ONAN RV GENERATOR MAINTENANCE || Change The Oil, Replace The Air Filter, & Clean The Spark Arrestor
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ก.ย. 2024
- We show the annual maintenance & service for a diesel Onan RV generator: changing the oil, replacing the air filter, and cleaning the spark arrestor. We perform all of this maintenance on our Onan 7.5kW Quiet Diesel RV Generator... but it applies to many makes & models of Onan RV generators.
How to change the oil in your diesel Onan RV generator. How to replace the air filter in your diesel Onan RV generator. How to clean the spark arrestor in your diesel Onan RV generator.
Our Onan RV Generator cooling system flush and anti-freeze coolant replacement video is here:
• Change the Coolant in ...
Watch our diesel Onan RV Generator fuel filter replacement video here:
• Onan RV Generator Fuel...
Each spring, we service our Onan 7.5 kW QuietDiesel RV generator as part of routine spring cleaning. The oil and oil filter get changed every year, along with cleaning the spark arrestor. Some years also call for air & fuel filter replacement and coolant system service too. RV generator service intervals are based on time or hours they've run, but we generally don't use our generator enough to need service more than once a year.
We take care of all of these items ourselves, and in nine years of RVing, we've never had anyone else work on our Onan RV generator. We have never had a day of trouble with it, and the routine service is so easy that we've never needed any outside help. We'll cover the three most basic service items here.
We just changed the fuel filter last year, so we won't be demonstrating that today. And the coolant system service is involved enough to require its own video, so we'll be covering that within the next few weeks. In this video, we'll show how to change the oil & filter, replace the air filter and clean the spark arrestor.
From everything we've heard and read, the single biggest cause of generator trouble is lack of regular use. There are times when we're hooked up for fairly extended periods and don't need the genset, but we make sure to exercise it regularly anyway. The generator should be run at least once a month for about 2 hours under about half load. This means firing it up even if it's not needed for power, and turning on both air conditioners (or heat pumps) and heating a tank of hot water, or plugging in our portable space heater.
Whenever staring the generator, be sure to let it idle for a short time to warm up before putting a load on it (turning anything on that draws power). Also, before shutting the genny down, be sure to turn off all loads first, then let it idle for about two minutes to cool down before shutting it off.
Our generator will likely see more use this coming year than ever before. After being hooked up all winter, we're about to spend our first year out on the road with a new residential refrigerator that recently replaced our dead Norcold.
Our Onan (an extremely popular brand) is a diesel model, and runs off the same fuel tank as our engine. We have no experience with gas generators or other brands, so many things about them may be different than ours. Be sure to follow your manufacturer's instructions for operating and maintaining your generator.
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Best Onan generator maintenance video I have seen yet. Very well done. Thank you.
Done, I found the last service I had, the oil filter was installed too tightly, but I finally got it. Finding exactly how much oil to add was a little tough, but I just kept using the dip stick. The oil filter takes probably half a quart, so that's something to remember. There was just under a gallon of oil that I poured out into a jug, that came from the oil filter and generator. I personally added Shell Rotella 15-40, but believe most quality oils of that viscosity will work fine! 3/8" socket for the oil drain, and 11/16" for the spark arrestor cleaning.
Nice trick with use of a smaller socket when replacing the spark arrester. Nice video.
Thanks so much, Jason! That’s one of my favorite tricks. 😁
I could hug you guys!! My used coach came without all the manuals and your videos have helped me to feel like I can fix anything! Thanks
As always, everything explained so well. Thank you.
( blush ) Glad our videos have helped. And congratulations on the purchase of your RV. :)
@Mohammad Alsharari We're pretty sure that sound is the fuel pump priming as the glow plugs pre-heat. If you're not getting any more than that, your starter motor is not firing up. If the starter motor actually spins the generator up, but it does not start, the first thing we'd look at is a fuel issue. Make sure you have enough fuel in your RV's tank, since the engine and the generator use the same tank. Once the tank drops below a certain amount, the fuel falls below the generator pickup. They do that to prevent the generator from using up all of the fuel by accident. The first thing we'd do, especially if your fuel tank is low, is fill it up. You could have as much as 1/4 to 1/3 of a tank, and it still might be below the generator pickup line in the tank.
