2.7kVA Generator - No Voltage Output | Can I Fix It?

[@Alberto_Alletto]

When I worked in a power plant we had an old 500 KVA generator that had lost its rotor magnetization. We made a small timer that gave a short pulse of current to the exciter at start-up. It continued to work very well until its retirement.

[@BuyitFixit]

@@Alberto_Alletto Nice 👍

[@WOFFY-qc9te]

Nearly all I have come across have lost rotor magnetisation, the others are AVR problems, taking a terminal off the brush and whacking 12 volt into the slip-rings usually does the job or if you are brave do it when running.

[@jlucasound]

@@WOFFY-qc9te OK. Thank You for that! 🙂

[@johanntiu4162]

You woke up the generator like someone get shocked by a defibrillator. 🤣

[@marcobrian1619]

Sorry but what your saying is a 500kva ...... You put a pulse thing on to make it work. Id of looked at avr first........hmmmm Most of these small Gennys just simply need a new cap.......

[@Mr-ZinK]

first thing i always check on things that use these sort of capacitors, is the capacitor, but it was nice to see how they actually work! nice repair!

[@BuyitFixit]

Thank you 👍

[@williamjralderman9519]

Agree as would definitely first check capacitor as age, heat and power surges can cause them to defect affecting proper operation being a possible simple repair with a new 30uf 440volt capacitor however one you used 12.5uf is wrong size needing to be 30uf 440v to continue working properly.

[@Rev-D1963]

Long-time subscriber here, a vicar from Kansas. I always enjoy your videos mate, and have learned a lot from them. I must say, if you aren't the MOST polite KZbinr ever, you certainly are in the top 3! Your knowledge and skills are very admirable as well. Just a quick thank you. BTW, if you want to learn more about generator repair, I recommend James Condon here on KZbin. Not only is he an ace small-gas engine mechanic, but his generator knowledge and skills are legendary. I've watched his videos for a long time as well. At any rate, thanks mate for your contributions to KZbin. Be well, stay safe, and God bless. Rev. D.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thank you kindly sir. I've heard of James Condon before as someone mentioned him when I looked at a generator a while back. Thanks for your kind words and support. God bless you too 👍

[@fredwooding599]

Never ceases to amaze me how a simple capacitor can be the fix to so many problems.. Great job Mick. 🙂

[@BuyitFixit]

@@fredwooding599 Cheers Fred 👍

[@TimHollingworth]

Very interesting fix. I used to be an electrical maintenance engineer back in time. I've worked on many motors that had a starter capacitor but never a generator. Than you for the explanation, it makes perfect sense now. Clever invention, who would have thought...?

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks Tim👍 Yes I've changed caps on motors too! I wasn't sure how this worked, so I also learned something new 🙂

[@jayneutron]

On all electrical and electronic devices always check first for bad capacitors. They go bad first. Now I know how my generator looks like thanks to this video.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks. I was expecting some worn brushes or a bad AVR board as that's what it seems a lot of them have got. I've not worked on generators much so it was a bit of a learning curve, but experience gained 🙂

[@annaplojharova1400]

These capacitors do wear off over time: The dielectric breaks down after some time exposure to the voltage and shorts out. Then the selfrecovery feature of these capacitors disconnects the affected spot to recover its working. But the total capacitance then gets reduced by the damaged bit. Now as the wear progresses, more and more spots break down and get disconnected by the selfrecovery, the total capacitance droops further. And at some point it won't be sufficient to excite the generator for the given load so it loses power and eventually dies.

[@BruceBoschek]

Thank you for posting another interesting video. For those of us who watch James Condon it was immediately obvious that it was the capacitor. That would have made a very short video, however, so it was fun watching you come to the conclusion.

[@BuyitFixit]

@@BruceBoschek Thanks, yes I was expecting more inside as the last generator I worked on had an AVR to regulate the voltage. Still I've learned how another type of generator works 👍

[@BruceBoschek]

@@BuyitFixit We also learned a lot with you. Thanks again.

