Generator starts but has no electrical power- fix

I

inairam

501 Club
I have a Honda 4500 generator that is really nice that I picked up used a few years ago. I have no power in my shop and need it to run my air compressor. Yesterday I went to use it and it started right up after sitting for 2-3 weeks but I had nothing on the voltmeter.

Manual troubleshooting guide said to check the breaker next step take it to a dealer. I moved on.

Last night after a few google searches I found the recommendation to: start the generator, take an AC drill and pug it in, turn the chuck by hand while holding the trigger, if that does not work hit the reverse switch and turn the chuck. Skeptical I tried it and well it worked!

This is a technique to restore a generator's residual magnetism. It is basically using the AC drill as a generator. Here is the post restoring a generator residual magnetism https://www.auroragenerators.com/post/f ... s-no-power

In case it comes up.
 
yes generators can lose there polarity by just sitting, should be run every few months with a load on it so they can remember what they are suppose to do
 
That is quite odd, thinking about it. There is a lot going on inside of the newer generators. Not sure of your exact model, but there could be some intermittent connections and that would explain why it worked, then didn't and then when you monkeyed with it, it worked again. Like you, I use a generator (an old Coleman 1500 W) in the tractor shed for heavier electric demands. The lighting and general use electrical is run off of a 1700 watt inverter and a spare battery I had around. It is charged by a solar panel through a controller. Not ideal, but it seems to work relatively decent for the current situation.

Attached is a schematic for reference, not sure if it is your model or not.
Honda EX4500S Schematic.jpg
 
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