# HarborFreight Predator 3500 INVERTER Generatore



## Predator

I've been considering purchasing one of HarborFreights new 3000Watt Inverter generators.

I tend to have doubts as to the durability but it is a pretty good price at $700 for a 3000watt inverter generator.

It looks good and very Hondaish.

Anyone here have one yet?


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## thehandyman1957

I'm not usually a Harbor Freight guy but I have to say, this is a pretty nice generator. 

As for quality, well it's not a Honda but for the money, Dang....

Here are a couple of links for a decent review of it.


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## Predator

it "seems" like a pretty nice generator....I agree.
But it's very new on the market. Very few have any significant time on them.
Time will tell. So much can fail. What will be the availability of parts?
They have a 90 day warranty. Hmmmm...

Here's the EXACT Warrnty.....
_We guarantee the emissions control system on your engine will be free from defects in material and workmanship for two (2) years, provided there has been no improper maintenance, misuse, or abuse of your engine. We guarantee this product to be free from defects in materials and workmanship for 90 days from the date of purchase. Limitations apply.
_

Limitations? What Limitations? I couldn't find these "limitations" at their website so Caveat Emptor. Let the buyer Beware.

Another important consideration is that the Honda EU3000iS is 30% heavier at 131lbs vs the HF Predator at 99.5lbs.
That's a BIG difference. I'm going to guess that most of that difference is in the Stator/Rotor assembly. If true, then the HF Predator is "probably" not made as durable as the Honda Stator/Rotor assembly and hence the big weight difference. Those assemblies are very heavy by nature and this huge difference in weight could be a telling sign of a big quality difference in manufacturing. In generators, size DOES matter and the weight difference is most likely due to rotor diameter and or number of windings (or both). I would confidently guess that the Honda EU3000is would outperform the HarborFreight Predator 3000 in a test of sheer load capability, regardless of the published specs.

Honda's EU3000i Handi is significantly lighter than their EU3000is, but output is less and fuel capacity is less and the motor is 160cc vs 196cc for the IS.
The Honda IS also holds 3.4 gallons of fuel vs the HF Predator 3000 Inverter at 2.6 gallons. Almost a gallon difference. The Predator needs a bigger fuel tank IMO.

Note: Honda also makes a EU3000i which is also a 3000watt Inverter generator but it has a much smaller fuel tank and less output power.

*The HONDA EU3000is*









*HarborFreight Predator 3000Watt Inverter*









I'm planning on getting one because it would only be used for emergencies which are far and few in between and because I've spent many years as a motorcycle repair tech so working on engines and electrical systems comes naturally for me. Big advantage.

I'll say this.....if over the next few years they gain a reputation of durability, then it will indeed be a good deal......but the price will probably climb also.

Is it also "fair" to say that Honda 3000watt Inverter generators are "over-priced"? Probably. But they are priced at what the market will bear.
A Honda 3000watt inverter generator can be had new for around $2,000 of which I would rough estimate at least $1,200 is pure profit. Probably more.
Just WAG's though.

Whatever generator you get, try to keep it indoors under air. The humidity of outside storage in humid climates wreaks havoc on not only the motor, but the electronics and fuel system as well. Did you know that SeaFoam is not only good at cleaning fuel systems and removing carbon deposits but is also a great fuel stabilizer? Just don't add too much. 

Removing the spark plug and oil fogging the cylinder for long term storage is also a good idea. Don't forget to change the oil before storage to remove any acidic by products of combustion.

I like to run my generators at least once every 4 months minimum to keep all the seals lubricated and passages open.

The carburetor is prone to gumming inside the float bowl. Be sure to run the motor long enough after adding SeaFoam or other fuel stabilizer to ensure it reaches the float bowl.


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## RonJ

It has all the signs of "buy." As for the Warranty.....pay the extra and take a two year option. I have a Predator that a neighbor gave me, when he was moving....it runs like a top. I recommend getting rid of the spark plug and get a Brand Name. Pull the trigger and get it, with the warranty. Ron


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## exmar

Have to agree with Handyman, I'm not usually a fan of HF or inverter gensets, but this seems like a "BUY" if it fits your power needs. I have used the HF predator replacement engines on log splitters, tillers, etc. for $120 they run great and are "ChiHondas" which ain't all bad. my old genset is a Generac 3750, long time after I had bought it, was installing a predator replacement engine on something and it struck me how familiar it looked. Same engine in the Generac. Ten or twelve years later, still starts first pull and has been great. Probably the same engine buried in there.


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## Predator

RonJ said:


> It has all the signs of "buy." As for the Warranty.....pay the extra and take a two year option. I have a Predator that a neighbor gave me, when he was moving....it runs like a top. I recommend getting rid of the spark plug and get a Brand Name. Pull the trigger and get it, with the warranty. Ron


Thanks Ron.

The INVERTER series is kinda new, even though they might share the same motor. Not sure.
Hopefully it will be reliable as their others. I guess it's still an unknown for now.

I spoke with a representative at the company that actually handles the extended warranties on Predator Inverter Generators for HarborFreight. That company is called ASSURANT.

The representative told me that the Extended Warranty is a ONE TIME contract. Of course, that means that once you've had a malfunction and need to execute your warranty it's over. So, let's say the electric starter failed and it needed a switch....you would use your $139.00 warranty for that switch, and that would be the end of your warranty. Let's say the LED failed.....same thing. How about if a wheel broke? Same thing. No matter how big or how small the failure, once you use your Extended Service Plan for ANY item, your coverage ends with THAT repair or service. You would have to purchase ANOTHER Extended Warranty. 

*Pay extra attention to this....*
*Your 2 Year Extended Service Plan DOES NOT mean that you are covered for 2 years*. It means that you will get ONE REPAIR within the 2 Year ESP period. You could use up your $139.00 ESP on a $10.00 item within the first two weeks of the 90 day manufacturers warranty ending....and that's it.
You will not be entitled to ANY additional repairs regardless.

The fly in the ointment would come if you did not buy another Extended Warranty (For another $139.00) and then had a problem after that.

Not to scare anyone.....most ESP's work this way.....but it's surprising how many people aren't aware of it.


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## Predator

exmar said:


> Have to agree with Handyman, I'm not usually a fan of HF or inverter gensets, but this seems like a "BUY" if it fits your power needs. I have used the HF predator replacement engines on log splitters, tillers, etc. for $120 they run great and are "ChiHondas" which ain't all bad. my old genset is a Generac 3750, long time after I had bought it, was installing a predator replacement engine on something and it struck me how familiar it looked. Same engine in the Generac. Ten or twelve years later, still starts first pull and has been great. Probably the same engine buried in there.


Agreed.

For $700 I'm gonna try one. No ESP for me. I just hope I can get parts if I need it. I can do any necessary repair as long as the rotor or stator doesn't fry....in which case I'll try selling it for parts


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## RonJ

Predator: You talk of the warranty and you could be spending XXXX for a switch, and the warranty is shot.....then again you could run it out without a problem! We all try to cover all the bases and insure our buck, but there has to be a reasonable parameter to work within. If this generator meets your needs, saves you the cost of of a Honda 3K, and your expected usage versus the expenditure made. The final call is yours, and I hope you get all the answers you need. Also, doesn't Ryobi make a 3K Inverter? Ron


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## Predator

RonJ said:


> Predator: You talk of the warranty and you could be spending XXXX for a switch, and the warranty is shot.....then again you could run it out without a problem! We all try to cover all the bases and insure our buck, but there has to be a reasonable parameter to work within. If this generator meets your needs, saves you the cost of of a Honda 3K, and your expected usage versus the expenditure made. The final call is yours, and I hope you get all the answers you need. Also, doesn't Ryobi make a 3K Inverter? Ron


I think Ryobi does, but I also heard "through the grapevine?) that they aren't good. Idaknow.

I'm gonna take a chance on no problems and skip the $139 ESP......will probably run it a good bit during the 90 days factory warranty, put max load on it etc.....hopefully if it's got any ghosts it'll give em up during that time.

Sure is a nice looking Genny.


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## RonJ

Sure is a GREAT looking generator. Glad you have decided; Now think real hard about not wanting to spend that extra $140.....covers 365. To me, that would be money well spent on a product you want around for a good while - cheap insurance. This way that when you let it lay up for a month or more, and then go to use it, you have the peace of mind should it fail. I don't know if you know about www.generatorguru.com, he has replacement parts for all kinds of generators that are of Chinese origin; might want to check it out for prosperity. On the Ryobi - who the **** would make a green generator, ha. Good luck, whatever way you go, I know you will be satisfied.Ron


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## Predator

RonJ said:


> Sure is a GREAT looking generator. Glad you have decided; Now think real hard about not wanting to spend that extra $140.....covers 365. To me, that would be money well spent on a product you want around for a good while - cheap insurance. This way that when you let it lay up for a month or more, and then go to use it, you have the peace of mind should it fail. I don't know if you know about www.generatorguru.com, he has replacement parts for all kinds of generators that are of Chinese origin; might want to check it out for prosperity. On the Ryobi - who the **** would make a green generator, ha. Good luck, whatever way you go, I know you will be satisfied.Ron


haha
Thanks again Ron.

You make sense. I'm just a tightwad and penny pincher. I figure I'll put it through it's paces early on to make sure everything is right.
Will probably put 100 hours on it in the first 90 days and run it at full load a few times. If it's gonna take a dump on me I should know by day 89.
Then I figure two years will FLY by and the odds of really needing it are slim to unlikely...so I'm gonna gamble that I won't need the extra warranty and the 20% price hike..
Most of the time, failures happen fairly quickly off the assembly line if they're gonna happen.
If....it does, I'll use that money to buy replacement parts. :tango_face_smile_bi
If it wasn't from my really strong background with motors and vehicle electronics I might spring for it.

I checked out that link. Awesome!
I did notice he doesn't have any Predator INVERTER generator parts yet tho <sad>


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## Predator

So I went ahead and bought one today. I was gonna wait but....it kept nagging me and I couldn't get it off my mind....

Anyway, after a thorough inspection, it looks like there has been gasoline in it as there is just a little gasoline residue in the bottom of the tank......I was a little afraid they'd be re-furbishing returned ones from the two recent hurricanes but if it's been refurbished, they did an excellent job. Not a nick or scratch, the muffler is virgin, no signs of use, I would estimate that the crankcase had about 5 ounces of oil in it, no dirt, dust or any signs of previous use.

The fuel residue in the tank leads me to believe it may have been used. I can't see the factory packing it with ANY fuel fumes or residue in it at all if it was "NEW" new. And yet there definitely was what appeared to be the nearly dried remains of what was gasoline. There was alos the smell of gasoline. Maybe this was from a factory test run? Dunno....but somehow I doubt they test run these units. Maybe they do.

However, I ran it for 1/2 hour and put 2000 watts load on it and it handled it with no trouble. It did have that notorious drop in RPMs in the beginning. For about the first 5 minutes. Maybe that was some fuel residue gum in the float bowl? Many have reported this issue and returned units because of it but it smoothed out in the one I have after about 5 minutes.

That said, I can confirm these units have a slight breathing problem. When it was doing the RPM drop thing, I opened the oil filler access door and as others noted, the problem instantly stopped. Also, I noticed a considerable vacuum as I closed that access panel. The vacuum pulled the door shut with a measurable force.

Being a motorcycle mechanic, that told me the generator housing is not allowing enough air to pass through to properly allow the engine to get all the air it needs. This is a design flaw and can only be corrected by introducing vents for air to pass through the outer housing.

I may buy an extra oil filler access panel and introduce a few vent holes in it with a sponge filter in the back to catch dust and dirt. Sort of a pre filter for the air filter.

It should also be noted that this condition will cause the motor to run rich as the carburetor inlet will experience lower atmospheric pressure than it would otherwise. That will result in more fuel consumption and an engine that gets more carbon buildup inside than if the engine were running optimally.

I'm certain future units will have more breathing vents built in to alleviate this issue.

Other than that, everything worked and I can say this thing is VERY quiet. I also have a Honda EU2000is and this is just as quiet while producing 2000 watts as the Honda producing 1000.

If it lasts 10 years it'll be one **** of a bargain.

I have 90 days to make sure it's tip top. I plan to run it at least 50 hours before the 90 days is up and run a compression test.


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## Predator

For anyone interested......here's the motor that's in it....

*LONCIN MOTOR COMPANY,LTD*
HCGPS.2121GS (U-U-145-0252)

https://www.arb.ca.gov/msprog/offroad/cert/eo/2017/sore/u-u-145-0277.pdf


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## RonJ

Congrats on your buy, I am betting it will serve you well. You question it being new or refurbed, because of the residue gas....that was probably as a result of fuel used to Test Start that model. Now let's hope your weather remains great, and your gen is called to be power a camper or electric yard product. Ron


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## Predator

RonJ said:


> Congrats on your buy, I am betting it will serve you well. You question it being new or refurbed, because of the residue gas....that was probably as a result of fuel used to Test Start that model. Now let's hope your weather remains great, and your gen is called to be power a camper or electric yard product. Ron


Thank you sir. I hope you're right. 

I like to be "ready"....just in case.


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## Predator

To anyone who stumbles across this thread and has bought or is about to buy a new generator.....

Could you be so kind as to carefully check the fuel tank and see if you can determine if gasoline has ever been in the tank before you purchased it?

Could very well be as RonJ said.....factory test run.


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## Predator

Found a cure for the oil cover air restriction......bought this and it works perfectly. They were available in Red, Gold, Black, White and Silver.
Don't ask me why.....I just wanted Gold.
In the back is a Uni-Filter to filter the incoming air. Nice!

Runs cooler to boot.


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## Doctorsus99

Where did you get that oil cover? Thanks


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## Jeremy Peake

I bought one this week. Tried the new Ryobi 2300 for 2 days and it about died at 12 hours. Surging, stalling etc. Must have got a dud, because I see lots of happy folks reviewing it. None left in store to swap, didn;t want to wait so i just returned and got the Predator from HF.

It ran a little rough at first, stuttering a bit. I have ran in 10 hours now, and have changed the oil 3 times. First at 1 hour was pretty flaky. 5 hours was better, 10 hours better yet. Still a couple flakes in the pan, but maybe I didn't clean the pan as well as i should. Gonna try another change at 15 hours into a new pan. Just being paranoid because, hey, it's from HF.

It does seem very well built. I was very surprised. 

I got the 2 year plan on it, plus a $50 coupon.

Hope it lasts. I will be using it at some land I have, running camper stuff and power tools, charging batteries etc. Only load I've had on it so far is 10A shop vac. it didn't even flinch.


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## Jeremy Peake

I gotta have that oil cover panel! Where did you find it? I dont see any on ebay, or google search. 

There is a lot of vacuum when pulling that panel open/closed.


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## Jeremy Peake

check out the magnetic dipsticks for sale on ebay. just bought one

PREDATOR 3500 INVERTER GENERATOR MAGNETIC OIL DIP STICK | eBay


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## RonJ

That magnetic dip stick looks identical to the one I have in my Honda 2000i. Ron


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## Predator

Jeremy Peake said:


> I gotta have that oil cover panel! Where did you find it? I dont see any on ebay, or google search.
> There is a lot of vacuum when pulling that panel open/closed.


A friend got it for me. They run a private small engine shop from their home. Let me ask them.
Probably from GeneratorGuru.com

Yes, TONS of vacuum. That indicates the carburetor is pulling air faster than it can flow through the housing.
That can result in.....
1). An overly rich mixture
2). More fuel consumption
3). Less engine cooling

3 extremely important things.

The new oil filler cover I got with the breather vent and built in air filter has solved all those problems.

People may not think about it but the vacuum inside the housing can cause other issues. Dirt and dust will be constantly sucked into the outlets, switches and other sensitive components because the atmosphere wil try to fill the vacuum any where it can. In the long run, that will cause more problems.