[@stephenmaas8775]

​@@BuyitFixitWhat is AVR i've seen it mentioned couple of times in these comments! 👍

[@BuyitFixit]

@stephenmaas8775 Automatic Voltage Regulator 🙂

[@cajuncoinhunter]

I know James , I've done a quite a few live streams with him and Ken .....

[@kellyeye7224]

An LED lamp isn't a good enough load for many gensets. Even a 100W filament lamp would be better. You should also load the generator up to close to it's rated value to make sure it works across the range. Cheers. Note - have a look at James Condon's YT channel for some great genset repair videos. I'm confident to tackle ANY set after following James' advice for a few years now.

[@BuyitFixit]

@@kellyeye7224 Cheers and thanks for the tips 👍

[@albyboy4278]

Just use a hair dryer at max power. Use two of them if they one isn't enough.

[@ThriftyToolShed]

Nice fix! I had to work on one for a friend earlier this year with an AVR. It was a Generac deemed a no fix at a service center. It was an odd repair. The soldered connections at the stator windings were bad. It's like it had aluminum or aluminum clad wire it would not solder well at all. I ended up having to use butt splices to connect it with a secure connection and insulate it well. Just wanted to share that in case it is more common an issue than I am thinking it would be. Happy repairing!

[@WombleUK]

Copper clad aluminium is the worst thing ever, if you come across cheap networking cable it will almost certainly be CCA & it's garbage compared to proper copper cable.

[@ThriftyToolShed]

@WombleUK Absolutely!

[@LArmor6S]

@@WombleUK I agree with CCA being crap. It's getting worse too, I recently watched a video about some crocdile clip test leads which were high resistance, and the guy put a magnet to it, and it lifted the lead! So they're now putting iron into the cables. kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z2bWfqKdgJipiqs

[@jlucasound]

You did the right thing. If you have a strong and solid crimp, you can't even pull it apart. There are manufacturing processes that use super strong crimps in place of soldering or any other kind of "fusion". A good crimped connection is usually stronger than the wire itself. It is best to start with uninsulated and then insulate it yourself with good quality tape, (thick) shrink tubing (preferred), or a curing "liquid" insulator that you "goop" onto the connection. If you have clearance and the crimp is not exposed, you can sometimes just leave it uninsulated.

[@chrisbartlett6022]

Even more illuminating 🙂

[@BuyitFixit]

😂😂😂Cheers 👍

[@jlucasound]

When you have the rear shield off, that is the best time to blow out the debris with compressed air. 😄😉❤ I so love your videos. Your approach is so understandable and shows us your exact process. What to look for, what values in circuit, what values out of circuit, and how basic a small generator really is. I had heard of the principle of how one of these generators work and how they sometimes needed to be re energized but never actually saw a schematic and WATCHED someone get one going. I am sure there are videos, but I am actually more intrigued by what I am learning from you with the board level repairs. Don't get me wrong, I love generators and I know more about the 4 stroke engine than the generator portion. Your videos are perfect. I am learning so much! Thank You, Mick! (I saw a comment with your name. I hope it is correct!). 🤩(A Scot, Welsh, Englishman Born in the USA. Descended from the Mayflower.)

[@BuyitFixit]

Hey thanks! I'm glad you found it useful and interesting. I didn't get round to doing a video this week as I've been stripping the hydraulic transmission down of a Kubota RTV900, so this is a video I did a couple weeks ago to have on standby 🙂 I do try to explain everything fairly simply (and probably the way I understand it) which at times may or may not be totally correct, and yes, it is Mick 👍

[@forevercomputing]

Always check and test everything you remove. Everything! I was thinking about that part before you got to it. You live and learn.

[@BuyitFixit]

Yes indeed 👍

[@darrenwardell3079]

Ah the old cap raises it’s head again. Chuffed with my own diagnosis after the small voltage coming through your lead. Down to you that i found it from watching your vids Mick 👍👍

[@BuyitFixit]

Nice one Darren 👍

[@frankcarpenetti5776]

Never seen that circuit before! Thanks again Mick.

