Champion Generator Troubleshooting

[agesilaus]

OK I have a Champion 3500/4000 Digital Generator. It worked perfectly for the first month or so but after not being used for a month (run dry for short term storage) it worked for one tank of fuel. After which I changed the oil and after that it was no-start.

Things I tried:
1) Changed the oil again, note that the oil level on these Champions should be at the bottom visible thread at the fill hole. Ignore the dipstick.
2) Cleaned the oil filter
3) New Spark Plug
4) Pulled the bowl on the carb to check for water-gas was clean and flowed well
5) Pulled the plug and checked for a spark, OK no spark so that is the problem. This take two people by the way, the plug is on the backside of the generator away from the pull cord.

Contacted Champion tech support via email, the support guy walked me thru a set of troubleshooting steps via a set of emails:

1) pull the air filter, spray some starting fluid in the cavity and the pull the cord with the choke in the run position--still no start
2) Asked if anything happened when I did this, in my case there was no reaction at all which apparently isolated the problem to the oil sensor
3) Disconnect the oil sensor, There is a yellow wire (can be black on newer models) with a quick connect on the front of the generator under the control panel. Pulled the quick connect loose. Started the generator normally.
4) Let run 15-20 minutes reconnect the wire, still runs. Problem fixed by resetting the oil sensor.

I rate the Champion tech support as A+, he was patient, knowledgeable and quick, all of these email exchanges occurred in one afternoon. I think the first response was within an hour or so of me posting on their contact form.

Even better the tech guy was able to assess my mechanical ability level and make appropriate suggestions. In general I find that most tech support operations assume that the customer is an idiot, which is probably justified most of the time. But this guy figured out that I had some mechanical ability from my post on their contact form.

[ol_Bombero-JC]

copper canyon 252 wrote:
I have a champion 3500 -4000 and love it but wish it was a little quieter

Best location for generator info is usually in the *Tech Issues* forum (here).

The "How To" for quieting the synchronous (non-inverter) Champion Generators (and others) was covered in these two threads. There are/were others, but these were "the best of the best".

"My $500.00 almost silent generator with pic. &db readings"

"3000W Chinese Gensets Info"

The second one holds some kind of RV net "record" - started in 2005, currently at 10,029 posts and 1,193,331 views !!

It (also) has numerous posts on quieting these gens - you just have to sort thru (Yikes!) 1003 pages to find 'em!

:C

[wa8yxm]

It could be "Worse" Now understand I do not own a Honda Inverter Generator, have never owned or even touched one.. . Read on.

I did a volunteer job for the Campground one Halloween season.. I was one of the "Goules" on the hunted trail..

Well my workstation was lit and powered by a Honda EU-2000i.

First night it worked flawlessely (I did not operate it) 2nd night it would run for a few then stall. Run for a few and stall. Acted fuel starved.

Finally I fixed it... Yup. (Now remember I said I've never even touched one)

Honda's have an air-tight fuel tank.. You have to open an air vent. if you do not. They run for a few and stall.. I ask if they had opened the vent.

One face palm later.... It ran perfectly.

I ask the manager "Since you had so much trouble I can take it off your hands" He declined.

[copper_canyon_2]

I have a champion 3500 -4000 and love it but wish it was a little quieter

[SidecarFlip]

I've found them to be very helpful as well. Far as oil sensors go, I don't need or want one, just another item to fail. I can actually check the oil level.

Nice cheap genny. Not as cheap as the HF edition but less than the fabled Honda by a long shot.