Hello all, this is NOT and emergency by any means, but just looking for any suggestions. I am in FL to take my dad's Newell back home to TN for the summer. I checked the fluids in the gen and all seems good. It cranks fine but wont run. It hasn't been ran since he parked it here in early December. Any suggestions from the gurus? The bus engine runs fine so there's no worries about getting home. Thanks in advance for any help
Jeff,
The generator has a safety system that wont allow it to run when the fire extinguisher inside the generator bay has gone flat.
Do you have a front mounted generator?
Bill
Yes it is front mounted gen on a sliding tray. I'll check the fire extinguisher to see if it's flat or not. thanks for the suggestion.
Good news: the fire extinguisher in the generator bay shows to be in the green and charged properly. Bad news is...must be some other issue causing it not to start. Thank you again.
Where are you in Florida? I am in Inverness, close to Ocala.
Does it fire at all?
Does it fire and shut down as soon as you release the switch?
What brand of generator?
Richard, I am just south of Naples and north of Marco Island (Silver Lakes).
It cranks but just wont fire off...almost like it's not getting fuel.
I'm not sure of the brand, but there are plates on it from Power Tech Southeast out of Leesburg, FL. I'm guessing that's the dealer that provided the unit to Newell. I may try calling them Monday if it's not running by then.
Update based on inspection: Normally, one can hear the fuel pump kick in prior to starting, but that's not happening. I found a toggle switch on the passenger side of the gen that will activate the fuel pump when toggled. BUT the wires coming from that switch and some of the other wires associated with solenoid, fuel, and what appears to be a throttle arm are very corroded and brittle and some appear they may have been hot/overheated at some point. In the interest of safety, I'll travel home without running the gen, but I will ask a couple of questions:
Can the roof airs be operated without the gen while traveling?
Also, I normally just overnight at a Wal-Mart or travel center on the way home...is that a bad idea to do in a Newell without a generator to keep all the systems up and operating? This is my first solo trip in the Newell and just want to plan accordingly and stay in a campground if boondocking with no gen is a bad idea.
Good learning experience already!
in most newells you cannot operate the roof airs without the genny. it is possible you have one inverter big enough to run one roof air and wired that way, but not likely on a 2003.
the answer to your boondocking question is it depends on how good your coach batteries are. and if you are running the house fridge or other 120v items off of the inverter. overnighting is fine with good batteries.
tom
I suspect you have a no fuel issue so let’s look a bit deeper. Did the lift pump run with the switch?
And how long did you hold it on? If you follow the lines from the lift pump through the filter and then to the injection pump you should find a small bolt in the center of a bigger bolt (banjo fitting). The small one will use a 10mm wrench. This is a bleed port, loosen a turn or two and run the lift pump. You may also have a valve with a knurled wheel, loosen it. You should get fuel. If you do, it has fuel.
Try starting from outside and watch the linkage you mentioned, it should pull in. Some PT units have “no external” linkage and it will be hard to determine if it is operating.
Gordon, I appreciate the knowledge on the fuel supply.
The pump did run on the first 2 or 3 attempts to start it. I held it for maybe 10-15 seconds. But, after the first few attempts, the pump did not function.
As I inspected the fuel lines, pump, and filters that you mentioned, I noticed that the wiring and connectors all appear to be shot. They are brittle and even appear to have been overheated at some point. (one of them broke off when I touched it).
Needless to say, once I get home to Knoxville, TN I'll attempt to locate someone who services these generators and have them replace that wiring. Hopefully that will be the extent of the issue as I would like to get it fixed before I head to the no rally rally in Foley, AL.
Hi Jeff,
Russell Coach Knoxville works on Newell and Prevost and do about everything. Wayne is the lead tech and they are good. 865 525 3888