[@BuyitFixit]

No problem 👍

[@MikeB_UK]

Big thanks for the explanation of how this worked. Until you did I was scratching my head and about to go searching for info. It still seems a bit like black magic how that capacitor effectively regulates the peak voltage output. Whoever first invented this idea must have been very clever.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks Mike, It took me a while to find the information myself as I didn't know what I was looking for. Most results were coming back with brushed setups.

[@100SteveB]

The pump on my combi boiler died last week, being a bit of a fixer I decided to investigate a bit before paying out for a complete pump. Glad i did, turned out to be just the run capacitor inside the plastic cover of the pump. Should have been 2.6uf, was reading 0.4uf. Got a new capacitor from RS for £5 and pump was working once again! A nice saving of about £150 for a new pump. But interesting to see how that generator worked with next to nothing in the way of circuitry.

[@BuyitFixit]

Cheers 👍and well done on fixing your boiler. I had similar few months back with our oil boiler. It had tripped the electric out and was just making a loud buzzing. Turned out to be the run capacitor on the blower motor which also drives the oil pump. Ordered a 3.5uF run capacitor and away it went again 👍

[@jlucasound]

@@BuyitFixit I LOVE hearing about fixes like this! Excellent my friends! 👍

[@petewmids]

I did the same with my shower pump. The plastic cover above the motor in the middle of the pump wasn't removable to I just cut an access hatch with my multi-tool to get to the capacitor. A £5 fix and no need to touch the plumbing.

[@Ragnar8504]

In my case the impeller was stuck after the heat had been off for a while (extended renovation). Older pumps had a screw that let you access the shaft, this one was a more modern one with variable speed controls so I had to dig further. Not much of an issue though. Loosen four Allen screws, remove pump head, mop up spilled water, turn impeller by hand and reassemble. Make sure to tighten the screws equally.

[@Equiluxe1]

I have been building and servicing generators since I was a teenager in the late 60;s the first thing I always check is the exciter/regulator circuit and on that type of set that is the capacitors. It is almost a certainty that this is the problem here. Posted while at 4:36 on the video.

[@BuyitFixit]

Nice, it's all about experience. A lot of things I have a go at, I've never encountered before. I wasn't sure how this worked, I was expecting some brushes or slip rings, but now have a better understanding of how it all works so next time I come across one I know to check the cap first.

[@JuanitoSeme]

I like your SAFE CAPACITOR discharger😂

[@BuyitFixit]

😂😂😂😂👍

[@jlucasound]

Make sure it has an insulated handle! 😲💥😩⚡🥓😵😉😂🤣

[@Rustybritjunk]

Bad capacitors are back baby! Been missing them lately. Thanks for more good content production - appreciate it.

[@BuyitFixit]

😂😂😂Thanks 👍

[@Matta1224]

Great to watch while doing some fixing myself. Got a 18V battery charger and a garage door remote working today. If it’s not a capacitor, it’s a diode :p -Mat

[@BuyitFixit]

Cheers Matt 👍

[@mygarden365]

Nice job, I like Your diagnosis.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍

[@carltonlane8931]

Well done,yet another good video.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thank you 👍🙂

[@jlucasound]

WOW! When you plugged the light in, the engine didn't even "grunt" in the slightest! Nice little unit!

[@BuyitFixit]

Yes, but it would be a very small load. If I'd tested it with a drill or something it would have probably done that, but most of my tools are cordless these days.

[@Ragnar8504]

@@BuyitFixit At 2.7 kVA you could have plugged in an electric fire.

[@BuyitFixit]

@@Ragnar8504 Very true 👍unfortunately I don't have one, got a diesel space heater for the workshop. I just thought a light (which is what the farmer uses it for) would be something simple and easy for the audience to see with the camera 🙂

[@ralphj4012]

Person of many talents. With all those Peak plugs you should get support and upgrades for life. Which animals enjoyed the bouncy castle?

[@BuyitFixit]

Cheers mate. The kids enjoyed the bouncy castle, they can be animals at times 😂😂😂👍

[@jakeandrus690]

Peak has a customer in me after seeing those vids 😊

[@MikeyMack303]

Nice work, as always, Mick! I thought for sure there was a failed bridge rectifier at the beginning of the video, but was rather shocked that it did not have one! Thanks for showing us!