Hi Lauren. The first thing I would do in your case is a complete scheduled maintenance (except oil & filter, since you said that was recently done). Do the fuel filter, spark arrestor and air cleaner. Since those things need to be done anyway, your revving problem may just be solved by doing the maintenance. If not, no harm done, since those things need to be taken care of anyway. Best of luck.
great tip re socket in socket. Thanks
A viewer of our recommend we watch this video to find out how to lean the spark arrestor in our Gas Onan 4000. We never heard of this before. Now I'll have to go take a look and see if I can find it on our generator. As usual thanks for all your great videos!
Hi Kenny & Sabrina! We think yours is on the muffler. We’re pretty sure our friend Brian, of RV With Tito, has the same unit. He might be a good resource too. Let us know how you make out!
@@RVgeeks OK great, thanks guys! We have a little over 500 hrs on the generator and have never checked the spark arrestor so we are afraid to see what we find lol. We watch Brian's videos too :) We are about to leave Virginia and travel to California then back to Florida with in the next seven weeks (I know it sounds just as crazy to us as it probably does to you lol) We will be doing some boondocking and dry camping in Arizona and we are just trying to get the RV as prepared as possible for the trip. Take care and safe travels guys!
I would replace that spark arrester plug with a piece of pipe with a cap on it. Always punch a hole in the filter to drain it, come back in 5 minutes and take the filter off. Most people don't use a torque wrench much if ever, however most bolts and plugs do have torque specs. Great video, very helpful. Not even sure why it comes up but I enjoyed it.
Thanks for this great idea, akbychoice. Do you happen to know the thread pitch on the spark arrestor bolt and the length of the pipe you installed? I'd like to get a properly-threaded pipe in advance so I can install it when doing this service.
Robert Baumann it’s a pipe taper thread the same size as the plug you remove. Just get a pipe as long as the ratchet extensions to get it where you can more easily access it to put on and remove a thread on cap.
As always thanks for a great how to, I've realized with as busy as RV repair shops are, I'm gonna have to learn to do this myself
DIY RVing rules the road! :)
Ok, so got everything I needed, I thought👍but I've got a brand new 2017 unit and apparently the online manual has a different size oil filter than the one I picked up. 👎From everything I can read I have the right one, but it is clearly larger than the one that is in the unit currently. Which means my wrench won't work. Ill have to reach out to Onan and see what I Can find out bummer camping world is 1 hour and a half away.
Streamin Freedom
What's your generator model number? Maybe I can help you identify the correct filter.
also, you mentioned a few tips on your video that i was un aware of . and i really appreciate them and your video shows your knowledge and expertise for these generators!. one great one is the bit about shutting the generator down, i was unaware of that and i will start doing it properly now---Thank You!
Thanks for the very informative information. I just performed an oil change with your help. The only thing I done different was loosen the oil filter just a little to make sure I could get it off easily and the drilled a small hold in it to drain the oil out. This keeps the mess to a minimum.
Awesome technique, Cathy! Thanks for letting us know. We'll be doing our annual generator maintenance in a few weeks, including coolant replacement!
perfect!! thanks so much!!
Super well explained! Complete with all the required hints for a job well done. Thanks!
Thank you! Did mine today, video helped a bunch.
Gennie on a slide out?!?! That's the coolest thing ever.
Actually, the coolest thing ever are the generators on POWER slide outs! Wish we had one of those. 😄
@@RVgeeks there you go, now you have a project for spring. ;-).
The oil drain plug uses NPT threads. They are not square threads as found in automotive applications. An NPT threaded fastener is tapered and gradually gets tighter. There IS NO HARD STOP like there is on a car oil drain plug. The the video simply mentions that there is no crush washer. Use of NPT threads is the reason there is no crush washer. It should be noted that all older American cars did not use a crush washer on the drain plug either, BUT they also use square threads. So mentioning that the generator simply does not have a crush washer is misleading. Hope this helps.
Thanks for an excellent video for Onan, I usually jam some paper in the socket for holding the nuts.
Thanks for your video! We're servicing our genset in a couple days and this was nice to see where everything is located.
That's so great to hear! If you'll also be doing your generator's coolant this time around, we've got a video on that one too. :)
Perfectly explained ! Thank you !!!
Don't use penetrating oil on the spark arrestor... it's part of the exhaust system and could start a fire! The only reason I would use it on the oil drain plug is if it won't come out without it. I plan to do a fuel filter video next time I change it (sorry... not til next year), but definitely check out our video about servicing the genset cooling system. The fuel filter requires a drain pan to catch excess fuel, and a vise grips to clamp the hose. The iRV2.com forums should be a good resource.
