Automatic Choke, automatic generator start/stop.
I posted on here some months ago, November, 2017 about modifying my generator and promised a video. Well, I just now finally got around to assembling the video. It's mostly written instructions of how I did my generator modification and shows how it works. I came up with this originally last October, and it has been in operation since then with very few issues. I did change the choke linkage I had used originally. It's been in operation with the generator starting at least a few times a day after the sun goes down, more on overcast days.
Bottom line, this modification has been working perfectly for me, and I keep records.
On November 19, 2017 the generator had 2073 hours on it while I had been using the auto-choke & generator start since October 2017. That generator failed at 2499 hours. I ran a back-up secondary generator until the new one was modified and installed at 2552 hours. I have about 100 hours on this new generator (currently 2653 hours).
So this design has functioned for me for 580 running hours, which I consider a good enough test for reliability.
If anyone is interested in this design, or how I accomplished this, as well as seeing it work, here is my (sorry so late) promised video: https://youtu.be/SIv58DvPuM0
I hope this helps out others as much as it has worked out well for us. We do not miss going out to start the generator at all. Off grid life has taken a serious improvement for us. The modification did consume a little bit of time, but it was easy, works perfectly, and cost less than $6.00 not counting the connecting wire and the AGS module for our Xantrex system. This works out a whole lot better for us than buying a $6,000 generator with these features from the factory.
Comments
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I did something similar until the servo I used broke the plastic choke lever. I then switched to a different enrichment method...propane.
I put a 12v propane valve inline and plumbed it into the airbox. Generator starts within the first few revs. I also use a GSCM-MINI so that my inverter can charge the batts if they get too low.
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