Also, many of these generators (depending on your elevation), tend to skip and sputter a bit.
Removing the oil filler cover resolves it in many cases. SeaFoam in the gas resolves it for others it seems
The Manufacturer CALLS for full time use of SeaFoam of another fuel stabilizer anyway so I would make sure you ALWAYS have some mixed into the fuel.

But SeaFoam can't resolve the rich mixture / excess fuel consumption and running hot caused by the airflow restriction.

*I used a laser thermometer to measure the temp of the muffler 1 inch below and 1 inch to the left of the outlet. *
WITH the OEM oil filler cover the temperature rose to 213 degrees F
WITHOUT the OEM oil filler cover the temperature stayed at 183 degrees F

That's a BIG difference and could substantially affect engine life.

I'm pretty sure these generators will be updated to allow more airflow at some point in the future.
I think this is a manufacturer's defect and they should supply ALL owners with a vented oil filler cover to rectify this problem.

Other than this, so far I've found this generator to be an amazing value and one heck of a generator. How long will it last is my biggest concern.


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## Predator

I did my first oil change this past weekend (at 4 hours run time) and snapped this photo while I had the cover off.

Just a shot of the INSIDE of the vented oil filler door. The green foam filter is removable and you can clean it over and over.

Don't know why I went with the gold <scratches head>. Just thought it was neat. Probably will get the red one too.


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## Predator

Here's where they came from.

https://aerostarengineering.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=70


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## Jeremy Peake

thanks, gonna order one.


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## Jeremy Peake

I changed the oil (4th time) at 15 hours. No metal flake at all this time. oil a bit darker than i expected. maybe that's normal for small engine with no filter. it looked clean, just dark. almost coffee color.

Using mobile 1 from here on out. gonna use it at the camper this weekend. will see how she performs with mixed loads (tools, lights, heat, water pump etc etc)


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## Predator

Jeremy Peake said:


> I changed the oil (4th time) at 15 hours. No metal flake at all this time. oil a bit darker than i expected. maybe that's normal for small engine with no filter. it looked clean, just dark. almost coffee color.
> 
> Using mobile 1 from here on out. gonna use it at the camper this weekend. will see how she performs with mixed loads (tools, lights, heat, water pump etc etc)


Hey Jeremy,
You're not the first person I've heard report of dark oil. 15 hours is not a lot of runtime.
I would suspect that the genny may be running hot, which burns the oil. Mine runs noticeably cooler with the vented door.
Mobile One has a higher cooking temp.

I just changed the oil in mine so I'll be interested to see how the oil looks in 15 hours.


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## Bob Jones

That aerostar engineering site can't be reached


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## Handyhiker

I got right to the site. Might have just been a glitch.


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## Ccase39

Hey guys. First post. Ran across this thread and thought I would share my experience. We have two food trucks and my generac 8000 went out on one. After a lot of research I reluctantly bought two predators. Having a quiet generator makes us a lot more marketable so I knew I wanted an inverter. I liked the idea of running two generators parallel so that factored into my decision. 
I have 200 hours on both of them. I run them parallel at about 70% load and haven’t had any problems. I’ve parked side by side to a guy with a Honda 3000 and the Predator was quieter. It honestly outperforms the Honda. It won’t last as long I’m sure but I bought the 2 year warranty and at that price point I feel that after it expires I will have gotten my monies worth. It’s an in store exchange so I can just swap it out.
I run it every day for 5-6 hours a day so it’s getting it’s fair share of use.
Really happy so far. Definitely not your normal HF junk. I have been looking for the oil vent door and their website was down. I was finally able to reach it by clicking the link in this thread. I have two coming. I like what I’m hearing about them.


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## jchall80

I've been a Honda (EU2000i) guy through and through since I bought one in 2009 (still am). My garage hobby for the past several years has been buying and selling the Hondas because I've gotten pretty good at working on them when they need it. I picked up one of these Predators that was NIB listed on CL for $550. Very impressed with the build so far and the less than hour run time put on it from the garage. I have it broke down so I could install a fuel pump. For those that ask, I tapped the aluminum cast valve cover (Hemi model of the Predator 212 engine). Fuel pump was less than $7 on Amazon. I ripped out the carbon evap canister and now working to solve/remove/block the stupid vent line that runs from the top of the fuel neck through the tank to the bottom. I'll vent through a replacement cap when running without an extended tank attached.

Really impressed so far with this unit. Reading about these suggests multiple oil changes throughout the breaking period so I'll definitely keep that in mind.


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## Jeff d

I picked one of these up the other day. It's generally quiet and starts easily but it seems to vibrate a lot. Depending on the load and how it’s sitting, this resonates some particular component of the engine or frame and makes an annoying sound. If I go press on it or move it slightly it will stop but then a few minutes later it’ll do it again. I’ve pulled all the plastic off and I can’t find where the sound is coming from. Also, if I put an object on the top it will “walk” it around until it falls off.

Anyway, I’m at 14 hrs now and have run it with only non-ethanol fuel, changed the spark plug out for an NGK, ran some sea foam through it, changed the oil, etc. If anything it’s getting worse. It also does it with or without the oil door in place. I think I’ll exchange it and hope I get a better one. Those who have them, check this out and confirm that it’s not normal:
https://youtu.be/jdxELjo-cE0


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## johndeerefarmer

Ccase39 said:


> Hey guys. First post. Ran across this thread and thought I would share my experience. We have two food trucks and my generac 8000 went out on one. After a lot of research I reluctantly bought two predators. Having a quiet generator makes us a lot more marketable so I knew I wanted an inverter. I liked the idea of running two generators parallel so that factored into my decision.
> I have 200 hours on both of them. I run them parallel at about 70% load and haven’t had any problems. I’ve parked side by side to a guy with a Honda 3000 and the Predator was quieter. It honestly outperforms the Honda. It won’t last as long I’m sure but I bought the 2 year warranty and at that price point I feel that after it expires I will have gotten my monies worth. It’s an in store exchange so I can just swap it out.
> I run it every day for 5-6 hours a day so it’s getting it’s fair share of use.
> Really happy so far. Definitely not your normal HF junk. I have been looking for the oil vent door and their website was down. I was finally able to reach it by clicking the link in this thread. I have two coming. I like what I’m hearing about them.


Sorry but the predator isn't quieter than the Honda. Predator is 57dB at 1/4 load while Honda is 58db at full load and 49db at 1/4 load. I suggest you get your hearing checked if you can't tell the difference.

You say it "honestly outperforms the Honda". The only thing it beats on the Honda is price


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## BigWayne

johndeerefarmer said:


> Sorry but the predator isn't quieter than the Honda. Predator is 57dB at 1/4 load while Honda is 58db at full load and 49db at 1/4 load. I suggest you get your hearing checked if you can't tell the difference.
> 
> You say it "honestly outperforms the Honda". The only thing it beats on the Honda is price


Did you measure this or are you going by manufacturer numbers? Published dB numbers for generators are not standardized in any way. Usually this means you shouldn't trust the HF numbers as much as the Honda numbers, but it's hard to trust any of them.


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## almeraz

what parallel kit cable you are using to connect 2 predators 3500?????


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## almeraz

Ccase39 said:


> Hey guys. First post. Ran across this thread and thought I would share my experience. We have two food trucks and my generac 8000 went out on one. After a lot of research I reluctantly bought two predators. Having a quiet generator makes us a lot more marketable so I knew I wanted an inverter. I liked the idea of running two generators parallel so that factored into my decision.
> I have 200 hours on both of them. I run them parallel at about 70% load and haven’t had any problems. I’ve parked side by side to a guy with a Honda 3000 and the Predator was quieter. It honestly outperforms the Honda. It won’t last as long I’m sure but I bought the 2 year warranty and at that price point I feel that after it expires I will have gotten my monies worth. It’s an in store exchange so I can just swap it out.
> I run it every day for 5-6 hours a day so it’s getting it’s fair share of use.
> Really happy so far. Definitely not your normal HF junk. I have been looking for the oil vent door and their website was down. I was finally able to reach it by clicking the link in this thread. I have two coming. I like what I’m hearing about them.


what parallel cable you are using to connect 2 predators 3500?


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## RonJ

Glad they are working for you.....keeps your business going - that is the bottom line! Ron


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## Ccase39

Jeff d said:


> I picked one of these up the other day. It's generally quiet and starts easily but it seems to vibrate a lot. Depending on the load and how it’s sitting, this resonates some particular component of the engine or frame and makes an annoying sound. If I go press on it or move it slightly it will stop but then a few minutes later it’ll do it again. I’ve pulled all the plastic off and I can’t find where the sound is coming from. Also, if I put an object on the top it will “walk” it around until it falls off.
> 
> Anyway, I’m at 14 hrs now and have run it with only non-ethanol fuel, changed the spark plug out for an NGK, ran some sea foam through it, changed the oil, etc. If anything it’s getting worse. It also does it with or without the oil door in place. I think I’ll exchange it and hope I get a better one. Those who have them, check this out and confirm that it’s not normal:
> https://youtu.be/jdxELjo-cE0


The rattling you hear is the wheel lock. Only thing I don’t like about mine. I just wrapped some electrical tape around the shaft and problem solved.
I have two of these I run parallel 5 hours a day 7 days a week. Over 500 hours and zero problems.
I just do general maintenance. Change plugs, oil, clean spark arrestor, air filter etc. could not be happier.
I even took those wheels off of them and added bigger wheels.


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## Ccase39

almeraz said:


> Ccase39 said:
> 
> 
> 
> Hey guys. First post. Ran across this thread and thought I would share my experience. We have two food trucks and my generac 8000 went out on one. After a lot of research I reluctantly bought two predators. Having a quiet generator makes us a lot more marketable so I knew I wanted an inverter. I liked the idea of running two generators parallel so that factored into my decision.
> I have 200 hours on both of them. I run them parallel at about 70% load and haven’t had any problems. I’ve parked side by side to a guy with a Honda 3000 and the Predator was quieter. It honestly outperforms the Honda. It won’t last as long I’m sure but I bought the 2 year warranty and at that price point I feel that after it expires I will have gotten my monies worth. It’s an in store exchange so I can just swap it out.
> I run it every day for 5-6 hours a day so it’s getting it’s fair share of use.
> Really happy so far. Definitely not your normal HF junk. I have been looking for the oil vent door and their website was down. I was finally able to reach it by clicking the link in this thread. I have two coming. I like what I’m hearing about them.
> 
> 
> 
> what parallel cable you are using to connect 2 predators 3500?
Click to expand...

Sorry just saw this. I use parallel cables for the Honda 3000. HF doesn’t make them to fit yet. I push 50 amps and 6k Watts regularly. I’ve had it up to 7500 before it tripped. Held that load for a good 30 seconds. I wouldn’t recommend it but it will do it.
I run ethanol gas in it mainly because there aren’t many non ethanol stations around.
They see their share of abuse too. I throw them in and out of a food skoolie a couple times a day.


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## JohnnyPop

Hi! New to the forum here. Looking for help/advice. I’m at my wits end with my new Predator 3500. It has a stutter when it runs with eco throttle off, and doesn’t run smoothly under load. Removing the side panel does help. I’ve tried everything I can think of, including: 

-carving out the indentations in the main plastic side panel to help it breath better
-adding 6 UNI vents on the underside of the main case
-removing the carburetor twice and completely cleaning it (it was not dirty at all)
-trying various different spark plugs and gaps
-I run premium non-ethanol gas with sea foam

Nothing works. It still does the stutter and doesn’t run smooth. My main reason for buying this unit was because it was reasonably quiet, sufficient wattage, and fit under my tonneau cover. An EU3000is does not fit under my tonneau cover. 

Here is my last resort for this Predator 3500....I’m going to buy a genuine Honda EU3000is carburetor and install it on the Predator. I’m convinced the issue is with the cheapo carb...having gone through it twice now, it leaves a lot to be desired quality-wise. There are flaws in the casting, score marks inside and on gasket points. The stutter issue could also be due to the electronic throttle control servo motor. When it’s running, everything is vibrating quite a bit in there, and maybe it can’t remain steady. I’m hoping the Honda carb will fit and solve the stutter issue? Comparing with pictures...they look identical. 

Thoughts? Someone has to have solved the mystery on these Loncin units!!


----------



## JohnnyPop

....sooooo i put a Honda EU3000is carburetor on my Predator 3500...


----------



## reno310

And...


----------



## AlNonymous

NOTE: Northern Tool sells the exact same inverter generator under the name Powerhorse inverter generator (item 792220) - the only difference is that Northern Tool’s is blue, not red:
https://m.northerntool.com/products/shop~tools~product_200660221_200660221?adv=false


----------



## mlevinson

I have owned my Predator for about a year now, and this past weekend was the first time I used it for prolonged periods running an A/C unit for my cabin at the beach. I removed my oil fill cover for better breathing and it ran fine through the night, but in the morning it would heat up and shut down. I cleaned the air filter and it seemed to run a little better and made it thru the night again. The third day it would barely run, and it was very hard to start. It seemed as though it was constantly flooded. When it would fire, it would put out black smoke, again indicating a very rich mixture. The exhaust sounded like it was plugged when it would run and I had my aha moment. All the symptoms indicated a very restricted exhaust, so I started tapping on it with the end of my screw driver and chunks of carbon began coming out of the arrestor.

Being curious I removed the arrestor completely to see if it would run better, and it ran like a top during the test. I know the arrestor is on for safety reasons but mine became almost completely plugged during my 3 nights of camping. I'm going to look into a larger diameter arrestor that I can plumb the exhaust to in order to help the generator breathe better.

I got enough of the carbon out to get it running again and put it back on for the last night, but this seems like a design flaw - at least on my machine. I imagine the cooler temps at night helped lean out the A/F mixture and as the weather warmed up, along with the excess back pressure the A/F got really rich causing it to sputter and stall.

Anyone else have a similar experience?


----------



## David Wright

*Gen down*

I've loved this generator since day one.....and I've helped sell a lot of them to friends. Well I've had my first problem.....the large 120/30a receptacle push in trip button is tripped and wont stay in. The last time I used it I had no problems with it and to my knowledge has not tripped before....went to use it yesterday, hooked my trailer up and nothing. I've taken the front cover off and it's like the button is bad....tapped on it thinking it my be stuck but still nothing. I've been trying to find that part with no luck. I looked at the website that someone had posted on here to get generator parts but I guess it's to new and is not listed.
anyone know where I could get parts at for the 3500w?
thanks


----------



## sonicbob

Hello every one. I'm new to the forum and new to forums in general. But I normally seek out and read forums to help me with issues and problems that I'm have mechanically. But today I would like to respond and thank the forum for giving me inspiration and an Idea that I hope that will help a number of those with a running rich problem. Back last November we bought a Predator 3500 to use on our 35 foot travel trailer to use as temporary power while traveling in between camp sites to use at Truck stops, Walmart etc. 



During break in I also experienced the engine running very rich "even worse on hot afternoons " and raw gasoline running out of the over flow tubes on to the ground and severely fouled spark plugs. I had also had added an elevated extended run fuel tank which only magnified the over flow problem when I turned on the valve. 



So here I would like to thank JCHALL 80. For mentioning the removal of the charcoal canister and it's pluming. THANK YOU!!
This is where the running rich issue occurs. There is a tube that run's " inside " from the bottom to the top of the fuel tank. This is where it pull's gas vapors from then to the carbon canister then to the air cleaner then into carburetor. The carburetor on this machine meters fuel very well. BUT the gas vapors from the carbon canister are not metered this is what is causing the over rich condition there is no additional air "oxygen" added to these vapors to ideal mixture. Thus the fouled plugs and sooty spark arresters 



One can simply unbolt and cleanly remove the charcoal canister. And using pliers remove the spring clips on the two hoses. And I used rubber vacuum caps that I got at Auto Zone "Dorman part # 47396 " to cap the open piping ends and reused the original spring clips to clamp the caps into place. 



After doing this it STOPPED the flooding, fouling, sooting, and over flowing issues that I was having. Afterward I filled the fuel tank completely level full of fuel and nothing ran out. started it and run it nine hours smoothly with a 23 amp load until it ran dry. And the spark arrester was as clean as before I started it.


