Page 5 - Travelore Spring 2015

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DRVC Travelore - Page 5
Don’t Forget the Generator:
Servicing Your Diesel-powered Generator
Generator ser- vice is similar
to your engine maintenance only smaller and with a few extra changes. As always, you need to check your genera-
tor manufacturer’s manual to find out filter numbers, oil viscosity and rating, and coolant type used. Once you have this information in hand, be sure to change your genera- tor’s engine oil regularly.
Working inside the confines of a generator enclosure can be challenging at times but the principles are the same
as your motorhome’s engine. You’ll probably need to buy
a small oil filter wrench to remove the oil filter. Some manufacturers, like Tiffin, have been known to install preliminary fuel filters in the fuel hose just prior to the genset itself. This increases the life of the Onan fuel filter inside your generator’s enclosure but you do need to know whether it is there or not. Typically it’s a standard auto- motive filter that’s available at any auto parts store and
it’s the first thing you should look for if your generator suddenly develops loss of power. Be sure, however, that you do have adequate fuel, more than 1/4 tank, before thinking that the filter is clogged. Air filters vary as to ease of access, depending on which model of generator you have. Check the owner manual for the exact location. The spark arrestor needs to be occasionally removed and the soot purged. Soot will build up in this area over time so removing the plug and running the engine for a bit to burp any soot out of the system will ensure that your exhaust system remains free and breathable. Accessing the radiator cap may require removing a panel for access. Again, look through the manual for specific details.
In addition to the engine, you also need to take care of the generator itself (the wire-wound assembly that develops the magnetic field which creates the electricity). The gen- erator is belt driven but these belts aren’t a frequent fail- ure so it isn’t a great concern to keep one on hand. If they do break, it requires a great deal of work to gain access to replace them so you may want to pay a service center to perform that headache when, and if, that time ever comes.
The best thing an owner can do for the generator is run
it, as in exercising it. Allowing it to sit idle won’t do it any favors. Onan and PowerTech recommend running it under a minimum of half load for at least 30 minutes, if not an hour, every month. If having a generator serviced under warranty, plan to be asked if it has been run regularly. Running the unit will heat up the generator windings and burn out any condensation that can form inside the gen- erator, which is why you need to run it at a decent load for a long exercise period. It’ll also flex the belt to keep it from drying out and becoming brittle.
The typical diesel engine for a generator usually isn’t
as picky about coolant and most heavy duty coolants designed for diesel engines will work. Some owners prefer an OAT coolant because OAT coolant doesn’t tend to cor- rode aluminum such as non-OAT coolants. There’s lots of aluminum in the generator’s cooling system so it’s a good choice. It also means that you, likely, have standardized on a single coolant for both the genset and RV engine, which makes carrying spare coolant simple.
Servicing your own generator isn’t all that demanding as long as you don’t mind a little dirt, have some time on your hands, and have a bit of mechanical aptitude. Plus, you’ll gain a better knowledge of the “forgotten” generator.
This is what a generator set (genset) looks like without the shroud, as in the image above. This photo is of a PowerTech, a company known for using Caterpillar engines.
Radiator
Diesel Engine
“The” Generator
(Electrical Field)