# 1800 watt powerhorse inverter gen runs wide open



## desertratt68 (Apr 30, 2020)

i got an 1800 watt inverter generator from northern tool about 4 years ago when my nearly new eu1000 honda died. it has run flawlessly with just oil changes and a sparkplug about a month ago (still good but thought after 4 years).
recently it started bogging down under light load, then wouldnt run under no load. the start rope was almost shot so i went thru it thuroughly replacing the cord and finding a clogged exhaust. i cleaned the carb(removed/cleaned/reinstall),cleaned the exhaust screens,and upon restart the unit ran wide open regardless of load or eco switch (switch tested good). all plugs hoses rechecked. any help wpuld be apreciated. this has been a great unit till recently


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## JohnNY (Apr 27, 2020)

Did you take the carb completely off? Sounds like you didnt hook the governor linkage up or hooked it up incorrectly. You have to make sure that the metal rod and spring go back on and in the correct hole they came out of or the throttle body will flip wide open as you described

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## pioneerindia (Apr 30, 2020)

Strickly we need to follow some instruction before starting to run the 1800 watt generators:

Never run a generator in an enclosed space or indoor so place the generator at least 20 feet from the house with engine exhaust directed away from window and doors. Before refuelling must turn off a gas-powered generator and avoid electric hazards. Don't Attempt to back feed your house.
Know some usages of 1800 watt generator to sperate places


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## drmerdp (Apr 10, 2018)

Inverter generators equiped with economy switches dont have traditional throttle linkages. They use throttle plate motors. These motors are stepper motors and use a winding in the stator as a reference to engine speed. A control unit monitors engine speed and inverter load and adjusts the engine speed by opening or closing the throttle.

If its stuck wide open all of a sudden after cleaning the carb thats where you should start. Did you remove the stepper motor from the carb when you cleaned it? You may have incorrectly clocked the motor and throttle plate. Double check that all electrical connections are seated, and that the pins of the connector are not bent or misaligned.

On the hondas atleast removal of the stepper motor is not required to access and remove the pilot jet, just a bit trickier.


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## iowagold (Jan 22, 2020)

what is the exact make and model of the gen set so we can pull up a parts manual or parts blow up..
yea sounds like servo or governor linkage is wrong.


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## JohnNY (Apr 27, 2020)

Wow. Time to step aside lol stepper motors?? i know engines but not engine speed controlled like that. But since he took off the carb thats where it has to be (ill add only that lol)

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## RedOctobyr (Aug 8, 2018)

Hopefully it's something simple, like the throttle motor is unplugged, or oriented wrong, etc. When cleaning my EU2000i's carb, I actually left that motor attached, as I heard that it can be fiddly to remove from the carb. Small parts trying to shoot across the room or whatever. 

Worst-case, I suppose you could remove the motor itself from the carb (if you can't get a good view of it when installed), start it, and see if the control unit is moving the motor to at least try and manage the throttle.

Don't plug/unplug the motor while the engine is running. From something else, I learned that stepper motors, or their controllers, can be damaged by being plugged/unplugged while live.


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## iowagold (Jan 22, 2020)

yup small speed servo / stepper motor springs that go " ka floowie" or "ting" across the room..
all of the honda inverter units have those!!
and are a real bxxch to get back in place right unless you have the right insertion tool!!
yea most of this new inverter gen repair stuff should be left to those who do it for a living..
there are sooo many things that can go wrong and get to be expensive!!

then there is the wrong kind of parts cleaner used on the plastic parts..
eg good brake cleaner!! very aggressive cleaner. most of it is based on acetone..
a plastic solvent!!
lol!!
that will melt most of the plastic parts on these gensets!!
bushings etc that are plastic..
it sure makes for a bad day!!
and it is hard on paint too!!

a new carb costs 60 bucks for a honda eu 2000 series..
see the links at HONDA_GENERATOR


