RESOLVED: Onan 5500 battery connection not hooked up

slippere

Member
Hi. Newb to the forum and to Heartland RVs. We just picked up a Cyclone 3100 after almost a year of shopping for the right RV for us. Took delivery and had the walk through, but I took the word of the service tech. that the generator works. We were inside and hooked to power during the demo and there was little gas in the tank so I didn't make him start it.

When I got home I set up the whole unit and exercised everything (except water) just to make sure I caught it all, but the generator was not responding. No run time showing on the panel and the start switch on the generator and inside were not lit. A quick look and the positive battery cable is not hooked up. The ground is properly connected to the body.

So... Does the cable connect directly to the battery post or to one of the posts on the electrical panel on the back of the battery compartment. If I hook it to the battery, I don't get the benefit of the battery disconnect switch, right? Any pics of another unit would be great. Note: I have 2 - 6v batteries, but that shouldn't make a difference.

If I were close to the dealer I'd just swing in and make them deal with their oversight but I'm well over an hour away.

Thanks!
 

jimtoo

Moderator
Re: New delivery. Onan 5500 battery connection not hooked up.

Hi Slippere,

Welcome to the Heartland Owners Forum and to the family. We have a great bunch of folks here with lots of information and all willing to share their knowledge when needed.

If you have questions about anything in/on your unit, you can usually find the answer right here. Hopefully some of our other members will jump in with an answer for you soon.

Also be sure and check out our Heartland Owners Club. Join us at a rally when you can and meet lots of the great folks here and make friends for a lifetime.

Enjoy the forum and your new unit.

Jim M
 

cookie

Administrator
Staff member
Re: New delivery. Onan 5500 battery connection not hooked up.

I can't help you with where the cable connects, but I can tell you that it should always be the neutral cable to be disconnected.
So before installing the cable be sure to disconnect the neutral before you install the positive.
This is for safety. If your wrench should happen to contact any grounded metal while installing the positive, bad things will happen.
Good luck and I am sure that someone who knows something about your situation will chime in soon.

Peace
Dave
 

danemayer

Well-known member
Re: New delivery. Onan 5500 battery connection not hooked up.

Hi slippere,

I don't know if this is how it's always done, but on our Landmark, the generator positive cable is connected to the battery and bypasses both the buss bar and the battery cutoff. It's always hot.
 

scottyb

Well-known member
Re: New delivery. Onan 5500 battery connection not hooked up.

Mine was connected directly to the battery post. There was a red cable for the generator and one that supplied the 12v buss bar. Nice upgrade on the 6V batteries.
 

Ladiver

Well-known member
Re: New delivery. Onan 5500 battery connection not hooked up.

I will post pics shortly of our 3100 setup.
 

Ladiver

Well-known member
Re: New delivery. Onan 5500 battery connection not hooked up.

Here are a few pics. I do have the battery disconnect too. In the first pic there is a grey conduit going to a junction box, which then goes to the transfer switch (i believe). Second pic shows the white (-) cable connection to rear compartment wall. Third pic shows a black cable connected to the red (+) post. It also shows a red cable making its way to a 12v circuit breaker. The fourth pis chows that breaker and the cable going to the battery cutoff. The fifth and sixth pics show the front and back of the battery cutoff. The seventh shows the cable from the battery cutoff to the 12v buss bar.
grey conduit to junction box to transfer switch.JPGWhite cable connect to wall.JPGBlack cable from genny.JPGTo battery cutoff.JPGbattery cutoff.JPGback side of battery cutoff.JPGfrom battery cutoff.JPG

I also really like what video can do to help visualize better than still pics.


Hope these help. If you need anything else, just ask.
 

slippere

Member
Re: New delivery. Onan 5500 battery connection not hooked up.

Thanks everyone. I figured it was direct to post. I just connected the positive cable from the generator to the positive post in the 6v series (the same one that heads to buss bar). The generator is not showing any signs of getting power. Start switches are still not lit.

I know there are a few gallons of fuel in the tank, but is there a cutoff if the fuel tank does not have enough gas? Is there some other master switch for the generator that I'm missing?

Thanks.
 

slippere

Member
Re: New delivery. Onan 5500 battery connection not hooked up.

Wow. Truly appreciate the detailed photos and vid! I connected the generator positive and the rest of my setup matches your setup. Still not seeing power at the generator. I know it's got to be something stupid.
 

