Really helpful video. Thanks. I couldn't get my generator started. I simply hadn't put enough oil in it but it's really useful to know about the sensor. Now working perfectly. Thanks a lot.
Just purchased a new champion generator yet would not start, I disconnected the low oil senor at your suggestion started up after 3 attempts. Thank you very much!
Very insightful. This was very useful and saved me much time and headaches. I have a similar 'ALDI Workzone' branded generator. I thought I'd serviced it fully EG, spark plug, air filter , new fuel. It wouldn't run more than 15 seconds. After watching your video, I checked and filled the sump with oil. Runs Now ! thank you.
Thank you for sharing, the video encouraged me to continue troubleshooting. Success, the problem with ours ended up being a dead battery. All is well, now!!Thank goodness, just in time for the cold days ahead. 🙏👍
I live in Northern California, near Lake Tahoe and we survive with generators, wood splitter's and chainsaws! Without this great information, the struggle is real!
Hi! How about a video on how to completely service/build apart, clean and fix+rebuild such typical generators. I'm no mechanic but got 3 broken generators and I would probably be able to make one good one from it. Please man?
This made me curious so I bought a cheap after-market module (2 wire) and depotted it to see what was inside. Used 218 F hot air nozzle to soften then dig out epoxy. Only thing in the metal up was a small circuit board with a 5.1 ohm resistor and a reverse biased diode (reversed so flow positive was toward the oil level switch) When I have an OEM one go out, I will be curious to see what they charge $40 for. I thought there would be thryristor or something that was triggered.
Not all are sensors. Some are actually mechanical that get sludged up and you have to remove them and clean them out good. The mechanical ones sludge up often if you do not change your oil regularly.
Great video again donyboy! I need your advice on my Yamaha EC5000DV (1996) generator. It wasn't run in several years, so I changed the oil, gas, and carb and it started first shot and ran continually for a full day. The next day, with a full tank of new gas it wasn't able to start. It has spark, fuel flow to the carb is good, it has compression and I tried your trick of disconnecting the oil level sensor and it still didn't start. Even with carb cleaner sprayed into the carb it still wouldn't start or sputter. Could the coil be bad even if there is spark visible when you ground the plug? Any advice? Thanks
I did that , put new oil in , fresh gas , drained the float bowl still no start and now new a spark plug , Im going to see what happens . and yes the switch is in the on position, someone Help ! .
@@donyboy73 hey bro. I have the same 4000/2800 champion Where are the fuses. It worked other day but then power went out and for some reason, no power from outlets.
My #1 tip: Make sure the ignition switch is ON. I mean look at the thing and make sure it's pointing to ON. Many times I've turned the switch when it was already ON. Fantastic exercise for your arm and upper back. #2: If oil starts coming out of the plug when you loosen it, the engine isn't low on oil. Just tighten it back down.
Older generators typically have a mechanical switch inside the crank case instead of an external module. The switch gets stuck during storage, preventing starting. These will usually free up from vibration if you can just get it started, so - same thing, disconnect that wire, start it up, reconnect the wire.
I have one like this, has run every since, there was a video showing how to rest the oil sensor by doing this. Good to know there could also be another part to look for
These generators actually do have the low oil sensor in the crankcase. Just a little float mechanism. This part he is showing is a grounding diode that the low oil sensor connects to so it can cut spark if the oil is low.
@@toddk8555 I was wondering why the object he was displaying had what to me looked like a yellow and black wire, but wire to disengage coming out of the engine was different color. That wire coming out seemed to be connected to a yellow wire. Would that yellow wire be the short yellow wire, along with the black wire, connected to the diode? Would disconnecting the black wire, whatever it is connected to, serve the same purpose ? What the is the usual problem, the diode or the sensor inside the crankcase ?
We just got hit by the hurricane I'm from taylor county. I never touched a generator before, this one we got is a Champion 7500 brand new and my neighbor helped me set it up and turn on but after some time it shut off on its own, happend one more time after an hour or so then my husband couldn't get it to turn it on, he put more gas and nothing, kept pulling the cord and lost his patience now its on me to try to figure out if the generator is messed up or its just missing something. Also oil seems fine.