As for the oil dip stick door suction thing. This is the engine cooling fan on the engine starving for fresh air. In my opinion I would open the battery door on the front of the machine this is direct line of site to the fan intake and it's cooler as well. IMO. 



I'll apologize for being SO long winded but that's just me. My highest regards to all. God Bless. sonicbob.


----------



## dangerousbob

Sonicbob, Any chance you - or some other helpful soul - could post a couple of photos for newbies, showing exactly which overflow hose(s) belong to the gas tank, that need to be clamped off or capped to avoid gas leakage, and which belong to the charcoal canister assembly that needs to be removed to avoid gas leakage, when using an extended run fuel tank rig? I've got my extended run tank, squeeze bulb hose and special generator extended run cap all rigged up OK but have yet to figure out which overflow hoses are which, in the rather cramped interior. 

Also, what's the trick for getting the cover off of the other side of the case (where the pull-start handle is)? I'd like to look in there, too, but there are no screws.

Many thanks if you can!


----------



## Mr540602

Glad I found this thread. I bought this generator for my toyhauler. It looks good from Harbor Freight standards so I was hoping the performance would match it's looks.
Generator number 1 fired up with no issues, ran a tank of gas through it to break it in. Took it camping for the 4th of July and ran fine. A week later at home we had a power failure so tried to fire up the generator. Nothing, no spit, fart, nothing. Plug looked sooty so I first tried to clean it but still nothing so I replaced it and still nothing. Cleaned the spark arrestor for it was clogged with soot. Still nothing, no spark.
Exchanged it for generator # 2 and ran a tank of gas through it to break it in. I kind of thought it smelled rich and I can see the outside of the spark arrestor is getting sooty. It also did not run for 11 hours with a minor load before running out of gas. 
After reading here I am going to look at removing or bypassing the carbon canister. It would be funny if a California CARB Emission add on caused these to run rich thereby polluting even more by running rich.
Anyway glad to be here and thanks for the posts to hopefully make this a worthwhile investment.
Mike


----------



## sonicbob

Hello forum. I'm glad my poorly written post was of some help to some. I'm sorry that I have no idea of how to post a picture here but I'll do my best to explain just what that I've done to correct the flooding problem. FIRST make sure the fuel has been removed from the fuel tank for safety's sake. Then remove the side cover that has the oil door in it.
Now looking directly at the whole interior of the motor/generator assembly. On the right side of the center vertical support and mounted to the top railing with two silver plated #10 mm metric bolts is the charcoal canister. Now notice the two approximately 3/8 neoprene "rubber" hoses on the left end of the canister there maybe also a single metal nipple without a hose on it as well "there was on mine".
These are the rubber hoses to be removed. One of these hoses goes to the air cleaner. One can see it on the front of the air cleaner on the removable housing to access and service the air cleaner filter. Using wire pliers squeeze open the spring clip/clamp and slid it up onto the hose and remove the hose from the air cleaner cover. By now one can see the lay out of the rubber hose back to the charcoal canister. At this time it would be easier just to remove the canister by removing the 10 mm metric bolts and remove the charcoal canister from the frame. Then remove the rubber hoses in the same manner as on the air cleaner. Now one can easily see the other rubber hose routing to the BOTTOM of the fuel tank. DO NOT remove the rubber hose that's on the hexagon nut. This is the fuel line that goes to the on/off switch and fuel valve then to the carburetor. Now using the wire pliers again squeeze and slid onto the rubber hose the spring clamp then remove the hose from the bottom of the fuel tank (you my have to use a screw driver to help pry it down and off). One can now install the rubber vacuum caps "I got mine at Auto Zone Dorman assortment part # 47396" the largest cap will go onto the air cleaner and the next smaller diameter cap will go on the fuel tank then just reuse the spring clamps to hold them into place. And that portion of the job is finished. NOW you WILL have to drill a small hole in the fuel cap for a vent (I drilled mine right beside the little loop that holds the keeper chain ) because gasoline has enough vapor pressure to rupture the plastic fuel tank so it must vent and the small hole provides this. I hope this help's. Sonic Bob. P.S. The clear yellow hoses that are on the carburetor are not to be disturbed they work as intended. Again this should stop the flooding and running rich issues. Also the external extended run time tanks will now siphon as they should. God Bless.


----------



## sonicbob

This is a supplemental post to my previous post. I was watching a you tube video demonstrating the features on the different variant versions of the harbor freight 3500 predator. ( I'll post a link below and hopefully it'll work ). And on the Loncin 3500i that was being used with the full side cover removed it was quite obvious to see that the charcoal canister was not installed from the factory on this model. Also one can also see that on the removable air filter service cover there is a neoprene "rubber" vacuum cap installed in place of the neoprene hose from the charcoal canister. So it looks as though the charcoal canister and hose "delete" that I described is the norm for the non "CARB" compliant model's. Just passing my finding's and thoughts forward. Sonicbob.


----------



## JohnnyPop

So I have a bit of a problem. I removed the EVAP canister and plugged the two hoses that were attatched. Now I’m away camping with it, and it runs for a duration of time and then stops...as if someone has shut the fuel off. Any ideas? Should one hose be left open? I know the one hose to the air breather housing doesn’t mean anything plugged or not. But would the other hose cause a fuel tank breathing issue? Should I vent that hose to the outside the generator case?


----------



## sonicbob

Hello Johnnypop. I'm sorry that your still having issues with you predator. Curious did you happen to "vent " the fuel tank cap?
It sounds like without being vented the fuel tank has developed a negative pressure. So now the fuel can't "gravity flow" to the carburetor. Cooler ambient temperatures maybe cool enough that the gasoline is blow it's flash temp, i.e. no gasoline vapers.


If the fuel tank cap hasn't been vented simply loosen it a 1/4 turn and this should temperately solve your issue until such time that you can drill the small vent hole. I really hope this helps you out. Please keep us informed as I also still learning. 



Thanks Sonicbob.


----------



## Dickie

5800+ hours and 800 hrs between oil changes! 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=9_F-ZvXZCBI


----------



## pjohnson1970

I really like this type of generator personally. It marks high for me on price and functionality. Ok it may not be a big brand but it does what's required for a great price.


----------



## Busa10

JohnnyPop, The reason your 3500 was running rich was only because you were using a gravity feed extended run tank before you capped the vent line. Fuel (not vapors) was backflowing through the vent line back to the canister and the carb. Without the gravity feed tank, the vent line simply has gasoline vapors going to the canister and the carb which I doubt contributes much to running rich. My point is that if you're not running an extended tank, removing the canister, capping the vent line and drilling the cap doesn't help stop a rich running condition. 

I'm curious how you have your extended tank connected. Did you T into the fuel line or are you going through the fuel tank cap? My guess is that you run with your original modified (drillied vent hole) cap when not using the extended tank, and use an after market cap connected to the extended tank when you use the extended tank.


----------



## Busa10

JohnnyPop, The reason your 3500 was running rich was only because you were using a gravity feed extended run tank before you capped the vent line. Fuel (not vapors) was backflowing through the vent line back to the canister and the carb. Without the gravity feed tank, the vent line simply has gasoline vapors going to the canister and the carb which I doubt contributes much to running rich. My point is that if you're not running an extended tank, removing the canister, capping the vent line and drilling the cap doesn't help stop a rich running condition. 

I'm curious how you have your extended tank connected. Did you T into the fuel line or are you going through the fuel tank cap? My guess is that you run with your original modified (drillied vent hole) cap when not using the extended tank, and use an after market cap connected to the extended tank when you use the extended tank.


----------



## Busa10

Sorry for the duplicate posts. New registration issue I guess.


----------



## Busa10

Yes it's the wheel lock, but I believe my fix may be better... take the wheel and the locking plate off, install a small "O" ring against the axle flange. Then install the locking plate and the wheel. The noise is coming from the locking plate rattling against the axle flange.


----------



## Busa10

Answer above is concerning a common rattle.


----------



## Mr540602

Just thought I would post a follow up on generator #2 after #1 failed with no spark.
I broke generator #2 in and took it dry camping in a swap meet parking lot for Hot August Nights in Reno. First two days ran fairly well in over 100 degree temperatures running my toyhauler AC drawing about 11.5 amps but only getting about 5.5 hours runtime.
Part way through day 3 the overload light started coming on and kicking out when the AC compressor came on and was running rough. Shut it off and checked it out. The spark arrestor was completely saturated with soot. Cleaned the spark arrestor and gassed it up and fired it up. After all the reading I have done about the oil fill door air restriction I took it off. Generator was running well and didn't smell so rich. Went to bed and surprise the next morning the generator was still running, 9.5 hours and Still not out of gas. Same with the next 3 fillups, over 9 hours of runtime on the toyhauler with AC. So my next step will be to either buy a oil fill door that's vented or ventalate mine. I'm still going look into removing the carbon canister though it sure seems to control the fuel smell as I haul the generator inside the toyhauler and never smelled gas.
Mike


----------



## pjohnson1970

For 700 that's a great purchase, although as some of the previous comments suggest I would get some decent insurance to complete the process.


----------



## Greg.f

I have now worked on 3 of these 3500 watt units and noticed that the fuel vent line coming from just under the gas cap is actually full of fuel at the charcoal canister. In fact the charcoal canister fills with fuel and leaks out the canister filling the generator cabinet with raw fuel. It is a miracle that my buddy did not start a fire with his running on wood deck. In looking into the issue the vent should only have fuel vapor in it not liquid fuel. I did notice the vent tube is solder on to a fitting at the bottom of the tank. Since this solder joint is in the tank the repair is not practical. I believe this issue is a bad solder joint at the bottom of the tank allowing liquid fuel into the vent line. This gets worse on hot days or as the unit runs as the vibrations and fuel vapor pressure make this worse. Given all three units have this issue the problem I believe it could be widespread. This also leads to rich running as liquid fuel enters the carburetor thru the charcoal canister vent line. The fuel valve will not stop the leak as it is only tied to the fuel line and not the vent. Take the vent line off of the charcoal canister and see if you have fuel in yours as well!! This could be a reason for a recall to prevent a fire.


----------



## bigsquat

why not just clamp off the line in place and not remove anything. along with drilling the gas cap as stated earlier


----------



## bigsquat

1 went ahead and put a clamp on the vent tube, changed the spark plug, drilled 2 small holes in the gas cap, drilled 3 larger holes in the air filter intake at the rear bottom between the three fins of the removable air filter cover, added air vents to the oil door, and cleaned the spark arrestor and left the nickle size wire mess out of the coned shaped spark arrestor, i only had two hours on it before it fouled the plug. runs great now. i will try it on my travel trailer ac tomorrow. ty for all the input. the only thing i did which wasnt suggested was add the three holes to the air filter cover. it just looked like the existing slots are kinda small


----------



## bigsquat

took it camping at 6000 ft and ran great.


----------



## Mr540602

Thanks for the follow up. Good info to have.


----------



## Robojeeper

Had some issues and went thru some of the items on this thread,Anyone notice this on 3500 predator inverter generator.I noticed on Predator 3500 inverter generator air cleaner assy there are no slot cutouts for air intake to go thru foam filter. Only air intake is from valve cover tube 3/8” and from charcoal fuel fume filter 1/4” the foam filter does no good except for silencing in the carb noise.Question should there be some type of slots or holes on/in air filter cover? Thanks for any ideas if I’m missing something etc.


----------



## jethroish

mlevinson said:


> I have owned my Predator for about a year now, and this past weekend was the first time I used it for prolonged periods running an A/C unit for my cabin at the beach. I removed my oil fill cover for better breathing and it ran fine through the night, but in the morning it would heat up and shut down. I cleaned the air filter and it seemed to run a little better and made it thru the night again. The third day it would barely run, and it was very hard to start. It seemed as though it was constantly flooded. When it would fire, it would put out black smoke, again indicating a very rich mixture. The exhaust sounded like it was plugged when it would run and I had my aha moment. All the symptoms indicated a very restricted exhaust, so I started tapping on it with the end of my screw driver and chunks of carbon began coming out of the arrestor.
> 
> Being curious I removed the arrestor completely to see if it would run better, and it ran like a top during the test. I know the arrestor is on for safety reasons but mine became almost completely plugged during my 3 nights of camping. I'm going to look into a larger diameter arrestor that I can plumb the exhaust to in order to help the generator breathe better.
> 
> I got enough of the carbon out to get it running again and put it back on for the last night, but this seems like a design flaw - at least on my machine. I imagine the cooler temps at night helped lean out the A/F mixture and as the weather warmed up, along with the excess back pressure the A/F got really rich causing it to sputter and stall.
> 
> Anyone else have a similar experience?



mlevinson
This past weekend, my wife was at a horse show with ours. Saturday morning she called me at said the generator was shaking badly and not running the trailer. It would not idle down either.
Short story, when she got home Saturday eve, I started it up and heard a noticeable hissing from the exhaust. Pull the assester to find it nearly 100% plugged. Soaked it in injector cleaner overnight and got it completely cleaned. Runs like a champ again. 
I have told several friends that also have a Predator to make cleaning the arrester part of usual maintenance.


----------



## sonicbob

Hello mlevinson. 

While it is necessary to clean the spark arresters ( Both of them ) when they are dirty or plugged as yours were. The real reason that they're becoming dirty is an over rich fuel problem. I covered this issue and how that I fixed mine in post #50 . While some here do not agree with my post. I've ran mine numerous times now. The first as a test was a nine plus hour run time test with a 2800 watt load. And the longest run was a 16 plus hour none stop run time at 96 degrees F ambient in full sun shine with a 2200 watt load (I have an 11gallon additional run time tank giving me a total of around 13 gallons). Having ran my Predator numerous times in between these two long run times. And with all this run time the spark arresters are as clean as they were when I cleaned them prior to the fix I described in post #50 . So I'm confident in telling you that I may never have to clean them again. Hope this helps. Sonicbob.


----------



## dragon5

*What would be considered a 'heavy' load in Eco Mode?*

Not sure when to switch from eco to full run? 
Watts? Amps?
Thanks


----------



## RedOctobyr

dragon5 said:


> Not sure when to switch from eco to full run?
> Watts? Amps?
> Thanks


My inverter is a Honda, but I'm going to assume the principles are the same. 

I can stay in Eco all the way up to the full rated load, if I want. The advantage is the engine RPMs only climb as high as they need, to meet the load. Saving gas, and reducing noise. 

The downside to Eco is it has a harder time with sudden loads, especially electric motors, like starting compressors. 

I keep Eco on if the loads allow. But when my fridge kicks in, I'll see the lights dim momentarily. If I have Eco off, this is much less noticeable, and compressors start more easily. 

Running with Eco off reduces the voltage sag when a new load is added, most noticeable with compressors, or other big motors, like a circular saw, pump, etc.


----------



## dragon5

RedOctobyr said:


> My inverter is a Honda, but I'm going to assume the principles are the same.
> 
> I can stay in Eco all the way up to the full rated load, if I want. The advantage is the engine RPMs only climb as high as they need, to meet the load. Saving gas, and reducing noise.
> 
> The downside to Eco is it has a harder time with sudden loads, especially electric motors, like starting compressors.
> 
> I keep Eco on if the loads allow. But when my fridge kicks in, I'll see the lights dim momentarily. If I have Eco off, this is much less noticeable, and compressors start more easily.
> 
> Running with Eco off reduces the voltage sag when a new load is added, most noticeable with compressors, or other big motors, like a circular saw, pump, etc.


Thanks.

I always assumed that this was the case. 

I started having issues with my 7 yr old Honda eu3000 so I bought the Predator 3500. I live off grid, and even though I'm mostly on solar, a reliable genny is a must for me.

I should probably start another thread for the Honda. 

The Predator 'seems' like a decent machine, (only had for 4 days now), but as far as I'm concerned, it has some serious design flaws. Probably should have spent the extra 1k and gotten another Honda. (the 700 price tag was too enticing!)


