[Andre]

Georges Chech your battery cable ends to be sure they are tight and clean. If they are not getting a good connection the start up could act like a dead battery. If the doesn’t work ,make sure the battery is fully charged.

Don’t rule out a bad battery even though it is new. Last summer I replaced my 4 chassis batterys and this last week had 2 with bad cells. Luckely the parts store replaced all 4 for free. Rick

[David]

This suggestion is from the perspective of a Powertech generator with a Kubota diesel engine.

Remove one end of the fuel line between the electric fuel pump and the mechanical injection pump. Power the electric pump (12vdc), does fuel flow?

[Archived]

When I put new sound deadner in my generator bay I discovered that the large ground wire from the generator to the bay floor was loose. I cleaned the connection and tightned the connection down. My generator now starts a lot easier. I never knew the connection was loose because it was impossible to see that end of the cable without removing a lot of things that were in the way. A bad ground will cause a lot of problems.

[Liam]

I don’t believe your generator has electronic controls so if it turns over and it is getting fuel, it should run.

Rather than risk fuel spilling I would apply 12 (or 24) volt power to the electric fuel pump. If it was delivering fuel you could hear the ticking change from a sound indicating lack of pressure, to a change in the sound as the pressure built. When my Kubota powered generator was lazy in starting I would open the fuel line at the round knob while the fuel pump was ticking to insure i had fuel delivered to the injectors. Close the knob and listen to the fuel pump labor indicating fuel was delivered to the engine, then spin it over.

Easier to demonstrate than describe.

[Archived]

Georges,

One other thing to check is the coolant level. My Martin will not run if it is low.

[Archived]

Many times batteries come new with less than a full charge. Your battery might have had enough kick to run the first time or two, but if you did not let the generator run long enough it may not be charged sufficiently by the alternator.

I do not know about your conversion as to where the charge comes from. Just from the generator or also maintained by the coach systems?? Why did you buy a new battery, was the old found dead, as the new one appears to be. Maybe it was just the charging that was faulty all along and you didn’t need that new battery?

Take the battery out and charge it fully. Load test the battery to prove its quality.

Check out the generator charging circuit and make sure it’s doing it’s job.

JIM

[Archived]

Jim,

If Copy/Paste does not work on this forum with your browser, use Ctrl C and Ctrl V.

Highlight your sentence and do this:

Ctrl C (this is the same as Copy)

Ctrl V (this is the same as Paste)

Did that help?

[JIM]

Also check oil level

[Archived]

Worked very well, thanks

[Archived]

The new battery proved to be discharged, charged it back to full, cleaned and greased all connections, coolant was low as well. Fired right up. Thanks to all for your advice.

[Archived]

Check to see if battery has a draw , the way i check is remove one of the cables hook the clip end of a test light to the cable and when you put the point of the test light on the battery lug if it lights up you have a draw , This will kill a battery even if it is slight.

[Archived]

Georges,

I don’t know how Royale has set up the generator battery charging, but however it was done needs to be checked. Measure the voltage with the coach and generator not running. Then start the coach and see if the battery is being charged via the coach alternator. Turn off the coach, start the generator and see if it is being charged via the generator alternator. Then with the coach and generator off, connect the coach to shore power so the inverters are charging the house batteries and see if the generator battery is also being charged.

This helps you understand how the generator battery gets charged. You should not have had a low charge on that battery. The generator is a vital backup to so much on the coach you do not ever want to be in trouble, only to find out the battery is dead.

[Georges]

For my Royale vintage there is no charging for the gen battery except running the gen. To top that off, they put it in the engine bay next to the chassis batteries, so it’s a looongg run to gen in the 2nd bay port side.

[Archived]

Tom, the gen battery in mine is right next to it on the slide tray, easy to remove and service.

David and Jon, I will try to run your diagnostics next week, as we will be plugged in at a RV park.

[Tom]

To have a generator battery charged solely via the generator alternator is a cheap way to do it, but when we have several sources for charging it makes no sense except the converter was trying to save money.

If you choose to modify the system to use inverter charging via the house batteries, or bus alternator charging just make sure there is an isolator in the line so a bad generator start battery does not pull voltage from house or chassis batteries.

If the generator alternator is the only charging source I hope at least the converter put a voltage gauge for the generator battery in a prominent place so it could be monitored easily.