On my Onan 4000 Micro Quiet (model # 4KY FA26100H) I solved the sticking, fuel shutoff solenoid problem by by-passing it. On mine the solenoid became varnished and froze. After trying to "unstick" the valve in the bottom of the solenoid with carb cleaner, solvents and tapping on it, I took it to an RV dealer. They could not get the generator to start without replacing the whole carburetor because Onan only sells the solenoid as part of a new carburetor. So, I purchased a 12X1.25X25 (extra fine pitch) flange head bolt. (regular hex head should work) along with a 12mm copper washer. 1. Disconnect the red (12V) wire from solenoid and secure so it doesn't short circuit against anything. 2. Remove the solenoid from the copper flange on the bottom of the carburetor. 3. Replace the solenoid with the 12X1.24X25 mm bolt and washer. 4. Start the generator and check for leaks. A source on the internet wrote that the fuel cut off is to keep the engine from dieseling after shut down. Another source said the function of the fuel shut off solenoid is to keep gasoline from "washing" the cylinder walls after shut down. I have not experienced these issues and the generator starts, runs and shuts off perfectly. Only thing I have noticed is that I have to hold the stop button down until the generator stops running where before I could just tap the shut down switch and it would stop.
THIS IS HOW I FIXED MINE, IN THE CASE OF.... "I CAN'T START MY GENERATOR" It's has been two years since last time it was running, so I started by checking oil level full at gen dipstick (it won't start if low oil because of sensors) then I checked gasoline more than 1\4 tank in the RV (also safety sensors), sparkplug checked for good spark, also checked the manual reset circuit braker ( to be ON) at front motorhome engine compartment for 12v current to the generator to be able to start it, also cleaned the carburetor and even installed new one but same situation, then checked wires and found some has been chewed like gum by rats at the back of starting switch generator panel so I replaced them, at this time the generator started but stay running only by keep pushing the switch on all the time, so then finally I knew it was internal electrical problem from the engine itself, so I took the generator out from my RV to work in my garage, (I did this by myself with some tools and old Mayan tricks ) lol, it's really heavy for one person. I disassemble the unit at my garage and started by removing the cover, then the cooling fan or flywheel unit (it's 2 items in one) until finally I was at the gen rotor and brushes assembly area and this is what I found: one more wire chewed by filthy rats plus the stinky rat nest in the middle of the generator motor coil, I fixed the wire and sanded the commutator copper contacts where the brushes are sitting becouse they were real duty with old urine from the rats, and of course I got rid off the stinky nest, lol!!! Then I assembled everything back together and... bingo it's runing like a champion!!! For this project materials involved was about $60.00 including an aftermarket new carburetor and an harmonic balancer/steering wheel puller (available at any auto parts for $25.00) to pull the aluminum fan out and (flywheel). Just picture this: (Any gasoline engine run smooth if gasoline and DC current aren't interrupted) so following this important principle you'll always find the problem to be fixed. Also if you have a onan microlite 4000 like mine, don't run it for more than a minute without the cover because you'll cook the engine real fast, also keep the eye on the aluminium fan and your fingers after cranking it in case you missing one or two members...just kidding, lol!!! After testing the gen then I did put the air cooling assembly back and the rest of components including the cover, now it's ready to be installed at my RV. Once the gen was installed back at my motorhome I started it to be tested for electric power but not before flipping the electric switch (on) at the gen starting control panel (sometimes hiding under or around the panel) to transfer power to my RV GFCI main outlet and electric panel as well, my motorhome it's equipped with GFCI so I reset it and tested for green led light indicating power is ready at my main breakers panel, so I turned my main breaker (on) along the others ones but no power was present at my breaker main switch (faulty main braker) so I flipped it many times, sometimes you can make it work again, mine did work, lol!!! I'm happy because everything works now including the ref for cold drinks and AC for this crazy summer, lol! Later I'll buy me a new main braker, for now this is a resurrected generator story that needed to be shared. If this can help eaven one person to save time and $$$ it'll make me more happy, thanks for reading!!!
Chris - you are the only person to give the size of the 2 bolts holding the carb (10mm)! I was killing myself in that tight space trying out every socket I have and guessing of it fit our not! Thanks!
