Kays Supply
Veteran Member
I have a Honda generator/welder that has given many years of good service. Today it finally give up. It will start,run,and gen at full throttle, but it won't pickup and go when on auto idle. Any ideas? Where to start?
Help with generator that won't gen
- Thread starter Kays Supply
- Start date
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Kays Supply,
Had the same problem with a Honda EU2000I for my wife's LQ horse trailer, It would start and run fine but put a load on it and it would stumble and die. Took it to a local Honda shop and for $75 told me it had no compression, said they could rebuild it for $400 and gave me a parts list for 2 new valves, piston and related parts totaling $125. After doing some research on the net I found this is a huge problem with Honda generators and was greatly disappointed.
My bet is low compression and a costly rebuild.
Just my 2 cents
Malvern
Had the same problem with a Honda EU2000I for my wife's LQ horse trailer, It would start and run fine but put a load on it and it would stumble and die. Took it to a local Honda shop and for $75 told me it had no compression, said they could rebuild it for $400 and gave me a parts list for 2 new valves, piston and related parts totaling $125. After doing some research on the net I found this is a huge problem with Honda generators and was greatly disappointed.
My bet is low compression and a costly rebuild.
Just my 2 cents
Malvern
OP
Kays Supply
Veteran Member
My problem isn't compression. It has served me well for over 20 years. It will run fine and put out a charge if you turn off the auto idle. It just won't rev up when you put a load on it. It justs stays at idle. My father found a shop pretty close to home today. I'll see in a few days if they know what they are doing.
tommu56
Elite Member
does it generate any power at all? even a low voltage
does it have brushes?
Is it a brushless design?
If not you might have to flash the field most alternators are a revolving field design and if the field looses its residual magnetizem it wont produce any electric. I had to do it to my Dayton every spring after it sat for over winter I finally ran wires out of the thing so I could flash it with out disassembling it.
here is a link with instructions
"flashing" generator - DoItYourself.com Community Forums
here is the text
Do this with engine turned OFF! Explosion can occur if done while engine running!
1. Remove spark plug wire so that engine can't start.
2. Locate the "generator" end of your engine, with all the electrical components and wiring. My generator is enclosed, and required end panel removal.
3. Locate the brush set. The engine rotates on a center axle (crank), and has two brass "slip rings" which have been pressed (like collars) onto that axle. The spring-loaded brushes will be mounted (somehow!) on the engine frame near the center, and will contact those slip rings.
4. Find the two wires that attach to the two terminals on the brush assembly. Note which goes where, then disconnect them.
5. DETERMINE WHICH BRUSH IS POSITIVE, AND WHICH IS NEGATIVE! Call a dealer if necessary! On mine, the inner brush was positive with a red wire, and the outer brush was negative with a white wire.
7. Securely connect a spare, color-coded wire to each brush terminal. I used small Radio Shack-type jumpers with insulated alligator clips connected to longer wires.
8. Attach the wire connected to the positive brush terminal to the positive terminal of the 12v. battery.
9. Touch the wire connected to the negative brush terminal to the negative terminal of the 12v battery. You want this to be a firm but momentary contact, with a quick but noticeable spark to confirm that the circuit has been completed. More contact time is not better!
10. Remove jumper wires from battery and brushes.
11. Remove the brushes and inspect them for defects or loose connections. My brushes came in a modular cluster held in place by a locator pin and one screw.
12. Clean the slip rings while the brushes are removed. I used alcohol, a Scotch-brite pad, and a shop towel. You should find a bolt head on the end of the center axle; I used a ratchet to rock the engine back and forth between (not through) compression strokes to access the entire surface of the two slip rings. I state "between (not through) compression strokes" because you don't want your ratchet to act as a pull-starter and start the engine if you didn't disconnect the spark plug wire! Scrub the the slip rings until they're bright and clean, and dry them well with the shop towel. Clean/dry the curved contact surfaces of the brushes as well.
13. Reinstall brushes and brush wiring per your initial diagram.
14. Reinstall spark plug wire.
15. Restart generator.
If still no output, the service manager identified the voltage regulator and diode pack as the two next likely culprits. The diode pack should show continuity in one direction (only) with a meter; the voltage regulator probably would require a trip to the shop with your generator for troubleshooting.
tom
does it have brushes?
