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Old 02-06-2022, 06:42 PM   #1
bdeluca
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Default Generac Generator

Hello all. I have a 2001 Yellowstone m-8407 with the above generator. It is a diesel. It is wired to the house batteries which are 2020 batteries. When I try to start it, it won't start unless I hit the battery boost toggle button which I know it combines the house and chassis batteries. Anyone have any ideas as to why? Thanks
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Old 02-06-2022, 07:44 PM   #2
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I think I just spoke with you sir!! Lol hey boss if the rv has been sitting get everything fired up and charged, then shut everything down for about and hour or so. The try to start the generator again, if it starts you had low voltage and that could be why it didn't start, now if it won't start after the retry, you will have to check each battery to make sure that one of then isn't bad or weak! Let see if we can get this one right also, good luck again! I'll wait to hear!!
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Old 02-06-2022, 07:57 PM   #3
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Sure is, LOL! Everything has been plugged in, meaning, I have had the motorhome plugged in to 30 amps and the inverter/ charger has been charging the house batteries. So are you saying to disconnect the 30 amp sure power and let it sit and then try and start the generator?
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Old 02-06-2022, 08:14 PM   #4
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Yes unplug it!!! You don't want to run the gen and have it hooked to shore power! I don't do that! If the switching solenoid or relay fualts you could potentially have a problem! And send a surge through your rv my niece had that happen, Some may disagree but I unhook one system before using the other! I'm guessing that could be a safety thing! Unplug it and try, if it starts the it had to be that it was still hooked to shore power,
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Old 02-06-2022, 08:20 PM   #5
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Absolutely, I always unplug shore power before starting the generator. What does unplugging it for an hour or so do?
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Old 02-06-2022, 08:31 PM   #6
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Shoo glad to hear that!!! My niece and husband burnt up everything in there new camper not realizing that little detail,The reason I mentioning it sit for a bit is, the batteries have cells in them and a battery with a bad cell may hold charge for a short period of time then go dead, making you think the battery is good but really it's not! The best way to know is to load test each battery separately to know if one or more cod be weak or potentially bad, the rv may not let the gen start if the voltage falls below say 10v,
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Old 02-06-2022, 08:33 PM   #7
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Thanks, I will give that a try!
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Old 02-06-2022, 08:36 PM   #8
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It is odd though how you mentioned your toggle for the start, typically that will aid in starting the main engine from house batteries to the chassis batt but not vice versa! But then I never tried that
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Old 02-06-2022, 08:56 PM   #9
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Not sure why it does, but it starts when I push it.i also verified that the generator is hooked ro the house batteries by shutting the switch off to the house batteries and I got nothing. So pretty confident the generator is hooked to house batteries.
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Old 02-13-2022, 09:27 AM   #10
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re: slow crank/hard start w/o Boost can be weak or bad battery/ies, or WRONG OIL for the temperatures, loose or corroded connections. Action is to CHECK WATER LEVELS, INSPECT AND CLEAN AND CHARGE, then TEST. Charge Overnight after terminals cleaned, because slight corrosion that you cannot see until terminal removed can STOP a battery from charging over 70%. If no big improvement after clean/ charge, remove any suspicious battery/ies and have tested. Good Luck
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Old 02-13-2022, 12:05 PM   #11
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I am trying to find the battery leads off of the generator to the batteries and can not locate them. You would think they would either be directly to the house batteries or the chassis batteries. I can not find them on either one. Are they going from the generator to something else first????? Then to the batteries????
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Old 02-13-2022, 12:33 PM   #12
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bdeluca,

The model number you provided in the start of this thread is not shown as a Yellowstone but rather an Independence -- Is your coach a diesel class A or a gas class C? If your generator is a diesel then your coach is as well. The floor plan of the M8407 in 2001 looked like the one attached below.

Not sure about your coach because of the model number/name ambiguity discussed above, but many coaches have a third set of batteries that are used to start the generator and also provide power for the AC inverter...that was the case in my 2007 Tour Master. In my coach the batteries were in the front up under the windshield...not sure where they might be in a 2001 diesel pusher...

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Old 02-13-2022, 02:23 PM   #13
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(on many/ most?) Find a 100a-120a 12VDC CIRCUIT BREAKER (near battery, usually within 18"), should have GEN Battery cable?
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Old 02-13-2022, 04:11 PM   #14
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It is a Class A diesel.
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Old 02-13-2022, 04:14 PM   #15
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Yellowstone
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Old 02-13-2022, 06:38 PM   #16
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Question, does the battery connection from generator go to a transfer switch first, then to the battery??
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Old 02-13-2022, 06:48 PM   #17
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No, the transfer switch is for routing the AC, not the DC...
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Old 02-13-2022, 06:57 PM   #18
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For the life of me I can not find the + and - cables from the generator to see were they connect.
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Old 02-13-2022, 08:01 PM   #19
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No, they goto a 12VDC CIRCUIT BREAKER very near battery, usually 100+ amps
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Old 02-13-2022, 08:14 PM   #20
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I will check and try and see if I can find them. Thanks
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