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## desertratt68 (Apr 30, 2020)

drmerdp said:


> Inverter generators equiped with economy switches dont have traditional throttle linkages. They use throttle plate motors. These motors are stepper motors and use a winding in the stator as a reference to engine speed. A control unit monitors engine speed and inverter load and adjusts the engine speed by opening or closing the throttle.
> 
> If its stuck wide open all of a sudden after cleaning the carb thats where you should start. Did you remove the stepper motor from the carb when you cleaned it? You may have incorrectly clocked the motor and throttle plate. Double check that all electrical connections are seated, and that the pins of the connector are not bent or misaligned.
> 
> On the hondas atleast removal of the stepper motor is not required to access and remove the pilot jet, just a bit trickier.


i removed carb to clean but did not remove stepper motor from carb. i think i got all grounds hooked. will double check for ground. if its that sensitive even a glazed connector might interupt it. mechnically the system is almost identicle to honda eu1000 i have . thank you. if any other thoughts on this please post.


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## iowagold (Jan 22, 2020)

desertratt68 said:


> i removed carb to clean but did not remove stepper motor from carb. i think i got all grounds hooked. will double check for ground. if its that sensitive even a glazed connector might interupt it. mechnically the system is almost identicle to honda eu1000 i have . thank you. if any other thoughts on this please post.


what did you use for carb cleaner??
brand and upc code please.
did you soak the assy??

when cleaning any modern carb with plastic parts you want to remove them before spraying with chemicals..
most carb cleaner and brake cleaner will eat those parts..
even the ethanol will eat on some of them.

with an digital ohm meter check the eco switch to make sure it is good.
and then pin out and check that back to the servo.
just to make sure the wiring is good.
you will need the service manual to check the servo motor with a meter.
make sure the plastic parts are free on the slide parts connecting the servo to the carb throttle assy.
on the 1000i honda they are a groove system with a slight off set.
and there is a pesky spring in that assy if you remove the servo it will fly off!

I bet you are looking at servo replacement.. just a feeling.

if you were closer rat I would say bring it over.
hard to repair at a distance with out good eyes on the job.

check the linkage action for something binding.. and check the servo action.


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## desertratt68 (Apr 30, 2020)

RedOctobyr said:


> Hopefully it's something simple, like the throttle motor is unplugged, or oriented wrong, etc. When cleaning my EU2000i's carb, I actually left that motor attached, as I heard that it can be fiddly to remove from the carb. Small parts trying to shoot across the room or whatever.
> 
> Worst-case, I suppose you could remove the motor itself from the carb (if you can't get a good view of it when installed), start it, and see if the control unit is moving the motor to at least try and manage the throttle.
> 
> Don't plug/unplug the motor while the engine is running. From something else, I learned that stepper motors, or their controllers, can be damaged by being plugged/unplugged while live.


as im telling everyone i never disconnected the stepper motor and it only has q


iowagold said:


> what did you use for carb cleaner??
> brand and upc code please.
> did you soak the assy??
> 
> ...


i never removed the servo from the carb. i used no chemical just clean gas. it just started after reasembbly so wiring is good. the carb wire i just a 1 way plug. and as stared in original post i checked the switch


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## desertratt68 (Apr 30, 2020)

just really odd any part that was working just before dissassembly would fail immediatly afer reassem ly


desertratt68 said:


> as im telling everyone i never disconnected the stepper motor and it only has q
> 
> i never removed the servo from the carb. i used no chemical just clean gas. it just started after reasembbly so wiring is good. the carb wire i just a 1 way plug. and as stared in original post i checked the switch


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## iowagold (Jan 22, 2020)

so did you soak it in gasoline?


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## desertratt68 (Apr 30, 2020)

iowagold said:


> so did you soak it in gasoline?


no mosly just cleaned the bowl and insures the jet was clear. its much simpler design than the honda, the jet is huge. the connector was plugged in and the stepper motor does move but it doesnt stop, resulting in full speed. when i manually limit the movement it runs perfect. only thing im wondering is if the return spring may have slipped , looks ok but nexxt teardown ill check. all grounds are good. the motor is getting signal.