Ladiver

Well-known member
Re: New delivery. Onan 5500 battery connection not hooked up.

Wow. Truly appreciate the detailed photos and vid! I connected the generator positive and the rest of my setup matches your setup. Still not seeing power at the generator. I know it's got to be something stupid.
When you prime the generator, does the light on the switch turn on? Are your batteries charged? If the batteries are dead, or too low, then there will not be enough to start the generator. I have also heard people say that you may need upwards of a quarter tank of fuel to run the generator. Some people report the pickup tube is too short in the tank.
 

slippere

Member
Re: New delivery. Onan 5500 battery connection not hooked up.

Tried from both locations. Nothing happens when I prime. No lights showing on either switch and hour meter is not displaying anything. Makes me think that either a fuse is missing/burnt or there is a shutoff that has been activated?!?
 

Ladiver

Well-known member
Re: New delivery. Onan 5500 battery connection not hooked up.

I am not aware of a shutoff. Clearly there is an issue with power to the generator. I am sending you a private message.
 

danemayer

Well-known member
Re: New delivery. Onan 5500 battery connection not hooked up.

Wow. Truly appreciate the detailed photos and vid! I connected the generator positive and the rest of my setup matches your setup. Still not seeing power at the generator. I know it's got to be something stupid.
Have you put a meter on the cable end connected to the generator to see if you have 12V DC?
 

HornedToad

Well-known member
Re: New delivery. Onan 5500 battery connection not hooked up.

On occasion I will drain my house battery down and have to start the generator with my battery booster box using the controls on the front of the unit. If it's a fuel delivery issue you should at least hear the pump cycle and the starter turn over???

You could also try to find/download the installation manual which will take you step by step through getting everything connected properly.
 

Lynn1130

Well-known member
Re: New delivery. Onan 5500 battery connection not hooked up.

Are you too far from the dealer to make them come out and fix the problem? I think I would be all over them about missing this and requiring the new owner to correct their mistake.
 

Ladiver

Well-known member
Re: New delivery. Onan 5500 battery connection not hooked up.

Are you too far from the dealer to make them come out and fix the problem? I think I would be all over them about missing this and requiring the new owner to correct their mistake.

Bingo. If you are still struggling with it today, I would call them and have them send someone out to you and get it set up. What's the worst they can say, no?
 

slippere

Member
Re: New delivery. Onan 5500 battery connection not hooked up.

First, this forum is amazing! I woke up this morning and was going to meter the connection to see if I was getting 12V. Before I did, I pressed the primer switch and held it a little longer than I did last night and bingo. After I connected power, I was just not holding down the switch long enough. It turned over fine. I got it to prime and it fired. I was running late for work so I didn't keep playing with it until it started. It was only 20 degrees this morning and I didn't want to keep cranking it. Should start with no issue this afternoon when I get home.

Thanks for everyone's suggestions! I had already read through the generator installation manual last night before posting here, but glad to see that we were all following the same thought process. I was also definitely planning to call the dealer today and make them send someone out. Who knows, I may still call. :)
 

Ladiver

Well-known member
Re: New delivery. Onan 5500 battery connection not hooked up.

Glad you got it working. Oh, welcome to the Heartland Family. This forum is an amazing source of information. I hope you stick around and share your experiences with your rig.

The 3100 is our first RV and I was never really a handyman. This forum and the people I have met at Rally's have built my confidence enough to try things and even offer suggestions to help others.
 

avvidclif

Well-known member
Re: New delivery. Onan 5500 battery connection not hooked up.

Ladiver.

I would be trying to figure out what the 3 small red wires are that are connected to the battery and are bypassing the battery cut-off switch. At the least I would check them for current drain to see if they could run the batteries down. The battery disconnect switch should cut off everything. The red wire to the generator starter doesn't count, no current draw.
 

branson4020

Icantre Member
Re: New delivery. Onan 5500 battery connection not hooked up.

Ladiver.

I would be trying to figure out what the 3 small red wires are that are connected to the battery and are bypassing the battery cut-off switch. At the least I would check them for current drain to see if they could run the batteries down. The battery disconnect switch should cut off everything. The red wire to the generator starter doesn't count, no current draw.

The battery disconnect switch should never disable the trailer brakes/breakaway switch.
 
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