Honda generator problem

[Rich Biebel]

My description was not very good on that 9 volt battery connector...

You can buy the snap on connector for a 9 volt battery is what I meant.

You used to easily get one at places like Radio Shack......or any electrical supply store but they are few and far between anymore......

Stuff like that I buy off Amazon. They sell everything.

Polarity does not matter....

It sounds hokey as I mentioned but its mentioned in some service manuals and I've done it, successfully.....

Try it NOT running first but if that does not work....try it running.....

You usually see a small arc if its doing anything....a current draw....even with engine off

If no luck that way, Start the machine.....stick the battery wires into an outlet and if it works it will arc very quickly...…..so you obviously have to get right out of there....120 volts will hurt you !

It may continue to make AC voltage after that each time you shut it off and restart it......or it may just go back to not producing voltage....

I have rigged up external "field flash" circuits on larger machines that would not make voltage on their own....

Usually a diesel welder that has brushes......Apply cranking voltage to brushes thru a relay circuit......Can't allow a back feed off those brushes once its running and making voltage...…

Onan generators all have a field flash circuit on startup......and your little battery deal is just trying to do the same thing.

I forgot one important detail

Most brushless generators have an excitation winding that produces an AC current applied to the AVR......The AVR rectifies that to DC and uses it to control the field for voltage buildup and regulation
It's very common to see portables that make no voltage due to the excitation winding being bad.
It would need a new Stator if that's the problem......an ohmmeter generally will show you and open condition on that excitation winding...…

Small portables in todays world are mostly throwaways when they fail on the generator end.....to much $$ for replacement rotors and stators and practically all of them are import made.....