? If it's a repeating click, you may be hearing the circuitry for the glow plug which will naturally take longer in very cold weather, coupled with possible low battery voltage. If it's a single click that repeats only when you release and re-push the START switch, then that's likely the starter solenoid on the genset.

[Ron & Kerrie]

Originally Posted by Ljwt330

Lots of good suggestions given.


One question, just what is the "clicking" sound like? Meaning, when you hold down the START switch, do you hear a rapid, repeated clicking, or just one click? If it's a repeating click, you may be hearing the circuitry for the glow plug which will naturally take longer in very cold weather, coupled with possible low battery voltage. If it's a single click that repeats only when you release and re-push the START switch, then that's likely the starter solenoid on the genset.

Its a repeating clicking sound. The weather been in the teens in the evening and 20-30's in the day. It is stored inside.

[Ron & Kerrie]

Originally Posted by WoodyS

22°? Oh boy! Cold is hard on lots of things. You could have several simultaneous problems.

1) Batteries don't do well in the cold. And sub-freezing they do even worse. A weak battery that works at 70°, probably won't work at all at 22°.

2) Poor electrical connections are worse in sub-freezing conditions. You could have bad positive battery connections or bad ground connections -- or both.

3) Engine oil and diesel fuel both thicken when it gets below freezing. And thick oil and fuel make it harder for the starter to crank the engine. Does your generator have the proper multi-viscosity oil in it? I don't know about your generator's engine, but when it's that cold, you need an oil that's thin when it's cold -- or the starter just can't crank it. And although this probably isn't your problem because your engine never even cranked, did you fill your diesel tank with Winter Diesel? If you have regular #2 diesel in your tank, the engine might not start anyway.

Even though 22° isn't considered extreme cold -- it's cold enough to make less than healthy batteries totally useless. That's the first thing I'd check -- your batteries. Either they aren't charged, or they're not healthy and therefore not strong enough to crank a cold engine.

You mentioned using the generator over a month ago. Have the batteries been charged since then -- or was that the last time they were charged? Over a month is way too long to leave batteries in RV's -- particularly when it's as cold as 22°. For one thing, batteries naturally lose their charge over time. And for another thing, most RV's have small devices constantly draining the batteries -- indicator lights, clocks, smoke detectors, digital memory, etc. And even though those battery drains might be small, they add up -- and can kill your batteries in a month.

The batteries were replaces last year.

[Ron & Kerrie]

Originally Posted by txcpl

I experienced the exact same symptoms last week. Started the coach engine and then started the generator. I know that our batteries did not get a full charge before storing the coach. Our batteries are less than 1 year old, so I fully suspect that the lack of fully charging is the problem. However, before our next outing I will be charging the batteries and then checking them for a full charge.

Hope your problem is just batteries needing to be fully charged.

I thought by plugging it in kept the batteries charged?

[kimbo]

at 10 to 30 deg. you may have to hold switch down for 20>30 seconds for glow plug to get hot enough to start gen.