Generator starts up ok. Hooked electric cord to house outlet and other end to generator but not electricity came on.

First, I'm not a Coleman Tech.
* First check the generator for a wire(s) output description. This will confirm what each wire is producing and where it should be connected to.
* The specs will also give you an idea of what to expect from a particular generator. (Don't expect 220Volts from a 120 Volt small generator.. Hence the 120 VAC generator will only have 3 wires instead of 4 wires for a 220-240 Volt generator. DC/AC generator will have 5-6 wires.)
* In general, on/off switch on the electrical part of the generator (the actual electric source) is on once the engine is up and running. Electricity is being produced at this time. The on/off switch is usually the main electrical breaker that is rated for the full output of the generator. This is very similar to your house breakers except for a modification of the hook up terminals used to wire in this safety component. Like most breakers there is an input(s) then output(s). Usually the input lines will be black, white, with an additional green wire that is also connected to the frame of the generator. These three wires will hook up to one side of the breaker or the "Line In" side or "L1,L2" The other side of the breaker should have been hooked up directly to the 1 or 2 duplex (120VAC) outlet panel.
* on larger generators that produce 120/240 VAC 1PH (two 120 volt AC outputs with alternative 220-240 volt AC) There will be an additional wire that may be the same or different color IE; 2 Blacks, Reds, or Blues. This is hooked up in similar fashion to the breaker except there will be an additional section to the breaker or even two single breakers stuck together with a bar across both switches. (again similar to a 220 VAC breaker used in a house panel.) The extra wire will go to the 2nd section of the breaker. The other side or "output" of the breaker will be wired directly to a set of Duplex outlets (a pair or 4 outlets) AND a 4 pronged 120/240 1PH outlet "Twist Lock" style. (though you may find specialized outlets for single purpose generators.)
* Larger generators may also have a DC (12 or 24 VDC) wire which is of a different color from the AC wires. Expect it to be Black, Red, or White. (Black or white is probably the negative with the Red as positive.) If you do have DC wires then it's more than likely the AC wires are of different colors to avoid getting the DC mixed up with the AC side.
* Final; check your warranty. Have your vendor or MFR perform a service and annual maintenance check which is a good idea as they can change out your air and fuel filters. Check and clean the spark plug. Make sure everything is working properly. The peace of mind is worth it.
Aloha, ukeboy57

the ONAN generator only charges its own battery that it uses to start the machine,the generator itself is grounded with a 6 ft copper rod that is driven into the ground and secured to the ground strap of the generator,the wiring from the generator goes to a transfer switch that is installed ONLY BY A LICENSED ELECTRICIAN! DO NOT ATTEMPT THIS YOURSELF!,the switch is hooked up to your main electric line at the meter and to the breaker box,when the switch is used,it shuts off the main electricity from the company and opens the circuit to the generator only.here is the transfer switch,it can run everything up too 100 amps in your house or only 1 thing like your heat.

There is just too much resistance in that cord. Get a 12 gage extension cord. And yes I think you burned out the generator due to severely overloading it.

Please be careful, you need a neutral bond for the GFI outlets to work when you are using the generator as a mobile unit and grounding the generator with a ground rod or building. When you are merging with a building with a grounded system, simply remove the two neutral wires (White) at the generators internal terminals from the generator frame but keep them connected together and terminate connection.

Bonding on a generator questions

Q. If I was to keep the tie between ground and neutral in the generator during standby use, would I have to break the neutral tie coming into home from grid?



A. Never disconnect the neutral line as it enters your house. It is held very well at ground potential. Each transformer is grounded, and every home supplies ground as well. The neutral coming in is the reference to both live lines, and without it, anything connected to either live line could see up to 240VAC depending on what is across the other side. Install a proper transfer panel, and the neutral issue will be taken care of.

Q. Where would I ground the generator at this time in this situation?



A. The generator will be grounded through the extension cord plugging into the transfer panel. Your home should have one ground connection only, adding a ground rod at the generator could create other unwanted safety issues.

Q. At this time is it safe to run an extension cord off generator direct to power a drill for example?



A. Yes. The transfer panel will take care of any neutral and ground bonding issues, provided things are wired correctly.

Q. If I was to lift the neutral to ground in generator and tag generator as floating neutral, then would I leave neutral unbroken in service panel?



A. Yes. The common point for neutral and ground will be provided in the main electrical panel.

Q. Could I use the 15 amp outlets on generator safely in this position to run a drill outside? I see generators with floating neutral have a 15 amp duplex outlet on cabinet also. In this situation would I install a ground at the generator?



A. If you were connected to the house with the four conductor extension cord nothing else will be needed.

Q. If you have a floating neutral generator and use it in a stand alone mode, nothing to do with a home, do you place a ground rod down? What happens with the neutral and ground connections? What about a generator on a truck or trailer?



