Community Forums

Sloopie1 · 06-23-2015, 03:14 PM

We have an Onan 7500 quiet generator in our 2004 Fleetwood Revolution. As it was a very hot day, we started the generator to run the ac's and help cool off the coach while running down the road (in addition to the dash a/c). Everything worked well. When we returned home, we noticed the generator was not running. When we tried to start the generator from inside, it would start & die, tried again, start & die - total of three times. DH went to the outside front of the coach and pushed the manual start button and it started right off. He went back inside, killed the generator and then restarted it from the inside. It fired right up. This has happened on three separate occasions. Anyone know what might have been the cause of the initial "crank but no start" issue?

mel s · 06-23-2015, 03:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sloopie1

We have an Onan 7500 quiet generator in our 2004 Fleetwood Revolution. As it was a very hot day, we started the generator to run the ac's and help cool off the coach while running down the road (in addition to the dash a/c). Everything worked well. When we returned home, we noticed the generator was not running. When we tried to start the generator from inside, it would start & die, tried again, start & die - total of three times. DH went to the outside front of the coach and pushed the manual start button and it started right off. He went back inside, killed the generator and then restarted it from the inside. It fired right up. This has happened on three separate occasions. Anyone know what might have been the cause of the initial "crank but no start" issue?

Sloopie1
Go here for an excellent troubleshooting guide for your generator:
Troubleshooting and Cross-Reference Guides | Flight Systems, Inc
Mel
'96 Safari

jacwjames · 06-23-2015, 05:02 PM

The generator has a wiring harness that connects the controls from the inside to generator, this includes the starting functions. It is located on the passenger side of the generator at the top.

If you are able to start the generator from the outside it may be that moisture has gotten into the harness. Take the wiring harness apart and spare it with Electra Clean or equivalent and put the harness back together and try and start from the inside.

Sloopie1 · 06-27-2015, 04:48 PM

Thanks so much everyone. I passed the info along to DH and he thinks he's got it figured out. Thanks again - this forum is such a big help!

Car54 · 06-28-2015, 06:24 PM

What was it? I'm chasing generator issues after running for a while. Mostly when running the gas engine.

FIRE UP · 06-28-2015, 06:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sloopie1

We have an Onan 7500 quiet generator in our 2004 Fleetwood Revolution. As it was a very hot day, we started the generator to run the ac's and help cool off the coach while running down the road (in addition to the dash a/c). Everything worked well. When we returned home, we noticed the generator was not running. When we tried to start the generator from inside, it would start & die, tried again, start & die - total of three times. DH went to the outside front of the coach and pushed the manual start button and it started right off. He went back inside, killed the generator and then restarted it from the inside. It fired right up. This has happened on three separate occasions. Anyone know what might have been the cause of the initial "crank but no start" issue?

Sloopie1,
Ok, first off, the QD 7500 is a great gen and, it is for the most part, real dependable. But, it can have it's tantrums. Now, it's not been mentioned here but, about 99.99% of the QD series gens will present a "code" when they're having issues. That code, is seen on the start switch, on the outside starting panel. The switch itself has an "LED" light bulb built right into the toggle.

When the QD is having the issue, as yours is, and it stops prematurely as yours does, that toggle and LED will FLASH a series of times. It will flash in a series then a short pause, then flash either the same amount of flashes or series as the first set or, another number of flashes. Then, it will have a longer pause, then, it will start the flash sequence all over again.

So, for instance, you start up your gen while watching that outside switch and LED. If and when it quits, watch that LED and count how many flashes it initially flashes. Then wait for the slight pause, and, count the second series of flashes. On ours, when it did EXACTLY WHAT YOURS WAS DOING, it flashed THREE TIMES, PAUSE, then THREE TIMES AGAIN. Then, a long pause, and, the same series.

That series of flashes represents "3 for the first set and "3" for the second set. That means code "33". Well, when you dive into the troubleshooting manual for YOUR PARTICULAR YEAR AND MODLE (since some of those codes changes from model to model and year to year) you look up the code "33" and see what it says is the cause and, prospective remedies.

So, if you get this far, report back what you find and we'll see if we can help any farther.
Scott

Duoglide1 · 06-28-2015, 07:12 PM

On my QD 7500 if I remember correctly I have to push the STOP side of the switch on the gen (not remote) to bring up the code.

2005 Country Coach Inspire, C9 CAT

FIRE UP · 06-28-2015, 07:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Duoglide1

On my QD 7500 if I remember correctly I have to push the STOP side of the switch on the gen (not remote) to bring up the code.

2005 Country Coach Inspire, C9 CAT

Duoglide1,
I'm certainly no expert on any of this but, I can only go by experience. As stated, when I was having the issues i.e. inappropriate premature shut down, it (the outside start toggle switch) presented the three flashes-pause-three flashes. Thus, code 33. And, code 33 in the troubleshooting manual is stated as "Over heat condition".

And, it then presents an array of potential remedies to alleviate that problem. I won't go into that portion as this is not my thread. But, suffice to say that, I didn't have to push the toggle to retrieve the code, it presented itself the second the generator would stop running.
Scott

On edit:
I just checked my Onan Engine Service Manual and it does have a section in there that stipulates the pushing of the "stop" switch, to retrieve certain codes. I did not have to do that on mine for some reason, it just presented them without having to do that. Hmmmm.
Scott

Duoglide1 · 06-29-2015, 07:26 AM

Scott I think it depends on the amount of time btw shutdown & code retrieval; ie if you are standing there vs looking for a place to pull over & check.

2005 Country Coach Inspire, C9 CAT

FIRE UP · 06-29-2015, 07:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Duoglide1

Scott I think it depends on the amount of time btw shutdown & code retrieval; ie if you are standing there vs looking for a place to pull over & check.

2005 Country Coach Inspire, C9 CAT

Duoglide1,
Well Sir, I guess that could be a factor. When mine had it's temper tantrum and shut down prematurely, it spit out code 33 without me pushing the toggle. The troubleshooting manual said, "Over heat" condition and, I didn't have any of their "causes". Mine was the infamous "Temp sensor" located in the thermostat housing. You should have seen what I had to do to remedy that one. I wrote a novel on it.
Scott

USA-RVNomads · 06-30-2015, 09:40 AM

I've read a lot of post about those who need to run their roof air units while driving to keep the coach cool. Our dash air fortunately works well enough that it feels like you're sitting in a freezer. Yes, the rear of the coach gets warm, but if we open a vent or window slightly the cool air circulates to the rear keeping it comfortable. If your dash air isn't working properly...get it inspected and serviced.

Running your genset to run the roof airs only increases the heat radiating up through the floor causing more heat in the cabin. Which continues to radiate up after you are parked as the gen cools down much like the rigs motor.

Our Onan 7500 runs so quietly, its hard to hear if its running at all while going down the road. Which we only do if we are parked for lunch and need the air or wish to cook using the convection oven. We let it run a while as we make our way down the road to cool off before shutting it off.

I wish the mfrs would put in more instrumentation inside the coach for the genset...oil temp, oil pressure, load output, rpm so we know at a glance how its functioning.