Thanks for the video. The RV shop wanted to charge me $500 for a new carb and a couple hours to replace! Found it online for $300 and now know how to change it myself! Yup your right HOT!!!
I've got this generator on a 2000 Class C Jayco Eagle. Same carb that it came with. 247 total hours are on the hour meter. The secret to keeping the carb alive is to add Lucas fuel cleaner to the gas tank. You can buy it from Rural King for $ 21.00-23.00 gal. I put 1 pint to 50 gallons and the Onan 4000 runs like silk. Also on long monthly sits, I pull the engine cover, and push the top choke away from myself as I crank over the engine. It starts on the first 3 seconds of cranking. A little trick an Onan tech. taught me years ago.
This was more useful than the video. Which engine were you talking about on the long monthly sits? RV motor engine or generator engine? Sorry, not a mechanic.
Thanks so much for making this video. I would have given up a long time ago if I didn't hear you talking me thru it. It's still not yet fixed yet but I have the carb off and I'm playing around with it. seeing and smelling the varnish and seeing the needle stuck. Lol well hopefully I do fix it. I'll keep ya posted thanks
small FYI when you clean the fuel solenoid connect the wires to a 9 volt battery (square one) and it will open the valve and makes it way easer to clean. Thx for the video!
Hi randall,thank you for sharring this video i just did a valve job on mine and new cylinder head and new rocker arms and gaskets i lost the ajustment on the governor cable and i was able to figure out just looking at your video i have 1500 hrs on mine the valve seal broke also this carburetors i was able to clean inside and outside its working fine i dont think you need it to replace it this carburetor only has one 1- 3'' round o ring at the bottom everything is sealed and there is no gasket its very good carburetor and dependable good design thank you
Thanks for the tip on removing the carb. My 4000 had been sitting for years. No gas in the tank so I connected a remote tank, a large syringe hung from the window ledge and hose. Noticed it took fuel so I knew the float was working. Still no start other than on ether. Figured it was plugged jet(s). Cleaned carb - main jet is large, no prob there. Prob was the gunked-up solenoid which I cleaned with a few squirts of carb cleaner by taking the whole thing apart. Tested the solenoid with 12V. Also wire-cleaned the little holes down there which have to be open for fuel to flow. Reinstalled. Works great. BTW you can get a new carb off ebay for $30 delivered.
Hey Man , thanks for posting tis viedo, I had the same problems , my gen only has 140 hours on it but we never run it , so it can sit for months with out running, it started to develop the surging problem , I fixed it once with the cleaning the bowl process( what a bitch ) it worked for one trip but started to surge again, so I decide to replace the carb myself , the RV shop wanted something like 700$ to do it , I got carb for 290$ and replaced it in about 45 min. it purrs like a kitten , no problems . 10mm deep socket with extention to remove carbglued the gaskets to the carb( with gasket sealer , very thin amount) prior to install made it a lot easier.thanks again
Good info, thanks a lot! Mine died and I'm on a trip so big hassle. Please remember to hold camera steady and keep hands out of way so we can see the area you are talking about. It was a fuzzy picture, so not sure where solenoid is. Camera needs time to focus on the carb. Very useful info about carb price, and how to take out air filter which was puzzling me until now! Many thanks!!
After reading all of the comments, it seems that the carb solenoid, which is attached to the bottom of the carb, is there to shut off fuel flow after the engine shuts off. There are 2 wires coming from the solenoid - one wire is positive and the other is a ground wire.
Thanks to this video I finally got my gen running so thank you. One question i have is, my carb was not really that gunked up but solenoid was definitely not clicking until i cleaned it.....so i cleaned everything up real good put it back together and it fired up. What should i do to extend the life of the carb before this problem pops up again? And yes your wife is very hot....congrats on that. Peace brother and thanks again.
hard to say without seeing it. make sure your getting a good fuel flow to the carb, also you can check to see if the solenoid on the bottom is working properly. it's possible that the needle jet might be gunked.
I had the air filter adapter break recently. It sits off of the carb. Will I need to take off the carb in order to get the adapter out and replaced with new?