Another good video. I made it like a pro....like I was a real mechanic :) Thank you sir. Tomorrow I will tackel the fuel filter. My RV is gonna be in a very good shape soon!
That's awesome Patrick! Great to hear. Thanks. Have you seen our video about changing our Onan fuel filter?
What do you think, I am an IT consultant...I have no clue how to do that otherwise! :)
+Patrick Joly Here ya go: th-cam.com/video/4G8TjuZfyHE/w-d-xo.html 😉
job done! With a little more challenge since once my filter was replaced, the fuel started to leak all over the place. It was my bad, I did not apply enough strength. Thanks again for all you videos, they are all very interesting.
And by the way...I didn't know what was a spark arrestor. Good to know that it exists and we have to clean it once in while.
Wow, cool stuff. Now teach how to do an oil/oil filter/air filter and spark arrestor change on a 10K and 12.5K Onan Genny.
Super video!! Thanks. Now I need to find one on replacing the fuel filter.
I just used your tip for the Spark Arrestor. 660 hours and it was full of soot
WOW! I bet!
Very good videos on Onan maintainance. About every 1000 hours the water pump belt needs to be replaced. It's an easy job if there is a side door on the gen set. I'm not sure if it can be done from the bottom door, but should be easy with the top off. For me, a broken belt was the primary reason for over heating.
Thanks for adding that to the mix here Roy. We've never had a belt break, so no video about it (of course we'll make one if that happens). This spring we're on tap for our second changing of the fuel filter our RV will be 10 years old) and we sure will be making a video about it! Already have the filter on board and just waiting till the weather is nicer.... maybe in May. lol
Excellent video! Loved the socket trick. I had an oldtimer tell me if you also tape that arrestor plug to the socket,with a wrap og electrical for instance,that it helps you "feel" if its going in straight, to prevent cross threading. I also wonder if a wire brush once around prior to final install of it,would help get rid of any remaining chunks of carbon that would get in the way of a smooth rethreading. anyway,nice job.I'm trouble shooting an old Kohler at the moment from my 90 cheiftain.
Great vid! It makes it seem so easy, I'll have to try it next time. Thank you.
It's not bad at all Alan. This is one of the annual maintenance items I actually look forward to!
Very nice, thank you very much guys!! I was reading up on generator care today and this came in very handy. Not quite sure of the difference between a spark arrestor and spark plug, but will look it up. Your videos are very much appreciated!
A spark arrestor and a spark plug are awfully different!
Yes, I see that now. Not familar with motor parts, but learning.
Hi Lauren. Thanks for the comment. I'm sorry I can't tell what's causing the problem with your generator, but I can't imagine that the spark arrestor would be involved. It sounds more like a fuel issue (i.e. fuel filter gummed up or fuel pump failing). How old is it?
Great video... I'm going to give this a shot.
Thanks for educating us. never really worked on generator before. my husband will have another honey do. oh no!
Good video work and perfect sound. Thank you. This is my exact generator. I just have to copy you tomorrow.
Thanks for sharing .. your video was very professional , I leaned a lot
Thanks Eric! 😊
Another awesome video. I have learned a 'ton' of information from your tutorial videos. Many thanks for posting them.
Thanks so much for letting us know! 😊
I'm not sure how old it is. I got it second hand. It's had about 4, 600 hours on it. I know we changed the furl pump 500 hours ago and it is due. I have to wait for my personal mechanic to get back in town since my boyfriends expertise is limited. So possible the fuel filter needs replacing or the pump like you mentioned. I really appreciate your reply, more than you know. Spark arrestor bolt is so tight he can't get off by hand... So haven't gotten to clean that out yet. Thanks again.
That generator slide out is a game changer. My 05 KSDP 3910 is fixed in place. When it was necessary to change the belt and hoses it had to be removed from the coach. Great info guys. Have you ever thought about applying neverseez on the spark arrestor plug?
Hi Raymond! The slide is indeed an incredible saving grace. We have friends who also own an '05 KSDP, and I've seen how much more challenging (or impossible) some DIY maintenances can be. We've never had a problem getting our spark arrestor out, so it never occurred to me to put neverseez on it. If you've had to fight yours out, I bet that would be a big help, as long as there aren't any warning about flammability on the container!
@@RVgeeks Thanks for the response! Something to think about. You guys still at Organ Pipes? Would love to be there. Spring is starting to peek out up here in Southern Oregon!