A. In stand alone use, you should connect to a ground rod. Neutral and ground should also be bonded in the generator. The easiest way to take care of this is with a dummy plug inserted into one of the duplex outlets or the twistlock outlet. Jumper ground and neutral in the plug. A generator on a truck or trailer will follow the same rules for neutral and ground bonding, ground rods, etc.

Q. If the generator is a grounded neutral type and you only run the two live lines to the house in an illegal back feed situation where main disconnect is off but neutral still connected will I have 120 volts available in house between each hot leg and the utility grid system neutral? Would someone get shocked if standing next to generator at that time and touched it creating a path from ground to the generator?



A. The only time I would consider backfeeding a house is if the main lines were torn down and laying on the ground. I did this once after Hurricane Juan caused a tree to tear the lines off a neighbors house. The lines were still connected at the pole and were live once commercial power was restored, but there was no possibility of the generator backfeeding to the street. It took almost two weeks before the power company could get them reconnected. We still turned off the main breaker and installed a padlock to prevent it from being turned back on. The house was totally isolated from the grid so I felt it safe to connect in this manner. The generator connected via a 20 amp two pole breaker in the main panel, and there was power available for everything in the house - well pump, electric stove, all lights, etc. Generator neutral was floating as described above. Power supply was limited, they were careful not to overload and trip the generator breaker.

Q. At the same time I went to a friends home and after killing the main breaker and all 240 breakers ran a 3 wire cord from the generator 240 volt outlet direct to his pump, now isolated from the house panel using both 120 volt lines and ground. I then ran a 12 gauge 20 amp extension cord from the generator duplex outlet to a double male pig tail and back fed a kitchen outlet so he could have lights in the house. 1/2 the house to be exact. This was also a grounded neutral generator but we didn't have a problem. I did however drive a ground rod at the generator.



A. I think you were lucky this time. Electricity can be potentially dangerous and can kill and burn if not used correctly. Double male plugs should never be used as invariably there is exposed 120V on one end. If you miswire one end you can send 120V onto the neutral. At best this will trip a circuit breaker, but not knowing what else is done, could easily create a lethal voltage on the chassis of certain equipment. It gets back to doing something properly or not doing it at all. Why run the risk of personal injury or death?

Ground the generated it's self. I had a similar problem after a storm once. First on the generater itself find a flat peice on the frame say by the motor. Sand in down to mettal. Put a self tapper screw in. Now get a 5' to 6' peice of 10 gauge bear copper wire. Attache it to the generator and shove the rest into the ground. Now it's grounded and It took care power surges when I did it. Hopefully this will help you.

You have to get a cord that has a plug on on it. On the other end of the cord strip the insulation off the ends of the wire about an inch. It would be easier if you put small clamps on the stripped ends of the wire. Connect the black wire to plus on a car battery and white to negative. Start the generator and plug the cord in to a outlet on the generator just for a second and take the plug out. The generator should now be producing electrical current. If not there is something burned out internally.

check

avr / brushes if it has them

if not capacitor and diodes on the end of the armature

Here are a a few possibilities to look at:

1) Bad connection at the outlets themselves (loose wire) regarding neutral, hot wires.

2) Bad Excitation Capacitor. The Exc. Cap. is responsible for energizing the field wiring of the alternator. If the field is not energized, there will not be a magnetic field developed, therefore, no electrical output.

3) Open Field / Stator winding. If Field winding is open, no magnetic field will be developed. If Stator winding is open, no voltage will be induced.

4) Generator speed is too slow. If the RPMs of the engine are too slow, the output of the alternator will fail as well. Note that from normal speed, voltage output will occur but at reducing frequency until ouput ceases altogether, usually at about 47Hz. If your alternator is a 2 pole, engine speed should be 3600 rpm nominal. If alternator is a 4 pole (most aren't), engine speed would need to be about 1800 rpm nominal.

5) Generator speed too fast. If RPMs are too fast, output may fail as well. See above.

6) Excitation Fuse has blown. There is sometimes a fuse in the excitation circuit. To check this, you will likely need to pull the end housing off the alternator. Pay attention to bearings / bushings.

OK, by talking about a plug, I am assuming you have made a double male plug to hook the generator to the electric panel. This is not really advised, because it is so easy for it to be plugged into an outlet by someone not knowing what it is far, and getting electricuted. Now, away from preaching, and to helping.
It is best to hook it to the generator and then crank it, so you are not dealing with a load when you plug the systems together. When your power is restored, it would be good to install a plug to your electrical box and have it go to a disconnect like is on your outside A/C unit. It moves you away from the hot wires.
Hope your power is on soon!