porthole
Retired
I run Valvtec Ethanol Marine treatment and stabilizer in the Cyclones fuel tank - all the time. The fuel gets used throughout the tow season and a fresh tank is added coming home from the last trip of the year. In the spring all the fuel is pumped into the mower (holds 11 gallons) 5 gallon jugs and the remainder goes in the car. Then fresh fuel added to the Cyclone, with treatment.
Once a month the genny is started, allowed to warm up then run for about 30 minutes under a load, 2 heat strips in AC units and a 1500 watt Pelonis. A 5 minute cool down period and then shut down. I figure this is about the best you can do with a gasoline generator. I do the same with my Honda 3000.
Night before leaving for a week of boon-docking at Dover the Onan would not run well. Changed the fuel filter and called it a night. From past experience I learned that if you have a good portable genny and the means to bring it along, you may as well, so the Honda was already in the trailer.
At Dover - 90 degrees and the Onan runs poor. Bad enough with "hunting" and shutting down that I thought it may have damaged our main AC (another thread). Great, 1st day of a week trip and 1 AC down and 1 generator down, both primary units.
Used the bedroom AC, the Honda and 2 12 volt portable Fantastic fans. The trailer already has multiple 12 volt outlets added for areas where we can't run genny's.
The Onan throws codes for certain issues. Removing the cover gains access to a manual switch and circuit breakers. The switch may or may not be flashing red.
If flashing it should be 3 flashes followed by a pause. This indicates a stored fault code. one push of the switch will generate the sequence. For example; 3 flashes - pause - 6 flashes - for a code 36. This will repeat until you press the switch again, which will clear the stored codes.
If the switch is not flashing but there are stored codes you press the switch off 3 times, then the codes will start.
36 is a common code and the list of troubleshooting is long and pretty much covers every possible outcome. Including a fuel control solenoid replacement.
I want to take the carb apart and look inside. Turns out there are 2 Onan dealers within 5 miles of Dover Speedway.
Both dealers gave me pretty much the same information.
Mine is a common problem.
Onan no longer supplies any carb related parts, e.g. the gaskets and the fuel control solenoid.
You can now only buy a complete carb assembly for $250.
One of the dealers suggested that if the jets were clogged one way to help clear it would be to get it running a full speed and manually close the choke, forcing the pulling of fuel through the jets and vents. Reminds me of one of the tricks we use to do back in the late 70's, early 80's when fuel started to cause havoc with automobile carbs.
Neither dealer knew anything about any recall on the fuel pump when I gave them the number.
Back to the trailer to try once again. The Onan starts and runs great for the next 8 hours. Same thing the next day.
3rd day it acts up, will not come up to speed, sputters and stalls etc.
One of the steps for code 36 is replacing the fuel control solenoid, you can't buy one so I did the next best thing - rapped it with a wrench several times. Runs smooth as butter now. Ran good for 2 days and acted up on the last day. Rapped the solenoid once again and it ran smooth.
Once a month the genny is started, allowed to warm up then run for about 30 minutes under a load, 2 heat strips in AC units and a 1500 watt Pelonis. A 5 minute cool down period and then shut down. I figure this is about the best you can do with a gasoline generator. I do the same with my Honda 3000.
Night before leaving for a week of boon-docking at Dover the Onan would not run well. Changed the fuel filter and called it a night. From past experience I learned that if you have a good portable genny and the means to bring it along, you may as well, so the Honda was already in the trailer.
At Dover - 90 degrees and the Onan runs poor. Bad enough with "hunting" and shutting down that I thought it may have damaged our main AC (another thread). Great, 1st day of a week trip and 1 AC down and 1 generator down, both primary units.
Used the bedroom AC, the Honda and 2 12 volt portable Fantastic fans. The trailer already has multiple 12 volt outlets added for areas where we can't run genny's.
The Onan throws codes for certain issues. Removing the cover gains access to a manual switch and circuit breakers. The switch may or may not be flashing red.
If flashing it should be 3 flashes followed by a pause. This indicates a stored fault code. one push of the switch will generate the sequence. For example; 3 flashes - pause - 6 flashes - for a code 36. This will repeat until you press the switch again, which will clear the stored codes.
If the switch is not flashing but there are stored codes you press the switch off 3 times, then the codes will start.
36 is a common code and the list of troubleshooting is long and pretty much covers every possible outcome. Including a fuel control solenoid replacement.
I want to take the carb apart and look inside. Turns out there are 2 Onan dealers within 5 miles of Dover Speedway.
Both dealers gave me pretty much the same information.
Mine is a common problem.
Onan no longer supplies any carb related parts, e.g. the gaskets and the fuel control solenoid.
You can now only buy a complete carb assembly for $250.
One of the dealers suggested that if the jets were clogged one way to help clear it would be to get it running a full speed and manually close the choke, forcing the pulling of fuel through the jets and vents. Reminds me of one of the tricks we use to do back in the late 70's, early 80's when fuel started to cause havoc with automobile carbs.
Neither dealer knew anything about any recall on the fuel pump when I gave them the number.
Back to the trailer to try once again. The Onan starts and runs great for the next 8 hours. Same thing the next day.
3rd day it acts up, will not come up to speed, sputters and stalls etc.
One of the steps for code 36 is replacing the fuel control solenoid, you can't buy one so I did the next best thing - rapped it with a wrench several times. Runs smooth as butter now. Ran good for 2 days and acted up on the last day. Rapped the solenoid once again and it ran smooth.
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That could be a number of things, anyone ever have this problem?? Thanks in advance for any help you can offer.