Left Organ Pipe a couple of days ago after a great visit. Awesome place! Safe travels, Raymond!
if you really want to flush out bad oil in anything including cars, vehicles, rv's, lawn mower's, etc. there is a trick. Remove the oil drain keeping the filter (if one is there) on. Once all the oil drains out poor in fresh oil and keep pouring it in til you see fresh oil coming out of the drain hole. Then stop pooring in new oil. Then you can remove the filter if one is attached. I use this on lawn mower's too.
Thanks... we'll have to give that a shot the next time we change the oil in the genny!
That beginning sound sounded like my Jeep starting!
Good job on the video... trying the annual maintenance for myself for the first time. My QD 8000 has about 85 hours on it and was serviced by an RV tech the last time. I bought all Onan stuff, but I see you and others use cheaper oil - is the oil you use as good as Onan? Also I only bought 3 quarts.
Any name brand oil is fine. Of course just be sure it’s the correct weight/viscosity.
Ed & JoAnn Hass We estimate that our 7500 Onan uses somewhere around 0.25 GPH under very light load and about 0.5 with a moderate load. Here's the spec sheet from Onan: bit.ly/onan-quietdiesel-spec-sheet
Great video! thanks. I followed all your straight forward instructions. However, it seems that my exhaust pipe is routed under the access door and I cannot access the oil filter. With the access panel down, I can't even get my hand inside to touch the oil filter.
Oh boy, sorry to hear that, Garry. You may need to see if it's possible to remove your exhaust pipe so you can more easily reach what's needed!
with that spark rester you can put paper around it to keep it tight at the end of that socked and you would not worry about dropping out the second socket.
+Robert Butler I originally tried using a cloth to keep it tight, but the second socket works so much better.
Now what a good idea.... the video was really interesting.
Hello from iraq well done my greeting
Great idea! Thanks for the tip. :)
Thanks RV Geeks. The video was very informative. You wouldn't happen to have a video on replacing the exhaust on the Onan 7.5kw would ya? I snapped off the spark arrestor while trying to clean it. Apparently it had never been cleaned in the last 16 years.
+Marti Cantrell Sorry to hear, Marti. We don't have a video on that because our exhaust is all original. You might try posting on the forums at irv2.com to see if anyone out there has done it and has any tips.
Anti-seize on the threads of that spark arrester plug should help with removal in the future.
If anyone else is looking, the Onan 122-0833 is a tough filter to find. I like Wix, and found the Wix part number to be 51064. Much easier to get locally.
Good to know, McCarlSpeed! Thanks for that cross-reference. We try to keep a spare on hand and order our Onan filters online from RVChassisParts.com... this one can be found here: www.rvchassisparts.com:8443/aparvchassis/runApp?id=5
They have all service parts on Amazon.
Great video! However it's not called a deep throat socket it's called a deep well.
That’s what my Dad called it, so I’ve always used that term. 😂
Nice easy to follow video, we just got the MH with the 7500. question.... why do the soot plug firs... that way you remove the plug without getting burnt,...then run the gen to heat it up... then remove the oil plug and filter..... you can do the air filter while it draining.... and after the new oil is in and the gen has cooled.... put the soot plug back in...???
supposed to say why not do the soot plug first while its cool
What a great idea. Never thought of that. Just goes to prove that no matter how long we've been RVing, there are always things to learn and better ways to do just about anything. Thanks! :)
Bad design on Onan to remove the filter and have oil get on wiring just brilliant
Great DYI videos, use them all the time. We bought our coach used and it was neglected and we have been working on it to get back in shape. Ready to service the Genset, i.e. oil, fuel and air cleaner. Should I spray some penetrating oil on the spark arrestor and oil drain plug before trying to remove them? You did not address the fuel fiilter,is there any thing I should watch our for? Coolant is next
Those colored sockets are cool! Do you remember where you purchased them?
We got it at Costco, but there are a number of similar sets on Amazon: amzn.to/2QdBY8U
You should be leaving the drain plug off while you remove the oil filter, as some oil can bet back into the oil pan when you remove the filter. Just remove the oil filter as the oil is draining.
I have heard of ppl filling the new oil filter either half way full with fresh/new oil and other people fill it all the way up full with fresh oil
Hi Jason! You can't actually put any oil into the filter on our generator, because it installs horizontally, so it would all run out as we tried to screw it in! LOL
Great video !
Well done 👏
Fuel filter change on 2019 ventana Le 4038
Another pro video.