----------



## tabora

dragon5 said:


> The Predator 'seems' like a decent machine, (only had for 4 days now), but as far as I'm concerned, it has some serious design flaws.


Such as?


----------



## dragon5

tabora said:


> Such as?


Ok, maybe I should have said, 'annoyances'. 

Gas fill is narrow and restricted. Almost have to dribble the gas in. I removed the whole screen assembly on the fill and bought a funnel with screen. 
(ebay )Works much better. My Honda 3k will accept gas as fast as you can fill.

Wheels suck! Worthless.

Oil change procedure is a PITA. For draining, you have to lift the whole thing up high enough to get a pan underneath. Then plenty of paper towels when you open the drain plug. Don't lose the long skinny funnel that comes with the unit! Screwed without.

I changed the oil access door to one with vents. (ebay)

Changed plug to an NGK.

Immediately removed the spark arrestor.

Having said all the above, I've been using it fairly heavily, (daily), for about 3 weeks now and it seems to be fine. I live off grid and a good generator is a must. I ended up getting the extended warranty and the whole thing cost me 934.00. Guy at the store said if I have any problems, drain the fuel and bring it back. They will give me another.

My Honda 3k is now my backup until I can sort out it's problems.


----------



## dopelessdiy

It sounds like in eco mode the voltage sags until the motor can catch up with the load. If that is true then I would think that using this mode for things like refrigerators, ac units, etc. would not be a good thing since a voltage sag could cause the appliance to use more current than normal startup thereby reducing life of the unit.

just my 2c, I am old school so maybe new AC equipment can handle this kind of thing.


----------



## Steven Amos

I just purchased a return unit from Harbor Freight for $225. Carbon canister was full of fuel, so I removed it as mentioned earlier. Now I’m trying to fix the hour meter. Anytime I shut off the generator, it resets to “0.” Has anyone else had this issue?


----------



## tabora

Steven Amos said:


> I just purchased a return unit from Harbor Freight for $225. Carbon canister was full of fuel, so I removed it as mentioned earlier. Now I’m trying to fix the hour meter. Anytime I shut off the generator, it resets to “0.” Has anyone else had this issue?


 Are you sure you're looking at the correct hour meter display? It has two; one for current session and one for accumulative. 

From Page 14 of the manual: Digital Display Screen
The Display Screen can be used to monitor the operating status of the Generator. 
Use the Display Control Button to scroll through the following indicators:•V – Voltage
•A – Amperage
•VA – Volt Amps / Watts
•Hour – current run time and accumulative run time​If it IS defective, it's an easy thing to replace. HF should cover that under implied warranty. In many states, it is illegal to disclaim this warranty on household goods sold to consumers.


----------



## Steven Amos

tabora said:


> Steven Amos said:
> 
> 
> 
> I just purchased a return unit from Harbor Freight for $225. Carbon canister was full of fuel, so I removed it as mentioned earlier. Now I’m trying to fix the hour meter. Anytime I shut off the generator, it resets to “0.” Has anyone else had this issue?
> 
> 
> 
> Are you sure you're looking at the correct hour meter display? It has two; one for current session and one for accumulative.
> 
> From Page 14 of the manual: Digital Display Screen
> The Display Screen can be used to monitor the operating status of the Generator.
> Use the Display Control Button to scroll through the following indicators:•V – Voltage
> •A – Amperage
> •VA – Volt Amps / Watts
> •Hour – current run time and accumulative run time​If it IS defective, it's an easy thing to replace. HF should cover that under implied warranty. In many states, it is illegal to disclaim this warranty on household goods sold to consumers.
Click to expand...

Thanks for that. Guess I hadn’t run it long enough for it to tick over the one hour mark. Apparently the last guy only ran it 10 minutes. Hoping I got a nearly new generator and that they didn’t have to replace the panel when the original buyer returned it.


----------



## RedOctobyr

Wow, congrats! For $225, that's a steal! Enjoy it, I'm glad it's working well for you so far. Worst-case, if this one really isn't working right, and HF wouldn't help, you could simply add a $10-15 aftermarket hour meter, the type that just wraps around the spark plug wire.


----------



## jheide

*A problem with start switch*

Hello, I'm new to this forum and I bought a Predator 3500 about 8 months ago. We use it a lot since we lost our house in the Oct. 2017 No. Calif wildfires. It's been great so far, but the other day it quit running after you turn the start switch from "start" to "run". The unit will only run (and somewhat compromised) with the switch remaining on the "start" position. As soon as you try to turn it to "run" the unit stops cold. Oil level is fine, I drained the carburetor bowl (made no difference). I am baffled and am wondering if anyone has experienced this? John:tango_face_sad:


----------



## RedOctobyr

Welcome to the forum! I'm sorry to hear about your house.

The two things that come to mind for me are either a failed ignition switch, or an oil sensor problem. 

If the switch is (for some reason) grounding out the ignition when you set it to Run (as oppressed to only doing that when you set it to Off or Stop), that would certainly shut the engine down. You could check for this be checking the switch with a multimeter, or maybe disconnecting the ignition-grounding wire from the switch.

Alternately, if it only checks for a low-oil-shutdown condition with the ignition at Run, that could also make it shut down, if for some reason a sensor thought you were low on oil.

I apologize, I don't own one of these, so I'm making assumptions as to how it works. I had a Generac with pressurized lubrication. When I bought it, the oil pressure switch was bad. So it would start, run for maybe 5 seconds, then think there was no oil pressure, and shut itself down (while also turning on the Low Oil light). Disconnected the oil pressure switch as a test, and it kept running. If this has a low-oil shutdown feature, perhaps that is causing trouble? 

If you have an inline spark tester, that would show you whether you are losing spark when the engine dies.


----------



## PorkChop

*The Predator 3500 WILL withstand heavy use*

I just joined this forum to give you guys my 2¢ and experience with the Predator 3500. I've also used this forum (in another thread) to help fix running issues, specifically the running rich problems. After purchasing the unit from Harbor Freight with the extended warranty on Memorial Day weekend of 2018, I completed the break-in process according to a mixture of things said on the web and from the Owners Manual. Soon afterwards, I removed the charcoal canister (information obtained from another thread on here) and replaced the spark plug with something better. The auto parts store was out of NGK spark plugs, so Autolite 63 it was.

This evening, I just changed the first Autolite 63 plug to another as my "Maintenance Time" light was on, it was time for an oil change, and the hour meter read *1009 hours*. Yes, that Autolite 63 plug was used for about 800-900 hours and I have run my generator for more than 1000 hours. The only maintenance items I've completed on this generator have been, changing the oil after every 100 hours (only a couple of times was it longer, around 110/120 hours), changing the spark plug within the first 200 hours after the charcoal canister was removed, and cleaning the spark arrestor at the time of oil changes. I have run it with the spark arrestor and cone-shaped screen removed and found it was much louder. I have also only checked on the air filter and haven't had to wash it nor replace it.

The largest load I've put on the unit has maybe been 1800 watts. In the summer months, I ran a 9000 BTU portable A/C unit and a 26 Amp, 12 Volt battery charger for my truck. Now, in the winter time, I plug in my engine block heater and the same battery charger. If you're wondering why such a hefty battery charger, well, I'm a trucker and have 4, 12 Volt, 750 Cold Cranking Amp batteries. The diesel-powered auxiliary power unit (APU) which my system mimics, costs about 10x more than my setup. Though, that APU system has remote and automatic start/stop, which the Predator 3500 does not. I lug it in and out of my truck every day and chain it to the frame when in use. I use two, 10-gage (I believe) extension cords for the 120v, 15A outlets. I have not used the 30A twist-lock outlet, yet.

I've used nothing but Walmart's Super Tech 10W-30 synthetic oil. I know, perhaps not the _best_, but it is synthetic and inexpensive. I've ran the generator in a large range of elevations from near sea level to at least over 5400 feet and in a large range of temperatures from 90-ish°F to -11°F. Of course, these operating conditions were not all experienced on the same day. I usually will get around 7-8 hours of run time on a full (filled to the brim) tank. I believe I get better run time now that it's cold outside. I do leave the gas cap on, but loosened a tad, as to allow the tank to "vent". A couple of weeks ago, I only ran my battery charger (engine block heater decided it didn't want to work anymore) which draws around 370 watts max; When I went to refuel the generator, I was at 13 hours and 45 minutes run time and even had gas left in the tank.

I'm looking forward to continued use of my Predator 3500 and hope it lasts me much longer than the extended warranty period. I haven't read much (if anything) about anyone's long term nor continued use of this generator. I figure my experience might help someone looking for such information. Oh, and I can't forget. Thanks everyone for their contributions to this thread. It's been very helpful!


----------



## Paloma

Just depends on your needs / wants ! Also, that HF Predator 2000W that is also mentioned on this thread does seem to get good inverter reviews ! Take a look at interver review at inverterreview.com.


----------



## dangerousbob

Does anyone know the correct thread spec for the Predator 3500’s gas tank cap? I’d like to replace mine with a vented cap, but even though the aftermarket vented caps for portable gas tanks that i’ve found in stores are the correct diameter, their threads don’t quite match the threading on the Predator’s tank filler opening.


----------



## ngyuen

I've used the HF 2000 inverter model for 3 trips this year. Ran it for about 15 hrs last weekend. and at least 100 hrs on it. 

It charges the batteries in the RV and runs the fridge and tv. I also ran a small ceramic heater with it. (have the fridge on lp though). 

My buddy has the Honda, and with both generators running and standing between our RV they are the same dB in my opinion. 

The HF also has the eco throttle just like the Honda. my buddy also put about 40 hrs on this generator and it's just starting to have a slight metallic rattle, like maybe exhaust. still puts out 118 to 124 volts per my meter and I run 91 octanes through it and she starts up in 1 pull usually.

It will run all day on 1 gal of gas.

Look for super coupons that come out, or check online for the 450. price and review


----------



## mike5511

Robojeeper said:


> Had some issues and went thru some of the items on this thread,Anyone notice this on 3500 predator inverter generator.I noticed on Predator 3500 inverter generator air cleaner assy there are no slot cutouts for air intake to go thru foam filter. Only air intake is from valve cover tube 3/8” and from charcoal fuel fume filter 1/4” the foam filter does no good except for silencing in the carb noise.Question should there be some type of slots or holes on/in air filter cover? Thanks for any ideas if I’m missing something etc.



Here the holes on mine.....did you miss them? They are on the far side of the breather cover, bottom right corner if looking at it from the front of the generator. (my cover os off and in my hand in this pic)


----------



## Predator

I have extensive experience cleaning and tuning the carb on the HF Predator 3500 if anyone has any questions.
Also, it has a stepper motor that controls the engine speeds under load and on ECO throttle etc. Same as the Honda Eu3000is


----------



## Robojeeper

Thank you mike5511! Mine was molded solid and you confirmed it was bad from factory.. I did drill openings thru slots and made big difference. Thanks


----------



## zjc455

Hi - I am brand new to the forum. I have a Northern Tool 3500 - same generator. I was installing the Pinellas Power Products extended run fuel kit and ran into a problem. I wanted to see if the team here might be able to assist.

BTW - Once I get the kit working, I'll post a review - it includes a fuel pump so should reduce some of the hassle of a gravity fed fuel tank.

During the install I accidentally pulled out one of the red drain hoses. It's the drain hose one that goes to a tee and then drains through the bottom of the cabinet. One hose looks like it goes to the top of the carb - that one is still connected. The other hose off the tee looks like it goes further up - maybe to the airbox or charcoal canister? Can someone confirm where it is supposed to connect? Or maybe post a picture - it would be much appreciated.

Like I said, I'll post my experience with the external fuel tank kit when I wrap up the install.

Thanks!!


----------



## FlyFisher

zjc455 said:


> Hi - I am brand new to the forum. I have a Northern Tool 3500 - same generator. I was installing the Pinellas Power Products extended run fuel kit and ran into a problem. I wanted to see if the team here might be able to assist.
> 
> BTW - Once I get the kit working, I'll post a review - it includes a fuel pump so should reduce some of the hassle of a gravity fed fuel tank.
> 
> During the install I accidentally pulled out one of the red drain hoses. It's the drain hose one that goes to a tee and then drains through the bottom of the cabinet. One hose looks like it goes to the top of the carb - that one is still connected. The other hose off the tee looks like it goes further up - maybe to the airbox or charcoal canister? Can someone confirm where it is supposed to connect? Or maybe post a picture - it would be much appreciated.
> 
> Like I said, I'll post my experience with the external fuel tank kit when I wrap up the install.
> 
> Thanks!!



I just happened to worm my way over to this forum again and read your post here. I am not an expert on this generator, but I was interested in hearing what people had to say about it.


I have an open frame 2600 or 2800w generator, non-inverter, that I modified myself to run off a remote tank. I used a vacuum style fuel pump. If this is the same type of pump your set up uses with the "extended run kit" then the below will directly apply to your situation:


When I originally installed the pump I tapped the breather tube from the overhead valve cover on the engine to the air intake on top of the carb. The inside of the valve cover should be at crank case pressures - which is why the breather tube is there - to allow that pressure to have a path out. However, when I got the pump set up I could prime the circuit and get the engine to run but it would not stay running - it would starve of fuel and shut off once the fuel in the float was used up. The long and short of it is the vacuum pump wasn't working drawing fuel from the tank. 



I researched the problem a bit and found another install someone did of the same set up - vacuum pump run from the overhead valve cover of an engine - and found that there may be a baffle in the cover that allows only positive crank case pressure out through the breather tube, and blocks negative pressure for drawing air back in. 



I checked my valve cover and sure enough... there was a 1 way baffle in there. What that meant is the breather tube tap I tried to use for the pump was only running on positive pressure, there was no negative pressure getting to it. The fuel pump needs the pulsing in both directions to get the diaphragm in the pump to work and pull fuel from the tank.


I went to NAPA and got a 1/8" NPT hose barb. I drilled the overhead valve cover where I could relatively easily access it, and where the drilling and installation of the barb wouldn't interfere with the valves, baffle, or breather tube. Then I tapped the hole (carefully) for the pipe threads. I didn't want to run the tap in so far to where the barb threads would go in much past the inside surface of the cover... I put the original breather tube back on, took the T out of the modified breather tube system, and connected the vacuum port tube for the pump on to the new barb on the cover. 



First time I gave it a try - it worked great! I converted all my engines to use a Johnson/Evinrude 2 prong marine fuel fitting so all my tanks and motors are universal. The generator got its own fuel filter when I put the 2 prong fitting on also. The filter is a good viewing port to the fuel flow - when the generator is running you can see the fuel bubbling through the line. 



The moral of my "story" - if you have a vacuum style fuel pump - wherever you tap for your pressure line to the pump has to have both positive and negative pressure. Where you get that on the specific generator you are trying to use it on is the question. If you are pulling off of a line that is already there - see if there is a baffle blocking pressure in one direction. If there is - it won't work. 



For what it is worth also, a couple days after I got the pump straightened out on the generator the electricity went out here. I was in the middle of a fabrication project (that took 4 weeks...). I had the generator already easy to get to from having just worked on it so I pulled it out and fired it up. While everyone in the neighborhood was wondering what to do without power I kept on keepin' on like nothing happened. Gotta love having the means to make your own power...