Great video. I have been trouble shooting this same Gen for months i noticed my choke throttle cables are not moving if i can even get it to start. Yours wernt moving in the video is this normal. Prior to installing my newly cleaned Carb they would move rapidly now they dont if i can get it to start at all it will shut down on its own shortly after HELP
The carburetor adjustment screw is capped by a round dome cap on the side..to meet some Cali or EPA B.S...well needless to say..just take a small flat screwdriver and hammer to knock the cap sideways, by hitting the edges of the factory cap then needle nose pliers to pull it out..to gain access to the adjustment screw..in this video the cap is shown and is copper colored on this carburetor..other carburetors have a silver colored cap..the cap literally takes 15sec to remove..a small turn on adjustment screw and the generator is back in action without the surge problems or rough idle..
Chris not sure if you still monitor this. Thanks for the video. Is there a way to adjust the throttle on the top of the carb? Mine runs for a bit and then shuts down. Can that be caused by old gas?
Hey brother i have the same problem I haven’t started my generator in a while and now it cranks but it won’t stay running. You mentioned something about blowing are through the fuel pipe can you share more info about it? Like do you have to take the carb off to do it ? At what psi ?
Didn't you have to remove that engine out of the camper to replace that carburetor? Because of the plastic shield not the green cover but the black shield which also is where the air filter is located within this shield.
I just worked on one for a friend, and I was trying to get it running with carb cleaner, and making it run with starter fluid. It wou die as soon as I quit spraying the starter fluid. Finally, I pulled the carburator, cleaned it all out, then it was acting like it wasn't getting any spark. I couldn't even get it to fire with starter fluid? Any suggestion? It turned over fine.
Got a used generator from a local rv dealer, does not run now, was working fine and now will not turn over. After priming I go to start and it just clicks and blinks a lot. Not familiar to generators, any advice or ideas?
The reason that the Carburetor is no longer re-build able (sealed) is to help meet California emissions rules- they don't want anyone adjusting the internals of any carburetor or possibly rebuilding a carb incorrectly which could result in poor running and increased emissions. this is also true of most lawnmowers and other such small engines. If you want to avoid this- follow the Onan recommendation and run the generator for about 30 to 45 min every month. I know it wastes fuel, but compared to $300 for a new carb and the hassle... for mine, I only use Ethanol Free fuel and I use Stabil in the fuel if I know it will sit for more than a month (which is most of the time) When the OEM Onan fuel pump fails (it is a matter of "when" not "if") buy the Airtex Direct fit replacement - cheaper, and comes with a lifetime warranty from the mfg (just make sure the dealer you buy from honors the lifetime warranty)
Has anyone tried using a fuel cutoff valve to empty the carburetor for storage? This works on other small engines. I do this to my Honda 2000 generator and mowers which sit unused for long periods and they always start. Before making this change the carburetors would gum up.
No need for a fuel cut off valve,there is a screw at the bottom of the carb,open the screw and the fuel will drain from carbs float bowl.if you install a fuel cut off valve and shut it off while the gen is running and wait till the gen stops running there is still fuel in the carb,it does not eliminate all of the fuel,ask me how I know,better off using the drain screw,this removes ALL the fuel.
I have the same Onan 4000 with only 147 hours on it. I am not getting any fuel into the carburetor, Have you replaced the fuel filter on one of these? I can hear and feel the fuel pump working so I do not believe it is the fuel pump. Should I replace the fule filter or try and see if I can blow air into the carb through the fuel inlet to see if it is clogged? I am pretty good at fixing stuff too, just getting some info before I tackle this issue, appreciate any help or feedback.
A quick check to see if you fuel pump is working and your filter is not plugged is to disconnect the fuel line from the top of the fuel filter. Attach a few feet of 1/4 inch fuel line to the top of the filter and aim the end away from you. Push the start button (be prepared to hit the stop button) If fuel squirts out the end, your pump works and your filter is not clogged.
If the bowl is empty (like you just drained it) you will be able to blow through the fuel inlet. This will PROVE that there is no clog. If the fuel bowl is full, the float and needle should shut off the fuel inlet, so you should not be able to blow air into the carb, unless you can blow more than 10 psi or so. I have no idea what psi a human can blow.