Keep them coming.
Great tips, thanks. Keep 'em coming.
Well, I had high hopes, but it wasn’t in the cards for me today. My drain plug is stuck, now it’s stripped, and none of the typical workarounds are working.
I’m gonna tap out and try to find a truck mechanic along my route home and just not Boondock for a while 🤣
No, I’m gonna need a new drain plug too
Ugh
@@inspired2rv661 So sorry to hear. 😞 It’s so frustrating when things like that happen. Wishing you the best of luck getting it squared away ASAP. 🤞🍀
@@RVgeeks 🙏🏻🌻💕
I found a semi mechanic who is willing to give it a go. 9 days away. I’ll let you know how it went.
I’m gonna do my own gen oil changes in the future so this doesn’t happen again. Your video is so awesome. It gave me confidence to try it.
It’s easy when the plug comes out🤣 I’m going to try to get the spark arrester out tomorrow, hopefully that will be easier going.
I have the same genset, thanks for sharing this service!!! Although, it would have been nicer if you included the filter part numbers. :D
PS- Thoughts on service intervals? Do most go by hours of use or seasonal?
We don't use our genset enough to service more than one each year. If I recall (have to check the manual), hitting a certain number of hours would require more frequent service, much like a car that gets serviced based on miles or time, whichever comes first. Sorry 'bout the lack of a part number. I was worried that I'd be giving owners of similar models with a different filter a bum steer. If you have the identical model we do, the part # is 122-0833. ;-)
RVgeeks With the difference between models it's best they get that info off the current filter or call the shop and ask them. Bad info can cause an extra trip to the store.
How many hours did you run with that air filter in? I saw how clean it was and wondered why you didn't blow it out or tap it and put it back in? LOL! It looked almost new!
I have been in areas where my filter got so clogged up it choked out the engine! I was wondering what happened so soon after the service until I opened the intake and all the sand fell out! No NAPA close by so I had to shake and use my air nozzle to clean it out and it lasted till the next service. Saved $12.
George Purdy Not wanting to give a wrong part # is exactly why we didn't specify a specific filter, but since XFBO says his is the same as ours, I gave him our #. We really are pretty miserly on power, so between that and staying in a lot of sunny places where our solar panels provide enough juice, we don't end up with a very dirty air cleaner. We only change it every two years (as per Onan), and it barely needs it then! lol But at that point it's such cheap insurance that we just go ahead and do it.
@@RVgeeks Yeah, I was looking for part number listing as well, but will do some searching for those. I do have the 7500 Onan in our '08 Tiffin, so I will assume it is the same, as the way the maintenance was shown, my entry door to the filter is exactly the same. Thanks, as I do refer to this video, prior to doing my own, so thanks for all the fliming/editing, as it's appreciated!
Great video
+Chef Juan Montalvo Thanks Juan!
Great video, thanks.
awesome & helpful video!!
Thank you , great video
How do you slide that out, on that specific style?
To be able to slide the generator out, it has to come from the factory mounted in a slide. High-end motorhomes often come with that feature, but we doubt it could be added later.
Nice video but my unit is shutdown flashing service now is there a reset for this function?
Hi Ken. You need to go to your owners manual, even if you have to look it up online, and find the section about fault codes. There is a flashing sequence of the fault light that tells you what type of problem you’re having and why the generator shut down. It’s a little complicated, but if you read the instructions carefully, you can walk your way through it and get the correct error code. It will be a two digit code, indicated by a number of flashes for the first digit, then a second series of flashes to indicate the second digit. You count the number of times it flashes the first time and the number of flashes it flashes the second time and that indicates the fault code as specified in the manual.
i have a question-- if you are willing and able to answer it...
my diesel onan generator is going up and down reving the engine. like its idleling low-high-low-high...continuously, when it has a load or not. it started today. the oil was recently changed but i know for sure the spark arrestor hasnt not been removed and cleaned out the way shown in your video. could this be causing this? or is this another issue entirely ( with that still needed to be done to the spark arrestor?)
thank you!!
Great and clear vid! Thanx
Interesting, I didn't know about the spark arrestor and I doubt it has ever been serviced. I've noticed lately that I'm getting a little puff of black smoke out of the exhaust when I start the generator and then the exhaust is clean. Would that have anything to do with the spark arrestor? I was thinking it might be something like a valve guide letting a little oil past it and into the cylinder when it's turned off.
