Foretravel Owners' Forum

Foretravel Motorhome Forums => Foretravel Tech Talk => Topic started by: AKATheAlchemist on July 26, 2018, 01:20:27 pm

Title: Generator Starting Running Rough. What should I check & tweak to smooth it out?
Post by: AKATheAlchemist on July 26, 2018, 01:20:27 pm
Hello Aall you good people.

My generator has started revving strangely.

Generator revving weirdly - YouTube (https://youtu.be/LUX5wnJfZtE)

Had a complete service 25 hours ago. New plugs, wires, oil filter, air filter, oil, and carburetors clean and adjustment. It's been running great since. Running it on our 2-3 hour drives every week.

Last drive started running like you can hear/see in the video.

What should I tweak/adjust to smooth that out?

Or should I just take it to a tech?
 
Title: Re: Generator Starting Running Rough. What should I check & tweak to smooth it out?
Post by: DavidS on July 26, 2018, 01:36:43 pm
Id start with all filters first
Title: Re: Generator Starting Running Rough. What should I check & tweak to smooth it out?
Post by: AKATheAlchemist on July 26, 2018, 02:47:24 pm
I twisted the throttle stop about half a turn in or down (not sure how you'd describe that). It evened out the running... but it was running at 130volts instead of 120.
Title: Re: Generator Starting Running Rough. What should I check & tweak to smooth it out?
Post by: John Duld on July 26, 2018, 03:55:01 pm
If you adjust the RPM you will go off your 60 cycles. Voltage will be controlled by the voltage regulator.
As suggested above check filters and for good clean fuel. You need to get it running at a steady smooth rpm first.
Go from there.
Title: Re: Generator Starting Running Rough. What should I check & tweak to smooth it out?
Post by: red tractor on July 26, 2018, 07:58:12 pm
If it is running to lean then it may hunt. It can also hunt if the governor sensitivity is set to high.
Title: Re: Generator Starting Running Rough. What should I check & tweak to smooth it out?
Post by: Old phart phred on July 26, 2018, 08:47:52 pm
Wear and loose governer linkage will make it hunt, you can watch the linkage move. When engine is cold it will hunt more, turn on only one load at a time, let it stabilize, then add additional loads.
Title: Re: Generator Starting Running Rough. What should I check & tweak to smooth it out?
Post by: Subsilked on July 26, 2018, 09:58:59 pm
Want to piggy back on this issue as we have an Onan 6.5  that will crank but wont fire up....  when we took it to the RV Tech Center here in Boulder CO.. i put 1/3 rd of a tank of gas in so the techs could work on generator.    BUT when we drove the RV from San Diego after purchase..  we never could get gas tank gauge to show FILLED....  could the RV Tech not start the generator simply because the tank was NOT 1/3rd full allowing generator to start ?    Could this really be the issue....
Title: Re: Generator Starting Running Rough. What should I check & tweak to smooth it out?
Post by: Pamela & Mike on July 26, 2018, 10:04:09 pm
. could the RV Tech not start the generator simply because the tank was NOT 1/3rd full allowing generator to start ?    Could this really be the issue....

Yes.

Mike
Title: Re: Generator Starting Running Rough. What should I check & tweak to smooth it out?
Post by: red tractor on July 27, 2018, 09:33:02 pm
The first place to start is it getting spark and does it have fuel. If both of those are there it should run or at least fire.