Generator help needed on 2001 Seaview

[larrye]

I recently was on a trip where I plugged into shore power. After leaving the generator remote start switch on the dash is not working. The start switch on the generator has not worked for years.
I have jumped across the solenoid and it turns over but will not start. I replaced the Voltage regulator board thinking this could be the cause and it wasn't. I have cchecked all known breakers and fuses.
Could the control board create this issue ?? I do not want to spend 180 dollars to replace the board if this is not the problem.
Please Help !! I'm very frustrated with this issue !!!!

[Richard S.]

Click this link Generator Maintenance & MANUALS Onan & Generac & PARTS go to post #2 for owners manual

[larrye]

I forgot to add it is a Generac

[Mike Canter]

The first thing you should do is try it while holding the Boost Switch down. If it works then you have a bad hose battery or bad battery cable connection on the battery. If that doesn't work then use a 12 volt test lamp or a voltmeter and have your wife hit the remote start switch and have the tester on the small terminal on the solenoid on the generator. If there are two small terminals then one is ground and the other will be 12 volts when either the local or the remote start switch is pressed. If there is no 12 v when the switch is pressed then check the small white connector that is on the back of the generator behind the circuit boards and make sure it is tight. This connector is what connects the remote switch to the generator. If you have 12 v when the remote switch is pressed then check for voltage on the bigger terminals on the solenoid. One should read 12 v all the time because it comes from the battery. If not then your battery cable is loose or your house battery is bad. If all that is good then put the test lamp on the other large terminal on the solenoid that previously didn't show 12 v and have someone press the remote starter switch. If you now get 12 v on that large terminal and the starter doesn't turn over then your starter is bad. If no 12 volts on that large terminal when the remote starter is pressed then the solenoid is bad.

[larrye]

Hi Mike,
Thanks for the detailed diagnostics.
I do not know what I did but was out looking at fuses and breakers ( rechecking my steps ) and magic it fired right up !!
The only thing that I did this time was try starting it from the start switch on the generator itself. The starter was sounding like when a battery is low. It made the same sound for a few seconds and then changed tones, still the same sound.. I thought that sounded a little weird so I went back in and tried the remote switch on the dash. It started right away. I'm thining that I was sitting on a "dead spot" on the starter and my starter may be on its last legs ??
I have printed your diagnostic steps to put with the Generator manual for future use if needed.
Thanks Again !!

Larry

[Mike Canter]

If it was a dead spot then it just flat will never start until that starter has been rotated a small amount. If it started out sounding like a low battery then I would suspect that the problem is due to low voltage either from a bad connection, a bad battery or a burned contact within the solenoid. If it happens again then the first thing I would try is to start the generator again while holding the boost switch on so you have the chassis batteries giving your house batteries a boost. If that fixes it then you should take your house batteries out and have them checked under load. Regardless of that I would double check that all the battery terminals on both sets of batteries are clean and I don't mean on the outside. You should take the battery cables off and wire brush everything until they shine inside and out. It is not just that white corrosion on a terminal that causes problems it is also when the lead on the inside of a battery cable or on the battery post goes dark gray. Glad it is working again.

[two slides]

looks like Mike may have answered your question.
but since I have the same motorhome as you--I'll add some additional ideas. I live in a cold climate in indiana & sometimes when I try to start the generator with house batteries, the generac doesn't receive enough juice to start so I have to start motorhome engine to put more voltage into house batteries. also check the connections at the converter ---be sure they are clean & tight. there are 2 big cables on one lug, 1 is remote start & other is for power jacks I think. I just checked mine today.

hope additional helps.

[two slides]

larrye now I have a question for you?

do you have any problems with basement storage cracking in cold weather? mine crack when temperature gets down to 0 degrees.

just curious.