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## iowagold (Jan 22, 2020)

yea check all of the linkage..
something is in the wrong place..


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## desertratt68 (Apr 30, 2020)

i


RedOctobyr said:


> Hopefully it's something simple, like the throttle motor is unplugged, or oriented wrong, etc. When cleaning my EU2000i's carb, I actually left that motor attached, as I heard that it can be fiddly to remove from the carb. Small parts trying to shoot across the room or whatever.
> 
> Worst-case, I suppose you could remove the motor itself from the carb (if you can't get a good view of it when installed), start it, and see if the control unit is moving the motor to at least try and manage the throttle.
> 
> Don't plug/unplug the motor while the engine is running. From something else, I learned that stepper motors, or their controllers, can be damaged by being plugged/unplugged while live.


tried that. stepper motor does rum, thats why it runs wide open. it doesnt start wide ooen it takes abiut 3 to 4 seconds


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## desertratt68 (Apr 30, 2020)

nope


iowagold said:


> yea check all of the linkage..
> something is in the wrong place..


 didnt remove/move controler from carb


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## desertratt68 (Apr 30, 2020)

thanks everone for responses but i keep getting questions that i already answered. like linkage answers. no linkage its stepper motor controlled. and i did not take the controler off the carb so its not that. i know old style generators and most answers i get are from ppl with same. and controler runs thats why it runs wide open.


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## desertratt68 (Apr 30, 2020)

well


iowagold said:


> yup small speed servo / stepper motor springs that go " ka floowie" or "ting" across the room..
> all of the honda inverter units have those!!
> and are a real bxxch to get back in place right unless you have the right insertion tool!!
> yea most of this new inverter gen repair stuff should be left to those who do it for a living..
> ...


$400 REPAIR ON A $550 generator thats 3 years + old males little sense


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## desertratt68 (Apr 30, 2020)

iowagold said:


> yup small speed servo / stepper motor springs that go " ka floowie" or "ting" across the room..
> all of the honda inverter units have those!!
> and are a real bxxch to get back in place right unless you have the right insertion tool!!
> yea most of this new inverter gen repair stuff should be left to those who do it for a living..
> ...


as i said i olny used clean gas to clean it.i said it twice already


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## RedOctobyr (Aug 8, 2018)

desertratt68 said:


> i
> 
> tried that. stepper motor does rum, thats why it runs wide open. it doesnt start wide ooen it takes abiut 3 to 4 seconds


I would imagine that either the motor is turning in the wrong direction, or the controller is not getting the proper feedback about the engine's speed.

I don't know if somehow the stepper motor can rotate on the wrong direction due to something like a cable being upside-down, etc. Probably not, and this seems unlikely.

But I would look into how the controller reads the engine's speed. Maybe there's a sensor wire that lets the controller figure out engine RPM. If for some reason it thinks the engine is turning too-slowly, it would naturally open the throttle.

Is there a way for you to slow the engine down, and watch what the stepper motor does? Like, remove the motor from the carb, slow the engine by moving the throttle plate, and watching the stepper motor? Or something apply an electrical load (something cheap and simple that won't be a problem if it gets damaged) plus turning on the choke (or covering the intake with your hand), to make it slow down.

If it suddenly responded differently, and moved the stepper the other direction, due to the slow engine, then you know the controller is at least reading the engine speed, and responding. It's just not responding correctly. But you'd still learn something about the problem.


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## JohnNY (Apr 27, 2020)

desertratt68 said:


> as i said i olny used clean gas to clean it.i said it twice already


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## iowagold (Jan 22, 2020)

hey desertratt68
check the switch for the for the eco mode.. test with a ohm meter to make sure the switch is still good.
and check the other connectors for wire loose...

are you sure the plug to the servo in back in right??
most of those can only go one way.. hard to tell what went wrong..
I am not there..

