Honda Generator Excitement

[SkiprJohn]

I have an old generator that has set for a very long time. The battery was dead but I got it running. Now it won't give me power. I heard that sometimes you need to excite them. I do have some old Playboy magazines but I don't think that's what it means.
Anyone know how to get an old generator excited?
JohnL

[Charlie]

You are thinking in human terms. Establishing whether it is a boy or a girl generator and then find a picture of the appropriate gender with the biggest Kwh that you can find.

[hellosailor]

John, I think someone means that the permanent magnets in the generator may have lost their magnetism--in which case, the magic is gone.

See Generator repair? - Yahoo! Answers

for one way to kludge this. If you do it right, you'll restart the generator and it will remagnetize (in theory) and of course if you do it wrong--poof, the magic smoke leaks out and it is gone for good.

[David M]

Which generator is it? Is there a trouble shooting guide/owners manual for it on the manufacturers website? Most manufacturers provide a downloadable PDF file for most of their products now...new and old.

It may be a simple case of the breaker being stuck in the open position. Have you put a multimeter to the output of the motor itself?...be very careful doing this.

Also, boy generators tend to be more troublesome until they get to be teenagers, and then girl teenage generators get to be living hell. I bet it's a girl...right?

[Strygaldwir]

Actually, I believe that refers to the electro magnets for the stator. There need to be some current in the circuit to generate a magnetic field that the rotor can spin in and generate current. I believe that a regulator controls the amount of current going to generate the field and thats how they control the current out put.

Having said that, It may be your regulator in your generator that is causing the problem.

[SkiprJohn]

Thanks folks. I'll start looking at the innards tomorrow. Just got discouraged today because I wanted to use it to power a grinder to sand the bottom of a Folkboat. Darn!
JohnL

[Alan Wheeler]

Warning!!! make sure you magnetise the right polarity. Or otherwise when you plug in, instead of putting the power into your device, it'll result in sucking the the life right out of it. And don't accidently plug into the national grid or you'll suck all the power out and create a black out. :-) Nah just joking. I would suspect you have a far simpler problem. Check connections. There could be a old corroded connection or contactor. It depends on the design and size of the system as to regulation etc.

[SkiprJohn]

Thanks Alan! There were a couple of suggestions as to what I could try before taking the thing apart. I'll try those first.
How's that mizzen staysail?
Regards,
JohnL

[Alan Wheeler]

I/m going to be taking the "ruff cut" of it over to my sailmaker and get him to sow it all into shape fro m next season. Which at the rate the year is flying, won't be that far away again. Shortest day soon, or your longest.

[Tellie]

[quote=Alan Wheeler;167457]Warning!!!
it'll result in sucking the the life right out of it.

Then it' not a teenage generator but rather a first wife generator.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by Alan Wheeler

Warning!!! make sure you magnetise the right polarity.

From the Honda Owners’ Manual (Wiring Diagram) at:
http://www.poweredgenerators.com/hon...ls/3189910.pdf

Field Exciter Polarity:
Light Green & Red (Lg/R) = Positive
Green (G) = Negative

[SkiprJohn]

Thanks Gord. Mine is an ES6500 battery started generator. I was able to find the owners manual through your link.
The battery went completely dead so I'm thinking I might need to tickle it. Probably not though because when I did get it started it did start to charge the onboard battery. I just don't get AC. It might be the breaker. As soon as I figure out how to check the breaker out I'll try that. I have an Ohmeter but really don't know how to use it.
JohnL

[Chief Engineer]

I am not sure about your model, but some generators wont provide powere unless they sense a load....i.e. power tool or droplight.....try that B$ you get it into little pieces

[Hud3]

SkiprJohn,

A longshot, but it's a cheap fix. Check the GFCI to make sure it hasn't tripped. I used to own one of those.

[SkiprJohn]

Aloha Hud,
Thanks. I gave up on Monday and took it to the shop. I get easily discouraged. I'll get the verdict when they come back with an estimate. I'll let everyone know.
I checked every setting, i. e. breaker, low oil/coolant button, fuse and opened up the back end of the gen but couldn't see any othere buttons or switches I didn't try.
Yesterday was boat trailer tailight troubleshooting day. Talk about perplexing problems!!
Kind regards,
JohnL