Is it a brushless design?
If not you might have to flash the field most alternators are a revolving field design and if the field looses its residual magnetizem it wont produce any electric. I had to do it to my Dayton every spring after it sat for over winter I finally ran wires out of the thing so I could flash it with out disassembling it.
here is a link with instructions
"flashing" generator - DoItYourself.com Community Forums
here is the text
Do this with engine turned OFF! Explosion can occur if done while engine running!
1. Remove spark plug wire so that engine can't start.
2. Locate the "generator" end of your engine, with all the electrical components and wiring. My generator is enclosed, and required end panel removal.
3. Locate the brush set. The engine rotates on a center axle (crank), and has two brass "slip rings" which have been pressed (like collars) onto that axle. The spring-loaded brushes will be mounted (somehow!) on the engine frame near the center, and will contact those slip rings.
4. Find the two wires that attach to the two terminals on the brush assembly. Note which goes where, then disconnect them.
5. DETERMINE WHICH BRUSH IS POSITIVE, AND WHICH IS NEGATIVE! Call a dealer if necessary! On mine, the inner brush was positive with a red wire, and the outer brush was negative with a white wire.
7. Securely connect a spare, color-coded wire to each brush terminal. I used small Radio Shack-type jumpers with insulated alligator clips connected to longer wires.
8. Attach the wire connected to the positive brush terminal to the positive terminal of the 12v. battery.
9. Touch the wire connected to the negative brush terminal to the negative terminal of the 12v battery. You want this to be a firm but momentary contact, with a quick but noticeable spark to confirm that the circuit has been completed. More contact time is not better!
10. Remove jumper wires from battery and brushes.
11. Remove the brushes and inspect them for defects or loose connections. My brushes came in a modular cluster held in place by a locator pin and one screw.
12. Clean the slip rings while the brushes are removed. I used alcohol, a Scotch-brite pad, and a shop towel. You should find a bolt head on the end of the center axle; I used a ratchet to rock the engine back and forth between (not through) compression strokes to access the entire surface of the two slip rings. I state "between (not through) compression strokes" because you don't want your ratchet to act as a pull-starter and start the engine if you didn't disconnect the spark plug wire! Scrub the the slip rings until they're bright and clean, and dry them well with the shop towel. Clean/dry the curved contact surfaces of the brushes as well.
13. Reinstall brushes and brush wiring per your initial diagram.
14. Reinstall spark plug wire.
15. Restart generator.
If still no output, the service manager identified the voltage regulator and diode pack as the two next likely culprits. The diode pack should show continuity in one direction (only) with a meter; the voltage regulator probably would require a trip to the shop with your generator for troubleshooting.
tom
OP
Kays Supply
Veteran Member
Thanks for the " flash". Mine will charge fine at full rpm. It just won't rev up when on auto. I have to turn the auto of and it will work. I just hate to leave it running wide open when not in use. I'll post when I get a call back from the shop my Dad found.
westcliffe01
Veteran Member
It will have a load sensing circuit. Something that tells the governer how much current is being drawn. It may be as simple as an electromagnet that acts on the governer linkage and the force of the magnet is proportional to the current flowing to the load.
I'll bet it is an electrical issue, unless the linkage itself is binding (in which case I wouldn't expect it to work when you turn the auto idle off).
You might need to make some very specific enquiries at your honda dealer. Find out where the control module is located on the machine.
I'll bet it is an electrical issue, unless the linkage itself is binding (in which case I wouldn't expect it to work when you turn the auto idle off).
You might need to make some very specific enquiries at your honda dealer. Find out where the control module is located on the machine.
tommu56
Elite Member
post all the info on the gen maybe one of can find manual on line look at schematic and help you
tom
tom
On many auto idle generators they have a small servo motor installed on the top of the carb, this servo regulates the throttle by turning the butterfly inside the carb. If your gen won't idle down and still makes power this could be your problem. ether the servo motor gone bad or the electrical brain telling the servo motor what to do is bad.
Malvern
Malvern
OP
Kays Supply
Veteran Member
We found a shop. They said if the load sensor was one they had in stock ,I would have it back Fri.
OP
Kays Supply
Veteran Member
Well, it was the sensor. All is well and back to normal. Thanks for all the help.