I would have spent the bucks for a Honda eu2000i...
this is a low cost Jina gen... retail $450.00

yea something is up..
retrace what you did..
I would give northern a call
northern tool Replacement Parts

Call To Order: 1-800-657-0516

Mon - Fri 7:00 AM - 6:00 PM (Central)
Sat 7:00 AM - 3:00 PM (Central)
they should be able to look up a new carb price.

if you unplug the carb servo does it still start and run?
I bet you are looking at a new carb... unless there is a wiring issue.


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## tabora (Sep 6, 2018)

@desertratt68 at the beginning, you mentioned that you changed the spark plug. I didn't see any further discussion of that in the rest of the thread. It's possible that the new plug is defective and is breaking down and causing bogging due to poor ignition. I'd try the old plug and see if the issue is resolved.


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## iowagold (Jan 22, 2020)

yea tab he also had a corked exhaust screen..
I bet the rings are corked as well... shot comes to mind...
I would be tearing it down if it was a good gen...
but for a lost cost gen..
only if you do not have any thing else to do or spend your money on..


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## drmerdp (Apr 10, 2018)

How about a video to show exactly what happens. Do you own a tachometer to confirm actual engine speed? I don't know about the chondas but hondas have been using rev limiting coils for a while now.


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## iowagold (Jan 22, 2020)

drmerdp said:


> How about a video to show exactly what happens. Do you own a tachometer to confirm actual engine speed? I don't know about the chondas but hondas have been using rev limiting coils for a while now.


rev limit coils on an inverter setup??


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## RedOctobyr (Aug 8, 2018)

I admit I've been focused on the later symptom of it running wide-open after the carb cleaning. 

But if we assume that it _is_ running too-fast, and ignoring the Eco switch, would that be consistent with suspecting worn piston rings, ignition trouble, etc? 

It would seem to me like those would be separate from the engine running too-fast, or ignoring the Eco switch. But maybe I'm missing something. I could certainly see them resulting in low power, and bogging under a load. But after cleaning the carb, my understanding is that it now immediately revs up fully.


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## iowagold (Jan 22, 2020)

hey desertratt68
when the gen shuts down the throttle returns to wide open.
and throttles back when you start the engine.
pin out the servo motor pin 1to3 should be 60 ohms pin 2to4 should be 60 ohms give or take 10ohms.
report back the readings.
also check these readings back at the inverter connection.

have you checked the eco switch with an ohm meter yet? also pin that out back to where it connects in the inverter module to make sure it is still working at that point back in the gen.
with the eco switch on it should read zero ohms or shorted.

with the engine off make sure the action on the servo is free or able to move manually.
there is a slide grove piece in the connection that needs to be free. if not it can bind.

when the unit is started can you manually lower the rpm?
this is important to check this.. and you might want to check this first..

so do you have a tach for small engines? we need to know the exact rpm.
here is a link for test tools for working on small engines and generators





ENGINE_TEST_EQUIPMENT


engine test equipment



www.poustusa.com





you stated the exhaust screen was corked up with carbon.
that carbon stacks also back in the rings and on top of the piston as well.
and on the cyl head top of the chamber and around the exhaust valve.
this is not related to the speed issue..
but is related to the engine cleaning and running starting.


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## iowagold (Jan 22, 2020)

hey desertratt68
did you submerge the carb and soak in gasoline??
exactly how did you clean the carb in the gasoline?


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## iowagold (Jan 22, 2020)

hey @desertratt68
yea something is up..
I would suspect the carb and servo action..
make sure the plug on the servo is in the right way and not reversed.
I would give northern a call
northern tool Replacement Parts

Call To Order: 1-800-657-0516

Mon - Fri 7:00 AM - 6:00 PM (Central)
Sat 7:00 AM - 3:00 PM (Central)


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