Thank you Jim for the reply, I am sure it will help others. I found out that my Toyhauler fuel pickup line in the fuel station does not work from the bottom of the tank. It was an easy fix just by putting more fuel in the tank resolved my issue. I did not realize nor did I see any documentation that the tank had to be at least a 1/4 to a full of gas for the generator to run.
Stupid question. How do I disconnect power to the generator to s ac f eff ly work on it? I have an aux battery switch, enough? Disconnect battery under the hood or batteries for the rv? Want to be safe. Thanks for the video
I have the same generator and mine will start and run for around 10 secs and stop and I pulled the air filter off and it was full of gas and i also noticed when it was running it was blowing white smoke.. what do you think it might be?
I got an ONAN 4000 in my toy hauler that surging i have carb to replace. but how do you get the old carb out i took the two long bolts out but it does not budge? is there an alignment pin holding or something?
I have the same model and spec as this one but I can prime it and it will start and run for about 3 seconds. I checked the cut off solenoid power and it is shutting off just as the motor goes to die. The run light never comes on steady. I think the controller is shutting it down but I don't know why. the motor will not keep running on starter fluid either.
Not doing it this way, to get the choke and governor linkage off without bending them you have to remove the air box so you can tilt the carb around the z-bend in the linkage. You can do it this way but you risk damage to the governor and springs wich can be a pain. You will see code 13 or 14 if you did mess up the governor. Most of the time a simple "governor reset" will get you going again through.
My Onan 2800 Microlite was surging. I fixed the surging problem after trying the Seafoam trick and cleaning out the bowl, altitude nozzle and nozzle directly under the adjustment stop. Now the engine rpm's are too high. I replaced the carb and the rpm's are still too high. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Mine starts but then shuts off I clean the solenoid it worked fine but it still does the same thing it starts and then shuts down now if I start it and spray carb spray in it it will stay running but soon as I stop spraying the carb spray it shuts off do I to still put a carburetor on it
@ 1:47 --- 1:48 you see 2 small holes to the right of the choke butterfly valve. One of them leads to the main jet port to help draw fuel up from the float bowl. Remove float bowl (if possible) and main jet to make sure both are clear. I blew mine out with an air hose and I heard the clog pop out like a spit wad through a straw. Runs perfect again...your welcome.
Sid , are you removing the the entire carb? The linking will come off easy when you remove the carb. Hope this helps , trust me if I can do it anyone can , I am not a mechanic , just grew up,working on dirt bikes .
Scott Savoie yes I just got off the choke linkage. It was a pain but I got it off not sure if I'll be able to reconnect it once I either clean this carburetor or get a new one. I noticed I'm not getting any gasoline pumping thru the line to the carb when I press the start button. Wonder why?
Had my 4K shut off on me after starting it 5+ min. previous. Went out and it would start then stop when I release the start button. Ran it several hours earlier in the day while driving with roof AC on perfectly. Grabbed a screwdriver from toolbox and then tapped the side of the crab several times. Bingo...fired right up. Either the float was hung up or the solenoid. One can also remove the fuel line at the carb and spray some carb cleaner in and allow it to sit. And when you store the RV be sure and dump an appropriate amount of fuel stabilizer in the tank then top the tank off. Then run the generator under load for 20min or so. Been doing this method for many years and come spring time it starts every time. RV will sit 5-7 months at a time covered.
Hey Chris my carb is spitting out gas back into the air filter. I have a few problems I have came across. I'm at the point where swapping out the carb is next in my list. I have changed the oil, air filter, spark plug, fuel pump, fuel filter and now possible the carb. so with the new pump gas was not running out of the fuel line so damn I was stumped. Now this is unheard of. so I felt the fuel line from the pump to the carb and it had a hard lump. weird but wait. i gut it open and there was a cylinder glass fuse that was lodged in there with the glass broken. Ya I know. Weird/ Just bought this thing and already having problems. so anyways change out the fuel line now and gas runs through good now but still spits out fuel back into the air filter. so then i disconnect the fuel line from the carb and run it with out and it runs from the fuel in the bowl sometimes. Weird again. so I'm just feeling defeated and did not want toe spend the money on this purchase but it think there might be some glass pieces in the carb that is disturbing. I'm pulling out carb tonight and picking up a new one tomorrow. what do you think. thanks in advance for the feedback . and sorry for the novel. lol
Why not take some time and clean your old carb real good since the new carb is going to do the same thing again? Then you can just swap out and re clean the new one. That solenoid on the bowl nut is there to completely shut off the fuel to keep the engine from dieseling when you shut down and the engine is hot.... And to answer your question at 4:35. Yes she is.
