powertech 10k stops producing electricity after an hour or so (stopped working)

Topic: powertech 10k stops producing electricity after an hour or so (stopped working) (Read 1316 times) previous topic - next topic

powertech 10k stops producing electricity after an hour or so (stopped working)

June 06, 2017, 11:44:16 pm

Very limited internet access so a search might not help.
Powertech generator stopped generating while running. No error codes. Engine runs fine all circuit breakers on generator panel are not tripped. This is not the same problem I had with the 5 amp generator breaker last year. Has anyone had a similar experience and solved it.
I am going to pull the control cover and see if anything looks suspicious.
I will try to get back on the Forum with the Mobely that I am hooked up to but signal is almost none existent.

[updated topic title - Michelle]

Re: poweertech 10k stopped working

Reply #1 – June 06, 2017, 11:46:53 pm

Reset every breaker in the panel.

Re: poweertech 10k stopped working

Reply #2 – June 07, 2017, 12:02:34 am

I had reset all breakers, no luck. Pulled the cover off and started to check with VOM but started the generator to make sure it was still not working before trouble shooting. It started making electricity again and nothing I did fixed it. It will fail again. Just hope to be able to stay here and fish until Sunday. At home I will find out what is happening if I make it that long.

Re: poweertech 10k stopped working

Reply #3 – June 07, 2017, 12:18:48 am

Sounds like a loose wire in a circuit breaker box. Tighten every connection. Hey I was right so far.

Bunch of wires on the breakers in the gen box. Big stack. Corrosion?

Re: poweertech 10k stopped working

Reply #4 – June 07, 2017, 12:41:56 am

Generator is like new 830 hrs, no rust anywhere, inside box is corrosion free. Can't get completely in the box without pulling generator farther out than the servicing stops. If it quits again up here I will remove the stops and pull it out far enough to check all connections in the box. It has been running for about an hour now since it started and quiet hours are at 10pm

Re: poweertech 10k stopped working

Reply #5 – June 07, 2017, 12:59:25 am

Try the connections in the rear breaker box? And the transfer box. No clack, no power

Re: poweertech 10k stopped working

Reply #6 – June 07, 2017, 06:43:09 am

This may be a reach but check to see if you have antifreeze. Does cooling fan come on. Mine quit once and everything electrical was fine but my coolant level was low and unit would not run.

Re: poweertech 10k stopped working

Reply #7 – June 07, 2017, 10:46:14 am

When it isn't generating the cooling fan doesn't work. I will look at the schematics and see if power for it is before transfer switch and the rear breakers. If so the problem is at the generator itself. I shut off the generator before the overheat sensor shut it off as I could see coolant coming out of the overflow hose at the overflow bottle.
Started it up this morning and it is still working. The glitch will return and I will find it.

Re: poweertech 10k stopped working

Reply #8 – June 07, 2017, 10:50:16 am

When mine quit a few years ago, it was a bad winding in the rotor. No ac at all. With no power to the cooling fan, over temp caused a shutdown and error light.

Re: poweertech 10k stopped working

Reply #9 – June 07, 2017, 11:08:14 am

Quote from: Tom Lang – June 07, 2017, 10:50:16 am

When mine quit a few years ago, it was a bad winding in the rotor. No ac at all. With no power to the cooling fan, over temp caused a shutdown and error light.

That could be the problem, hoping for a simpler solution.

Re: poweertech 10k stopped working

Reply #10 – June 07, 2017, 11:08:43 am

I replaced the main breakers and the cooling fan breaker two years ago. No trust plus wanted to redo the wiring connections at the breaker.

Re: poweertech 10k stopped working

Reply #11 – June 07, 2017, 11:29:33 am

I will wait for it to fail again before preemptive replacement of components. My mechanical side says if it ain't broke you can't trouble shoot the problem. Would hate to replace the breakers and other components and think it is repaired and next vacation have it catch me without my shop equipment trying to repair it.

Re: poweertech 10k stopped working

Reply #12 – June 07, 2017, 11:42:46 am

Had recurring breakers opening under load incidents. The removed ones looked good. No open breakers since.

Our coach had a high temp desert history and the hour meter was disconnected when we got it.

Hooked the meter back up, replaced all the breakers

Does not sound like your issue.

Lots of power cabling on one of the two breakers. The other was more empty.

Have not tried to change tbe load distribution yet as have had no further issues

Re: poweertech 10k stopped working

Reply #13 – June 07, 2017, 02:36:35 pm

If your genset is the four cylinder Kubota, there is a fan belt behind the cover under the radiator reservoir.
On mine this fan belt, which drives the water pump, was almost gone so water pump turned very slowly, genset would overheat, shutdown, and dump antifreeze out the cap.