----------



## Predator

PorkChop said:


> I just joined this forum to give you guys my 2¢ and experience with the Predator 3500. I've also used this forum (in another thread) to help fix running issues, specifically the running rich problems. After purchasing the unit from Harbor Freight with the extended warranty on Memorial Day weekend of 2018, I completed the break-in process according to a mixture of things said on the web and from the Owners Manual. Soon afterwards, I removed the charcoal canister (information obtained from another thread on here) and replaced the spark plug with something better. The auto parts store was out of NGK spark plugs, so Autolite 63 it was.
> 
> This evening, I just changed the first Autolite 63 plug to another as my "Maintenance Time" light was on, it was time for an oil change, and the hour meter read *1009 hours*. Yes, that Autolite 63 plug was used for about 800-900 hours and I have run my generator for more than 1000 hours. The only maintenance items I've completed on this generator have been, changing the oil after every 100 hours (only a couple of times was it longer, around 110/120 hours), changing the spark plug within the first 200 hours after the charcoal canister was removed, and cleaning the spark arrestor at the time of oil changes. I have run it with the spark arrestor and cone-shaped screen removed and found it was much louder. I have also only checked on the air filter and haven't had to wash it nor replace it.
> 
> The largest load I've put on the unit has maybe been 1800 watts. In the summer months, I ran a 9000 BTU portable A/C unit and a 26 Amp, 12 Volt battery charger for my truck. Now, in the winter time, I plug in my engine block heater and the same battery charger. If you're wondering why such a hefty battery charger, well, I'm a trucker and have 4, 12 Volt, 750 Cold Cranking Amp batteries. The diesel-powered auxiliary power unit (APU) which my system mimics, costs about 10x more than my setup. Though, that APU system has remote and automatic start/stop, which the Predator 3500 does not. I lug it in and out of my truck every day and chain it to the frame when in use. I use two, 10-gage (I believe) extension cords for the 120v, 15A outlets. I have not used the 30A twist-lock outlet, yet.
> 
> I've used nothing but Walmart's Super Tech 10W-30 synthetic oil. I know, perhaps not the _best_, but it is synthetic and inexpensive. I've ran the generator in a large range of elevations from near sea level to at least over 5400 feet and in a large range of temperatures from 90-ish°F to -11°F. Of course, these operating conditions were not all experienced on the same day. I usually will get around 7-8 hours of run time on a full (filled to the brim) tank. I believe I get better run time now that it's cold outside. I do leave the gas cap on, but loosened a tad, as to allow the tank to "vent". A couple of weeks ago, I only ran my battery charger (engine block heater decided it didn't want to work anymore) which draws around 370 watts max; When I went to refuel the generator, I was at 13 hours and 45 minutes run time and even had gas left in the tank.
> 
> I'm looking forward to continued use of my Predator 3500 and hope it lasts me much longer than the extended warranty period. I haven't read much (if anything) about anyone's long term nor continued use of this generator. I figure my experience might help someone looking for such information. Oh, and I can't forget. Thanks everyone for their contributions to this thread. It's been very helpful!



Excellent post PorkChop!
Great to hear that some people are getting this much use of their Predator 3500


----------



## Predator

FlyFisher said:


> For what it is worth also, a couple days after I got the pump straightened out on the generator the electricity went out here. I was in the middle of a fabrication project (that took 4 weeks...). I had the generator already easy to get to from having just worked on it so I pulled it out and fired it up. While everyone in the neighborhood was wondering what to do without power I kept on keepin' on like nothing happened. Gotta love having the means to make your own power...



Ha ha!
Good story.

Love it!


Neighbors were all coming to me last time we had an extended power outage asking for gasoline or to "borrow" some power.....cause after about 4 days all the other generators had gone quiet (ran outta gas)


Nothing like being prepared.


----------



## FlyFisher

Predator said:


> Ha ha!
> Good story.
> 
> Love it!
> 
> 
> Neighbors were all coming to me last time we had an extended power outage asking for gasoline or to "borrow" some power.....cause after about 4 days all the other generators had gone quiet (ran outta gas)
> 
> 
> Nothing like being prepared.


I converted my small engines to all run on Johnson/Evinrude marine 2 prong fuel fittings. That makes all boat tanks etc interchangeable with everything. I have over 40 gallons of preminum in tanks and jugs on my truck as I speak for a trek to the lake.

But yes, I agree - a generator is only as good as you have fuel to run it. The same goes for boats and thus why everything we run is interchangeable - so long as you don't mix oil for a 2 stroke motor prior to immediately using it. The same is also why I got a Honda EU-2200i inverter with eco throttle - when I don't need to make much power it sips gas, as opposed to a conventional generator running at full throttle = stretches fuel rations that much further. The low fuel consumption and quietness made it a no-brainer. 

I do have a fairly sizable 12v true sine wave inverter. However, I don't have much solar capacity. If I had to do it I could probably get along with running refrigerators with the inverter, batteries in my truck, and what solar I do have to keep things up and not burn any fuel. I'm not sure if I would want to get to that extreme, though.


----------



## Robh

Hi Everyone. With all the surgeries required to correct the deficiencies in the Predator 3500, does anyone regret not buying something else? You can get a Champion 3400 for $100 more if you shop around. I do like the LCD screen on the Predator, but I don't know if that is worth the trouble.

I could buy the Predator for myself and perform the fixes, but as a 'recommendation' for friends & family this won't work.

Does anyone know if other Loncin clones without charcoal canisters are available in the USA?


----------



## n5yzv

As I picked up my 3500 yesterday, just fresh out of the box, I'm already planning upgrades. One thought? Remove the spark arrestor (to be used around the house), but add an external muffler to help reduce noise, or is this not worth it?


----------



## Predator

Robh said:


> Hi Everyone. With all the surgeries required to correct the deficiencies in the Predator 3500, does anyone regret not buying something else? You can get a Champion 3400 for $100 more if you shop around. I do like the LCD screen on the Predator, but I don't know if that is worth the trouble.
> 
> I could buy the Predator for myself and perform the fixes, but as a 'recommendation' for friends & family this won't work.
> 
> Does anyone know if other Loncin clones without charcoal canisters are available in the USA?



What "fixes"?
Mine's still in stock config other than a vented oil door. Runs like new.
Still has the charcoal canister on it.
Just over 2 years now.


----------



## n5yzv

Upon getting mine out of the box, with the oil fill door open, it runs fine. Not rich at all. I had my Dad verify, as he has been a small engine mechanic for 30+ years. Seems to be running well. Regardless, I'll probably take the spark arrestor off.


----------



## Robh

Predator said:


> What "fixes"?
> Mine's still in stock config other than a vented oil door. Runs like new.
> Still has the charcoal canister on it.
> Just over 2 years now.


There is a 10 page thread on it.


----------



## n5yzv

I gotta ask, after breaking in with regular SAE 5/30 oil, what are the thoughts on Synthetic Oil. Specifically, Mobile 1 Synthetic. I did allot of research on synthetics in vehicles, and it seems to be a no-brainer. But, smaller engines.. old school (not necessarily the wrong school) says regular. The scientific thinker in me things synthetic. Also, has anyone put a valve on the oil drain hole, thus not needing tools to do oil changes? Thoughts??? Thanks!!


----------



## tabora

n5yzv said:


> I gotta ask, after breaking in with regular SAE 5/30 oil, what are the thoughts on Synthetic Oil. Specifically, Mobile 1 Synthetic. I did allot of research on synthetics in vehicles, and it seems to be a no-brainer. But, smaller engines.. old school (not necessarily the wrong school) says regular. The scientific thinker in me things synthetic. Also, has anyone put a valve on the oil drain hole, thus not needing tools to do oil changes? Thoughts??? Thanks!!


Since most small OPE has fairly short oil change intervals specified, dino oil seems to work just fine... Lots of us use either a DrainZit https://www.homedepot.com/p/10-mm-O...Vk4rICh1t6g3OEAQYAyABEgJLIvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds or an EZ Oil Drain Valve https://ezoildrainvalve.com/index.html on our OPE. Both work extremely well!


----------



## n5yzv

I got the valve, just waiting for the hose to show up. To those wondering, the valve cannot be mounted directly in the drain hole, there is not enough room to screw it in. On a side note, has anyone extended the exhaust thus allowing you to run the generator in a more enclosed area? I say "more" ie: carport. I want to vent the exhaust more "outdoors" via a 10-15 ft duct. Thoughts?


----------



## tabora

n5yzv said:


> I got the valve, just waiting for the hose to show up. To those wondering, the valve cannot be mounted directly in the drain hole, there is not enough room to screw it in. On a side note, has anyone extended the exhaust thus allowing you to run the generator in a more enclosed area? I say "more" ie: carport. I want to vent the exhaust more "outdoors" via a 10-15 ft duct. Thoughts?


 FYI, the EZ Oil Drain folks have threaded extenders if needed to clear the housing, etc. On my Onan, I needed an extender and also added the hose connector.

No. Never *run a generator* inside a house, inside a garage, under a *carport*, on a *porch*, inside a screened *porch* or near an open window. No structure that's attached to your house is safe to use. Generators make up to 100 times the amount of carbon monoxide a car does.


----------



## n5yzv

tabora said:


> FYI, the EZ Oil Drain folks have threaded extenders if needed to clear the housing, etc. On my Onan, I needed an extender and also added the hose connector.
> 
> No. Never *run a generator* inside a house, inside a garage, under a *carport*, on a *porch*, inside a screened *porch* or near an open window. No structure that's attached to your house is safe to use. Generators make up to 100 times the amount of carbon monoxide a car does.


Great, thanks for the response. I didn't know if it was possible to connect an exhaust line like they do with Cars in really cold climates. I'll use a heavier, longer extension cord. I'm also considering mounting it to a cart so I can keep fuel and accessories with it. This way I can roll it out with ease, as I bet when I need it, the weather won't be very nice.


----------



## tabora

n5yzv said:


> I'm also considering mounting it to a cart so I can keep fuel and accessories with it. This way I can roll it out with ease, as I bet when I need it, the weather won't be very nice.


I did the cart thing for about 20 years, along with an EZ-Up shelter to protect the generator from the elements, but it finally got old (or maybe it was me) and I decided to make a little shed on the far side of my garage to make it super easy to get power flowing in bad weather; just takes about a minute now. Pictures here: https://www.powerequipmentforum.com/forum/65864-post4.html


----------



## n5yzv

Ah, good idea. I'm in a temporary living situation now, but I like the idea.


----------



## SuperiorLoopEngineering

https://superiorloopengineeringllc.com makes an extended run tank that uses a fuel pump so there's no need to elevate the run tank. Installs in less than 20 mins


----------



## tekparasite

Nice! I'm still stuck at whether to do the removal of charcoal canister or not.


----------



## tekparasite

Speaking of which (charcoal canister), can someone shed some light as to the purpose of the charcoal canister. From what I can see, there are two rubber hoses, one that comes from the bottom of the fuel tank (A-B) and another one that goes to the air filter (C-D). Then the there is one outlet that seems is not connected to anything (E). 











The spark plug has been there for 37 hours and this is what it looks like.


----------



## tabora

tekparasite said:


> Speaking of which (charcoal canister), can someone shed some light as to the purpose of the charcoal canister.


The *charcoal canister* is the centerpiece of the evaporative emission control (*EVAP*) system, a technology designed to prevent vapors from your fuel tank from escaping into the atmosphere. A failure somewhere else in the fuel or *EVAP* system can allow gasoline to enter the *canister*, ruining it.


----------



## n5yzv

Correct me if I'm wrong, but if the generator is running rich, more fumes would enter the charcoal canister, thus, causing more spark plug fouling. I consulted my dad on this, he said, "it needs more air!". So, I got one of those vented oil access doors and seems much better. I may also add some of the round ones to the side panels. Air is Life! (t-shirts anyone?)


----------



## Predator

n5yzv said:


> Correct me if I'm wrong, but if the generator is running rich, more fumes would enter the charcoal canister, thus, causing more spark plug fouling. I consulted my dad on this, he said, "it needs more air!". So, I got one of those vented oil access doors and seems much better. I may also add some of the round ones to the side panels. Air is Life! (t-shirts anyone?)



Just keep this in mind.......


The more air you allow into the housing of the generator, the less that goes to cooling the cylinder head.


You could potentially cause it to severely overheat.


----------



## Jeremy Peake

Update - I have 400 hours on my Predator 3500 now. Still purrs like a kitten. Oil change interval does seem short, but not a huge deal. I haven't done any of the mods to it. Did open the oil door for a while, but went back to stock config for the last 200 hours or so. Curious how many hours I will be able to get out of it.


----------



## Jeremy Peake

tabora said:


> Since most small OPE has fairly short oil change intervals specified, dino oil seems to work just fine... Lots of us use either a DrainZit https://www.homedepot.com/p/10-mm-O...Vk4rICh1t6g3OEAQYAyABEgJLIvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds or an EZ Oil Drain Valve https://ezoildrainvalve.com/index.html on our OPE. Both work extremely well!


which EZ oil drain valve fits? It is 10mm-1.25?


----------



## tabora

Jeremy Peake said:


> which EZ oil drain valve fits? It is 10mm-1.25?


It looks like it is 10mm, but the way the built-in drain path is configured on the 3500, adding a drain valve may be overkill. See video here:


----------



## speedy2019

Jeremy Peake said:


> Update - I have 400 hours on my Predator 3500 now. Still purrs like a kitten. Oil change interval does seem short, but not a huge deal. I haven't done any of the mods to it. Did open the oil door for a while, but went back to stock config for the last 200 hours or so. Curious how many hours I will be able to get out of it.


Impressive 400hrs, when did you buy it?... A predator is a honda clone isn't it not? Wonder if my bohmer ag 2800watt generator thats designed in germany, made in china will last that long...


----------



## Bobbyinflorida

I got one of these last week and have been steadily breaking it in, I now have 24 hours on it. I changed the spark plug today and have changed the oil at 8 hours, 16 hours and will do so again at 30 hours. Today I also removed the charcoal canister. That’s a fairly straight forward job thanks to the info posted in this forum. I was shocked to find a Bosch spark plug from the factory but I swapped it with an NGK. Now my question is this: When I removed the charcoal canister and caped the vent line and the air cleaner port I noticed a red fuel line had come out of place. Can anybody tell me which hole this belongs in? It’s looks like it goes I the hole straight ahead but I thought I’d ask to make sure. Hopefully the picture attached as intended. Thanks for your help!


----------



## Mendoteach

Bobbyinflorida said:


> I got one of these last week and have been steadily breaking it in, I now have 24 hours on it. I changed the spark plug today and have changed the oil at 8 hours, 16 hours and will do so again at 30 hours. Today I also removed the charcoal canister. That’s a fairly straight forward job thanks to the info posted in this forum. I was shocked to find a Bosch spark plug from the factory but I swapped it with an NGK. Now my question is this: When I removed the charcoal canister and caped the vent line and the air cleaner port I noticed a red fuel line had come out of place. Can anybody tell me which hole this belongs in? It’s looks like it goes I the hole straight ahead but I thought I’d ask to make sure. Hopefully the picture attached as intended. Thanks for your help!


I just changed my plug yesterday and it was a... BOSCH! I couldn't believe it. I thought for sure it would have some crappy plug in it. I've got about 12 hours on it and one oil change.

Now to my issue. It seems to run fairly stable under load whether in eco or not. However, with a light load (or no load) in eco mode it has a strong surge, then falls to idle, repeating over and over again. Oil door open makes no difference. I don't remember it doing this when I bought it. Is this a clogged pilot jet issue? How does the governor on these work? Has somebody posted a carb. removal DIY? Thanks in advance. Great thread.


----------



## Predator

Probably a semi clogged jet.
Remove the carb, disassemble and thoroughly clean the jets paying special attention to the jet on the top side, back near the little round electric motor.

I recommend you get one of those jet cleaning tools off ebay etc for $5.00

Removal is straight forward. I think I have a video on it somewhere. Easy job.


----------



## Predator

Bobbyinflorida said:


> I got one of these last week and have been steadily breaking it in, I now have 24 hours on it. I changed the spark plug today and have changed the oil at 8 hours, 16 hours and will do so again at 30 hours. Today I also removed the charcoal canister. That’s a fairly straight forward job thanks to the info posted in this forum. I was shocked to find a Bosch spark plug from the factory but I swapped it with an NGK. Now my question is this: When I removed the charcoal canister and caped the vent line and the air cleaner port I noticed a red fuel line had come out of place. Can anybody tell me which hole this belongs in? It’s looks like it goes I the hole straight ahead but I thought I’d ask to make sure. Hopefully the picture attached as intended. Thanks for your help!