Hey I would say dirty carb issues but just make it’s not coil shutting down. Also there’s a gas solenoid which opens and closes at the bottom. You can hear a on-off click when you turn power on to solenoid.
the factory oil dipstick is defective. drain about a half quart of oil out of it and try it. Onan only recently fixed this issue but they have no recall system, so just add oil until it is slightly above the ADD mark on the dipstick. hope this helps!
I have an Onan 5500 gold it appeared the fuel line was leaking and I fixed it and then it appeared the filter was leaking around the threads where it screws into the 90-degree elbow coming out of the side of the carburetor so took it off and somebody had use pipe dope I replaced it with Teflon tape and then it appeared it was leaking where the 90-degree elbow was threaded into the side of the carburetor. When I was removing the fuel filter I noticed the body of the filter turns but the top of where it was screwed into the 90-degree elbow didn't move so I put it to my mouth plugging the other end of my finger and created suction and it wouldn't hold the section so the filter was somehow leaking around the body of the filter. So I put a new filter on it. Okay now all the fuel leaks are stop. Now for some reason the choke is not pulling on and it won't start. Like the diaphragm that pulls the choke on has stopped working.
I had trouble with my 5500, it would start and the only way it would stay running was to hold the starter button, witch is not good to do. But very long story short, from the dealer to the operating manual , no one told me it has a belt at the bottom and when you let the button go the generator was not making electricity so that it could run on it's on power. Fortunately a good friend of mine worked on it until we figured it out but absolutely no one told us it has a belt
Jose Avelar you have to take it apart, it’s a the bottom end of the unit , the belt connects the generator to the motor. When starting it , it gets its power from battery but as soon as it starts it switches and get it’s power from generator, but if the belt is broke, there’s no power to keep running after you let the switch go
new spark, new air filter, good compression, new coach batteries, full fuel tube. Wouldnt start just rumble before above repairs. now starts but shuts off in 3 min.
@@PoweredbyPurpose its where the fuelnline attaches to the generator screwed into the fuel pump. The pump is located just under the wing nut for the air filter on the floor of the generator.
I have a 4000 microquiet I contacted onan and they gave me a part number 1460678 I have not been able to come up with anything using this number My 4000 is a4kyf226100j model and is j spec Will someone give me another number carb that will work on my generator Please help seems no one in my area knows anything
I have same genset, it primes, cranks but doesn’t start, I changed fuel pump, fuel filter, air filter, I checked and the pump is sending fuel to carburetor, what else could be the problem?
@@andrescanola8991 As far as I can tell from a web search it does. Not sure of the exact location, but you can look at the Microlite manual, it might be the same: www.manualslib.com/manual/1271955/Onan-Microlite-4000-Series.html There are a few videos on here that show people doing the switch bypass on a microquiet. Also, make sure you don't have too much oil in it. The level should be check with the dipstick screwed in, not just sitting on top of the threads.
Hi I am . If you get seafoam a d mix ot to gas in proper amo?unts it will no longer gum up. You can even use it as starting fluid. Will not hurt anything. Good luck . TV
I had my carb chit the bed again. There is a national back order on these carbs and they are almost $350. I finally said to hell with it and bought a knock off carb on amazon for $50. It comes with a plug to replace the solenoid and an in line fuel shut off. I figured if the thing isn't going to last, I ain't spending $350 for that. For $50 I can replace the amazon carb every year. I didn't have very god luck with Stabil. i thought I had a problem with the knock off carb because the gas in my tank was so bad after 3 months it caused surging. I added 10 gallons of fresh gas and now it runs perfectly. I use the fuel shut off when I am done with the generator. I think a shutoff should be factory installed in these things.