Re: poweertech 10k stopped working

Reply #14 – June 07, 2017, 06:20:14 pm

If you have a infared temp gun. Check electrical connections. If you have a loose connection the temp. will be higher than the others. Tighten connection and see what happens. And always check ground connection. those buggers get me all the time.

Re: poweertech 10k stopped working

Reply #15 – June 07, 2017, 07:12:24 pm

My Isuzu has a similar water pump drive belt

Re: poweertech 10k stopped working

Reply #16 – June 07, 2017, 11:16:00 pm

The generator is not overheating, just quits making A/C power. When this happens the electric fan quits working. I have been shutting the generator off before it over heats. It quit working again today around 5:30 I just shut it off and waited an hour and started it back up. It started working again and is running at this time. Seems to be heat sensitive in the electrical control box. If this cycle continues I will make it to Sunday and head home where I have better equipment to find the problem.

Re: poweertech 10k stopped working

Reply #17 – June 09, 2017, 08:12:38 pm

Update on problem. It looks like I will make Sunday with the intermittent power loss from the generator. I now just restart after electricity stops and look at the fan motor, if it is runs power is back up. I will call Powertech when I get home to find out what electrical components reset after restarting the generator. There is no problem with the engine oil pressure, water temp are fine. Resetting the two 75 amp and 5 amp circuit breakers make no difference.

Re: poweertech 10k stopped working

Reply #18 – June 09, 2017, 09:07:23 pm

Two 45's

Sounds like a defective cutoff sensor. I replaced all of mine just for grins.

One of them has exceeded its limits I think

Re: poweertech 10k stopped working

Reply #19 – June 10, 2017, 10:03:11 am

What and where are the cutoff sensors?

Re: poweertech 10k stopped working

Reply #20 – June 10, 2017, 10:31:09 am

Several owners have posted issues with older cutoff sensors here.

Low oil pressure and high temp cutoffs are there somewhere.

I had the mains need resetting several times to restore power yet the breaker was not visibly open. Weird

So I replaced the seemingly perfect gen main breakers and the pop off breaker for the fan and all the hoses and all safety sensors and the glow plugs and had the injectors and valves adjusted.

Never had power interruptions since BTW.

Gen hour meter was disconnected when we started our stewardship of this coach so starting over seemed less problematic long run.

Our Isuzu 3ld? Had gasket leaks from several areas and required semi major disassembly to replace them two separate times.

Also replaced the fuel pump to see if the oil leaking was from there.

Slowly lessened the leaks to a small amount and I think I finally found hopefully the last one the other day.

Dip stick is slightly loose into the block. So I ordered a new one.

Previously our coach prior to the owners before us was a pheonix, Az. Desert coach.

Who knows how many hours the gen really had. May be many thousands as the snakes in all the windows are major.

Went with the same proactive servicing on the entire coach.

No trust. Rebuild everything. Upgrade everything. Restrung all the day/night shades.

Not for the faint of wallet but as this coach is a keeper for us we intend to drive the money invested out of the coach.

$20 CB's? None on beauty. Just me. Too many years driving a lot of new to me used rv's.

Even paranoids have enemies. Haha.

Hope my ramblings help anyone

Re: poweertech 10k stopped working

Reply #21 – June 10, 2017, 11:39:30 am

As Crane man said...

Re: poweertech 10k stopped working

Reply #22 – June 10, 2017, 11:55:26 am

Mine has a float switch that acts as a coolant level sensor. My Powertech expert didn't know about it until I found it in the FT book of schematics. Once replaced, I could make it out of the driveway and around the corner without the genset quitting.

Before finding that switch, he had already replaced all the others.

Re: poweertech 10k stopped working

Reply #23 – June 10, 2017, 12:24:50 pm

Quote from: Tom Lang – June 10, 2017, 11:55:26 am

Mine has a float switch that acts as a coolant level sensor. My Powertech expert didn't know about it until I found it in the FT book of schematics. Once replaced, I could make it out of the driveway and around the corner without the genset quitting.

Before finding that switch, he had already replaced all the others.

Now that makes sense to me... I was coming back from San Diego and we stopped to eat. When I left to enter the street the exit had a very steep grade .. as I sat waiting for traffic to open up the genny dies and I had to hard reset..I have had intermittent problems since.. I thought the fuel had sloshed to 1 side and caused air to get in the line but if I have one of these it might be the root. Ty

Re: poweertech 10k stopped working

Reply #24 – June 10, 2017, 01:27:59 pm

Tom, where is your 10kw coolant level float switch located?

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