Sorry we're not diesel mechanics, so not sure about that one. But cleaning the spark arrestor is important anyway, so maybe once that's done, the smoke will stop.
We have three of these generators in our work vans. They are great but there is a major service every 500 hours (about $1200) to replace head gaskets and who knows what. Is this needed? Will it run for 5 or 6 years without that? I could just buy a new one for the same price without the hastle of having the van down for a week every year. We change our own oil.
Hi Sarah. We have such a small number of hours on our generator (solar panels help reduce our need for it) that we're not qualified to say what's needed when you REALLY use a generator a lot. Our RV is nearly 11 years old, and nowhere near 500 hours yet! We didn't even know that a head gasket was required at that point.
such a great video!
Mine does not turn on at all but it still making same noise at 2:32 in the video please help what might be the problem
I have a question: Can you guys do a Video on AIR RIDE SAG - After RV is parked a day or two right front will sag all other air ride bags are fine on 2004 Monaco Diplomat pusher - Thanks
Hi Rich. If you're only getting one air bag sagging, you might have a leak at that one air bag, or with that one ride height valve. Like us, your RV is starting to get to that age where the air system might begin to hold its pressure less solidly. I have considerable experience with a wide range of air-bag equipped vehicles, from 1950s, 60s and 70s-era GM transit buses, to 1980s and 90s-era MCIs, to 2000s-era diesel pusher motorhomes. The older the vehicle, the more likely it will be to lose air system pressure. Really old ones can end up with deflated air bags in a matter of hours, and certainly overnight. Airing up took longer and longer the older the vehicle got, the result of slow leaks developing in older air systems over time. Anything even reasonably new will have such a tightly sealed air system that it’s just not an issue. When we shut down our nearly-13-year-old motorhome for the night in a Wal-Mart lot for example (leaving the RV up on air bags, since we wouldn’t level in that situation), there is almost no airing up required the next morning. It stays virtually all the way up on all air bags, with almost no loss of air pressure on the gauges, even with us moving around inside. We know it's only a matter of time until we start showing signs of air system age, but so far, we're lucky that ours is still like brand new. Other than the longer time to get aired up in the morning, there's no real problem with an older rig..... until the system becomes so leaky that you risk a low air warning while you're on the highway. That's usually only a problem for MUCH older rigs... far older than either of ours. But in your case, we'd have that one corner looked at to see if there a problem with air bag or valve.
Good info, find more DIY RV troubleshooting tips , type in FRVTS
Have you ever thought of replacing your oil drain plug with a valve like the ez oil drain?
For the generator.... We haven’t actually, but only because the volume of oil is so low, and the drain plug so accessible and easy to deal with. For the RV engine.... we’ve considered it, but decided that the consequences of an inadvertent release of oil are too severe, what with the cost of repairing or replacing our Cummins ISL.
Thank you Thank YOu ThANk You!!
Thank you and merry Xmas
Great post.
How do you reset the hours til maintenance is required on the main panel inside the coach after servicing? Is it 50 hrs or 150 hrs?
Hi Wayne! That's called a "Hobbs Meter" and it counts total lifetime hours. So, like a car's odometer, there's no way to reset it. We make a record of our services, just like in our car's maintenance book, and note when the next maintenance is due.
RVgeeks
Thanks for the response. My 2007 Fleetwood Providence has the "Hobbs Meter" but it also has a remote panel next to the EMS display that I can start the generator, set the quiet hours, etc. It is currently displaying "Service in 14 hrs".
The last time I had the generator serviced at the RV service dept. they reset the meter so I know when to have it serviced again.
Wayne Mcclain Ahhh... Got it! Today is MY day to learn something, as I've never seen a display like that. Very cool. Wish we had that! I bet it's very easy to reset it, but I don't know the steps. I'd suggest posting a question on the iRV2 forums, and you'll surely find someone out there who knows exactly how to do it. If you haven't used the forums before, sign up at www.irv2.com (it's free) and tap into a wealth of RV knowledge! Hope this helps, Wayne. Please let us know how you make out.
After reading a little.....(I know, LAST RESORT?), I found out that I have an Onan Energy Command 30 remote panel and the "service in" reset is accessed from the menu. Really pretty simple.
when replacing the fuel filter? will fuel come out quite a bit when replacing it?