@@BillBlackfund4u I don't really recall. There are a ton of them that come up. I think they are all from the same source. The most useful part was the inline fuel shut off. When I am done with my generator I shut switch and run the carb dry. Been perfect ever since.
Found one that had good reviews. My issue- when that heat wave hit about a month ago it was running fine and we hit the road 110+ weather and wonder if that helped "cook" the cheap fuel that is in Washington State. It would start then die... code 14. Went to a small engine repair guy and he spent 4 hours on it- taking it completely apart to no luck. Good thing was he only charged me $60 (I gave him another $50 for his efforts) Brought it home and took it to another shop- where they convinced me it was 9/10 times the computer. I wasn't on board but 9/10 sold me. That wasn't it- I then asked if code 14 is still going off and he didn't even know how to check the codes! Got a bill for $600 and I flipped the hell out... they discounted me $300 and I was still pissed... Now on to the carb
I have a problem with my generator not starting. I replaced carburetor, fuel pump and brushes. It will start and die immediately like it is not getting gas. It has a code of 36. I don’t know what else to try. Maybe someone has had the same problem and has a fix for it.
@@LarryBlackledge I had to take the bowl off and adjust the air fuel mixture/altitude needle because it wasn't even close, but other than that, it works fine.
Update... I had scheduled my regular start ups every 3 weeks instead of every month. I just started mine after 3 weeks and it is surging again. When I 1st fixed it, it ran great for probably more than an hour, microwave worked, AC worked. Now like I said, it is surging again.
I replaced my starter, coil, starter solenoid, fuel pump,fuel filter,carb solenoid, spark plug and still don't work spent about $500. I just ordered a new carb for $35 ohh well
hello I just purchased our 1st rv last night; seller disclosed the generator only needed more gas to start. He stated initially that there might be a wire damaged by a rotten from the winter storage; he wife had just died and he couldn't bare the memories of looking at it in the driveway so we just wanted it gone. I really trust him; and everything else worked and he was throwing in all the goodies; We purchased it CASH... We picked it up it got it filled up; pulled over and tried it again...Nothing...Nothing. I called the seller back and he then stated I don't need the generator just pull into a camp to get power;;;;;;; that was a flat out lie...Nothing works then.....Anyway; our is not starting all can you help me PLEASE??????????????
When you don't use a generator every month, it gets very messed up. You need to look at RU-vid videos and check how to do an oil change, air filter change on your generator. Contact Cummins and tell them Year of your RV, Model #, Serial #, Watts, and name on top such as Onan 4000W Microquiet, or 5500 Marquis Gold, etc. They will send you Carburetor model number, Fuel Pump and Fuel Filter number. Buy these online, or from Cummins, and install them yourself or have an RV dealer do it for you, or find a Cummins tech to install. Your generator needs a complete clean up. Do not try to clean the carburetor, it can be a fire hazard afterwards. Replace it for $250. Fuel pump is around $35. Replace all these and do not think twice about it. A new generator is $5000. This is cheap. RV labor is not cheap. Try to do it yourself, you will learn. A lot! RV ownership = lots of your own labor and learning. If this is too much for you, either mortgage your house to pay for RV repairs, or sell your RV immediately. You will find that you get to know your RV very well. It becomes a closer friendship than your spouse. Use YELP.com to find good reviews on RV repair places. RU-vid is great for learning how to fix RV issues. Go camping and meet other RV owners who will teach you a lot. Good luck.
No joke, I need to make a video and show everyone how to fix this simple carburetor. The hardest part is getting it out....and that's not that hard. Did mine this afternoon. 12-13-20 Save yourself 4-5 hundred bucks by replying to me. Hint.....it's @ 1:47.5 where you can see the choke butterfly valve.
@@fishingfanaticfrank5162 @ 1:47 --- 1:48 you see "2 small holes to the right of the choke butterfly valve" (the thing with the 2 Philips screws in it) . One of them leads to the main jet port to help draw fuel up from the float bowl. Remove float bowl (if possible) and main jet to make sure both are clear. I blew mine out with an air hose and I heard the clog pop out like a spit wad through a straw. Runs perfect again...your welcome.