[@BuyitFixit]

Cheers Mikey 👍

[@jlucasound]

I like how you used the adjective "shocked". 🤣😂😉✌⚡

[@royblackburn1163]

It's AC, rectifiers are for dc like a car alternator.

[@TechGorilla1987]

@3:14 i laughed watching that black house spider do a rapid exit stage left while it still could.

[@BuyitFixit]

Yes I was going to add a caption when I was editing 😂😂😂

[@VoeViking]

Another great video. Thank you. And remember, it's always the cap.

[@BuyitFixit]

Yes 😂😂😂👍

[@cajuncoinhunter]

The way you explained how the poles lose their magnetism makes sense ..... We have so-called jumped generators before that wasn't putting out voltage ..... We p-lugged a drill into it and clicked the trigger , worked every time .... I guess the brushes in the drill acted as a starting capacitor ?

[@BuyitFixit]

Nice 👍 I've not heard of that before Cajun.

[@pauldery7875]

Nice video, who would've thought, a bad cap. Nice explanation of how it works. Keep up the great videos, and like someone else said, I hope the generates more subs for you. I've always thought, you should be at 500k or more. Thanks again for sharing. Paul, USA!!!

[@BuyitFixit]

Cheers Paul, Thanks very much 👍

[@manolisgledsodakis873]

@@BuyitFixit Should be at a million just because of the lovely Geordie accent, why aye man! 🙂

[@Martyn-ey9lw]

It seems people prefer to watch fixers that don't really know what they are doing or at least don't know (and don't want to know) the theory behind what they are fixing.

[@Omri_Makes]

Brilliant work

[@BuyitFixit]

Cheers 👍

[@599miata]

This was a very interesting video and repairs, mate. Well done, I figured it was capacitor related troubles. 👍👍

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍

[@russrawley6712]

If I remember right you should be able to adust that voltage by adjusting the RPM of the engine slightly ( if needed) good job fella always enjoy your vids 😉👍☕ Cumbria

[@BuyitFixit]

I thought that a while back when I first looked at the other generator, but the RPM controls the frequency of the output which makes sense. The voltage is usually controlled by varying the magnetic field on the rotor by either an AVR and brushes or in this case the rotor gets fully saturated 🙂👍

[@Jesselovespinball]

Great job ! Always impressed with your troubleshooting skills. I always learn something from every video . Thanks you 😊

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍Usually I learn something too, as in this video so it's win win 😂😂😂

[@nicolaschampagne8988]

it's very nice the video you do. a lot of practical knowledge

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍Yes I've done a lot of stuff be it mechanical / electronics / software. I'll turn my hand to pretty much anything 🙂

[@johnr3435]

Easily forgiven for not suspecting the cap. When I've had something similar the cap has a large crack in it from overheating - that one looks visibly fine.

[@BuyitFixit]

Cheers mate, yes I wasn't sure how this generator worked but I learned a lot so it was actually good that I didn't suspect the cap at first 👍

[@paulschonewald4735]

This is the exact fault I have with my generator, I hope, never been used in anger yet and has been stood for a long while. Ran it a few times but never thought to check the output untill two days ago, so now, by accident I may have found the cause. We will see tomorrow. Thanks a lot for the vid.😉

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍Hopefully you can easily repair it 🙂

[@kareno8634]

*Thanks!* The _wait_ ... not just curing curiosity, or to entertain, but creating wiser people. Heard capacitors high on list, Blinds One to look for other lurking cause. Either way, you can't help wanting to pull 'things' apart. Glad you did. [Capacitive] "self-excited"; I saw it, asked self, .. had to _wait_ for answer. *Jazzed* lol *Cheers!*

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍

[@plexi-k3d]

Great repair video! Love how you explain with drawings🤩. Btw how is your back? It was awkward work position.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍yes back is fine thanks🙂

[@richardtaylor7199]

Captivating, keep em coming🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@BuyitFixit]

😂😂😂👍

[@elsaarmstrong-zp6ng]

I remember Hammond organs had a synchronous motor that was tied to the mains frequency ! It had to be started by one switch and run up to synchronous speed then the main switch kept it on correct frequency! All the gears kept the tone wheels in tune! It had capacitors like that to keep the power factor correct!

