ONAN GENERATOR

[mark peterson]

I have a 10000 Onan generator battery is fully charged with plenty of fuel I prime it for 15 sec and it just clicks any suggestions on how to fix

 

[TJ&LadyDi]

A couple of thoughts come to mind, but since I don't know what kind of coach the generator is installed in, I'm just guessing.

First, is the generator wired to start from the chassis or house batteries? Could it be that the battery actually wired to start the generator is not actually charged?

How are you determining that the battery is charged? You can have what appears to be a correct voltage for a charged battery, but no amperage. If you are not sure, put a digital voltmeter on the battery and have someone try to start the generator while you monitor voltage. If it drops a bunch when the generator starter is activated you either have a bad battery or a charging system that is not working.

If the batteries are actually charged and good, and you hear the solenoid clicking when attempting to start the generator, I would suspect the starter motor has failed or a connecting cable/wire has failed. Look for corrosion around the battery terminals and/or loose connections.

Good luck.

TJ

 

[mark peterson]

Thank you for your reply it’s a 2010 Itasca Elispe 42 foot it starts off the engine battery there brand new and the display in MH show both chassis and house batteries at 12,6 13.2

 

[TJ&LadyDi]

Can you find the starter solenoid for the generator? If so, check to see if there is voltage on one side of the big terminals (there should be). If not, you'll need to work your way back in the circuit to find where there is voltage.

The fact that the solenoid is clicking doesn't necessarily mean it is good either. If the contacts inside are corroded or arc-pitted, they may not carry enough current to spin the starter. Can you find the terminals where the starter switch triggers the relay? If so, you might try to trigger the solenoid manually (piece of heavy wire, screwdriver, etc.) and see if it spins the starter. That could help pinpoint whether the problem is in the activation circuit, solenoid or starter.

TJ