# My Genny wont start (ONAN)



## 98452 (Apr 2, 2006)

Well we were valeting my baby yesterday and the genny got wet   

Always been on the button.

Both batteries are fully charged (both chassis and coach switches on) but the genny wont turn over on the starter motor. When depressing the starter button on the genny can hear like a fan very slowly turning (hardly audible).

HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## shortcircuit (Mar 19, 2006)

Have you started the main engine?
Check the battery connections are good and clean


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## 98452 (Apr 2, 2006)

shortcircuit said:


> Have you started the main engine?
> Check the battery connections are good and clean


Engines on the button :wink: have looked at the batteries but everything else is working OK from them but will go out and disconnect the and refit them on the off chance it this.

Out of interest it will be the starter (chassis side) that the genny's connected to yes? My wife was watching telly via a inverter the other day and it ran the chassis battery flat as the cigar lighter is connected to the chassis battery (bit silly in my opinion)


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## olley (May 1, 2005)

Hi john try you emergency start button, this connect the chassis and leisure batterys together, it normally on the dash somewhere.

Your link doesn't work to many RRRR's in caravanning.

Olley


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## 101411 (Oct 15, 2006)

Sounds like water in the starting soleniod or just damp. Get the WD40 out and spray all the visible wiring and connections might also be a good idea to put a fan heater in the hatch for an hour or so to dry it off properly. If you can get it indoors when you dry it that would be better. Will probably be a something and nothing niggle

Good Luck

Dazzer


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## G2EWS (May 1, 2006)

Hi John,

Bit difficult to diagnose with your description. But here goes:

I guess you have more than one start button and you have tried them all?
There are three on the Winnie.

Reading my Onan manual it suggests a blown fuse and I would also suggest the circuit breakers.

The low fan noise is a little confusing. Could these be in your battery charger? The charger in the Winnie is below the fridge and has a cooling fan. Possibly you have been loading something and the fan is kicking in?

Have you turned everything off before trying to start?

Let us know how you are getting on so we may try and diagnose a little better.

Regards

Chris


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## 98452 (Apr 2, 2006)

Yes tried the dashboard twin battery starter system.

The minor clicking is from the genny and not the already noisy transformer and only happens when I press the direct start on it.

Could the starter motor be jammed?

I have checked the fuse under the starter button on the genny.

Note to self :roll: don't be an ar$e trying to clean things beyond your capabilities   

Painted my gas tank so nicely with gold hammerite  then got carried away


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## G2EWS (May 1, 2006)

Hi John,

I am beginning to wonder whether the cleaning is a 'red herring'. The clicking sounds either like the battery is duff, which I am sure you would have checked, the power is not getting to genny starter, or as you point out the starter is stuck or duff.

I would check the voltage at the starter when you are trying to start it. If it drops considerably then you will have a starting point - sorry for the pun!

Regards

Chris


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## Sparrow (May 10, 2005)

Hi 
We had a similar problem last year and it was all down to the starter motor on the genny. Relatively simple to replace apart from the fact that the motor is on the inside of the genny and difficult to get to. Crawling underneath and then up behind the generator and then working in the dark (as usual some would say. :lol: ) 
Good luck in solving the problem. 

Mike


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## Bryan (Aug 9, 2006)

I would guess that the cliking you can hear is the starter solenoid. 

I had a dead genny when I bought the current RV and took it to a local genny repair guy.

In the end he had to replace the starter motor and the solenoid.

He tried sourcing a solenoid locally but the wiring for the onan one appeared to be 'non-standard'.

We went with genuine parts.

He had to check the wiring inside the control panel as he thinks that this had been altered by a previous 'fixer'. This may be why the starter motor burnt out.

Fuses:
More that one so check the manual and check all (mine has two).

HTH

Bryan


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## 88927 (May 10, 2005)

Hi John
What model Onan have you got? Is it not possible to download a manual? Some manufacturers put manuals up for download.... If it is the same as mine I can possibly copy a few pages for you to try to identify the problem.... If you leave it for a few days and try it again it may start, just thinking that you have got water where it ought not to be and have a short circuit somewhere. Possibly when it dries out it will start up again...
Always the optimist :lol: :lol: :lol: 

Keith


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## G2EWS (May 1, 2006)

Hi Keith,

Good point about the manual. My manual is for the RV GenSet Emeral Plus Series BGE, NHE.

Can scan and turn into pdf if of use.

Regards

Chris


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## olley (May 1, 2005)

Hi I put the onan owners manual in the downloads section on this site a few months ago. 

Sorry John I would have mentioned it before but I forgot  

Olley


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