My Generator

[Roly]

If the battery connections are good check the battery voltage when trying to crank.  I have seen batteries develop a surface charge that drops off with load.  Roly

[crokett™]

It is the battery. Connections are all very clean. Bypassing the starter solenoid did nothing. I jumped it off my gator and it turned over just fine. I guess I will plan on replacing the battery every 2 years or so. Or maybe run the generator more often. Or perhaps the trickle charger isn't anymore....

[TDKPE]

It is the battery.  Connections are all very clean.  Bypassing the starter solenoid did nothing.   I jumped it off my gator and it turned over just fine.  I guess I will plan on replacing the battery every 2 years or so.  Or maybe run the generator more often.  Or perhaps the trickle charger isn't anymore....

I let my lawn tractor with 21.5 hp B&S v-twin sit in the shed all winter, with no trickle charger, and it starts every spring after some extended cranking.  Maybe your trickle charger is boiling the water out of the battery.

[Stwood_]

Do you remember the battery brand name

[crokett™]

Do you remember the battery brand name

No.  its in my car waiting to be replaced.  Im sure it's whatever I got at Advance Auto, nothing special.  I replaced the battery when I installed the generator a few years ago.  


what causes the water to be boiled out?  Overcharging?

[TDKPE]

what causes the water to be boiled out?  Overcharging?

In a word - yup.

Edit: If yours is too brutish for a small battery, look into a small battery maintainer. Something suitable for motorcycle batteries. Something that charges at 1A or less, and is configurable for different battery chemistries. A timer wouldn't hurt, either, though some have a timer built in.

[crokett™]

In a word - yup.

Edit:  If yours is too brutish for a small battery, look into a small battery maintainer.  Something suitable for motorcycle batteries.  Something that charges at 1A or less, and is configurable for different battery chemistries.  A timer wouldn't hurt, either, though some have a timer built in.

thanks.  I was wondering about wiring in a timer. to the circuit.  I'll look at the output on the charger I have.

[Phil Thien]

It is nice that you have that Gator option.

Edit to add: I got one of the inexpensive lithium jump packs from Harbor Freight (recommended here), and it has saved my butt once already.

[crokett™]

It lives. A new battery was the fix. the trickle battery charger i have puts out 750 mA. I haven’t tested it to see if it is putting out power. I will think about adding a timer to the circuit.

[crokett™]

Another question.  I have a manual valve on the propane line to the generator the generator also has a fuel solenoid that I wired a manual switch to.  Currently I turn the manual valve off when the generator is not running.  Belt/suspenders in case the fuel solenid fails. Because Im a geek   I'm thinking of a Raspberry Pi to auto start the generator once a month.  For that the manual valve needs to be left open.  If the fuel solenoid fails would it ever fail open?  At one time this was an automatic start generator, which would require the manual valve to always be open so am I worried about nothing? My assumption is the engineers who designed this selected a solenoid hat was designed to fail in a manner that prevents a propane leak.