[@BuyitFixit]

Interesting. Thanks for sharing 👍

[@RaspberryWhy]

Nice.... and a pretty good description of the how an AC genny works too!

[@BuyitFixit]

Thank you 👍

[@mikecass8306]

Well done Mick a brilliant fix as usual 😀

[@BuyitFixit]

@@mikecass8306 Cheers Mike 👍

[@iNireus]

Best male multitasking I’ve ever seen😂 Reassembling & explanation

[@BuyitFixit]

@@iNireus 😂😂😂😂👍

[@ibewatchinu]

Reminded me of Christmas Lectures where the Professor was going through the details whilst his assistant is setting up the experiment. All eyes on the assistant.

[@mariebaxter473]

Thanks for posting , as ive the same problem but couldnt track it down , Doh

[@BuyitFixit]

Nice. Hopefully it's the same problem and you can now repair it 👍

[@brainiac_brian]

Very nice! I hope it lasts. O was taught i could go larger on capacitors but not lower. Great video. I e never worked on a brushless genny. So, o learned something today! You know, old dog, new tricks kind of thing. 😂

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍Normally you can go higher on voltage with caps, but not on actual capacity. It was only 0.5uF out, so I would suspect that the voltage might be lower by a couple of volts. Capacitors also have a tolerance of 10-20% so it might have even been around the 13uF if I measured it 🙂

[@lmwlmw4468]

Great work.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@neiltheplayer]

Brilliant Mick! Cheers!! Thanks for posting

[@BuyitFixit]

Cheers Neil 👍

[@skysurferuk]

I'm gonna comment along with you. 0:19 "What's wrong?". Maybe a fire? Certainly a total lack of care for a nice little genny, looking at the state of it. 2@10 You start an engine without checking the oil? Can tell you're more a Sparky than a mechanic. 😂 9:00 Is it only me that's saying "Check the cap!"? 😂 Been subbed for ages, & lovin' your content mate. 👍

[@BuyitFixit]

Cheers 👍Yeah didn't check the oil, I just got asked to look at why it had no power 😂😂😂

[@christopherforster6555]

Well done easy one thanks.

[@BuyitFixit]

Cheers Christopher👍

[@twistedhillbilly6157]

I haven't seen that type in the US.. I have fixed at least half a dozen but they were all either brush's or a regulator.. The design of that Clark seems to be a much simpler design.. My guess would be that it is made by Honda... Great job and interesting info...

[@BuyitFixit]

Thank you. Yes I couldn't find much info on this design, most diagrams and videos that were coming up were brushed and used an AVR.

[@tomharris1457]

The minute I saw this video and the 15V I knew what it was. 50 years of generator repair under me belt. Most common caps are Ducati and Falcon, both Italian, both No good for long. I have seen them split, blown apart and just plain dead like yours.

[@BuyitFixit]

Nice 👍Experience goes a long way.

[@johnnodge4327]

Nice easy fix. I've fixed a few of those cheap self-exciting generators over the years. Thank you for taking the time to explain the operation of them To remove the rotor from the engine, you have a taper on the crankshaft, and a matching tapered hole on the rotor. The driver is taken by the taper. The long bolt in the centre keeps the taper engaged. So to break the taper, you unscrew the bolt a couple of turns, then strike the bolt with a hammer, while supporting the weight of the whole assembly by grasping the rotor, yes it's a 2 man job. Obviously you only need to do this if the rotor needs the windings repaired. Although I'm surprised that generators are still being used for simple lighting. I dumped using generators for lighting years ago, preferring to use a couple of solar panels and a 100 Ah LifePO4 battery. With the advent of high power, low voltage LEDs, there's little need for generators now, which means no maintenance, fuel and noise, not to mention poisoning the air around the machine.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks for the info, and good idea on the lighting setup 👍

[@fredfarnackle5455]

As soon as I saw that capacitor sitting there I started shouting at you to check it before you did anything else!😳

[@BuyitFixit]

I was expecting more electronics inside as the other generator I looked at was a lot more complicated. It took me quite a bit of searching to even find any information on how these generators work as I couldn't find much info that didn't involve brushes or an AVR.

