[Solved] onan remote panel wiring? starter wont stay engaged from NEW remote switch...

centerline

Well-known member
I have an Onan Marquis Gold 5500 generator that I have recently installed in my 5th wheel (didnt come with one), but im having trouble with the remote start switch and I cant figure out where the problem is..

the generator has 230hrs on it and was removed from another unit as they upgraded to a 7K unit.... they kept the remote wiring harness for their new genset, so I had to make a new one...

the generator starts and runs great from the switch on the generator, and I wired it in to my AC circuit thru an automatic transfer switch...

I purchased a new remote panel for it, which has an hour meter, volt meter and the start/stop switch, but I had to make my own 22ft harness to get from the genset to the remote panel ...

the 2 PROBLEMS are, when I go to start it, the starter engages, cranks about 2 seconds, then kicks out, and nothing.... if I let go of the switch and try it again, the same thing happens.... the starter wont stay engaged long enough to start it up... but I CAN start it fine from the switch on the genset.....

the second problem is, once its running by starting it from the on-board switch, the remote panel wont shut it off....


I purchased the pigtail and connector to plug into the remote wiring on the genset, and then spliced on to that pigtail and then purchased a 8-pin deutsch connector to fit the deutsch connector that came already installed on the onan remote panel...

the remote pigtail coming out of the generator has 7 wires in it, and the pigtail that I purchased from cummins to fit it only has 5 wires, and they said that is all that is needed for it to work properly....

I connected the wires up according to the onan wiring diagram, and I place the pins in the deutsch connector according to how the remote panel is marked... but im not sure that IT (the new remote panel) is wired as the diagram says it is...

I have the wiring diagram as seen in the onan installation manual, which is what I followed to get this far with it, but if the remote panel is wired incorrectly, then all the other schematics dont do me much good...

does anyone know which wires go where to get it to start and stop as it should?...

Im wondering, could it be that as soon as it starts cranking, its some how back-feeding 12v power thru the panel and energizing the STOP function? how would I remedy or check this.... OR, could maybe the "switched batt +", and the "ground" wires on the remote switch be wired opposite of how they should be?.....

the hour meter and the volt meter work as they should, but its just the start and stop functions that im having trouble with.... thanks
 

6.7LMegaCab

Well-known member
Re: onan remote panel wiring? starter wont stay engaged from NEW remote switch...

What model is it? HGJAA, HGJAB, etc?

Sounds like to me it's a ground issue somewhere.

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carl.swoyer

Well-known member
Re: onan remote panel wiring? starter wont stay engaged from NEW remote switch...

the generator starts and runs great from the switch on the generator, and I wired it in to my AC circuit thru an automatic transfer switch...



I don't believe it's wired correct. Two hot out L1 & L2 should go to a junction box, then out to your transfer switch L1& L2hot in. L1 and L2 out from the transfer switch should then toggle between shore power and generator. It's possible that when you tapped into you ac circuit that you may be back feeding the main distribution panel, which could possibly be making the prongs on your shore power cord hot.

Sent from my moto z3 using Tapatalk
 

centerline

Well-known member
Re: onan remote panel wiring? starter wont stay engaged from NEW remote switch...

What model is it? HGJAA, HGJAB, etc?

Sounds like to me it's a ground issue somewhere.

Sent from my SM-G955U1 using Tapatalk

its an HGJAB... I will check the grounds again.

the generator starts and runs great from the switch on the generator, and I wired it in to my AC circuit thru an automatic transfer switch...



I don't believe it's wired correct. Two hot out L1 & L2 should go to a junction box, then out to your transfer switch L1& L2hot in. L1 and L2 out from the transfer switch should then toggle between shore power and generator. It's possible that when you tapped into you ac circuit that you may be back feeding the main distribution panel, which could possibly be making the prongs on your shore power cord hot.

Sent from my moto z3 using Tapatalk

when its running, it generates power without any other noticeable issues...

I believe its wired correctly... when I connected to the transfer switch, I put the first 120v leg from the genset to L1 of the transfer switch, and the second leg of 120v genset power to L2 on the ATS, (on the GENERATOR side of the transfer switch)... the 2 neutrals are both connected to the middle "neutral" terminal on the transfer switch.....

the shore power connects to the shore power side of the ATS, and is wired the same L1 to L1, L2 to L2, and neutral to neutral...


when looking thru other online forums for answers, I found many others that have had the the same issue, but it seems once the issue is solved, no one returns to post what they found.... so there are ideas about where to look for the problem, but no hard answers..
 

centerline

Well-known member
Re: onan remote panel wiring? starter wont stay engaged from NEW remote switch...

I'd suggest re-checking the remote wiring harness connections with particular attention to the connector/wiring illustrations to make sure the wiring isn't flipped.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1H6vygkGfSLLdm5_MYqV8Yo_ywRoRM38A/view?usp=sharing

I have OHM'ed the wires in the harness after i found there were issues, and the wiring is correct from one end of the harness that I assembled, to the other end of it, with the pins being located in the correct positions, so im wondering if the genset is wired abnormally, or the remote panel is not wired as it shows it should be, on the back of it.... (the panel itself is printed on the backside as to where each wire goes according to its purpose)... if this printing is wrong, then its wired up wrong, which is what i suspect...

I cant find a schematic that shows how the switch itself should be wired, but i can open the genset and check to see if the remote pigtail is wired to the terminal strip in the normal way or not, as I do have this information... I will do that today.
 

danemayer

Well-known member
Re: onan remote panel wiring? starter wont stay engaged from NEW remote switch...

Don't overlook the possibility of a defective remote switch.
 

centerline

Well-known member
Re: onan remote panel wiring? starter wont stay engaged from NEW remote switch...

following is a photo of the back side of the remote switch panel, which is new.....

im still not sure the wire placement on the switch is correct, but it IS wired as indicated by what it says... maybe they got the indicator lables in the wrong spots?...

as shown in the photo, the top left terminal marked "Sw B+" has full, constant continuity to the lower left terminal marked "Gnd".... im not sure how that is supposed to work, with the hot and ground connected together???? when the generator is running..

the wires on the right side of the switch (as seen in the pic) works as it should... I tested the switch with my mutimeter and its fine, but still, Im not sure the wires are all in the right placement on the switch....

also, on the right side of the switch, the middle terminal is marked "batt +", but the diagrams I have show the middle terminal should be a ground... it leaves me to wonder.

20201224_145705.jpg
 

centerline

Well-known member
Re: onan remote panel wiring? starter wont stay engaged from NEW remote switch...

SUCCESS.....

the "Gnd" and "B+" wires on the new remote panel are incorrectly marked, and so the wires were in opposing positions on those two terminals.......

we try to follow directions the best we can, but when the factory experts screw up the wire sequence, it makes it rough for the installers....

thank you everyone for your suggestions, which thru process and elimination, we found and remedied the issue....
 
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