@donyboy73 Great video How is the sensor you showed different from a diode? It looks like a diode. The sensor should be on the crankcase where the yellow wire came out. Please send the wiring diagram of of low oil switch and ignition. Why is diode used in the low oil switch off circuit? What type of diode(voltage, current) is it? Thanks
Thank you for this video I’m in Florida today September 28, 2022 and I pull out my old generation and I was frustrated trying to turn it on and I’m less than 40 seconds of this video I was able to find the problem and just adjusted it and… 🎉🎉🎉🎉 it’s on right now 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻 3:37pm thanks for your help ❤
Hello donyboy73 I'm a high student graduating soon and wanting to become a apprentice for a small engine mechanic in Ontario Canada also wanting to start my own business any tips you could share would be great thanks.
Had an interesting one a few years ago bought a new generator, checked the oil (full) put gas in it and started it. Engine ran fine, voltmeter showed normal voltage. Seems ok, shut it down and put it away. Few weeks later, big storm, power goes out in the middle of the night. Went out started generator, running ok, plugged in a trouble light, engine stops. Started it again, same thing, engine will only turn generator with zero load. Got by without it that night, had another look at it the next day. Found that if I disconnected the low oil circuit, generator worked fine. Had the low oil relay replaced on warranty, but it makes no sense to me. The generator was full of oil and the relay should not be sensitive to load only to oil level.
Watch how to replace a generator carburetor here; ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-pGih0Oo3Pg4.html Watch how to "Flash a generator here; ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-lsN9S1luQzA.html Watch how to fix a generator with no compression here; ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-gK_LP2FQycY.html
Nice tip. Love your channel. You’ve saved me tons of time and money in the past few months. I live in NY and get a decent amount of snow. Your snowblower tips were a life saver. Thanks again keep up the good work.
Thank you! We had a situation where we were leaving with our RV to camp with our Champion generator for power but day before leave it would not start. I watched your video, made sure the oil was full, unplugged the sensor and we were able to use the generator for a enjoyable RV trip.
I love how the decal on the front even shows an oil can on it. You always have great tips. Keep it up. Mabe you won't show this old dog new tricks but these new kids need someone to help them. lol.
No one knows everything including yourself (old dog) but with the right mindset you can ALWAYS learn something new even if it's not how to do something. Peace...✌
@@GripFreak correct, for the TRUTH, always try to have an 'open mind' as a child in school, but, with mature wisdom, filter out the bullshit....reject it and hold fast ' to the truth '' shalom to you....
Something else to check is the condition of the oil. I had problems starting my Honda generator after checking the oil level which was ok. The problem turned out to be. The needle in the carburettor was letting by causing the gas to drain down into the engine. This was thinning out the oil and the sensor didn't like the thin oil.
You are the man ! Fixed it right up after struggling with giving her everything I could think of. Oil changes, slow valve opening , Leveling it like an engineer, brushing the spark arrestor , reading the manual over and over and who knows how many RU-vid videos. Thank you so much ! L.B.
I have two Champions. One gas 7500w continuous, the other dual fuel 7500w. BOTH of them have the same exact problem. The manual electric start switch on the unit doesn't engage the starter, and doesn't light up [no led lighting the switch]. What is causing that? The Dual fuel is BRAND new, out of the box, never been used. I fired it up today, by hand crank, on propane, it runs fine, just the manual switch doesn't work. The batteries on BOTH units show 13.1v. [AND, the Remote hand held switch starts the gasoline generator just fine... Just the manual switches that will not work. Please advise.... Thx
Love the no nonsense video and the way you get STRAIGHT to the point unlike most other videos. This was great information. Thank you for being a professional and not trying to be a comedian.
I bought a new belt drive pressure washer that had a Honda GX390 engine. It ran for about 10 minutes and cutout twice, then died. I could not get any spark. I added more oil than required and it started up and ran fine for 10 hours. Sensors are a blessing and a curse.
Can you bypass that little sensor (the thing you have in your hand) and just use the low oil sensor in the crankcase? I've had to disconnect the oil sensor on my last generator but it ran low and activated it's self destruct feature. It was a trash picked generator anyway.