[@johnmolnar2957]

I was shouting at the screen for you to check the capacitor before you tore into it all. it's easy to be an armchair repair guy tho! LOL

[@BuyitFixit]

Next time you need to shout louder I couldn't hear you!😂😂😂 I had expecting it to have brushes or something as I from what I read that's how most generators work. This one was a different design and I couldn't find much info on these at all!

[@ceemills]

You should do an introduction video of yourself. your back ground and understanding of electrical systems and software etc. would be interesting the know the buy it fix it story.

[@BuyitFixit]

There's a little about me in the channel about page 🙂👍

[@luckywetland]

"My safe capacitor discharge tool, AKA a screwdriver" I'm crying 🤣

[@BuyitFixit]

😂😂😂😂👍

[@saarike]

Nice!!! Thank you.

[@BuyitFixit]

@@saarike Cheers 👍

[@1943L]

Well analysed there. It would have lost me.

[@BuyitFixit]

Cheers 👍

[@hollyjohnson2695]

good job

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍

[@Gazzyb2071]

Great job Mick, always a capacitor 😂

[@BuyitFixit]

Cheers mate 👍

[@robertweiss4171]

As soon as the Cap was revealed I suspected that would be the reason it wasn't working correctly. Had plenty of those caps give me problems but on motors rather than generators though.

[@BuyitFixit]

Yes I've had them fail in motors too (bouncy castle blower) and most recently in our oil boiler on the motor that does the oil pump and air blower (combined).

[@MaxStax1]

You should get a Patent on that Safe Capacitor Discharger.

[@BuyitFixit]

😂😂😂😂👍

[@marksmith-ew7ir]

my wolf gen done the same blown compsitor if you shut the breaker off before shutting down engine.

[@terrym1065]

When you first removed the plastic cover and I saw that capacitor, I immediately said to myself check that capacitor...I couldn't believe you didn't but proceeded to dismantle the entire front end of the generator....Dang!, all that work and in the end it was the capacitor... At least I know now how one of these comes apart😉 Thanks for another great fix and video. See ya next time.

[@BuyitFixit]

Cheers Terry. I had been expecting some regular circuit or brushes, but I did find it really interesting how these work 👍

[@wisher21uk]

Great fix Mick (as standard) I thought it would of been a coil that had failed, just a thought though would the .5uf make a difference to the output example slightly higher or lower? Is the 13uf tuned to the output? Anyway fascinating video all the same 😊

[@BuyitFixit]

Cheers Gary. It might effect the output as it might be slightly lower than originally by a few volts I'd think.

[@wisher21uk]

@ hi Mick it’s probably hardly noticeable, I forgot to say thanks for the explanation of how they work. 😊

[@BuyitFixit]

No worries mate 👍 I thought it would be a nice touch after I understood it, as other people probably wouldn't know either.

[@alfredocuomo1546]

At 3:55 the minute you took the cover off I said no AVR bad Capacitor, very common when the voltage is incorrect now to see if I'm right. I would also clean the slip rings & check the brushes if it has them. Usually those don't it's brushless and power is dirty most likely +20% THD.

[@BuyitFixit]

Well you were right about the no AVR, but no slip rings and brushes...🙂

[@alfredocuomo1546]

@@BuyitFixit That's why I said if it has them but you are correct with an old Brushless Generator, you would laugh if you look at the sine wave on a scope or checked the THD both ugly. Lol Nice fix as always

[@carllockpick6179]

Nice one mate.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍

[@andymouse]

Both caps in parallel you would have had your 13μF LOL ! I have a discharge tool very similar in design to yours.

[@BuyitFixit]

😂😂😂Yes 👍Cheers AndyMouse 🙂

[@davidquirk8097]

The cheaper the set the worse the regulation, all the way down to not bothering to try to regulate. I've seen one of the Service Engineers at Perkins use a 12 volt battery on a rotor of a large Newage alternator that had been sitting in the Development Dept. Stores for a few years in order to kick start the self excitation into life.