IIRC, it goes nowhere...just like you have it in the photo. Just a vent.
Congrats on the new Genny. Feels great to know you have that clean quiet power available if you need it right?


----------



## Bobbyinflorida

Predator said:


> IIRC, it goes nowhere...just like you have it in the photo. Just a vent.
> Congrats on the new Genny. Feels great to know you have that clean quiet power available if you need it right?


I got it to have quiet power at
horse shows, mainly going to use it to power a 13,500 AC and a small fridge in the trailer. Once it’s completely broken in I’ll test it on another trailer with a full LQ. Any idea what the hole is for on the engine of the line itself is just a vent?


----------



## Mendoteach

Predator said:


> Probably a semi clogged jet.
> Remove the carb, disassemble and thoroughly clean the jets paying special attention to the jet on the top side, back near the little round electric motor.
> 
> I recommend you get one of those jet cleaning tools off ebay etc for $5.00
> 
> Removal is straight forward. I think I have a video on it somewhere. Easy job.


Predator, thanks for the input. I was guessing that it was probably a partially clogged jet. Being that almost all of my–engines save for my pressure washer–don't have governors, I wanted to eliminate that as a cause. I have a K&L jet cleaning set I use on motorcycles that I will put to use. If you can find that video of the carb. removal I would appreciate it.


----------



## Mendoteach

*Update*

As Predator suspected a plugged orifice When I pulled the carb and blew out the passages (pulled the main jet) I found two rather large bits of plastic in the float bowl. It sure looks to me like plastic from the seam of the gas tank. Not sure what passage was obstructed, but something sure was. Anyway, buttoned it up and no more surging without a load on eco. Runs great. Seems like some easy QC would have gone a long way here.

FWIW, I use 10% ethanol in my small engines (two and four stroke) with Sta-bil added, and have never had any problem with gumming or varnish. When it comes time to fire up the MX smoker every year, mine fires right up. My buddy, who stupidly who doesn't use Sta-bil (out of stubbornness or stupidity, not sure which) pulls his carb every year and cleans out green muck. Then says, "Shoulda used Sta-bil." It's not a coincidence, it's three years running!


----------



## Mendoteach

*picture*

Here's a photo.


----------



## Mendoteach

*Or not.*

Dragged and dropped photo, but no go.


----------



## tabora

Mendoteach said:


> Dragged and dropped photo, but no go.


Maybe not enough posts yet? This kind of limitation has NEVER made sense to me. How can people give help when new members can't post pictures?


----------



## speedy2019

Plastic is getting into everything nowadays. lol


----------



## Predator

Mendoteach said:


> As Predator suspected a plugged orifice When I pulled the carb and blew out the passages (pulled the main jet) I found two rather large bits of plastic in the float bowl. It sure looks to me like plastic from the seam of the gas tank. Not sure what passage was obstructed, but something sure was. Anyway, buttoned it up and no more surging without a load on eco. Runs great. Seems like some easy QC would have gone a long way here.
> 
> FWIW, I use 10% ethanol in my small engines (two and four stroke) with Sta-bil added, and have never had any problem with gumming or varnish. When it comes time to fire up the MX smoker every year, mine fires right up. My buddy, who stupidly who doesn't use Sta-bil (out of stubbornness or stupidity, not sure which) pulls his carb every year and cleans out green muck. Then says, "Shoulda used Sta-bil." It's not a coincidence, it's three years running!



Congrats on getting her running right again :tango_face_smile:
Odd about the plastic in the system. Haven't seen that with mine or heard of it before.


There's a WaWa gas stating nearby that just opened and they're carrying ethanol free fuel so that's what's going in my generators now. Right off the bat they seem to run better. Since ther's no ethanol, that makes sense. Gasoline burns better. More energy for the same volume of E10 etc. Engines prefer to run on gasoline, not sugar haha.


Never invested the $140 in the extended warranty....and the 2 years came and went with no issues. My thinking was I had 30 days to buy the extended warranty. Run it good in that 30 days...if no problems it's probably good to go. If there was a problem later, I still had the $140 to spend on parts as necessary.


----------



## GenDN

*Getting Predator 3500 to run properly*

I use generators a lot, and this is a good size for me. I got it with only 15 hours and a new oil change on it. It has had a number of problems. I am in California, so my version has the CARB stuff on it. Also, my version has the extra vents in the oil add door, which helps solve the 'starving for air' problem. I have taken a few actions to remedy the problems with this generator, and now it runs pretty well. This is what I did:
1. First I had to remove the spark arrestor. That little thing is a joke, and because the engine tended to run rich, this had to be solved.
2. I replaced the plug first with Bosch, then with an NGK plug. I am not sure that this was needed, but it is OK for the price.
Most of my problems were carburetion.
3. I disconnected the charcoal canister, and the vent line from the standpipe in the fuel tank and capped off the standpipe with a rubber cap obtained as described by others. That standpipe and the canister are a MAJOR problem. You MUST fix this.
4. I drilled two 3/32" holes in the cap for a vent for the fuel tank. Once you cap off the problematic standpipe, you MUST create a vent in the fuel tank. 
5. I put a Honda carb on it in place of the original. They are bolt compatible and pretty similar. I had to swap out the little gear-reduced stepper motor on top of the Honda carb with the original stepper motor, due to the different contacts and cable. The two stepper motors are interchangeable physically in mounting and the drive shaft. I am not totally sure whether it was necessary to replace the carb, but everyone knows that Hondas don't have all of the carb problems of this unit. I used a genuine Honda carb designed for their Eu3000 is, which is the machine that the Predator 3500 is modeled after.
Now my Predator 3500 ALWAYS starts like a Honda and runs fine in all temperatures, including freezing, but we don't get 20 below here.
6. I also had to make a wooden plate with blocks to keep this unit from moving due to vibration. The wheel locks are not very good.
7. I also keep this unit inside a shed (with doors open) to shield it from rain, etc. in winter, so I welded a short piece of flex auto exhaust pipe onto the exhaust to allow the unit to keep a few inches from the shed wall, but exhaust outside the shed via a hole in the wall and the extra exhaust pipe. 
So far I have over 2200 hours on this, and it runs pretty well nowadays. 
Generators have become pretty important in Northern California ever since PG&E decided to go rogue.


----------



## GenDN

Exactly right.


----------



## speedy2019

Its amazing years ago like 20 -30 odd years, you could only dream of owning a half decent generator, as there was no internet and if there were you couldnt buy much online in those days. The only generators you saw if any were in expensive machinery stores and cost a small fortune.

Thats the time I could of done with a generator as my power was always going off. But now that they are widely available at a much lower cost, but the power in the united kingdom uk where I live, is quite stable now... Typical!!!


----------



## Predator

GenDN said:


> Generators have become pretty important in Northern California ever since PG&E decided to go rogue.



From what I've been told by family members living in California is that it's not P&G's fault so much as the restrictions and regulations they are forced to adhere to.
I know of NO place where power lines are guaranteed to stay in place amid 70+ mph winds.


But yeah, generators are probably selling like crazy in California. Maybe they'll out law gasoline though. It's California. You never know.
Actually, I could see CA mandating only "all electric" generators. You'd have to charge them up, before you could use them.


----------



## VelvetFoot

Hi. First post.


I just got a Predator 3500. I did the charcoal canister delete. There's a little red warning bar in the filler neck, but knowing me, I'll overfill it. What's nice is that it's reversible.


It's running in the driveway as I type. I just put a little fuel in, and it just keeps on going.


I'd like to find a cap for it with a built in valve, like my Honda 2000. I found a part number for a EU3000, 17620-Z28-000 , but I found no pictures. It's likely that Honda also went the evap route as well. It'd be nice if I could actually find one and it did indeed fit.



I bought (another) 1.25 amp Battery Tender and I attached the lead to the battery and snuck it out the battery door. It bulges a little, but not bad. It's easy to plug in the charger and keep the battery charged.


Getting the fever from YouTube, I bought the parts for remote start. The parts aren't that expensive, but you do have to drill holes (not reversible). I'm not sure if I'd really use it that much either.


I put the thing on a movers dolly, also from HF. Put some wood blocking on it so it wouldn't roll, and zip tied it down. The wheels swivel, and it'd be easy to replace if it crapped out. Also, maybe enough room to drain the oil(?).


I ordered a cheapo silver cover.


What I'd like to do is see what the load is from the comfort of my home. I have an old Energy Detective that I use to monitor normal power use, but it requires two legs. I've connected it up to a generator, but with only one leg, I'm not sure how to translate readings (I have a feeling the square root of three is involved, or something like that.)


Hey, it just stopped. 


I might put a switch on it so that the off rotary position shuts off fuel but not necessarily spark, which would be controlled by that switch. Again, cutting a hole, but what the heck. I'm not so sure how much I'd use that either. I store my units dry, and siphon the fuel out of the tank and drain the residual fuel with the petcock and hose. Panel has to be removed, and the first thing I broke already was one of the little posts on the cover. Super glue might work, I'm doubtful.


Anyway, thanks for the ideas. I'm sure they're mostly getting me in trouble.


----------



## VelvetFoot

Well, I got over my fever. 


That Honda cap from an EU3000 with the vent lever didn't fit. So, I guess I'll be cracking it open and securing with a piece of tape or wedge when running and cooling down.



As I was fitting up the choke actuator, I strung the connecting wire too tight. The entire unit moved when it energized, since one end is attached to the stationary frame, isolated by the rubber vibration dampers. Anyway, that got me to thinking: why do I really need remote start? I don't. It's for use during power outages, and I'll likely want to disconnect/reconnect the load, refuel, etc.


So, except for the spark arrester and evap deletes, and the Battery Tender cable in the battery compartment (connector sticks out), and the dolly, I'm leaving it alone...for now.


I'd still like to find a way to accurately remotely read the load on this 125v. genny remotely, as I have it feeding the panel through an existing interlock device and house input plug.


PS: The super glue is still holding on the broken post, knock on wood.


----------



## Predator

Under some circumstances, a cover can accelerate corrosion. If it traps moisture underneath, you're better off just keeping it out of the rain, but in the open.


----------



## VelvetFoot

Predator said:


> Under some circumstances, a cover can accelerate corrosion. If it traps moisture underneath, you're better off just keeping it out of the rain, but in the open.


It's in the garage, so I think it'll be ok. Gets dusty in there at times.


----------



## Predator

VelvetFoot said:


> It's in the garage, so I think it'll be ok. Gets dusty in there at times.



For some strange reason I thought you were keeping it outdoors......my bad. 



Great little generator imo.


I've had mine for 2.5 years now. Fortunately, we haven't had any power outages in that time. But I'm expecting an increase in them soon.


----------



## VelvetFoot

Has anyone found a vented cap that fits?


----------



## speedy2019

Predator said:


> I've had mine for 2.5 years now. Fortunately, we haven't had any power outages in that time. But I'm expecting an increase in them soon.


Typical hey,, I bought my first 2800watt honda clone generator at the beginning of the year and Im still waiting for a powercut, to properly test it out


----------



## VelvetFoot

Regarding the fuel cap on a de-CARBed unit...


-I haven't been able to find a vented cap that fits; a cap with a lever like the eu2000i would be ideal, to me. Searching can cost $.

-Maybe an extended cap with a valve of some type (check valve) to allow the tank to breathe
-Downside could be high profile that wouldn't allow a piece of plywood, for example, to be laid on top 

-Wedging something under the cap to keep it cracked open, like a twist off soda bottle top
-And, in my latest, wrap Teflon pipe tape around the tank's threads to make the cap harder to turn, and vibrate open/close. I don't know how long lasting this will be.


----------



## Ejrossi

*Me too*

I have the same issue, did you find a solution?


----------



## VelvetFoot

Ejrossi said:


> I have the same issue, did you find a solution?



I don't use my generator that much, but I think wrapping teflon around the threads has a lot of promise.
Easily restored, it allows the cap to be cracked open without a lot of chance of closing by itself.


----------



## Mikey Pharris

*Predator 3500 Digital Display Issue*

For some reason my display on the front of the generator is not displaying that andy volts or amps are being produced or drawn... But I have multiple appliances plugged in and working perfectly... The display lights up and shows hours and the hour glass icon (indicating normal operation) but not reading/showing the draw or output for volts or amps.....?!?!? anyone ever come across this. I even took off the panel and made sure all the connections are good. All good and still looks new... It has 105 hours on it o far.


----------



## iowagold

best to spend the bucks for a honda eu series of gen..
these clone units are way lower in quality...
the best is the Honda eu7000is and now there is a tri fuel kit for them as well.
join the honda gen forum at click here for the hondagenerator forum


----------



## So1911

I'm curious what the opinion is on the vented oil fill doors. Some folks insist that the negative pressure somehow cools the inverter. I'm having a hard time figuring that out - I get that the inverter electronics are near the intake underneath, but it seems like as long as there is still somewhat a vacuum that it should be fine with the vented door. Thoughts?


----------



## iowagold

all of the closed cased inverter gens are designed for a wind tunnel style inside...
with that said... it is a pain in the but some times!! lol!!
it messes with the air fuel ratio on the gens as the neg pressure inside the case where the air intake is messes with the carb air...
on an older I think it was 2002 or 2003 honda eu 1000 with the issue I had I cured this by making a hole in the side door to the intake air box hole that was there from the factory and then used good foam seal on the cover to the air box.
and did a grommet for an finale on the cover hole.
it looked real good when I was done.
and worked like a champ!! 

they symptom for this change was it would run ok with the case side cover off but would lope and try to die with it on..
brand new carb so the carb was not the issue.
I did measure the neg pressure in the case there was way too much suction in the case...

so epa regs have something to do with this.. that clean burn issue.
they try to keep the engine and intake air as warm as they can..

most of the Hondas do not work right unless the covers are on and doors closed.


----------



## Curtis

Mikey Pharris said:


> *Predator 3500 Digital Display Issue*
> 
> For some reason my display on the front of the generator is not displaying that andy volts or amps are being produced or drawn... But I have multiple appliances plugged in and working perfectly... The display lights up and shows hours and the hour glass icon (indicating normal operation) but not reading/showing the draw or output for volts or amps.....?!?!? anyone ever come across this. I even took off the panel and made sure all the connections are good. All good and still looks new... It has 105 hours on it o far.


Did you find out the issue with your display?


----------



## KenB1956

Predator said:


> I have extensive experience cleaning and tuning the carb on the HF Predator 3500 if anyone has any questions.
> Also, it has a stepper motor that controls the engine speeds under load and on ECO throttle etc. Same as the Honda Eu3000is


SO here is my problem. I bought the 3500 last spring and had to use it 4 or 5 times due to commercial power going out and also using it to provide light to a she. Easy Start and now problems. After the last time I used it in October, I filled it with gas and added the appropriate amount of Stabil. Due to an injury that limited my mobility, I didn't start it over the winter. Went to start it about 3 weeks ag. It cranks but doesn't start. Given that I treated the fuel ( and did the oil changes as required) any idea what the problem might be? I have good compression. When I tried to start it, it was still in the 40's outside. Now that it's warmed-up a bit, do yo think it may be more likely to start?


----------



## iowagold

well run down the check list first;
does it have gasoline in the fuel tank
did you turn on the fuel valve
check the fuel drain in the bottom of the carb bowl for water
does the gasoline flow well when the bowl is removed?
does it have spark a spark tester is good for this check.
tools are on this page





ENGINE_TEST_EQUIPMENT


engine test equipment



www.poustusa.com




and ultra sonic pages are here if the carb is in bad shape and needs cleaned





ULTRASONIC PAGES


POUST USA ULTRASONIC PAGES



www.poustusa.com


----------



## KenB1956

Thanks!


iowagold said:


> well run down the check list first;
> does it have gasoline in the fuel tank
> did you turn on the fuel valve
> check the fuel drain in the bottom of the carb bowl for water
> does the gasoline flow well when the bowl is removed?
> does it have spark a spark tester is good for this check.
> tools are on this page
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ENGINE_TEST_EQUIPMENT
> 
> 
> engine test equipment
> 
> 
> 
> www.poustusa.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> and ultra sonic pages are here if the carb is in bad shape and needs cleaned
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ULTRASONIC PAGES
> 
> 
> POUST USA ULTRASONIC PAGES
> 
> 
> 
> www.poustusa.com


Thanks!


