Most of the appliances and equipment in your RV will run on electricity, which is provided by a generator adding power to the batteries. Your RV generator is your power source when you don’t have the opportunity to plug into an outlet at a traditional campground. While most RVers would rather plug in an extension cord than run a generator to get power, the gennie is still a useful piece of equipment that can keep the lights on during long stretches between campgrounds.
Like any other piece of equipment, generator maintenance is crucial so that it stays in top running order. Keeping a generator running is a simple matter of making sure the oil in the motor is fresh and the air filter is clean. If you’re comfortable changing the oil in your car or truck, doing basic generator maintenance each year on your RV will be a simple task.
In this video, you’ll learn how to determine the difficulty in doing the generator maintenance yourself, based on where the generator is housed. If you have to drop the generator from the housing in order to change the oil, you may want to seek professional help. Otherwise, your owner’s manual is full of vital information when it comes to generator maintenance. Inside you’ll find how often the oil and air filter should be changed – which is generally based on the number of operating hours, or on an annual basis. Also, you’ll find how to change the filter and type of oil to use. You’ll need to understand the simple process of draining the used oil from the tank, and where to add the new clean oil. Keeping up on the generator maintenance is just another crucial piece in owning an RV!
when my generator is going i dont get no power inside the RV..i have a onan emerald 4000
Hello Glen!
That’s a great question!
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RV Repair Club Video Membership
We have a Generac generator with around 40+ hours on it. It starts fine, runs for 30 minutes and then cuts off. After a while we can start it back up and it runs for 30 minutes and cuts off. This is the pattern. Any suggestions?
Usually it is the fuel pump causing this. If the gas is old or it hasn’t been run in a long time it could be build up in the fuel filter, carburetor could have varnish or the pump has build up as well. I would start by replacing the fuel filter and see if this helps. If not you might want to look into getting the carburetor cleaned. Make sure it has good fresh oil too, old old can bog things down.
Sincerely,
Dan
RV Repair Club Technical Expert
Onan 5500 marquis gold, wont stay running, to replace the fuel pump, will the generator slide out to be able to work on it? Thank you
Hello Daniel,
Thank you for contacting us. Great question! The ‘Ask an Expert’ section is currently for members of our online community. By becoming a member, you will have access to our expert’s knowledge in RV repair. With your membership you will also receive discounts on products and hours of Premium video content.
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Joan
RV Repair Club Video Membership
Onan generator code 46
Aren’t you supposed to warm the engine before draining the oil? I am a firm believer in a small amount of good info compared to any amount of not good info.
Hello Leonard,
According to most Original Equipment Manufacturer’s (:OEM) engine
companies the only advantage of warming the engine is the warmer oil is
less viscous and will flow faster. Leaving the unit in a heated
building will do the same, so it just takes a little longer for the oil to
drain if it’s cold. Some blogs state that warm oil will not stick to
the inner workings as much and you will drain more oil, however all OEM
companies claim that it’s not a significant amount to make a
difference.
Thanks,
David RVRC Video Membership
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Becky RVRC Video Membership
Have an Onan tried to start it and but does not kick over. Have not ran it for a while. Could it be a dirty fuel filter.
Hello Tom,
To provide more troubleshooting information regarding your Onan not starting issue we need the model and year as well as a little more information. When you state it “tries to start but will not kick over” does this mean it turns over like a normal start, just will not spark and run, or does it just click or turn a couple of times? If it just clicks or turns slow, it’s either a low battery or could be a starter issue. If it turns over normally but doesn’t fire, it’s either spark or fuel, so yes it could be a dirty fuel filter, but more likely it’s a varnished carburetor? Gas generators need to be started once a month and run with at least 1/2 load for 30 minutes. You will need to take the carburetor apart and clean it.
Thanks,
David RVRC Video Membership
I have a Onan 5500, will not keep running in very hot weather 90 and above high humidity. It will run about 5 or 10 minutes then cuts off and will not restart for about 1 hour. Cooler temps runs perfect. Any ideas on this.
Hi, Kemie. Thanks for visiting the RV Repair Club site and the opportunity to assist with your generator issue. Check your oil level first as it has a low oil switch that will typically allow the genset to start but shut it down if it’s too low or too high! Also clean the air flow fins to make sure it’s getting enough air. If you have verified these areas and it still stops, check to make sure you have spark and fuel during the none start condition. If you do, it might be a faulty low oil switch.
This is the same model I have in my 97 Itasca Sunrise, great unit, boo docked several hot nights at truck stops with it going. Mine does not hold 4 qts tho, puzzled me when I changed oil, only holds about 2.5 which is what is stated on side of unit, but manual calls for 4. Also, neither interior starter switch will start unit, but they both will kill unit, so they are hooked up, I’m guessing a bad ground somewhere. I recently reworded the jacks and slide and discovered 10 ft of additional wiring that served no purpose. This was factory flaw, surprised original owner never had it corrected. By removing the rogue wires the Aux Start Switch and Aux radio And battery cutoff switches now function, they were dead before. Odd.