*****The Answer******Onan 5500 gold marquis hgjab 5.5--- code 37 generator dies in seconds consistently
Hopefully this will save someone a lot of time and frustration and money...
The short answer is the governor///I replaced the governor spring and adjusted speed and it runs longer then 10 seconds. YES finally
When I properly checked for hertz, I was only getting 46 htz so the systems sensed code 37 improper frequency. These units are supposed to be 120v 60 htz ( the range should be 57-63 htz)..
After seeing this I tried resetting the governor and it still died in seconds. I said let me just buy a new governor spring and try it.( After close inspection, the old spring was stretched about 3/4inch longer).
I talked to flight systems and they said it was the coil-- replaced coils and same results generator died in seconds. flight systems are great guys with good free info
I asked just answer and will post our discussion because it was good information although I admit I am not a professional mechanic and made a couple of errors. He probably could have got me there but I felt that he was giving up/sending me to the shop...Which was because I provided bad info
Just answer
I have an onan 5500 gold marquis generator that starts and dies after 7 seconds. model number 5.5hgjab-1038d
JA: How can I help with your small engine question?
Customer: what do I need to do to keep it on?
JA: What specific tool or machine does this involve?
Customer: I have an onan 5500 gold ... view full
29 April 2020 11:49
Hank F.Hank F. Technician
Hello, my name is Hank, and I would like to assist you with this.
What fault code is the genset showing?
Go to the genset and use the switch on the set itself.
Press 'Stop' 3 times within 5 seconds. The light in the switch will start flashing.
If the light flashes 3 times, pauses for 3 seconds, and flashes 3 more times, press and immediately release 'Stop' one more time.
This will put the controller into Fault Read Mode.
The light will flash (X) number of times, pause for 1 second, and flash for (X) number of times again. Count the flashes before and after the pause.
This will be the Fault Code.
Example: 2 rapid flashes, 1 second pause, 5 rapid flashes is a Fault Code 25.
There may be more than one Fault Code stored, so watch the light very carefully. If there is more than one code, it will display them all in order, and then start over again.
Be very careful not to misread a first level fault code (single digit code) as a second level fault code (double digit code).
The way to tell the difference is by the length of the pauses.
There is a 1 second pause between digits of a second level code, and a 3 second pause between codes.
For example, if it is flashing 2 times, 1 second pause, flashing 2 times, 3 second pause and repeating, then this is a second level fault code of 22.
If it is flashing 2 times, 3 second pause, flashing 2 times, 3 second pause and repeating, then this is a first level fault code of 2.
What Fault Code are you getting?
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29 April 2020 12:04
ok great. Thanks it is showing 37
29 April 2020 12:06
It is only 37 no others
29 April 2020 12:09
Hank F.Hank F. Technician
Ok.
We are going to need to get both a voltage reading and a frequency reading on the output of this unit.
Connect a multimeter to the output leads and start it up.
What is the voltage reading?
Now set the meter to read frequency and start it up.
What is the frequency reading?
29 April 2020 12:11
https://drive.google.com/open?… this is what it does. ill check volts and frequency
29 April 2020 12:20
I am getting 0v and 0 hertz
29 April 2020 12:20
Hank F.Hank F. Technician
I couldn't get that link to work, but it's ok. I've been an Onan technician for 20 years, and I highly doubt it's anything I haven't seen dozens or hundreds of times before.
29 April 2020 12:21
Hank F.Hank F. Technician
0 V and 0 Hz tells me exactly where we need to look.
Directly above your control panel, mounted into the side of the generator toward the top, is a small plastic piece with 2 wires attached to it, held in with a single 10mm bolt. This is the brush holder.
Watching which wire goes where, disconnect them both.
Set your meter to ohms and connect one lead to each terminal of the brush holder. You should get a reading of about 30 ohms.
Now remove the brush holder - remove the 10 mm bolt and pull the holder straight out. Sometimes they fit pretty snug, and you need to wiggle it as you pull it out.
Check the brushes. They should be worn into an even arch pattern, and should not be chipped or cracked.
They should slide freely into and out of the holder. If they stick or bind, clean the holder with electrical contact cleaner.
The brushes should both be at least 7/16" long.
Now look inside the hole where the holder was.
You will see 2 metal bands that the brushes ride against. These are the slip rings.
The slip rings are made of copper, and should be fairly shiny.
You will see the wear pattern from the brushes on the slip rings.
The wear pattern should be pretty well centered vertically on the slip rings.
If one or both brushes are riding off the edge of the slip rings, this is a serious issue that must be addressed.
If the slip rings are dirty, they need to be cleaned by attaching a piece of scotch brite or 400 grit sandpaper to the end of a small stick.
Press the scotch brite to the rings, and press and hold start for a few seconds.
Do not hold start for more than about 10 seconds at a time without stopping to let the starter cool for a few minutes.
Once the rings are clean, ohm across them. They should read about 30 ohms.
Now use a strong flashlight to watch the rings as you press and hold the start button for 3-5 seconds.
The slip rings should start turning at the exact same time as the engine, should turn at the same speed as the engine, and should stop turning at the same time as the engine.
If they do not, you have a drive issue that we must diagnose.
Once the rings are clean, and if everything checks good, reinstall the holder.
Set your meter to VDC, and connect the positive lead to the wire that was connected to the lower brush holder terminal. This wire will be marked F+.
