Generator not revving up for more power.

[tommymsw]

Originally Posted by GTobey

It is entirely possible that you have a "two speed throttle" mechanism on your generator. When the electrical current load is reduced, the unit has an electric solenoid that either energizes or de-energizes for a slower engine speed to save fuel and cut noise. Then, the instant an electrical load is sensed, that solenoid pulls the throttle to make the engine go to full regulated speed, being controlled by the engine governor according to the load, and produce the proper current and Hz.

Having sold and serviced diesel and natural gas generators for several years, you may get someone to check for that solenoid on the throttle mechanism. Just a thought.

Best of luck, GT.

Man... I was just hoping I would find somebody who had the exact same problem and be like "This is how you fix it!"

But instead I got "It could be literally ANYTHING". I was hoping to avoid taking it to a repair shop. Not many around where I live and the generator is pretty rusted into place at this point. I can't get it out, I work on it where it is. As it was working 100% all along, I assumed maybe just ONE thing broke on it.

Seemed to be pretty darn specific, I hoped that would mean it could only be one thing.

[tommymsw]

So, I am now confide not that it is NOT the generator causing the problem. I thank you all for the help. Looks like it may just be the AC after all. I get 120 or so V from my outlets with the gennie running. When I turn on an old space heater, I hear the gennie change sound and I get about 117-118 from the outlets. I think that is satisfactory from what I have read.

[NeilV]

You really needed to take an amp probe and verify that a load was being applied to the generator before going too far on any of this. The Generators should remain at a constant speed and adjust the throttle to maintain that speed that produces 60 cycles. If this is not happening when a load is applied the generator will loose speed drop below 60 cycles and shut down throwing a fault code.

You can also check a particular circuit as you did by plugging in a heater or other high amperage device and then read the voltage and amperage on that circuit. If the voltage is still correct and the test device is working correctly then the generator is not faulty.

Mine is now dropping speed and shutting down and it appears to be a faulty coil on the rear cylinder. This is very apparent and the symptoms are quite different.

Most Air Conditioning and other problems with electrical devices failing in an RV are due to low voltage from campground pedestals and local power system brownouts. The best thing you can do to keep electrical components in you RV from sustaining low voltage damage is to install a power correction device such as an AutoFormer. Surge Protectors that shut down when the voltage is so low that it will cause immediate damage are nice however they do little to prevent accumulative damage that can cut the life of your Air Conditioning, Microwave, Transfer Switch, etc in half or possibly lower.

[tommymsw]

Originally Posted by NeilV

You really needed to take an amp probe and verify that a load was being applied to the generator before going too far on any of this. The Generators should remain at a constant speed and adjust the throttle to maintain that speed that produces 60 cycles. If this is not happening when a load is applied the generator will loose speed drop below 60 cycles and shut down throwing a fault code.

You can also check a particular circuit as you did by plugging in a heater or other high amperage device and then read the voltage and amperage on that circuit. If the voltage is still correct and the test device is working correctly then the generator is not faulty.

Mine is now dropping speed and shutting down and it appears to be a faulty coil on the rear cylinder. This is very apparent and the symptoms are quite different.

Most Air Conditioning and other problems with electrical devices failing in an RV are due to low voltage from campground pedestals and local power system brownouts. The best thing you can do to keep electrical components in you RV from sustaining low voltage damage is to install a power correction device such as an AutoFormer. Surge Protectors that shut down when the voltage is so low that it will cause immediate damage are nice however they do little to prevent accumulative damage that can cut the life of your Air Conditioning, Microwave, Transfer Switch, etc in half or possibly lower.

Even with the heater on, that same outlet still read around 117-118 or so. As far as I know, that is fine. I think a small fluctuation is normal? When I shut the heater off, it goes up to 122 or so for a second and then immediately settles back at about 120.

[SCVJeff]

Its taken two pages to get to what you should have looked at in the beginning.. VOLTAGE.. Thats all that matters and will tell the story immediately.
What happens with all these symptoms when on shore power?

[tommymsw]

My thought was AMPS not volts. I knew I was getting enough volts, I just thought it was not throwing enough amps to start the compressors. I know I could run the AC off of a 120v 15A from my house and the fuse in my house would blow. So it was not the (V) but the (A).

I have yet been unable to hook up to 30A. But when I plug into my 120v 15(a) house, the AC no longer starts (compressors will not start).

The thing that threw me from the beginning, is that the FAN on the AC runs the same speed on LOW and HIGH (it did not used to do that) and when I rev up the gennine (manually), the fan blows stronger.

But now I am pretty sure it is a problem with the AC.

[SCVJeff]

They go hand in hand. If you have 120v on the meter and not enough current to back up the load, the voltage will drop fast. It always starts with volts, then work backwards..