Gen power flickers

[RufussSewell]

Well, I've had an expensive week, haha. First my house batteries died. I replaced them for $600. Then my water pump went bad. $1300.

Now it appears I have a new problem. About a week ago power from my generator started flickering off and on every two minutes or so. This doesn't happen on shore power or battery power. Just generator power.

Gen: Onan 7500 diesel
Inv: Heart Interface (Xantrex 458) 2000watt

My inverter panel resets as well. I don't know if this is an inverter problem or gen problem.

Based on other threads I turned of the breakers on the inverter and disconnected the batteries to reset the inverter. No change. I also turned off the Idle or power sensing function.

Could it just be a bad air filter on the gen or something maintenance based? It seems to get worse if I use the water heater or coffee maker.

[RV Wizard]

I would star at the transfer switch and bake certain that it is or not a generator problem. More than likely it is a transfer switch or connections at it that are causing your problem. It sounds like high amperage loading is causing the transfer switch to drop out, although it is impossible to be sure without a meter and hands on the situation.

[94-Newmar]

Well since none of this happens on shore power it wouldn't be the Inverter - as the inverter does not know nor care about the difference between shore and genset, so let's focus on the genset and as Mike mentions above, the transfer switch.

Does the genset ever die or shut off when this is happening?
If so, all QuietDiesel series will shut down with an error code set that can be retrieved by manipulating the STOP/START toggle. It is possible the inverter/controller is failing.

If not shutting down or setting any codes, It is entirely possible that the connections from the genset to the transfer switch are loose or bad at either end.

I have found many 120VAC leads on the back of the breaker inside the genset that have been loosened or entirely burnt at the connections to the breaker. The genset does not monitor it's power output at the point of it's own breaker(s) - only at the controller leading to the output.

If the wire connections to the breaker(s) right on the front of the genset are tight and not burnt up, then I would start with an AC meter placed right at the output side of the generator on those breakers and try to re-create the situation again. Work your way from there to the transfer switch.