Ok let me open a can of worms!

[homelesshartshorns]

My 22-year-old Owen 5000 Generator is producing 140 Volts of power when at an idle. Once I turn on my heat pump with both compressors on the voltage drops to 110 volts. If I turn off one compressor it will show me in the neighborhood of 120 volts. 

First questions: If I can keep it under proper load is all well and good?

Second question: How do I cure the problem? 

 

[D&J]

Sounds like the governor is hanging up and not allowing it to go back to unloaded throttle position. You can verify that by checking the frequency, should be around 60HZ.

Denny

[Kirk W]

2 hours ago, D&J said:

You can verify that by checking the frequency, should be around 60HZ.

Exactly. The Onan controls connect the voltage and frequency together so that a small dip in frequency as load is increased will open the throttle to maintain both voltage and frequency. The Onan voltage should be around 124 volts, no load and 62 Hz. 

2 hours ago, homelesshartshorns said:

My 22-year-old Owen 5000 Generator is producing 140 Volts of power when at an idle.

Are we correct to think that you are speaking of a unit by Onan? Can you give us the model number so that we can check the manual? The voltage swing that you describe is well beyond what is addressed in the normal Onan operation. The majority of 120V equipment should not be harmed by voltages between 132V and 108V as that is the normal design range of most items today. I have very little experience working on Onan control systems as only 2 times in my RV years have I helped another RVer with Onan control issues and never have I had voltage or frequency problems with either of the 2 Onan generators that I have owned. Perhaps Old John is reading this and may have more experience on them? 

Edited December 16, 2022 by Kirk W

[Wrknrvr]

    You could get some carburetor cleaner. Spray the linkage joints and move them back and forth. And the throttle shaft. Just do not have the engine running. Then after the fluid dries up. Then lube it with some silicone lube.

   I normally use some white lithium lube mixed with some liquid silicone to lube the linkage and the throttle shaft.

  Mix the silicone lube and white lithium lube together with a q-tip and apply to the moving joints.

   See if you think it freed the operation of the linkage up. The compare the voltages again.

 

  Just a suggestion  

Edited December 16, 2022 by Wrknrvr

[homelesshartshorns]

So, for a simple boy we are suggesting that on my Owen/Owan my trouble lies in wether the throttle is fast or slow?

Edited December 16, 2022 by homelesshartshorns

[Lou Schneider]

2 hours ago, homelesshartshorns said:

So, for a simple boy we are suggesting that on my Owen/Owan my trouble lies in wether the throttle is fast or slow?

Yes, engine speed has a direct effect on the generator's output voltage.  If it's running fast it will increase the output voltage, if it's running slow it will decrease the voltage.

If you don't have a frequency meter get a Kill-A-Watt power monitor and plug it into any generator powered outlet.  One of it's functions is a frequency readout.

Edited December 17, 2022 by Lou Schneider

[Wrknrvr]

   Absolutely do not do anything with the adjustments. At all

 

  Onan generators need to be set by factory method.   They are not logical..

 

  I have a Onan repair manual that tells how to do it.   Picked it up at a school years ago.

[Kirk W]

13 hours ago, homelesshartshorns said:

my trouble lies in wether the throttle is fast or slow?

We are telling you that the voltage and the frequency are both affected by the engine speed. The frequency of power supplied to alternating current motors is what determines how fast the motor turns so changing the speed or your generator will also change the speed that those motors turn. The intention of the Onan control circuits is to keep the voltage and frequency within safe tolerance for use by modern 120V-60Hz equipment. When increased load is added the frequency will start to drop as the engine slows and the controls open the throttle to bring frequency back up to  60-62Hz and by doing so the voltage also remains within safe tolerance. Messing around with engine speed when you only know the voltage is stabbing in the dark. 

Edited December 17, 2022 by Kirk W

[DJohns]

Kirk is right on. You need to get model, spec number and serial number. Go to smokestack.com to look up all manuals on your generator.