[@BuyitFixit]

Nice 👍Thanks for sharing 🙂

[@glmnet]

Replaced my mower cap about a month ago. It was easier to tell as the fault was actually a lose contact and the thing got itself on fire 😂

[@BuyitFixit]

😂😂😂😂👍

[@robertlong9029]

Sometimes you need to run a drill from a different motor to charge up the capacitor so that it can apply a voltage so that you can get a magnetic field so you can generate power

[@BuyitFixit]

Someone else said that too. I've not heard of that before. I think that's to restore the residual magnetism if it's lost. In this case the capacitor was faulty.

[@josephnealeUKscratchcards]

nice fix and see you on the next video

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍

[@markwhitfield5412]

engine speed is directly asociated to voltage output, its proberly a bad cap the cap exsites the windings to give voltage output.

[@BuyitFixit]

From when I looked at the larger more complicated generator I learned that RPM controls the frequency and not voltage.

[@johnbyrne7229]

What is make of capacitor discharge tool you were talking about in video

[@BuyitFixit]

Hi John, a guy called Dan Wilson designed and sent me it: github.com/wilsondr9999/1024-Capacitor-Discharger www.reddit.com/r/electronics/comments/1f4mpeq/capacitor_discharger_discharge_hv_capacitors_up/ Hope that helps 🙂

[@Pilotltd]

Always check capacitors first on anything 😉

[@BuyitFixit]

😂😂😂👍

[@nigelsmith421]

Works exactly the same as electric pumps, cement mixers etc.. As soon as you took the housing off, I knew it was the capacitor - as that always seems to be the failure if the motor doesn’t start turning .

[@BuyitFixit]

Yes, I've had similar with motors before, and recently our oil boiler blower motor. I wasn't too sure how this generator worked and was expecting some voltage regulator circuit, but at least I've learned something new and how these self exciting generators work 👍

[@jonathaningram4672]

A nice fix, just glad it wasn't the stator or it would be not economic to fix it financially.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks 👍yes agree.

[@dwsimon1]

As soon as I saw you had some voltage but very low, I knew it was the capacitor. No voltage is usually the diode or a bad winding

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks for that, first time I've worked on one that works like this so at least I've learned how they work now 👍

[@ISquishWorms]

Nice, was a simple fix in the end. I could tell it was going to work before you reached for the leads of the multimeter as it picked up/displayed a little voltage just by being close to the cable. Thank you for the video.

[@BuyitFixit]

Cheers 🙂👍

[@FPVShine]

Have you read and programmed embedded controller chips before?

[@BuyitFixit]

PIC micros and a few Atmel based chips.

[@petepnut]

Karcher Pressure Washers suffer with a similar capacitor. £5 quick repair.....

[@BuyitFixit]

Nice 👍Thanks for sharing 🙂

[@venerandarain3]

common faulty for generator. the kickStrarter Capasitor 👌🏻

[@BuyitFixit]

It's like everything, when you know or came across the fault before. At least I now know how these worked and gained some knowledge, so it's all good 👍

[@Islandwaterjet]

Why would there be a 120v plug on that genny ? Even if you use a 120v item, the genny would still be 50hz anyway making the 120v 60hz item run hot

[@BuyitFixit]

It's for building sites. They use 110v for power tools for safety reasons.

[@foamyflightmaster9385]

Your friend will be pleased, £5 part...£40 call out fee..still a lot cheaper than a new geni

[@BuyitFixit]

I don't know where the £40 call out fee comes from 😂😂😂 Hopefully I get the £5 for the part!

[@chrisprobert6]

Such a shame that, "flashing the field" with a well charged lead acid car battery. Is a lost art. Be braver...😂 Nice one.👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

[@BuyitFixit]

😂😂😂Cheers 👍

[@paulmeynell8866]

I’m only 9 mins in but keep looking at that big cap? Will find out when I get to the end!

[@BuyitFixit]

I thought it might just be a filter or something. I was expecting a lot more electronics than was in it.

[@GMMilambar]

From watching your videos, I've learned that its nearly always a faulty capacitor, or a faulty mosfet.

