2015 Torque 380 Onan 5500 Generator Running AC

texasvet

Member
I have owned this Torque 380 since late January of this year and what a nightmare.

I have an issue with the Onan 5500 generator not being able to run both AC's. I can run one on it and if I start the other AC, then both ac's kick out, then a period of time (30 sec or so) the blowing fan for each of the ac's will come on and all I hear is clattering from the wall where the switchover box is located. I owned a 2008 XLR M30x12 with the same generator and would run both all day long.

I have another issue with hydraulic's but one at a time...
 

danemayer

Well-known member
Hi texasvet,

Has your dealer tried to fix the problem?

It sounds like the transfer switch contactors might be chattering because the voltage drops when the 2nd A/C is turned on. If voltage drops to 104V on L1 at the transfer switch, the contactors will de-engergize, cutting power. A loose wire connection at the junction box by the generator, or at the transfer switch might cause the contactors to momentarily drop. At that point, most A/C units will keep the compressor off for a minute to avoid damage to the A/C unit.
 

rxbristol

Well-known member
Also, make sure your voltage output is set correctly on your generator. The installation manual will tell you how to adjust it. On a past rig, I had one where the voltage was too low and it caused problems with the transfer switch.
 

scottyb

Well-known member
I agree with Dan. The chattering sounds like a loose wiring connection. The 1st place to check is the lugs in the ATS. However, on mine, it was the little junction box immediately outside the generator. It took me 2 fried ATS's to locate the problem. The neutral wire was charred and had only a few strands making contact in the wire nut. This could cause the problem you are describing. The neutral may be making enough contact to run light loads, but as soon as you put a heavy load on it, it can't handle it. Eventually the ATS will burn up.
 

danemayer

Well-known member
Dealer has 8 week wait period to even look at my couch so trying to resolve it and not have to wait two months to fix it.
If you're comfortable working on 110V electrical, it's not too hard to get into the wiring from generator through j-box to the transfer switch. Just need to be very careful because there's enough amps going through there to injure or kill. A $20 non-contact voltage tester is a good investment so you can check for voltage before touching things.
 
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