Just FYI Onan generators

[Billieg]

I'm sure this has been covered before but maybe some new members haven't seen it yet. My Onan gen. with 500 hr's on it quit while on our last trip. Had to wait 2 weeks to get an appointment with Cummins to fix it. The head guy came out after they checked it out and said it would be $760 to fix it.

I asked what was wrong with it and he said the regulator was shot. A new regulator was $490. I've been a backyard mechanic all my life and never heard of a regulator costing $490. I told him to fix it because I had no choice being on the road.

The MH was parked outside so I walked up to the mechanic and asked why it quit. He told me "You never cleaned the stator" I didn't know you had to clean the stator so he showed me how to do it. Pretty simple.

When I paid the bill I made sure to have the regulator part # on the bill and later looked up the regulator on Ebay. $46.00! Not $490.00!

I was also told the fuel pump was weak and it would cost $280 to replace it but I said no. The fuel pump on Ebay was $79.00

So, lesson learned:

1- Have the gen serviced every 100 hrs. and or clean the stator yourself.

2- Buy a backup regulator and fuel pump (on line like Ebay) in case yours quits. (almost any garage can replace them if you have your manual)

3- Always keep an extra fuel filter and fuel line too. My "weak" fuel pump was just a bad end on the rubber fuel line and was sucking air.

Hope this helps someone so they don't get raped like I did....

[Usnret05]

Not being a know it all ... You should send a letter to cummins head office ... Understanding those repair facilities are probably individual franchises ... And see what they say about possible reimbursement (partial) ... I know you had your back up against the wall ... That was a really sad situation you had experienced..

[LadyFitz...]

When mechanics see an RV, all they see are $$$$$$$$$$. It's the same way with auto and truck parts. The same identical parts with identical manufacturer part numbers will cost differently according to what it is put into. The more expensive the vehicle, the more expensive the part. Same for labor, of course.

Even appliances parts are the same. Kenmore appliances are made by Whirlpool and, with the exception of case parts, use identical parts. Yet Kenmore parts cost way more than Whirlpool parts. Years ago, when I had Kenmore appliances, I learned to get parts from the Whirlpool parts suppliers. There are no lists showing which Whirlpool part replaces a Kenmore part but it was possible to use the illustrations in the parts books to figure out what Whirlpool part would fit.

[Tico]

Originally Posted by Billieg

I'm sure this has been covered before but maybe some new members haven't seen it yet. My Onan gen. with 500 hr's on it quit while on our last trip. Had to wait 2 weeks to get an appointment with Cummins to fix it. The head guy came out after they checked it out and said it would be $760 to fix it.

I asked what was wrong with it and he said the regulator was shot. A new regulator was $490. I've been a backyard mechanic all my life and never heard of a regulator costing $490. I told him to fix it because I had no choice being on the road.

The MH was parked outside so I walked up to the mechanic and asked why it quit. He told me "You never cleaned the stator" I didn't know you had to clean the stator so he showed me how to do it. Pretty simple.

When I paid the bill I made sure to have the regulator part # on the bill and later looked up the regulator on Ebay. $46.00! Not $490.00!

I was also told the fuel pump was weak and it would cost $280 to replace it but I said no. The fuel pump on Ebay was $79.00

So, lesson learned:

1- Have the gen serviced every 100 hrs. and or clean the stator yourself.

2- Buy a backup regulator and fuel pump (on line like Ebay) in case yours quits. (almost any garage can replace them if you have your manual)

3- Always keep an extra fuel filter and fuel line too. My "weak" fuel pump was just a bad end on the rubber fuel line and was sucking air.

Hope this helps someone so they don't get raped like I did....

How do you clean the stator?

[SRT]

Yes, we want to know how to clean it.

[dons2346]

Clean it, heck you can't get to it. So....how do it be done?

[Midniteoyl]

I wouldve left...

[Billieg]

Originally Posted by SRT

Yes, we want to know how to clean it.

Well Jim I felt like leaving but since I had a month more of on the road in 90+ heat I bit my tongue and paid the price.

There is a small plate on the back of the gen where the fins are. Take it off and remove the brushes. (put them in a rag so they don't touch each other with the wires still connected).

You will see the stator/slip rings (it's a wheel). Take a pair of needle nose pliers and use a piece of fine sand paper to place against the stator and press the start button to spin the stator. A few spins will clean it up. Just make sure the brushes aren't touching each other or a ground.

It's pretty simple but hard to explain. Here is something I found on the net:

Q. Why do the generator’s slip rings require cleaning periodically?
A. During periods of storage and a lack of regular exercise, RV generator slip rings can become corroded, particularly in areas near salt water. Even with regular running, a layer of oxide and brush residue can build up on the rings, increasing
their electrical resistance. Proper cleaning (such as with the Slick Stick Slip Ring Cleaning Tool, available from Flight Systems) restores the running surface to like-new condition. This results in cooler running as well as extended brush
and regulator life. Dirty slip rings can cause overheating and premature regulator failure.

Q. How can I determine if the slip rings need to be cleaned?
A. A quick visual inspection can be done by looking through the cooling slots at the rear of the generator with a bright light. The slip rings should appear as shiny clean metal. You can also unplug the regulator and measure the resistance between pins 9 and 10 of the plug that was connected to the regulator. If this reading is greater than 28 ohms, cleaning is needed.

[RJay]

I thought it was the slip rings that needed to be clean and is one of the reasons why it's run once a month.

[Billieg]

Originally Posted by RJay

I thought it was the slip rings that needed to be clean and is one of the reasons why it's run once a month.

I may be using the wrong word or it's called a stator and or slip rings. Even with running stuff builds up on them and then your regulator goes South. Hope all this helps.

[RJay]

Originally Posted by Usnret05

Not being a know it all ... You should send a letter to cummins head office ... Understanding those repair facilities are probably individual franchises ... And see what they say about possible reimbursement (partial) ... I know you had your back up against the wall ... That was a really sad situation you had experienced..

I agree with this. You may not get any satisfaction but at least you will make cummins aware they have a franchise that's ripping off customers under the Cummins name.

[RJay]

Originally Posted by Billieg

I may be using the wrong word or it's called a stator and or slip rings. Even with running stuff builds up on them and then your regulator goes South. Hope all this helps.

Hi Bill,
No problem, just making sure there's not something else we need to be checking, thanks.

[mythplaced]

Billieg What's the generator model and the part #?

[Billieg]

Originally Posted by mythplaced

Billieg What's the generator model and the part #?

It was an emerald 6500. I sold the MH and all the receipts went with it so I don't know the part #. You can look in your manual or online and find your part numbers.