Gold Rush Music Group The way we minimize fuel leakage when changing the fuel filter on the generator is by clamping the end of the hose with a vise grips. Just be sure to protect the rubber hose by wrapping the ends of the vise-grips with several wraps of masking or electrical tape before clamping. At least a small amount of fuel will likely leak out no matter what, so be sure to have something like an oil drain pan underneath as you remove the hose from the filter and clamp it. We'll be replacing our fuel filter within the next couple of weeks and will be posting a detailed video about how to do it.
Can you guys do a video on the Onan 7K gas generator? Many RVer's many this or the 5K
Hi John! We'd love to help out, but we're just a couple of guys in an RV, and generally only have access to our own rig, which has the 7.5 diesel in it. A good friend of ours, RVwithTito, did a video on his class C rig, where he showed how to change the oil in his 4k gas generator. Maybe it's the same general process as the larger gas generators? You can check it out here to see if it's similar to yours: th-cam.com/video/9kdEUXoYdfU/w-d-xo.html
Roger that, I have watched some of Tito's videos in the past. Good Stuff. I'll give it a go, thanks!
Love your videos. Quick question: Does it pay to use synthetic oil in the Onan diesel generator? I have the 7500 QD as well. I'd never use it in the main engine; Cost is huge and I change oil too frequently anyway. But in the generator, with only 3 quarts, cost difference is minor. I'll probably do less than 50 hours a year and change once every couple three years.
Neither one of us has ever used synthetic in any vehicle we've ever owned, because manufacturers generally state that the change interval should not be extended even if you run synthetic. We just checked, and Onan specifically says "If you decide to use synthetic oil in your generator, the maintenance time intervals given in the operator manuals must still be followed."
Since we always change the oil in every engine we own (car, RV & generator) once each year, we never bothered switching from regular oil.
I totally agree with that decision. Change oil often enough and synthetic makes no sense. That said, Rotella just changed their marketing and packaging for their diesel oils, now calling them T4 (dino oil), T5 (blended) and T6 full synthetic. In doing this, the T6 was on sale for $20 a gallon. So I sprung for synthetic anyway. Will still stick to same oil change interval, however.
+RVGeeks Don't you have to prime the oil filter with fresh oil like you would with a car? In other words, fill the filter with oil so it doesn't have to work so hard. Or is it that the Onan is so small that the oil doesn't have that far to travel to get to the filter. Great video, been subscribed for a while now.
Hi Steven. The filter requires no priming, as it fills with oil upon adding it from above through the oil fill. You actually can't put oil in beforehand, as the filter is mounted on the side of the block, so it would just run out. This is actually the case with most cars too, including our current Honda CR-V. No priming required, or possible, due to horizontal mounting. Thanks for the nice note and great question, and for subscribing!
I need some advice- My 7.5 diesel Onan will start and then immediately stall. It's in a 2002 Safari Zanzibar 38'. I have about 70,000 miles on it. I had a serious injury a few years and haven't been able to drive the rig but I've been pretty religious about starting the motor once a week and running the generator, with a load on it. about once a month. A month ago I had the rig serviced at a diesel shop but I did not get the generator serviced. Two weeks ago, during a neighborhood power outage, I took refuge in the motor home but the generator wouldn't start.
I have plenty of fuel. Following your guides, I changed the oil, oil filter, air filter and fuel filter. It still won't start. I followed your guide and primed the fuel pump for 60 seconds but the same thing happens - it will fire up for a second or two but then stall.
I'm leaning towards a fuel filter but the choices on ebay or amazon are overwhelming.
Hi Dave. Are you seeing a fault code? That's the fastest way to home in on the likely problem area. Your owner's manual should explain how to get and interpret them. It's a series of flashes on the light in the generator start/stop switch. It flashes in two levels. It's a little complicated, but the manual should explain.
I don't see any place that reads a fault code. I have three start/stop switches (on the dash, on the console over the door and on the front of the generator itself) and there is no place to display a fault code. No lights flash when I fire the generator up. On the armrest console I do have a toggle switch that reads ENG DIAG. Pressing it doesn't do anything and I can't find any reference to in my manual.
@@RVgeeks
Hi Dave. If the genny is shutting itself off, it usually throws a fault code by blinking a series of red flashes of the light that's built into the on/off toggle switch on the generator itself. If you're not getting any fault code (flashes), we're not sure where to begin. It does sound more like a fuel issue than anything else, but you said there's plenty of fuel, and you just replaced the filter. The odds of a bad filter seem slim. Maybe the fuel pump? If it were bad fuel, we'd expect it to run, but rough. Sorry we're not sure where to go on this one without a fault code guiding us in some particular direction. The engine diag switch isn't for the generator.