[homelesshartshorns]

I'm thinking, I would like to find someone that would do this work for me here in south Texas. Maybe someone would recommend someone?

[Kirk W]

Quote

SOUTHEASTERN TEXAS

CUMMINS SALES AND SERVICE LOCATIONS 7045 N Loop 610 E Fwy Houston Texas 77028 (713) 679-2220 1

COACH CARE AUTHORIZED ONAN GENERATOR DEALERS

A&M Boat Services 4044 Acacia St Bellaire Texas 77041 (832) 423-5471 2 

Get-U-Goin RV Mobile Service, LLC. 38552 FM 1458 Brookshire Texas 77423 (832) 309-6539 3 

Channelview Supply Company 15450 I-10 E Channelview Texas 77530 (281) 452-7760

Action RV Services 5902 Hwy 105 W Conroe Texas 77304 (936) 441-1165 5 Texas RV and Car Care 16326 Mueschke Rd Cypress Texas 77433 (281) 758-1039 6 

PPL Motor Homes 10777 Southwest Fwy Houston Texas 77074 (713) 988-5555 1

Southwest RV of Houston DBA Camping World of Katy 27905 Katy Fwy Katy Texas 77494 (281) 574-1335 7

Acres RV 1800 N Hwy 59 Livingston Texas 77351 (936) 328-5698 8 

Bluebonnet RV Repairs, LLC. 1100 Ave H Rosenberg Texas 77471 (281) 342-7939  Eddie's Small Engine Repair 2810 Ave H Rosenberg Texas 77471 (281) 342-2472  DeMontrond Texas City 2800 I-45 N Texas City Texas 77591 (281) 337-1100

 

[homelesshartshorns]

9 minutes ago, Kirk W said:

 

Thank you, do you have experence with these people?

[Kirk W]

3 hours ago, homelesshartshorns said:

do you have experence with these people?

No. That is a list of certified service locations in SE TX from Cummins/Onan.

[homelesshartshorns]

39 minutes ago, Kirk W said:

No. That is a list of certified service locations in SE TX from Cummins/Onan.

Thank for the info, I will tell you two stories I have about Commins service shops sometime when we are setting around an open fire. 

[rickeieio]

7 minutes ago, homelesshartshorns said:

I will tell you two stories I have about Commins service shops

Don't get me started.

[Pat & Pete]

16 hours ago, rickeieio said:

Don't get me started.

Oh , where's the ignition button ?

[rickeieio]

Two different shops, both factory stores, one in Anchorage, the other in Louisville.  What an expensive nightmare.

[D&J]

Before you start spending a lot of $ on this do a couple of simple checks. First check the air filter, next get a spray can of carburator cleaner and clean all the linkage on top of the carb and make sure everything moved freely. The linkage from the governor should move freely, not the choke linkage that's in front of the carb but the second one past it, it controls the throttle butterfly, I'm thinking the throttle isn't returning all the way.

Denny

 

[Pat & Pete]

This a side note :

Throw your carb cleaner in the trash .

Carb cleaner is known to eat rubber and rubber type bits .

Use brake cleaner . It cleans much better , quicker , leaves no residue and won't eat rubber bits . And , it's usually less expensive .

[sandsys]

3 hours ago, rickeieio said:

Two different shops, both factory stores, one in Anchorage, the other in Louisville.  What an expensive nightmare.

 "Factory authorized" are not good words. Our recent experience with a GE dishwasher: each week for a month they ordered a different new part then sent reps out to try that one. Finally the in-house guy here swapped out a part GE no longer sells and that worked.

Linda Sand

[homelesshartshorns]

4 hours ago, D&J said:

Before you start spending a lot of $ on this do a couple of simple checks. First check the air filter, next get a spray can of carburator cleaner and clean all the linkage on top of the carb and make sure everything moved freely. The linkage from the governor should move freely, not the choke linkage that's in front of the carb but the second one past it, it controls the throttle butterfly, I'm thinking the throttle isn't returning all the way.

Denny

 

Thanks for the advice.