Generator Cutting Out

NewbieSue · 07-03-2021, 10:39 PM

Hi all and Happy 4th. We just arrived in Key West...from North Florida. We have a Thor ACE 29.2. On the trip down here, the generator would run for a number of hours and then cut out. We'd then have trouble starting it up again. It would take several tries to get it started again. Any ideas what's going on?? TIA.

abjbrtd · 07-04-2021, 02:06 AM

Are you running the gas tank below 1/4?

Check your oil. We had this same problem our first yr, someone suggested "NOT having the oil level at or above the full mark. I took some out and haven't had "that" problem again

. We've run the gen for a day and a half severl times with no shut downs.

Hope you figure it out, let us know.

NewbieSue · 07-04-2021, 02:30 AM

Thanks for the tip. No, we havent been running the gas tank below 1/4. We will check the oil level tomorrow. We won't need the generator until we leave in a week.
Someone suggested the fuel pump may be overheating. We will let you know if the fuel level tip does the trick.

Thirty.Deuce · 07-04-2021, 02:35 AM

Vented Gen Door, or solid?

NewbieSue · 07-04-2021, 03:12 AM

Vented.

Scubawise · 07-04-2021, 04:18 AM

My brother just had this..I told him to chg oil & set altitude setting over 3000. We are camping 2 days ..generator on 10 hours a day..no issues

**16ACE27** · 07-04-2021, 12:57 PM

What fault code is displayed when it "cuts out"? That's where I would start troubleshooting instead of guessing what the issue may be.

If you don't have a copy of the generator's operating manual; download it, review the troubleshooting section on how to read the code and be prepared the next time it happens.

Jimbo56 · 07-04-2021, 12:59 PM

Mine stopped and wouldn’t start back up once right after we bought it new. First thing I thought of was low oil. Sure enough. I made the mistake of trusting that the dealer checked it. Took about a quart. Luckily no damage done. They also told me it only needed a 5 second prime. Right! More like 45 seconds. But no issues since.

Pete'sMH · 07-07-2021, 11:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jimbo56

Mine stopped and wouldn’t start back up once right after we bought it new. First thing I thought of was low oil. Sure enough. I made the mistake of trusting that the dealer checked it. Took about a quart. Luckily no damage done. They also told me it only needed a 5 second prime. Right! More like 45 seconds. But no issues since.

Wow! If it’s a 4000 it likely only holds 1.6 qts to begin with. You might have been close to catastrophe. I’d check it often for a while. I’m sure it was full once and it might behoove you to learn where it went.

Jimbo56 · 07-07-2021, 11:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pete'sMH

Wow! If it’s a 4000 it likely only holds 1.6 qts to begin with. You might have been close to catastrophe. I’d check it often for a while. I’m sure it was full once and it might behoove you to learn where it went.

It is a 4000. I checked it 40 hours later and was full. Changed it in April 2021. 36 hours since and is still full. It was never properly filled to begin with.

petef · 07-10-2021, 07:19 PM

This is a common problem on these gensets. The carb is gummed up from ethanol gas, you will have to replace it. You could try spraying inside with Seafoam, might buy you a little time.

King · 07-10-2021, 08:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thirty.Deuce

Vented Gen Door, or solid?

Ours did the same thing in South Florida when it was drawing very hot air from the asphalt. Even though we have a vented door now, it still happens rarely in extreme heat from the highway.

Kgg · 07-10-2021, 08:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NewbieSue

Hi all and Happy 4th. We just arrived in Key West...from North Florida. We have a Thor ACE 29.2. On the trip down here, the generator would run for a number of hours and then cut out. We'd then have trouble starting it up again. It would take several tries to get it started again. Any ideas what's going on?? TIA.

Keep oil just above the add mark,I put in a vent in my door,also I made a heat shield to deflect the heat out then back was told that the catalytic converter get really hot after all of that seems to help.i don’t know they can put a mini radiator on them problem solved

gdurden188 · 07-10-2021, 11:06 PM

It took me one year and multiple trips with multiple remedies,before I found out the real culprit of my generator shutting down while diving down the road. The main fault was fuel pump overheating. I moved it outside the gen frame locating it outside in the open so air is able to keep it cool. I also placed a helper pump, placing it closer to the fuel tank. This helped with the gen shutting off when going over rough bumps such as RR tracks. Make sure to use pump that pumps no more than 3 PSI.

K. Meckes · 07-28-2021, 11:31 PM

Should my generator air filter smell like gas? K.

**16ACE27** · 07-28-2021, 11:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by K. Meckes

Should my generator air filter smell like gas? K.

Not normally. A sticking or misadjusted float in the carburetor may cause gas to leak back out to the air filter.

Pete'sMH · 07-29-2021, 01:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by K. Meckes

Should my generator air filter smell like gas? K.

Depends on how much it smells. Air filters on carburetor engines usually have at least some gas smell whereas it would be uncommon on a fuel injected engine. If it looks or smells like it’s been saturated with gas that would be a problem though. I don’t think I’d worry about it if the generator seems to be working properly.

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