ccjohnson
05-15-2013, 07:07 PM
I wanted to share this experience with you guys. Might help someone out with similar problem in the future. We were heading to Cyril, OK & stopped to dry camp for the nite in Ruidoso, NM. Left generator on. About 3am it started running real rough so I got up shut it off & made sure refrigerator switched to propane. When I got up for the morning (Saturday) I started to see if I could get gen running. It would crank & run slowly but not build power. Being a veteran at some gen problems I immediately checked to make sure fuel solenoid was working. It was functioning properly. I felt it was a fuel issue, but checked air filter to be sure. Once again all was good. I noticed that the Yanmar has a 12v fuel pump. The hot wire had a "double spade" connector in it so I unplugged the wire. It made no difference. Called Newell for help! Jim called back almost immediately, we ruled out the fire extinguinsher as the culprit. After deciding I couldn't get any parts to speak of on Saturday in Ruidoso and being VERY short on time we took coach home & I went to OK in pick up. Still short on time I set up an appointment with Loftin Equipment in Phoenix for Tuesday 8 am. (Kohler dealer) After some quick diagnostics with a multi-meter the tech discovered that the "double spade" connector was a bad diode. $5.00. The point is, I was in such a big hurry, that I had decided it had to be a fuel pump because I unplugged the wire & it made no difference. I was in such a hurry (due to pressing work obligation to make it to OK) that I didn't have time to do it right, check with multi-meter at each connection instead of just unplugging an assumed hot wire, I was able to have enough time to take the coach back home, and then round trip to generator shop in Phx for repair. I am however very thankful that the fix was a $5.00 part. But, I kick myself in the ass for getting in such a hurry in the first place. BTW the doide failure seemed to have been a somewhat intermittent thing possibly due to temerature fluctuations. At least that is what the tech told me to help me get over my stupidity!