----------



## iowagold

can any one snap a picture of the start battery in one of these gens for me?


----------



## iowagold

GOT IT!
try this page for battery and parts too





harborfreightgenparts


harbor freight gen parts



www.poustusa.com




harbor freight parts page with links


----------



## Powder Monkey

New member here, but decades long forum user, hello all!

I wanted to post this here since this is the top google search result for 'Predator 3500 forum'

I bought my generator in July 2018 with the 2 year extended warranty, to power my brand new camper at the racetrack - I go to Motorcycle, Nascar Xfinity, Trans-Am, IndyCar, NASA / SCCA and Vintage racing event that are four days long. The generator stands now at 441 hours on the clock. It's always run great until I got it out 2 weeks ago...

A little back story - I broke this generator in with Mobil Super 5000 10w-30 conventional oil, changed at 2h/5h/18h. I ran that same conventional oil for my first real race weekend in August 2018, ended up at about 75 hours, then I switched to Mobil 1 10w-30 full synthetic. I service it every 60-100 hours - change the oil, remove the spark arrestor, and clean both pieces with a propane torch and air compressor, clean and re-oil air filter. I put the recommended NGK plug in it when first got it. Never seize and dielectric, of course. Generator is stock, no charcoal canister delete, no oil door air mods. Totally stock. I'm in Ohio at about 1000AGL and use the generator between 45F and 95F.

So anyway, two weeks ago, I fired it up and ran the camper AC for 15 minutes in my driveway to make sure all was well before I left for the race weekend the next day. It pulled the AC fine and seemed to be running great, like it always has, until I shut off the AC. With little to no load it had a distinct surge, rev up, slow down, etc. It was much more pronounced in ESC on / ECO mode. I ran the AC again and it was fine under load, perfectly smooth. I chalked it up to last years fuel that was in it, and figured it would clear up once I filled it. I carry two 5 gallon translucent motocross style fuel jugs to the track, and I always use Sunoco 93 octane, and treat with Star-Tron fuel treatment. Same fuel procedure the whole time I've owned it.

So before I left for the races, I changed the oil, popped in a fresh NGK plug, cleaned and oiled the air filter. No change still running rough under light load only.

So I get to the track and even after it used all the old fuel and I filled it with fresh treated 93 octane, it was the same story - ran perfectly normal under heavy load, but sounded pretty sad under light or no load, idle constantly hunting, rev up, stumble, rev-up... Yuck! I found that cracking the fuel cap helped it run a little smoother but still it clearly wasn't happy. I put about 40 hours on it that weekend. I was assuming I'd have to pull the carburetor and clean it up...

So I get home from the races and sat down to work on it. I hit the starter button. NOTHING! Pull battery put the meter on it, and it's at 12.95v. Hit the starter button again, nothing no crank, no click nothing. I was so surprised I couldn't believe it. I figured a wire had to have vibrated lose on the control panel. So, I pulled the cord and it fired right up first pull. It was running the same, poor at idle. I shut it off and a bit later decided to try the electric start again, this time I got a click but it wouldn't turn it over. At this point I am like oh man what has happened to my once great generator! I was so frustrated. I am still within my two year extended warranty, but I know I got a good generator, 441 hours of proof. I hated the thought of getting a bad one on exchange, but I was considering it...

I decided to take the right side cover off, where the pull cord is as I knew the starter and starter solenoid is on that side, because I had to replace the starter solenoid within the first 30 days of ownership back in 2018. No big deal. Anyway - as soon as I pulled that cover, my eyes were drawn to the small 1" x 4" epoxy potted electrical box mounted to the bottom of the frame. At first glance the surface of it looked slightly melted! Upon closer inspection it had a small amount of engine oil pooled up in it, and the areas that looked 'burnt or melted' were just bits of grass or debris trapped in the oil. And that oil had wicked up into the square 4 pin molex connector also!

I checked the Harbor Freight parts list, it's part 120 labeled as 'LIGHTER' and it's not available. I looked at the Northern Tool parts list, it not available there either and they call it 'IGNITION'...

I pulled the screws that secure it, and sprayed it down with electrical contact cleaner, dried it off, and it looks perfect. It was absolutely not melted or burnt at all thank god. I sprayed out both sides of the molex connector as well, used air to dry it up, and put everything back together.

I hit the electric start, it fired up instantly, and the generator IS NOW RUNNING PERFECTLY!! Wow! Perfect idle with no load, just like always, and still runs perfect under heavy load.

I was totally shocked that this was the cause of all my issues! That oil must have been shorting some of the contacts together intermittently, and causing the stepper motor that runs the throttle on the carb to wander, causing the poor up and down idle under light load. It was also interfering with the electric start, as I have started and stopped it about 10 times since with no further issues with the electric start. I keep starting it and running it for about 10 minutes using a big 52" belt drive drum fan for heavier load (7A), and a small floor fan for light load (1.5A).

I am convinced it is all 100% fixed. Wow. Oil in a molex connector caused all that crazyness, who would have though it...

The part number on the electrical box in question is:

TJ113-2009-1
180303

If you google that what comes up is extremely similar, has the same large capacitor, and several smaller caps, but it doesn't have the right number of wires. But the part is called an AVR - automatic voltage regulator rectifier.

So I think the oil was causing the voltage to fluctuate intermittently, so the stepper motor was reacting to that, and thus causing the idle to wander to chase an apparent electrical load that appeared to be coming and going, but which wasn't really there.

In all the researching i did prior to starting to chase down this problem - YouTube videos, forum posts - absolutely no one noted this issue. So I wanted to get this info out there for the community of Predator 3500 owners!

The only remaining question is how the oil got there. I can't answer that.

I've included two pics, one of the location of this box in the frame, and one of the box with the oil and debris in it before I cleaned it. I don't have a pic of it after I cleaned it up, but it looked perfect after clean up.

Here is a YouTube video of how terrible it was running with no load before the fix. I hope I never have to hear it run like this ever again! : )


----------



## CyberKnight

Robh said:


> There is a 10 page thread on it.


Could you point me to these pages please? For some reason site search isn't finding them for me! Thanks!


----------



## CyberKnight

Predator said:


> Just keep this in mind.......
> 
> 
> The more air you allow into the housing of the generator, the less that goes to cooling the cylinder head.
> 
> 
> You could potentially cause it to severely overheat.


And also you can reduce the airflow over the inverter heat sink if you put to many extra air vents in the case. With that said the 3500s do seem to run rich most of the time - I think they may have jetted the carb without the case in the picture so that when the complete genny is assembled the fuel mixture is too rich due to the restricted air intake. But that's just a guess...if anyone has a fix for this please let me know! Thanks


----------



## iowagold

just duct the air intake to a new hole in the case only.


----------



## CyberKnight

CyberKnight said:


> And also you can reduce the airflow over the inverter heat sink if you put to many extra air vents in the case. With that said the 3500s do seem to run rich most of the time - I think they may have jetted the carb without the case in the picture so that when the complete genny is assembled the fuel mixture is too rich due to the restricted air intake. But that's just a guess...if anyone has a fix for this please let me know! Thanks


Update - Thanks to info in another post on this forum I discovered that I have one of those air filter covers WITHOUT any air inlet holes in it! Removing the cover for a test run solved my genny running rich and unevenly problems - it has never run this smoothly since I bought it almost two years ago! Also, now when the AC compressor kicks in it handles the change in load much more smoothly than before. 

I've also removed the spark arrestor and internal "cone", both of which were completely clogged up with soot from the 190 hours of rich running! This also explains why I've had to change spark plugs every 30 to 40 hours of running due to them getting fouled. 

Looking forward to a much better experience in the future with this genny! Fairly confident that once I drill some inlet holes in the air cleaner cover and clean or replace the spark arrestor it will run better than ever! Really helps an engine to be able to get sufficient air in and the exhaust out! I'm actually shocked that it ran as well as it has considering the air filter cover issue as the only air getting in was through the charcoal cannister hose. (But I did have a very clean air filter, even after two years - mainly because no air was going through it!)


----------



## CyberKnight

SuperiorLoopEngineering said:


> https://superiorloopengineeringllc.com makes an extended run tank that uses a fuel pump so there's no need to elevate the run tank. Installs in less than 20 mins


I cannot access that URL address - get a "404" error. Is there another, newer, address available?


----------



## CyberKnight

n5yzv said:


> Correct me if I'm wrong, but if the generator is running rich, more fumes would enter the charcoal canister, thus, causing more spark plug fouling. I consulted my dad on this, he said, "it needs more air!". So, I got one of those vented oil access doors and seems much better. I may also add some of the round ones to the side panels. Air is Life! (t-shirts anyone?)


Question - how would fumes due to rich running get into the canister? I think the only inlets are from the stand pipe in the fuel tank and an open port inside the generator case. So unless the exhaust fumes recirculate through the case and into the open port there's not a path for them. The hose from the valve cover goes directly to the air cleaner housing so it never connects to the charcoal canister. Am I missing something here?


----------



## CyberKnight

Predator said:


> I have extensive experience cleaning and tuning the carb on the HF Predator 3500 if anyone has any questions.
> Also, it has a stepper motor that controls the engine speeds under load and on ECO throttle etc. Same as the Honda Eu3000is


Predator - could you post a picture of the air cleaner cover on the Predator 3500 please. The one already posted by Mike5511 doesn't show enough of the cover for me to understand where the openings are supposed to be exactly. My cover has no openings at all except the fitting for the charcoal canister hose! Are the openings on the stationary filter housing instead of the removable cover maybe? I didn't look for them there. Thanks.


----------



## CyberKnight

mlevinson said:


> I have owned my Predator for about a year now, and this past weekend was the first time I used it for prolonged periods running an A/C unit for my cabin at the beach. I removed my oil fill cover for better breathing and it ran fine through the night, but in the morning it would heat up and shut down. I cleaned the air filter and it seemed to run a little better and made it thru the night again. The third day it would barely run, and it was very hard to start. It seemed as though it was constantly flooded. When it would fire, it would put out black smoke, again indicating a very rich mixture. The exhaust sounded like it was plugged when it would run and I had my aha moment. All the symptoms indicated a very restricted exhaust, so I started tapping on it with the end of my screw driver and chunks of carbon began coming out of the arrestor.
> 
> Being curious I removed the arrestor completely to see if it would run better, and it ran like a top during the test. I know the arrestor is on for safety reasons but mine became almost completely plugged during my 3 nights of camping. I'm going to look into a larger diameter arrestor that I can plumb the exhaust to in order to help the generator breathe better.
> 
> I got enough of the carbon out to get it running again and put it back on for the last night, but this seems like a design flaw - at least on my machine. I imagine the cooler temps at night helped lean out the A/F mixture and as the weather warmed up, along with the excess back pressure the A/F got really rich causing it to sputter and stall.
> 
> Anyone else have a similar experience?


Not exactly but very similar. Found that my air filter cover (the removable part) didn't have any air inlet holes in it at all! Unfortunately I didn't discover this until after I had added a vent to the oil access door, changed the spark plugs several times (they fouled out every 20 to 30 hours of operation) and a lot of other head scratching and messing around with various components. Much later in this thread someone else mentioned not having any air inlet holes in their cover so someone posted a pic of what they should look like. This led me to inspect mine earlier today and, voila, no holes! I took the air filter cover off and ran the genset for about a half hour under 18A load (13,500BTU AC) and it ran better than it ever has! Now in the process of cleaning the spark arrestor and the internal "cone" filter just behind it - both were completely clogged with soot. Next I will drill some air holes in the bottom of the air filter cover and that should solve the "running rich" issue. BTW - I found that using an "E3.46" spark plug to be the best solution prior to discovering this issue with the air filter cover so I'll probably continue to use this plug. Available at Advance Auto Parts & Auto Zone, links below:



Advance Auto Parts - Down for Maintenance





https://www.autozone.com/ignition-tune-up-and-routine-maintenance/spark-plug/e3-copper-spark-plug-e3-46/623629_0_0?spps.s=90&cmpid=LIA:US:EN:AD:NL:1000000:SPP:71700000045037257&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI8PP74Kqm6wIVFEWGCh3azgpnEAQYASABEgL48fD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds


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## tabora

CyberKnight said:


> I cannot access that URL address - get a "404" error. Is there another, newer, address available?


Here's another source: Predator 3500 Extended Run Time Fuel Kit with Internal fuel transfer pump


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## CyberKnight

tabora said:


> Here's another source: Predator 3500 Extended Run Time Fuel Kit with Internal fuel transfer pump


Thanks! That link worked...I thought I would get e-mail notifications when someone replied to one of my posts but that hasn't happened. Wonder if I need to change or check some setting??


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## CyberKnight

CyberKnight said:


> Predator - could you post a picture of the air cleaner cover on the Predator 3500 please. The one already posted by Mike5511 doesn't show enough of the cover for me to understand where the openings are supposed to be exactly. My cover has no openings at all except the fitting for the charcoal canister hose! Are the openings on the stationary filter housing instead of the removable cover maybe? I didn't look for them there. Thanks.


Update - I no longer need a picture of the air cleaner cover. I went to my local Harbor Freight a few days ago and looked at the cover on their floor model and have since made the modifications to my cover. Installed it earlier today along with the cleaned spark arrestor assembly and the genset now purrs quite nicely! Much, much, better now that it can "breathe".


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## CyberKnight

CyberKnight said:


> Not exactly but very similar. Found that my air filter cover (the removable part) didn't have any air inlet holes in it at all! Unfortunately I didn't discover this until after I had added a vent to the oil access door, changed the spark plugs several times (they fouled out every 20 to 30 hours of operation) and a lot of other head scratching and messing around with various components. Much later in this thread someone else mentioned not having any air inlet holes in their cover so someone posted a pic of what they should look like. This led me to inspect mine earlier today and, voila, no holes! I took the air filter cover off and ran the genset for about a half hour under 18A load (13,500BTU AC) and it ran better than it ever has! Now in the process of cleaning the spark arrestor and the internal "cone" filter just behind it - both were completely clogged with soot. Next I will drill some air holes in the bottom of the air filter cover and that should solve the "running rich" issue. BTW - I found that using an "E3.46" spark plug to be the best solution prior to discovering this issue with the air filter cover so I'll probably continue to use this plug. Available at Advance Auto Parts & Auto Zone, links below:
> 
> http://[URL]https://shop.advanceaut...VGYTICh2rCwJiEAQYAiABEgJ3mPD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds[/URL]
> 
> http://[URL]https://www.autozone.co...VFEWGCh3azgpnEAQYASABEgL48fD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds[/URL]


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## tabora

CyberKnight said:


> I thought I would get e-mail notifications when someone replied to one of my posts but that hasn't happened. Wonder if I need to change or check some setting??


Click on your Account details icon in the upper right corner and choose Account Settings, then click on Preferences over on the left sidebar. Notification settings are there.


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## Rickasouth

Predator said:


> I've been considering purchasing one of HarborFreights new 3000Watt Inverter generators.
> 
> I tend to have doubts as to the durability but it is a pretty good price at $700 for a 3000watt inverter generator.
> 
> It looks good and very Hondaish.
> 
> Anyone here have one yet?


Just bought one, problems right away. Charcoal canister fills with gas and almost immediately starts flooding the carburetor. Had to disconnect the tube from the canister to the carburetor. Seems to be ok now. I haven't tried running it all night yet. We'll see.


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## iowagold

Rickasouth said:


> Just bought one, problems right away. Charcoal canister fills with gas and almost immediately starts flooding the carburetor. Had to disconnect the tube from the canister to the carburetor. Seems to be ok now. I haven't tried running it all night yet. We'll see.


easy to cure that!
take it back!