Isn't it COMMON SENSE to check the oil in any small engine prior to running it? I do. My tillers, mowers and lawn tractors, I check every time before I run them. It's a habit that I developed years ago.
Hello all. uh oh....i got to check my Hyundai 1250 generator, got it just decently and recently. Takes 15-40 oil, just changed it too. Low oil sensor wire,......gotta go see where it goes, and find the other connector wire, if it utilizes that little square sensor box........bye.....thanks !!!1 clean garage, good on you....lol
Hello Dony. Here is an issue I have with a Firman p03607 208cc generator. The recoil starter is hard to pull and will almost pull out of your hand . I've adjusted the valves. With the plug removed it spins easy but once the plug is installed it's really hard to pull start. Any suggestions form you or viewer's would be greatly appreciated. Mahalo
W/ all due respect - Pls. be aware- severe nail biters who get hands greasy a lot should always wear gloves. Some can get the chemicals out from under nail quick, but if you do not, your sucking down really bad bad chemicals. Your worth the extra cost to get good gloves or ipso facto- quit the nibblin'. Try gum.
I think I discovered my problem….I think my generator is flooding itself but need confirmation. When I took the carb off to clean it, j had to place a container under the fuel hose as it was dripping (yes, fuel was shut off) to the pint I had to put a container under it. Am I dealing with a flooding issue?? Thanks!!
If the oil sensor is bad, will it effect the power to the panel? The little power light is not lit on my westinghouse generator. It won't start manually or with the electrical starter. If not the oil sensor, could there be an issue between the battery and panel? Battery is at 12.6 volts. BTW, O hours on the generator and Westinghouse won't reply.
According to my Generac manual the wire "coming from the crankcase" is from an internal oil pressure switch. The low pressure shutdown module located inside the engine shroud senses when the pressure switch closes (indicating low oil), grounds out the ignition coil and the engine stops. Apparently it works like a 'kill switch.' That's why disconnecting a wire as Dony did lets the generator run in a pinch. It un-grounds the kill switch.
hi i have a champion genarator the situation, I gave it a tuneup over a year ago and put in storage, I put gasoline and tried to crank it but it won't start. I'm not mechanically inclined so I don't know what to check for but it's got to be something simple any clues or anything you can help me with
Just picked up a Champion Generator like the one in your video. Said it was running and ran out of fuel. Topped it up with fuel and started back up. Shut it off and now it won't start for nothing. Guy put a new carb on it still no go. Has good spark, so disconnected the low oil sensor and still no luck. Any idea where I should investigate next ? Thank you in advance. 👍
I'm having problem with generator, pulling ord broke, had to take front panel off Starting like that , then all of sudden quit. This g it may be spark plug
Old generators ? I'm sure many of you would like to dust off the generator , here's some tips for you and I speak as someone who have been in the automotive business for over 38 years . 1st remove the spark plug , 2nd squirt small amount of WD-40 through the spark plug hole on the piston to lubricate the Rings, if WD-40 is not available then any other similar rust9 treatment or light lubrication will do , 3rd spin the engine few times before installing the spark plugs , you want to make sure that the lubrication you squirted inside the spark plug hole have blown out , one of the biggest problems with small engine not starting is a dirty spark plug , brush whatever it is on the spark plug with a clean wire brush , the spark plug have to be clean and dry especially from any oil or carbon residue that might be on it , use a propane torch to heat up the spark plug , heat up the spark plug until the electroids negative and positive on the spark plug will turn red , allow the spark plug to cool down before touching it , if you don't have a blow torch then use the barbecue , if all fails as the last ditch effort , do the following and be extremely careful ,it is what I used to do in the old country Palestine, put a small amount of gasoline in a metal dish , if a dish is not available then do it on the ground , put the spark plug in it and Light It Up , wait until the spark plug cool down before cleaning it , again clean the spark plug and reinstall it on the engine , if a generator is left outside ? look on the bottom of the carburetor to see if there is a carburetor drain plug, open it and drain any liquid it might be in it , most likely there will be water in the carburetor ball , if there's too much contaminants you might have to open the carburetor ball and clean it out , make sure that the carburetor float freely operate without sticking , 5th rd check the oil level , small gasoline engine require constant oil replacement , some small engines require oil change every 40 hours , if possible do an oil change before starting the engine , 6th ,make sure the ground connection is hooked up , 7th make sure the generator or engine is an inventilated area before starting it up .
