I need help troubleshooting the electrical system on this generator. Any assistance is greatly appreciated. The engine runs. However I have no power output. Voltmeter is also not reading anything.

A customer brought me this with the condenser disconnected. I may have the nomenclature wrong but it is mounted outside the cast frame for the generator and is completely insulated. He said a friend of his was working on it and passed away. What should I try first?

 

Did the friend pass away while working on it?

 

Your excitation circuit has a problem most likely, I believe there is a critical capacitor that is part of it.
(condenser now = Capacitor)
What is the make of generator?
Max.

 

Uh... Hey Max... [ whack whack ] wake up...

In the past I have been accused of not reading the fine print.
I guess I don't read the Large print either?
Max.

 

Apparently Sears sells them. A copy of the owner's manual is here..... http://www.searspartsdirect.com/par...ower-america-parts-6000+watt+generator-manual

Page 13 shows a breakdown of the generator with part numbers. Too bad they didn't include a schematic.

 

The Sears manual doesn't show a capacitor in the generator parts. On that one it uses a AVR & brushes for voltage regulation. So does yours use a Capacitor type Reg or brushes & AVR? Generaly pictures of what you have are better than us guessing.

 

Two pictures of what I am dealing with.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/101273592@N08/9718290228/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/101273592@N08/9715058259/

I suppose the model number is APGG6000.

 

You need to find out if it is self exited or initiated by external supply?
AFAIK these type have a method for self excitation and this is often the source of problems.
Would your friend that passed have left any type of schematics in his possessions?
I have only worked on DC generators, apart from automotive AC generators.
Max.

 

Two pictures of what I am dealing with.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/101273592@N08/9718290228/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/101273592@N08/9715058259/

I suppose the model number is APGG6000.

Typical solid state regulated gen set. The black curved box is the regulator. Your unit may have lost residual magnetism on the field (rotating part). Remove the brush leads, observe polarity. The left side is the positive on every unit I've worked on. Connect a 12 volt battery to the brushes to magnetize the field windings. Reconnect your regulator leads. If still no output then remove the regulator and leave the battery connected while test running the gen set. If you now have some voltage the reg is shot. If still no voltage you have bigger problems inside the gen.

 

Typical solid state regulated gen set. The black curved box is the regulator. Your unit may have lost residual magnetism on the field (rotating part). Remove the brush leads, observe polarity. The left side is the positive on every unit I've worked on. Connect a 12 volt battery to the brushes to magnetize the field windings. Reconnect your regulator leads. If still no output then remove the regulator and leave the battery connected while test running the gen set. If you now have some voltage the reg is shot. If still no voltage you have bigger problems inside the gen.

My generator nomenclature is very elementary. Could you define/identify "brush leads" and "brushes"(meaning the copper strands?) and "regulator? Thanks

 

The brushes are carbon in the black holder mounted with one screw. It's pictured behind one of the white connectors in the one photo just above the outer bearing. Red wire is positive. White is negative. They are easily removed. Attach your 12 volt battery with a couple of suitable jumper leads to the spade lugs on the brush holder not the leads into the regulator. The battery current need only be on for a few seconds to "flash" the field winding. Then reconnect the regulator and try the gen set again.

If this fails to produce voltage go to step two as mentioned previously, that is remove the regulator, attach the battery and start the unit. You should get 'some" voltage but not a full 120 AC if the windings are good.

If you need a regulator I should mention I've purchased them on Ebay from somewhere in Hong Kong for approx $20. There are several suppliers. Locally you'll pay a lot more.

PS. I should mention that you can take a resistance reading of the field winding with the regulator leads removed. It's possible to have an open field winding. I've only found that once. Vibration broke the wire where it attached to the slip ring.

 

Last question. send 12 volts to both spade connections? or just one? At the same time or consecutively?

 

This is a typical Gen AVR that's been rev engineered & repaired. Als pic of feeding 12Vdc to brushes to excite the rotor to see if it will generate. The polarity of the 12V feed to the brushes must be correct + bat to + brush & - bat to - brush.

 

Nice pics Debe and schematic. Should answer the op's questions. Good job of removing potting.