Connect the negative lead to the wire that was connected to the upper brush holder terminal. This wire will be marked F-.
Press and hold 'Start' for 3-5 seconds, and note the voltage.
How does all of this check out?
29 April 2020 12:21
basically the video just show that generator starts and runs for 7 seconds then dies with code 37. It will do this time after time again. immediately or wait a day...
29 April 2020 12:22
Hank F.Hank F. Technician
Seems we are trying to post at the same time - kind of the opposite of phone tag.....
Scroll up to read my last response. Pay particular attention to the part about watching the slip rings start and stop.
29 April 2020 12:31
39 ohms at brush holder. brushes measure at 9/16... **** if I measure ohms directly to slip rings I get 29 ohms
29 April 2020 12:40
I Get 9 VDS when I do this
Set your meter to VDC, and connect the positive lead to the wire that was connected to the lower brush holder terminal. This wire will be marked F+.
Connect the negative lead to the wire that was connected to the upper brush holder terminal. This wire will be marked F-.
Press and hold 'Start' for 3-5 seconds, and note the voltage.
How does all of this check out?
29 April 2020 12:41
sorry thats 9 VDC... it starts at 0 then I push start button it hits 8 for 1 second then 9vdc
29 April 2020 12:52
yes the slip rings are moving when the engine starts and runs
29 April 2020 01:20
Hank F.Hank F. Technician
There is a gray conduit coming out the left side of the genset that is about 3 feet long. It leads to a junction box.
Open up that junction box, and disconnect both black wires and the green wire.
Testing on the wires that come from the genset, ohm across one of the black wires to the green, then the other black to the green.
What readings do you get?
29 April 2020 01:27
I have already pulled the generator completely off the trailer...I get .2ohms on both black wires to green
29 April 2020 01:29
Hank F.Hank F. Technician
Then you are not doing something right.
When you tested for voltage and frequency, were you testing at the pigtail? Which wires?
Did you have the circuit breakers turned on?
29 April 2020 01:30
yes the breakers are turned on and I was testing directly off the breaker where the black leads go into breaker
29 April 2020 01:33
ok I just did another test at the end of the leads and I get 1.4v
29 April 2020 01:34
Hank F.Hank F. Technician
I need more specifics. Remember, I can't see or hear what is going on and what you are doing. I rely on you to tell me.
Are you testing from breaker to breaker to breaker? Breaker to neutral? Breaker to ground?
29 April 2020 01:46
ok sorry... I tested again from green to black it hit 110.v
when I go from green to black/yellow it hit 110v
but when I go from black to black and yellow I get 0
Is there a way I can send you video?
29 April 2020 01:50
Hank F.Hank F. Technician
You can't test from breaker to breaker - those are 2 completely separate windings. This is a 120Vonly genset, not a 120/240V.
110V on both windings is good. A code 30 with good voltage and frequency means your controller is bad.
29 April 2020 01:52
I get a code 37. I took my control board to another onan 5500 gold marquis and it runs fine with my control board on that generator
29 April 2020 02:00
Hank F.Hank F. Technician
Sorry, I meant to say code 37.
There is another possibility here, but it should be showing a code 47, not a 37.
That possibility is if one of your magnetos is bad.
Unplug the control board.
At the pin in the plug (the wiring harness side), locate wires P1-15 and P1-20. Set your meter to ohms, and connect the RED lead to a clean ground.
Touch the black lead to each of those pins. They should not show continuity. If one of them does, that magneto is bad.
Due to the time, effort and trouble of replacing a magneto, if one of them is bad, I highly suggest splurging and replacing them both.
29 April 2020 02:24
I'm not getting any continuity on either p1-15 to ground or p1-20 to ground...this is what it does hopefully video helps. If it was bad magneto would it consistently start then die?
29 April 2020 02:30
I checked from ground to spark plug boot and get 21,200 ohms on left no1 and 18400 ohms on right no2
29 April 2020 02:33
Hank F.Hank F. Technician
Yes. Code 37 is Invalid Configuration.
The controller looks at 2 inputs - the AC frequency and the RPM signal from the magnetos. It compares these 2 values as a ratio.
If this ratio is out of parameter, it shuts the unit down with Code 37.
Code 37 usually has to do with frequency - most often due to a broken drive belt, so there is no reading on frequency.
But a bad magneto usually sets a Code 47 - Ignition Fault.
I have never seen a magneto cause a 37, but it can.
29 April 2020 02:44
If the belt was broke it wouldn't turn the slip rings, right? Also I turned the motor on its side and could see the belt intact. What other possibilities could cause it?
29 April 2020 02:47
I put a in-line spark tester and the spark is consistent until 5 seconds then shuts off on both sides....
29 April 2020 02:50
Hank F.Hank F. Technician
The only 3 things that can set a code 37 are the frequency being out of range, the RPM signal from the magnetos being out of range, and a bad controller.
Spark is produced on the secondary side of the magneto. RPM signal is produced on the primary side. Spark has nothing to do with signal.
29 April 2020 02:59
I very much appreciate what you do! Especially the last message. lets dig into that
1- frequency out of range? you're referring to 110V 60 hertz , correct? Which we checked and when its on we are getting those readings
2-rpm signal from magnetos out of range- Is there something we can test to check magneto primary side or to look further into rpm signal? or a way to bypass to test?
3-controller- I don't think this is it because like I said my controller worked in another generator
It appears it has to be 2- rpm signal from magnetos -how do we confirm