Generator Running But No Power

[blainenbecky]

Last month a friend gave us an old c class motor home.

I have been working on it for a week trying to fix this that and the other today I got to the PP50G Generac generator.

The carb was fouled with ethanol so I cleaned it out and she started right up. It took about 5 or 10 seconds and then the light and AC came on.

I ran it for about an hour to get the fresh gas running through the system and then I shut it down, I heard a click from under the breaker box under the fridge and the lights went back on DC from the batteries.

But then I started the Gen back up and for some reason the power would not come back on. The Gen was running fine but no power.

I think there must be a relay stuck or something, maybe a reset button.

Any idea where to start?

It's an old Mobile Traveler RV on a ford chassis from 1988.

My name is Blaine and this is my first RV. I have wanted one for a long time but I am afraid I don't know much about them,

Thanks for any help you may want to share

[kaypsmith]

Could be one of many things that has gone wrong. Start by checking for output of ac voltage at the generator with a volt/ohm meter, or 120 volt test light. If the voltage is there, I would first look at the transfer switch, and make sure that it is working correctly. If no voltage is present at the generator, there is circuit breakers just above the start button on your generator, make sure they are on, if they are on, your generator has v belts that move power from motor to the generator, these may be old and have broken. These are just a few of many other things that might be wrong, but is a starting point. I have a generator exactly the same model that I bought at a good price because it didn't gen, it was the v-belts broken.

Good luck,

Kay

[blainenbecky]

thanks Kay

I tested the volts from here at the Gen and no volts,

I guess I have a gen problem

behind the panel of the gen looks pretty scary

[blainenbecky]

OK

I found something and I will post it out just in case anyone else has this same problem with there Generac model pp50g Gen

I found the manual here: http://www.generac.com/Service/ManualSearch/

Just put it the model # (pp50g) and on page 37 in the (trouble guide) one of the possible reasons for the Gen not charging is that the start button was not held down long enough to (flash the field ) what ever that means.

So I stated up the Gen and then while the gen was running I reluctantly pushed the start button again for 2 seconds and 5 seconds or so later the power came on. Add to note that when I held down the start button the starter did not try to engage, this would not work on an older Gen I should think.

And in fact if you hear the starter trying to engage (a grinding noise ) do not hold it down as some of the wires may be disconnected that keep that from happening, so then I was feeling all big and bad after fixing the problem and decided to take the camper up the road with the Gen on as to run the AC and then the Dang thing RV motor would not start.

The fuel pump will not pump, its electric so I guess I blew something with the GEN or who knows.

It was running just fine last week.

I can see now that an old RV will keep a fellow pretty busy,lol

[kaypsmith]

2 seconds was a bit long to hold that start switch. Flashing the field, means just that. This only requires a short arc on the brushes to set the polarity of a generator. Once the generator starts genning electricity, holding any extra time can cause 120 or 240 volts to surge backwards into your 12 volt system. So now I would look for blown fuses in the 12 volt system, hope that is all that is wrong with your fuel pump.

I recomend that you only hold the start button a little longer on the next startup, not try to push start button after generator is running.

Better luck,

Kay

[blainenbecky]

thank Kay

I think I may have found the problem.

After checking the fuel shut off switch and finding it to be not shut off, I then checked the fuel relay and man I found a bad thing.

It seems the guy that had the camper before me had changed both relays and left them hanging upside down in the wire harness and the rain came in from around the hood and completely filled bother relays with rain water. I can shake them and hear the water inside.

I will try to find new ones to replace them. That is a new one on me,lol.

Thanks for the info Kay.

I will not hold on the start up for so long next time as you suggest.

Thanks again.