Question: The square sensor with bolt hole and two wires your holding in your hand. How does it sense oil level if it's not in direct contact with oil?
I've disconnected the oil sensor on my Ryobi generator but all it will do is sputter like once or twice but will not start I adjusted the valves clean the carburetor tried spraying fuel right into the carburetor that's all I can get it to do The only thing I haven't tried is pull the flywheel off to see if the key is broken because on the Ryobi the keyway does not go all the way so you can see it do you have any other ideas of what could be causing this the generator is like brand new only been used once
I have less than 5 hours on my gen, ran it once, let the fuel run out and stored dry for a year. Tried to start it yesterday, 50 pulls plus, not even a hint or sputter of any kind. Then tried starting fluid, starts right up, first pull, but stops after the sf is used up. I had taken it out of storage thinking I better put some fuel in it with stabilizer in case I need it this summer, I put in an ounce of stab, with fuel, then tried to start for the first time after that year's storage, as mentioned, there was no hint of starting, and then of course I can get it to start with starting fluid but it won't continue to run.
If it starts with propane and not with gasoline then what is? I have this champion generator 3,5 years now I put the first day gasoline to start it up and was ok not to much gasoline. From then only propane every time ... and is ok .. I try few times 2,3 to start it up again but never starts . So what you think about this .. My opinion is is maybe somthing dirt inside in the gasoline so long not use this way ...
Any suggestion where to start when disconnecting this sensor/wire doesn't do the trick?? Electric start doesn't do anything, while pull cord will start it just fine.
Thanks so much. I got a Champion 3500watt generator. I have started it put oil and gas in it but I hope I can start it again. It’s remote start and I know I have to enable that switch.
THIS WEEKEND I AM GETTING A DUROMAX HYBRID GENERATOR THAT WONT START HE TOLD ME HIS DAD WAS TOLD IT WAS RINGS SAID IT RUN LAST TIME THEY STARTED IT IT IS ELECTRIC START IT TURNS OVER GOOD, WHAT SHOULD I LOOK FOR? THANKS!
This is very good advice and presented in a very clear way where clarity is easily understood, or should be. I always wondered how the low oil sensor is wired in a machine that is equipped with one. It seems to be wired it series with grounding the spark output and therefore, disconnecting it, takes it out of the circuit. I wonder what a continuity check would show on the sensor.
Thank you Thank You!!! This worked for me. I'm puzzled why reconnecting the sensor while the generator was running didn't make it stop. Flakey sensor? Is the sensor simply a thermal device that senses when the engine is starting to get too hot and then makes it shut off? But then why would it prevent the engine from starting while it's cold? I'm puzzled by all this.
Hey Don I have a new Champion 2500 inverter generator that is a real pain to start on LPG. (I will never use this in gasoline.) After frogging around between the choke and LP run setting it will finally run albeit after several pulls and a few ##?!!##. I seen a few utubes videos and some say all that’s needed is a new regulator or a different 20 lb cylinder. I would think if the regulator bad it should not run at all. Something is not quite right here. What’s your thoughts?? Need help!
Absolutely you can count on Don to provide excellent advice. My Firman generator normally starts on first pull but not today when I really needed it but I pulled and pulled and nothing, no spark whatsoever. I head to RU-vid and watch Don’s advice on the low oil sensor being a major factor in a no spark condition. I get down on my knees to check the oil level and notice the oil plug is wet and sure enough it was not snugged down tight and obviously leaked too much oil which I never spotted the leak as it was covered. Topped up the oil and it started first pull. Thank you Donny from one of your long time viewers and supporters at Lake Talon, Ontario.
Great tip! I’ve seen the actual float inside the engine go bad as well due to lack of maintenance and it gets sludged up and sticks during storage, Especially on Tecumseh and Briggs engines