@@RVgeeks The diesel engine runs fine so I doubt it's contaminated / bad fuel. I guess I have to learn more about these FAULT CODES and how to see them and then how to diagnose them. Or I could just gamble and change the fuel pump. The problem is when I go to ebay and search for fuel pumps I have about 20 to choose from. I have no idea which one is the correct fuel pump.
Hey Dave. We'd hate to see you throw parts (and time & effort) at trying to fix this before completely diagnosing it. So... the switch on the generator itself: when it's running, is it backlit? If so, BINGO! That's the light you need to watch when the genny stops running. If it flashes, it's flashing your code. Here's a link to the owner's manual for the Onan: www.norwall.com/product_pdfs/7953_hdkah_spec_a_n_opm_2015.pdf Go. to page 41 where they describe how to "read" the flashes to determine your error code. There isn't a dedicated display... it's just the backlight on the Start/Stop switch itself (and if any of your OTHER switches are backlit when the genny is running, they should show the flashing if it errors, too... but the one on the generator itself DEFINITELY should).
Awesome! !!
Uncle Wayne - I have a question : ) We have same 7,500 watt Onan Diesel Quiet Pac on our 2006 Damon Class A. Can you give us your best.est experienced intelligent :) guesstimate ( unable find in manual ) as to an amount of Diesel will be used running generator "per hour" with minimal draw on generator ?
I know this is old, but my manual says it's about .19 gal per hour idle, and goes up from there. Full load is .93
Is there a kit number for this. I just bought this RV and want to do a change no matter what.
We don’t know of any kit. All needed supplies are individual.
My exhaust pipe crosses under the access door to the filter. Who designed that?
I have to remove the exhaust pipe to get the filter out.
That does indeed sound like a poor design. It's amazing what RV manufacturers sometimes do to shoehorn existing equipment into RVs.
I was told that there are 2 fuel filters on the Onan 7500 diesel generator. I only see one of them. Is there a second filter?
Wayne Jared Hi Wayne. We've been carefully servicing our Onan 7500 based on the maintenance schedule and instructions for 10 years and have never heard of a second fuel filter, so I'm quite sure there's only one. Coincidentally, we'll be replacing our fuel filter within the next few weeks, and will post a video about how to do it.
Could it possibly be an in the fuel tank filter?
Here's a TIP ; Replace the oil plug with a 3/8 "Bull Plug" it has a square fitting to turn it with and you can use a 3/8 ratchet extension in reverse to remove!! Mine stripped off.......NOT AGAIN!
How much oil does the 7500 quiet diesel hold and what viscosity
Tha manual says 3 quarts, but it actually seems to hold just a little more. We use 15W-40 which covers an ambient temperature range from 10 degrees F and up.
nice
How much diesel does it use per hour ? Also what mpg does your rig get ?
Between 1/4 & 1/2 gallon per hour hour at 50% load (about 30-amp draw on our 7.5 kW genney). Our RV gets about 7 MPG.
Great video. However, why in heaven's name didn't you show the fuel filter as well? Is that a separate video? Or did you just decide to do half the job here?
+Sailor K Oil gets changed every year and fuel filter is once every 5 years. Not "half the job" but completely separate tasks. Fuel filter video here: th-cam.com/video/4G8TjuZfyHE/w-d-xo.html
KK. Now, I see the separate video on fuel filter. Thats all I was looking for. Thanks: your video on the fuel filter is also awesome. BTW, Apparently air filter is also 500 hours. And coolant change is 1000 hours--you going to do a video on that also?
+Sailor K Done! th-cam.com/video/0LB5ZhvhXas/w-d-xo.html 😊
very helpful ok wish me luck lol
How do I wire it up, any advice? Mine didn’t come with a manual
+Elliott Do you mean installing a new generator? Sorry, but we’ve never done that. If you Google the make and model, most owner’s manuals are available online.
I need help my RV sift gear stuck in park I did press the break shift can't get out of park any suggestions .thanks
Sounds like you might have a sensor failure. The RV gets a signal when you apply the brake that tells the transmission it's OK to shift out of park. If the transmission doesn't receive that signal, it won't shift. Check your fuses to see if any are burned out, and if you haven't already done it, try shutting down the engine and re-starting, and that might re-set the system. Also, check to see if the brake lights are coming on when you step on the brake. If not, it might just be the switch on the brake pedal.