[@BuyitFixit]

Yes indeed 😂😂👍

[@RommudohDev]

a good example that it's best to /always/ check the capacitors first... would have spared you from opening it up.

[@BuyitFixit]

I wasn't sure how this generator worked. When I searched online before tackling it most of the generators that came up had AVRs or brushes. I thought that it could have been worn brushes or something, but this design is self excited and brushless it seems. It was good though, because I took it all apart I learned something new, and now understand how these work, which means I know what to look for if another comes my way.

[@philpowell6915]

Bingo.....!!! 👊 👍

[@BuyitFixit]

Yes indeed!

[@JimmysGarden]

I hope this video gererators new subs for ya 😊😊

[@BuyitFixit]

😂😂😂😂👍

[@peatmoss4415]

It's shocking "The fixer of Everything" doesn't have more subs....!

[@bills6946]

Pro tip. Never stop the engine with the load still connected. It will completely drain off the residual voltage needed for excitation and the generator wont build up voltage. You also don’t allow it to run out of fuel with the load connected for the same reason. You can flash it with a battery for a second while running, across the capacitor. Observe polarity.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks for sharing 👍

[@paulmeynell8866]

Always check the cap first,they always fail first!

[@andypag1071]

I think you can remagnatise the rotor by plugging in a drill and spinning it by hand.

[@BuyitFixit]

Someone else mentioned that also in the comments. It's something I've not heard of before. A few people suggested flashing it using a 12v battery and attaching it to the rotor with the correct polarity.

[@andypag1071]

@@BuyitFixit there's a vlogger called James Corden (not the actor) who fixes generators and does great explanations and he often uses the drill technique. Worth a watch if you have time.

[@BuyitFixit]

Thanks, yes a few people mentioned him. When I looked at the last larger generator someone mentioned him then and I was thinking to myself what the hell has an Australian actor got to do with a generator 😂😂😂

[@lucasdominguezandamoyo6245]

👏👏👏

[@BuyitFixit]

👍🙂

[@crazymtbrider]

I sold a generator to a fishery near me to run the aerator but instead they used it to power the cabin lights the TV and a microwave and it was only a 2800w geny! So after a week the end bearing on the geny collapsed causing the armature to smash up the coils it still run but the insulation has been compromised and it shorts through the armature I had a quote to rewind it £££ so it became scrap 😂

[@BuyitFixit]

Damn, I would have thought a microwave 1000W, TV 100W? They must have had some pretty big cabin lights!

[@crazymtbrider]

@BuyitFixit it was literally a new geny it run for 8h then got stored till it was sold and I purchased another since and it runs fine with what I'm doing they defo overloaded it - he was due me free fishing as well up until it blew up 🤣

[@BuyitFixit]

@@crazymtbrider 😂😂😂👍

[@doubledensity2]

I wanted to first see the measured value of new cap before just blindly installing it. Maybe you measured it off camera?

[@BuyitFixit]

No, I probably should have but forgot. I'd assume it would be around the stated value as it was brand new.

[@Ashraf_aim]

Always the capacitor 😊

[@BuyitFixit]

Indeed 👍

[@tubeDude48]

👍

[@BuyitFixit]

👍🙂

[@maicod]

wasn't it dangerous to run the motor inside (for fumes) ?

[@BuyitFixit]

It was only on for a short time, and the shed is 60ft x 30ft and about 18ft tall in the middle, and it's not sealed the best so I wasn't worried about the fumes. It's also only a small engine and I've started cars in there a few times while fixing them

[@maicod]

@@BuyitFixit sounds safe enough then

[@Harfinou]

Looking at the generator, it's very old => capacitor will be old aswell, so my first try will be to change it, with no further disassembly.

[@BuyitFixit]

I wasn't sure how the generator part worked. I thought it would have brushes or something inside. If I hadn't taken it apart, I wouldn't have learned how it works so for me it was actually better taking it apart. I used to take things apart when I was a kid to learn how they worked too 🙂

[@Harfinou]

@@BuyitFixit I meant : "capacitors are well known to fail after years of use". Whatever the generator works, as long there's a cap, it will be a good idea to replace it in the first place.