Generator auto start???

Don Renouf · 08-22-2004, 02:59 PM

I have an 2002 Itasca Horizon 39QD. Last evening the power when out and the generator( Onan diesel 7.5 Kw) started all by itself? Any ideas what would cause this. Power surge?? After shutting the gen off shore power was back on.

Don

Don Renouf · 08-22-2004, 02:59 PM

I have an 2002 Itasca Horizon 39QD. Last evening the power when out and the generator( Onan diesel 7.5 Kw) started all by itself? Any ideas what would cause this. Power surge?? After shutting the gen off shore power was back on.

Don

ichn2go · 08-22-2004, 11:04 PM

Can't help you, but I hope I have this feature on mine...Good Miles

DriVer · 08-23-2004, 01:29 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by ichn2go:
.. but I hope I have this feature on mine.. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>I don't really know if this is a system that I would personally have on my rig. What's to keep the generator from auto-starting if you disconnect the shore power?

Autostart is great here in the firehouse but in the RV, I just can't say if I would like to have that capability.

08-23-2004, 04:23 AM

Don,

I've not heard of any Winnebago product having Auto Gen Start. It's a nice feature when it's working right, such as low battery voltage and hight temperatures inside the coach. Maybe you got a piece of equipment that no one else has.

I'd like to have that at home. Our power is aways going out. I have to connect the stand by genterator manually.

Keep us posted as to what you find out.

Tomcat F15

"It's unusual to get someting you didn't expect."

dirko · 08-23-2004, 06:15 AM

Hi Ho: There are times that would be a handy feature, but I don't know of any motor home generators that do that. I suspect an unknown person may have been involved. The problem is to know how long to crank before releasing the start switch. When we leave our golden retriever in the coach with shore power and a/c on this would be a handy feature. We never do this if the temperature would be a potentially dangerous without a/c, but sometimes this would be handy.

GG1 · 08-24-2004, 03:52 PM

Here we go again with the strange unexplainable occurrances that go along with owning the 02 39 QD. On our trip to Florida this past Jan we woke up to an engine running, I thought it was someone in the campground with a motor running. When I walked down the hallway I saw the generator light on, guess what, sometime during the night my generator started up by itself, I have no idea how long it was running but everything worked fine when I turned it off, I never inquired about a power failure during the night but during the months in Florida we had power failures and the generator never came on. I attributed it to possibly an animal standing on the external switch. I never even mentioned it to my dealer and it has never happened again just the bedroom radio once or twice came on by itself??????????????????????????????????

DriVer · 08-24-2004, 05:33 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by GG1:
?????????????????????????????????? <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>In WWII they used to call those things, Gremlins!

ichn2go · 08-25-2004, 11:37 AM

I have gremlins in my bedroom radio too!!
Do we have a sleep or wake alarm on the bedroom radio..Gotta check but just been too busy...????
Good miles

Barney B. · 08-25-2004, 02:45 PM

In my experience, most 12v electrical "gremlins" are caused by bad grounds. Check the ground at each generator control location and at the generator starting motor connection points.

Barney

747Driver · 08-26-2004, 02:34 AM

I've had Grimlins in the outside radio. It wasn't not any station, but I heard static...checked it out and it was on. Found it on twice since. In airplanes we call them Queer Electrons.

08-26-2004, 02:56 AM

Talking about GROUNDS, one my usual things, is crawling around under the coach from time to time, just to see if eveything is haning on for the ride.
Let me tell you, if you do any driving where they salt the roads, you can have a real problem. I have cleaned and then sprayed under coat on electrical connections that are exposed under the coach, because they were rusting or starting to rust. Especially the HWH pump with all it connections to the solenoids. That unit should have been enclosed and not left out to the elements. My generator connections are in good shape.

But yes, any and all electrical connections should be checked, retightened and coated with a protectant.

Ichny,
You do have an alarm in your clock/radio, and it works very well, once you can figure out how to set it.

747,
It might be that when your flying overhead transmitting radio signals, your setting off your radio. To fix that, "just don't key your mic".

Tomcat F15

"Aren't you glade I can be such a great help"?

Jim Bob · 01-23-2006, 02:07 AM

I have a 2000 Horizon and my generator has started itself twice over the years while pluged into shore power. Once at home and once in a campground. It is a strange feeling to wake up to the sound of that thing running knowing you are on shore power. It hasn't done it in about three years now so maybe the gremlin left. Jim Bob

rnabors · 01-23-2006, 04:51 AM

I don't know what kind of Auto Start you have. Mine is the Onan and if you have the system on "auto" it will start if the power goes out and stop when power is restored. If the control is on manual it will not "auto" start for any reason.