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cimplexsound · 08-11-2017, 12:02 PM

Attachment 172533

I have an Onan Emerald Genset 1 on my 1990 Fleetwood Flair class A. It runs good but then surges and runs put of gas then dies. It sat for a while before I bought it. Think either the pickup is at a higher point in the tank or the supply line is plug with lacquer. My gas tank is half full. The generator itself and all it's components are in great running shape. So of any who has had experience with this I could use help here. Thanks in advance

BFlinn181 · 08-11-2017, 12:20 PM

Your attachment doesn't give any information. The main causes of the issue of surging could include:

*Fuel line from the tank to the generator is cracked, sucking air into the line.
*Fuel pump (a low pressure and volume pump) could be failing
*Fuel filter is clogged
*Fuel level in the tank is below pickup, usually about 1/4 full, could be less if RV is tilted.
*Dirty carburetor, they aren't rebuildable, you could try running SeaFoam through it to clean out any varnish.

cimplexsound · 08-11-2017, 12:34 PM

cimplexsound · 08-11-2017, 12:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BFlinn181

Your attachment doesn't give any information. The main causes of the issue of surging could include:

*Fuel line from the tank to the generator is cracked, sucking air into the line.
*Fuel pump (a low pressure and volume pump) could be failing
*Fuel filter is clogged
*Fuel level in the tank is below pickup, usually about 1/4 full, could be less if RV is tilted.
*Dirty carburetor, they aren't rebuildable, you could try running SeaFoam through it to clean out any varnish.

The line is not cracked, it's in fairly good condition. Cause I can hear air in the tank when I blow through the line. So I'm wondering if the generator won't run when it's under a half a tank of gas??? I've heard it's a safety feature on some motorhomes so the generator won't cause you to run out of gas.

BFlinn181 · 08-11-2017, 12:57 PM

Blowing through the line might not be a sure indicator the line is cracked and sucking air. You could easily blow more air than the line leaks, allowing you to hear bubbles in the tank. If you disconnect the gas line after the fuel filter and run the pump, you can catch gas in a glass and watch for air bubbles in the fuel, a better indicator the fuel line is cracked.

Usually the generator pick up in the fuel tank is good until it gets down below 1/4 a tank, not half a tank.

cimplexsound · 08-11-2017, 01:12 PM

I hear what your saying, but it is possible that some Motorhome manufacturers might have put the at higher level than others???
I'm wondering if just putting a few extra gallons of gas will make it run right???

cimplexsound · 08-11-2017, 01:31 PM

A good neighbor of mine has been working on the generator with. He is retired Onan mechanic. I think what I'm going do first is put 3 more gallons of medium grade gas in and see how she runs. I had it running from about a half hour yesterday. I think my owners manual says something about keeping a half tank of gas or the genset might no be able to run. Considering I have a 100 gallon gas tank. So I'll try this and update you.

cimplexsound · 08-11-2017, 04:33 PM

The culprit appears to be a bad fuel pump. The pump is work a little but not creating enough fuel pressure to help the genset run smoothly and properly. Some have managed to take the fuel pump spray WD-40 through and get it working it. I don't know if this will work since it's a factory sealed unit or if I'm just going to have replace the pump. Any case feedback is helpful. So please feel free to put you 2 cents in. Thanks

Tha_Rooster · 08-11-2017, 05:57 PM

I had a 1994 and the float was stuck.

Soppy · 08-11-2017, 06:03 PM

I had a bad fuel pump on mine . Would run good for a while then quit. Would have to sit overnight before it would start. Replaced the pump & no more problems.

cimplexsound · 08-11-2017, 06:29 PM

Mine will actually start everytime. But it just won't run well and it dies if I try to put a load on it, because it's not getting enough fuel to support a load. In fact the remote start switch inside my coach works perfect. The carburetor is actually in pretty good shape. We took the float bowl off. The float moves freely and everything up in the carburetor looks fairly clean. So I'm betting it is the fuel pump. So yes thank you!!! I'm glad I'm not the only one that has had this problem. I've seen the fuel pump for the Emerald Genset 1 readily available on eBay. So I think I'll go online and order one. Since the fuel pump is fairly easy to replace. I will keep you updated. Thanks again

Charlie 5320 · 08-12-2017, 07:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cimplexsound

Mine will actually start everytime. But it just won't run well and it dies if I try to put a load on it, because it's not getting enough fuel to support a load. In fact the remote start switch inside my coach works perfect. The carburetor is actually in pretty good shape. We took the float bowl off. The float moves freely and everything up in the carburetor looks fairly clean. So I'm betting it is the fuel pump. So yes thank you!!! I'm glad I'm not the only one that has had this problem. I've seen the fuel pump for the Emerald Genset 1 readily available on eBay. So I think I'll go online and order one. Since the fuel pump is fairly easy to replace. I will keep you updated. Thanks again

Fuel pumps are cheap on Ebay, but be careful which one you buy. You want one with 2 to 4 lbs pressure, no more. Before you replace it, get a length of hose, it's cheap and put the end in a gallon can of gas and try it. I'll bet you, your fuel line on top of the tank has cracks in it. Even a new pump that small can't overcome those cracks and will suck air.

cimplexsound · 08-13-2017, 04:18 PM

Well something is wrong inside the gas tank. Have a complete half of a tank of gas, my chassis motor runs and starts just fine. I should be able to run the generator for days on end with the amount of gas I have in the tank. My genset has a new fuel pump installed now but it still can't seem to get gas from the tank. Wonder if it's just easier to pull the genset fuel line off and run it from a gas can when needed. No wonder I see all these people on YouTube running the generator in their Motorhome off of a can of gas rather than from the RV tank itself. When the gas line loses compression it's to difficult and expensive to repair. Because my Motorhome is my house having in a shop overnight is out of the question. I think installing a secondary gas tank like a boat tank would be easier than trying to figure out why the genset can't get gas from the tank.

BFlinn181 · 08-13-2017, 05:12 PM

It really points to a cracked fuel line from the tank to the generator pump. I know you blew through it, but I bet it's still leaking when the pump draws from the tank. If you're lucky, you might have enough clearance between the top of the tank and floor above to switch out the line without dropping the tank. Some folks have cut hatches in the floor above the tank and accessed it that way.