Generator will not start

[Fkaske]

we just got our 2016 Berkshire XL 40BH 380 HP out of winter storage. I have run the engine during the trip home and plugged the shore power into the 50 amp breaker at the house. I hear the inverter running and I can see the house batteries are being charged. The chassis batteries are full and will start the engine. When I try to start the generator I hear a chattering sound comming from the generator. So my question is this. Is it bad batteries? a bad connection at the generator? or a faulty generator starter? The coach is just a year old should I take it to Freightliner and have them clear it and make repairs? Any suggestions? Thanks Guys.

[pilotalso]

Have you tried starting the generator while the engine is running?

The reason I ask is that if the house batteries are weak/not fully charged, they might not provide enough current to crank the starter on the generator.

With the engine running, the alternator/house batteries/chassis battery combination should get you going. Then you know you have weak and/or undercharged batteries.

If current at the starter (which it sounds like it does have) and it still doesn't start, then think starter/solenoid.

Hope this helps

Al

[Tom48]

Originally Posted by Fkaske

we just got our 2016 Berkshire XL 40BH 380 HP out of winter storage. I have run the engine during the trip home and plugged the shore power into the 50 amp breaker at the house. I hear the inverter running and I can see the house batteries are being charged. The chassis batteries are full and will start the engine. When I try to start the generator I hear a chattering sound comming from the generator. So my question is this. Is it bad batteries? a bad connection at the generator? or a faulty generator starter? The coach is just a year old should I take it to Freightliner and have them clear it and make repairs? Any suggestions? Thanks Guys.

Is that Generator a Freightliner issue or a ONAN dealer issue???

[CHICKDOE]

several points.


you say you hear the inverter running when connected to shore power. I assume you mean converter. have you checked the battery disconnect switch. it could be that it is disconnected so that the batteries are not actually being charged even though converter is running. that could also explain why the generator is just clicking. if the batteries were disconnected they only the converter would be supplying power to start it and that may not be enough. as mentioned try using the chassis batteries. another option would be to use a set of jumper cables attached to the generator to try to start it. my guess is it will run just fine once started.


another real fast test would be to disconnect from shore power and try to start generator. if you still get the clicking sound you are getting some power from the batteries. if you get silence then the batteries are not connected.

[JimFitz]

If it is an Onan generator, be sure you hold the prime button for about 30 seconds , and then it may start.

[ScottBrownstein]

Generally the generator starting power does not go through the disconnect switch or power panel. It can take 80 amps peak so it often has its own connection to the batteries and its own fuse.

Try the boost start switch when starting the generator, or as someone else already suggested, start the engine which will automatically hit the boost switch and also bring on the engine alternator.

[SidecarFlip]

Chattering... Sounds like a starter motor or bendix issue to me. They do go bad afterall.

[ScottBrownstein]

Originally Posted by SidecarFlip

Chattering... Sounds like a starter motor or bendix issue to me. They do go bad afterall.

They do, but not after a year. Sounds like a weak battery. One thing you do have to watch out for is if you try to start an Onan on a weak battery, the bendix can stick in the flywheel and then nothing will happen. Had this happen to me and they had to jostle the flywheel to free the bendix and then all was well after that.

If all you hear is a click...it could be just that. The starter motor does not have enough torque to spin up when the bendix is already engaged. Chattering...????

[burkede]

Assuming it is an onan deisel:

How much fuel do you have? Fuel pickup is higher on the generator than for the coach by design. Usually the genny will run out of fuel when the gauge shows you still have about 1/4 tank remaining.

Onan does make a clicking sound for about 30 seconds while priming the fuel to the motor before the starter actually kicks in.

[Robertpaul]

If it is a gasoline generator, make sure you have more that 1/4 tank of fuel ithe rv.
That is about where the generator fuel line picks up.

[Fkaske]

Originally Posted by Fkaske

we just got our 2016 Berkshire XL 40BH 380 HP out of winter storage. I have run the engine during the trip home and plugged the shore power into the 50 amp breaker at the house. I hear the inverter running and I can see the house batteries are being charged. The chassis batteries are full and will start the engine. When I try to start the generator I hear a chattering sound comming from the generator. So my question is this. Is it bad batteries? a bad connection at the generator? or a faulty generator starter? The coach is just a year old should I take it to Freightliner and have them clear it and make repairs? Any suggestions? Thanks Guys.

So here is what I found out about my generator, Or I should say the boys at Cummins Npower found. My batteries are all good. The connections are all good. The cable connections at the generator starter is good. The chattering noise I heard was the generator fuel pump. My unit had been in storage for 5 months. During that time I was unable to get to the unit to start the generator.
So what happened is the fuel in the line drained back into the fuel tank. The pump was pumping but I did not let it run for a long enough period of time, because I thought it was an electrical problem and didnt want to burn anything up. So all they did was hold the preheat button down until the light in the switch was on steady the pushed the start button and away it went.

Boys I feel like a fool for having a problem that was so easily rectified. In the future I will make sure to go to my coach and exercise the generator.
Also FIY you need to run the generator at least 25 hrs every year to keep the warranty active.

[Oscarvan]

Good that you got it taken care of, saves me a lot of typing.

Yes, I occasionally have to hold the starter/prime button for as much as 30 seconds to get it going.