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## CyberKnight

Rickasouth said:


> Just bought one, problems right away. Charcoal canister fills with gas and almost immediately starts flooding the carburetor. Had to disconnect the tube from the canister to the carburetor. Seems to be ok now. I haven't tried running it all night yet. We'll see.


Ditto what iowagold said - take it back! HF will exchange it for another one withing the first 90 days. Some of these had an issue with the weld at the bottom of the gas tank around the vent standpipe leaking which allows liquid gas into the vent instead of just fumes. That may be your problem but the same symptom can happen if you overfill the gas tank. The top of the vent pipe is right under the lip of the fill opening so if you overfill the tank then gas can splash into the vent due to vibration when the generator is running. I doubt that's what happened but it's possible.


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## iowagold

you want at least second knuckle on your index finger below the filler neck on your tank fill on most gen sets.
the late model gens have a red ring indicator for max fill line.
unless some one removed it..

over filling forces fuel from the tank vent in to the canister..
also sloshing from driving if it is in the back of a pickup truck will force fuel in to the vent system.
or carb! and it will fill up the crankcase with fuel!! bad thing!!
make sure the fuel shut off is in the off position before moving the gen set.


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## LittleLebowski

So, if one has the old sealed air filter cover; is the consensus that you need both a vented oil filler door _and _to drill holes in the air filter cover?


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## CyberKnight

tabora said:


> Click on your Account details icon in the upper right corner and choose Account Settings, then click on Preferences over on the left sidebar. Notification settings are there.


Thanks! I checked and the settings were correct so I guess we'll just chalk it up to another "cyberspace event" as I have been getting e-mails since.


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## CyberKnight

LittleLebowski said:


> So, if one has the old sealed air filter cover; is the consensus that you need both a vented oil filler door _and _to drill holes in the air filter cover?


Hi, Yes I think it wise to do both. But add the holes to the filter cover immediately whether or not you do the filler door mod. To add a little bit of extra venting to the housing I used a round 2" vent plug (Maurice Franklin 2" Round Plastic Vent - Black - Package of 6 - - Amazon.com) in the filler door with angled louvers so I could point them toward the bottom of the unit to prevent rain getting in. These also have a built in screen to keep out bugs and other debris. They come in a package of 6 so I have 5 of them left - if you PM me I'll be glad to mail one to you no charge (if I can find them that is! If you saw my basement workshop you'd understand quickly). I did the oil filler door venting over a year before I discovered the missing holes in the air filter cover so it didn't help much, if at all, until I drilled the holes in the filter cover. Now the genset runs great! Still "smells" a little on the rich side but nowhere near as much as before plus it just grunts for a split second when the A/C compressor kicks in instead of nearly dying - much better!


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## CyberKnight

CyberKnight said:


> Hi, Yes I think it wise to do both. But add the holes to the filter cover immediately whether or not you do the filler door mod. To add a little bit of extra venting to the housing I used a round 2" vent plug (Maurice Franklin 2" Round Plastic Vent - Black - Package of 6 - - Amazon.com) in the filler door with angled louvers so I could point them toward the bottom of the unit to prevent rain getting in. These also have a built in screen to keep out bugs and other debris. They come in a package of 6 so I have 5 of them left - if you PM me I'll be glad to mail one to you no charge (if I can find them that is! If you saw my basement workshop you'd understand quickly). I did the oil filler door venting over a year before I discovered the missing holes in the air filter cover so it didn't help much, if at all, until I drilled the holes in the filter cover. Now the genset runs great! Still "smells" a little on the rich side but nowhere near as much as before plus it just grunts for a split second when the A/C compressor kicks in instead of nearly dying - much better!


PS - I think Private Messages are called "Conversations" on this forum - not certain as I haven't used this feature on this site yet.


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## CyberKnight

LittleLebowski said:


> So, if one has the old sealed air filter cover; is the consensus that you need both a vented oil filler door _and _to drill holes in the air filter cover?


PS - I think Private Messages are called "Conversations" on this forum - not certain as I haven't used this feature on this site yet. (see my previous reply to your question)


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## LittleLebowski

CyberKnight said:


> Hi, Yes I think it wise to do both. But add the holes to the filter cover immediately whether or not you do the filler door mod. To add a little bit of extra venting to the housing I used a round 2" vent plug (Maurice Franklin 2" Round Plastic Vent - Black - Package of 6 - - Amazon.com) in the filler door with angled louvers so I could point them toward the bottom of the unit to prevent rain getting in. These also have a built in screen to keep out bugs and other debris. They come in a package of 6 so I have 5 of them left - if you PM me I'll be glad to mail one to you no charge (if I can find them that is! If you saw my basement workshop you'd understand quickly). I did the oil filler door venting over a year before I discovered the missing holes in the air filter cover so it didn't help much, if at all, until I drilled the holes in the filter cover. Now the genset runs great! Still "smells" a little on the rich side but nowhere near as much as before plus it just grunts for a split second when the A/C compressor kicks in instead of nearly dying - much better!


Thank you! I've got something that should work, but I appreciate the offer.


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## gbpa

Curtis said:


> Did you find out the issue with your display?


Anyone have any info? I have the same problem.


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## iowagold

gbpa said:


> Anyone have any info? I have the same problem.


display replacement via harbor freight parts is the solution.
or do after market hour meter


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## Alejsalm

I‘d like to know where can I Find the TJ113-2009-9 sper part?


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## Geotrash

Alejsalm said:


> I‘d like to know where can I Find the TJ113-2009-9 sper part?


I bought one today at Northern Tool from the parts and service window inside the store. Their PowerHorse 3500 is the same generator inside. Part cost $35, out the door. They're also available on Amazon for around $60 shipped, I believe. Search for Predator 3500 ignition module.


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## EMoney05

dangerousbob said:


> Does anyone know the correct thread spec for the Predator 3500’s gas tank cap? I’d like to replace mine with a vented cap, but even though the aftermarket vented caps for portable gas tanks that i’ve found in stores are the correct diameter, their threads don’t quite match the threading on the Predator’s tank filler opening.


Did you ever figure this out? I have the same question.

Thanks


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## Paul67

Powder Monkey said:


> New member here, but decades long forum user, hello all!
> 
> I wanted to post this here since this is the top google search result for 'Predator 3500 forum'
> 
> I bought my generator in July 2018 with the 2 year extended warranty, to power my brand new camper at the racetrack - I go to Motorcycle, Nascar Xfinity, Trans-Am, IndyCar, NASA / SCCA and Vintage racing event that are four days long. The generator stands now at 441 hours on the clock. It's always run great until I got it out 2 weeks ago...
> 
> A little back story - I broke this generator in with Mobil Super 5000 10w-30 conventional oil, changed at 2h/5h/18h. I ran that same conventional oil for my first real race weekend in August 2018, ended up at about 75 hours, then I switched to Mobil 1 10w-30 full synthetic. I service it every 60-100 hours - change the oil, remove the spark arrestor, and clean both pieces with a propane torch and air compressor, clean and re-oil air filter. I put the recommended NGK plug in it when first got it. Never seize and dielectric, of course. Generator is stock, no charcoal canister delete, no oil door air mods. Totally stock. I'm in Ohio at about 1000AGL and use the generator between 45F and 95F.
> 
> So anyway, two weeks ago, I fired it up and ran the camper AC for 15 minutes in my driveway to make sure all was well before I left for the race weekend the next day. It pulled the AC fine and seemed to be running great, like it always has, until I shut off the AC. With little to no load it had a distinct surge, rev up, slow down, etc. It was much more pronounced in ESC on / ECO mode. I ran the AC again and it was fine under load, perfectly smooth. I chalked it up to last years fuel that was in it, and figured it would clear up once I filled it. I carry two 5 gallon translucent motocross style fuel jugs to the track, and I always use Sunoco 93 octane, and treat with Star-Tron fuel treatment. Same fuel procedure the whole time I've owned it.
> 
> So before I left for the races, I changed the oil, popped in a fresh NGK plug, cleaned and oiled the air filter. No change still running rough under light load only.
> 
> So I get to the track and even after it used all the old fuel and I filled it with fresh treated 93 octane, it was the same story - ran perfectly normal under heavy load, but sounded pretty sad under light or no load, idle constantly hunting, rev up, stumble, rev-up... Yuck! I found that cracking the fuel cap helped it run a little smoother but still it clearly wasn't happy. I put about 40 hours on it that weekend. I was assuming I'd have to pull the carburetor and clean it up...
> 
> So I get home from the races and sat down to work on it. I hit the starter button. NOTHING! Pull battery put the meter on it, and it's at 12.95v. Hit the starter button again, nothing no crank, no click nothing. I was so surprised I couldn't believe it. I figured a wire had to have vibrated lose on the control panel. So, I pulled the cord and it fired right up first pull. It was running the same, poor at idle. I shut it off and a bit later decided to try the electric start again, this time I got a click but it wouldn't turn it over. At this point I am like oh man what has happened to my once great generator! I was so frustrated. I am still within my two year extended warranty, but I know I got a good generator, 441 hours of proof. I hated the thought of getting a bad one on exchange, but I was considering it...
> 
> I decided to take the right side cover off, where the pull cord is as I knew the starter and starter solenoid is on that side, because I had to replace the starter solenoid within the first 30 days of ownership back in 2018. No big deal. Anyway - as soon as I pulled that cover, my eyes were drawn to the small 1" x 4" epoxy potted electrical box mounted to the bottom of the frame. At first glance the surface of it looked slightly melted! Upon closer inspection it had a small amount of engine oil pooled up in it, and the areas that looked 'burnt or melted' were just bits of grass or debris trapped in the oil. And that oil had wicked up into the square 4 pin molex connector also!
> 
> I checked the Harbor Freight parts list, it's part 120 labeled as 'LIGHTER' and it's not available. I looked at the Northern Tool parts list, it not available there either and they call it 'IGNITION'...
> 
> I pulled the screws that secure it, and sprayed it down with electrical contact cleaner, dried it off, and it looks perfect. It was absolutely not melted or burnt at all thank god. I sprayed out both sides of the molex connector as well, used air to dry it up, and put everything back together.
> 
> I hit the electric start, it fired up instantly, and the generator IS NOW RUNNING PERFECTLY!! Wow! Perfect idle with no load, just like always, and still runs perfect under heavy load.
> 
> I was totally shocked that this was the cause of all my issues! That oil must have been shorting some of the contacts together intermittently, and causing the stepper motor that runs the throttle on the carb to wander, causing the poor up and down idle under light load. It was also interfering with the electric start, as I have started and stopped it about 10 times since with no further issues with the electric start. I keep starting it and running it for about 10 minutes using a big 52" belt drive drum fan for heavier load (7A), and a small floor fan for light load (1.5A).
> 
> I am convinced it is all 100% fixed. Wow. Oil in a molex connector caused all that crazyness, who would have though it...
> 
> The part number on the electrical box in question is:
> 
> TJ113-2009-1
> 180303
> 
> If you google that what comes up is extremely similar, has the same large capacitor, and several smaller caps, but it doesn't have the right number of wires. But the part is called an AVR - automatic voltage regulator rectifier.
> 
> So I think the oil was causing the voltage to fluctuate intermittently, so the stepper motor was reacting to that, and thus causing the idle to wander to chase an apparent electrical load that appeared to be coming and going, but which wasn't really there.
> 
> In all the researching i did prior to starting to chase down this problem - YouTube videos, forum posts - absolutely no one noted this issue. So I wanted to get this info out there for the community of Predator 3500 owners!
> 
> The only remaining question is how the oil got there. I can't answer that.
> 
> I've included two pics, one of the location of this box in the frame, and one of the box with the oil and debris in it before I cleaned it. I don't have a pic of it after I cleaned it up, but it looked perfect after clean up.
> 
> Here is a YouTube video of how terrible it was running with no load before the fix. I hope I never have to hear it run like this ever again! : )
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> View attachment 7918
> 
> 
> View attachment 7919


The green wire coming from the rear of the motor is the low oil sensor wire. There’s a bullet connector halfway down. The oil seams to seep out and down the wire. I’m going to try and clean the Lighter #120 on the parts list (22212) and I’ll add wire and make a loop so it will drip down and not run down the wire into the Lighter. 

The AVR is not the same, it’s a Auto Voltage Regulator. I have the 22212 Lighter on back order from Harbor Freight but I have also found one from AliExpress in China for about the same price but $8.00 shipping. I’ll order one if the Harbor Freight one stays on back order once I stop traveling.


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## Drcowen

Can anyone tell me where the AVR is located on a Predator 3500 and does this look like the correct part.

Thanks in advance, Danny







Danny


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## OrlyP

Drcowen said:


> Can anyone tell me where the AVR is located on a Predator 3500 and does this look like the correct part.
> 
> Thanks in advance, Danny
> View attachment 12353
> Danny


Unless I'm mistaken, the Predator 3500 is an inverter generator. I doubt it uses that particular part, which looks like an AVR for a non-inverter generator.


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## GenKnot

OrlyP said:


> Unless I'm mistaken, the Predator 3500 is an inverter generator. I doubt it uses that particular part, which looks like an AVR for a non-inverter generator.


Yeah, I don't think the inverter model of the Predator 3500 has an AVR. But apparently HF did make a Predator 3500 that uses one. We probably need more info about this gen...








Amazon.com : J2XCO AVR Automatic Voltage Regulator for Harbor Freight Predator 30060-Y025110 Gasoline Generator : Patio, Lawn & Garden


Amazon.com : J2XCO AVR Automatic Voltage Regulator for Harbor Freight Predator 30060-Y025110 Gasoline Generator : Patio, Lawn & Garden



www.amazon.com


----------



## OrlyP

I found a Chicago Electric 3500 generator, a HF sub-brand. Could be this one.









Portable Generator 7HP 3500 watts Chicago Electric | Bighorn Auction Co.


Portable Generator 7HP 3500 watts Chicago Electric for auction. Brand Starts Easy & Runs Smooth with Partial Choke *May Need Carb Adjustment




bighornauctions.hibid.com





The last picture shows the round alternator end-cover. That's usually where you'll find the AVR.


----------



## Drcowen

EMoney05 said:


> Did you ever figure this out? I have the same question.
> 
> Thanks


Not Yet, I'm still working on it.


----------



## Drcowen

Thanks for the help. Here is a pic of the actual generator and it is a invertor type. Basically what happened is while connecting it to the home power fed back in to the generator and obviously that's when it quit working. It starts and runs well but the overload light comes on right after it starts and it doesn't produce any power. Does anyone know what part is bad and do you think it's worth fixing? Thanks again! Danny


----------



## GenKnot

Drcowen said:


> Basically what happened is while connecting it to the home power fed back in to the generator and obviously that's when it quit working.


Well, that probably killed the inverter assembly. A new inverter is likely about $350-$450. Check with HF customer support and see if they will provide the wiring diagram for the gen. Get the price for a new inverter assembly too.

I don't know if there might be anything else that could have been destroyed on the output but looking over the wiring diagram might help clarify that if you post it.

And, as you have probably already figured out, you need an interlock kit installed to prevent this in the future.


----------



## Drcowen

GenKnot said:


> Well, that probably killed the inverter assembly. A new inverter is likely about $350-$450. Check with HF customer support and see if they will provide the wiring diagram for the gen. Get the price for a new inverter assembly too.
> 
> I don't know if there might be anything else that could have been destroyed on the output but looking over the wiring diagram might help clarify that if you post it.
> 
> And, as you have probably already figured out, you need an interlock kit installed to prevent this in the future.


Thanks for the update. I'll look for a schematic online.


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## OrlyP

There is a cheaper, albeit untested option. There's a listing for an aftermarket inverter module for the Predator 3500. Caveat emptor.

https://www.amazon.com/Tapa-Inverte...r/dp/B09Q68GXB7/ref=sr_1_4?crid=2YV0T4EJZRL8N


----------

