Auto-start generator help

Re: Auto-start generator help

rafuseca wrote: »

-Is there any difference other than product name and color of paint to the Category 5 3500 watt generator (Champion, model 46512) sold by Northern Tool compared to the Champion 3500 watt generator sold by Cabelas (model 46539)

Just be aware, that IMHO, Champion tends to over-rate their generators a bit. I bought a 3 kW Champion 46538 last winter as a backup because our LP unit wouldn't start at 35 below and the gasoline one would. The 46538 is the same identical unit as the 46539 except that the 46539 has a shutoff switch to kill the power to the electronics so it won't discharge the battery over time.

They call it a 3,500 watt unit, but it's only got a 25 amp main breaker. 25 x 120 = 3,000 watts. The trouble is, the little 196cc engine won't even deliver that at 1,000 foot elevation with nice cold, dense winter air. In warmer weather it's weaker yet. The most I could pull from it and keep the freq above 57 Hz was 21 amps @ 119 volts, which is an actual output of 2.5 kW. In 60 degree air it's down to 20 amps @ 119 volts, which is 2.38 kW.

There is no governor adjustment possible to keep the freq up because the throttle is wide open, right up against the stop at the above power outputs. I tweaked up the AVR on mine to 125 volts no-load and that squeezed out what I got above. The AVR was factory set at 121 volts no-load and would dip down below 115 under load. I'm burning 91 octane premium pump gas in it with no ethanol. It had no power at all on winter oxygenated pump gas with ethanol in it, and would barely make 17 amps.

The generator itself seems very well built and I have had zero problems with it, other than noted above. It has a cast iron sleeve, runs reasonably quiet, and has cast iron rockers on a rocker shaft with tappet and pushrod rotators:
Attachment not found.
Attachment not found.

It started last winter at 35 below with just a shot of ether in the airbox, while the LP unit didn't have enough gas pressure in the tank to even cough once. But if you actually need a 3,500 watt generator I'd recommend buying a 4,500 watt one instead to be able to actually get your 3,500 watts with this particular brand.

Wiring this series generator up for auto-start was extremely easy. The Combination Switch simply completes circuits to ground. The G/Y wire that goes the center terminals of it is the ground. The center terminals in the switch are common. There is power supplied to the starter relay with a white wire and the B/W from the starter relay to the Combination Switch is hooked to ground for crank. Grounding the black wire that goes to terminal #3 on the Combination Switch kills the ignition. The yellow wire on terminal # 6 just grounds the antenna so the remote won't work with the switch in the off position.

There's a diode in the Transition that you may have to remove to disable the radio and built-in gen controller. Mine would auto-start fine and then shut off because the controller thought it wasn't supposed to be running since it hadn't received a signal from the remote. Removing that diode disables the radio and controller so it won't do that. Seems to me that diode was plugged into a plug that had a red wire and a black wire going to it. I can't find it in the wiring diagram in the manual for my unit. If you get to that point and have that problem I can take a photo of it and post it so you can see what to look for.
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Chris

Re: Auto-start generator help

rafuseca wrote: »

Good call on disabling the diode for the remote and glad for this forum (that saved a lot of frustration). I will be assembling the relays at home but unable to test until installing the AGS once on location in June. I’ll be sure to take pictures of the diode removal.

All those wireless remote start Champion generators are similar as far as wiring goes - the 3000/3500/6500/7200 watt units. You take the power panel down by removing the screws that hold it to the gen frame. There's a cover over the radio unit that has two screws in it - it's the cover closest to the recoil end and there's a red light (that indicates radio is ready) and a button there.

They're shipped in two different configurations - some have the diode plugged into a three pin plug that's closest to the LED and button - the diode is in a white connector with a piece of heat shrink over it. Some have a square diode block and that three pin connector will be plugged into it. That's the one you have to disable. The other big controller you'll see in there has a long connector going to it and that's for the choke stepper motor.

I would try it first and see if it shuts itself down when you start it with your auto starting system. If the LED is lit that means the auto run system is enabled and it should stay running. If your auto starting system starts it and that LED isn't lit, it will probably run for a bit, then the built-in gen controller will disconnect power and shut the engine down. If it does that, there is two ways to make it stay running:
-- press the button and hold it for a few seconds to make the LED come on, which enables the auto-run system in it. This draws a few milliamps off the gen battery continuously and will require a battery maintainer to keep the battery up in between starts
-- disable the radio and built-in gen controller by unplugging that diode

If you want to be able to use both the wireless remote (which has fairly decent range) and your auto gen controller, simply pressing the button to enable the auto-run system is the best way. All it takes is like a little VW solar panel to keep the battery maintained if you choose to be able to use the wireless remote with it.

If you choose to use the wireless remote you can get more range out of the radio by extending the antenna wire. The antenna wire is white and you'll find it bundled in with the bundle of wires coming out of that gen controller box. It just terminates in the bundle that goes out by the low oil sensor. Butt connector an extra long wire on that and you can get up to 500 feet of range to the remote.
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Chris

Re: Auto-start generator help

The auto choke works fine on the 46538 model without using the wirelss. I think the only difference between the 46538 and 46539 is that they "upped" the output rating (with the same size breakers!) and there might be a battery disconnect switch on the 46539. If you simply tie into the starting switch terminals on either model (connecting the AGS relays in parallel with the starting switch) it should work identically to starting the generator with the starting switch.

You can verify this by starting the generator without the wireless remote with the rocker switch on the gen panel. If it fires up and the auto choke works like it should then it does not require the wireless, or any extra relays, to activate the auto-choke.
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Chris

Re: Auto-start generator help

That definitely sounds like a problem with the control module. The auto-choke, on every one I've seen, works with the start (combination) switch on the gen panel. It's always possible they changed something on newer models, but I doubt it.

If it works with the wireless remote, then than verifies that the stepper motor is OK.
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Chris