MEP003A Issues

[dkpaintball]

hi. So i recently setup my house electrical system using a MEP003a generator. It currently runs fine and I run it for hours at a time. But there are a few issues. The Hertz meter suddenly stopped working, and the generator stopped charging its own batteries. I have been using the convenience plugs on the generator itself to charge the batteries with the battery charger while it runs, otherwise it will drain them until the generator dies. I also run my entire house with it still perfectly fine how it is. I have read possibly the voltage regulator could be the cause? I was hoping for some insight into these problems. Thanks for any Input!

 

[Jimc]

the battery charging system is fairly simple. of course first thing you need to check is the fuse. its the holder just above the oil filter. if thats ok and connections look ok then its most likely a voltage regulator. these can be had new or used. they do still make them and new are around 150-$180. there is also a stator under the blower wheel. these are known to go bad occasionally. the frequency meters on these sets go all the time. its usually the transducer that goes bad. i have new digital replacements. just click the link in my signature. only other option is to replace with an good used one.

 

[Keith_J]

I've got spare stators, easy to check the two leads coming out for continuity. Should be under 20 ohms. Also, check for continuity to ground, should be infinite. Stators most often go short to ground, this reduces output.

 

[1800 Diesel]

Take a look at the sticky thread on the DC charging system. It has good info for sorting out issues with that system. In addition to that I would also recommend you test each battery & confirm both are fully charged & have no dead cells. Also, remove the 4 connectors & clean the terminals & connectors thoroughly & re-install the wires/connectors & securely tighten. I discovered on one of our MEP3s that the charging system would not charge when one of the batteries was bad. You can also look at one of my old threads (with photos) where I had to remove the blower wheel & stator & found multiple issues causing a no-charge condition on an MEP-002A. The guys on this site offered some great assistance & the problems were solved!

Kevin

 

[dkpaintball]

Thanks for the responses. I will check those and get back on here. Also, after running for extended times, I found that the generator was eating up massive amounts of oil which seems like a really bad sign. Unfortunately cant tell this from just firing it up when buying it originally... Does this sound like I would need to rebuild the entire thing?

 

[Keith_J]

Oil consumption in a diesel usually means crankcase breather issues, not rings. Other consumption paths would be valve guides but the same reason diesels don't normally burn it past the rings keeps valve guide consumption low. You see, diesels don't operate with intake manifold vacuum. This sucks oil through valve guides and past pistons.

Also, these engines have a 3rd compression ring (most engines only have 2) and a rather good oil control ring. These are some long pistons, this keeps piston alignment more precise.

Now, you could have an oil leak somewhere that you haven't noticed. Remember, there is a huge oil cooler on these generators. It can be an oil sponge or it can drain back, adding a good bit of volume of oil to the crankcase after extended shut-down. I thought the same thing with mine, like "OMG, I cannot believe I overfilled it", only to see proper level a few minutes after shut down.

 

[1800 Diesel]

On the oil consumption, are you seeing any blue smoke? If so this could mean bad rings, excessive wear on the valve guides or seals. Also did you check for leakage around the oil filter gasket? Another leak point could be the crankshaft seals which would show up as black oil accumulations on the skid pan under the engine at either end.

Kevin

 

[GREENMV]

Jimc I will keep you in mind when I need gauges again. I like the digital gauges.

the battery charging system is fairly simple. of course first thing you need to check is the fuse. its the holder just above the oil filter. if thats ok and connections look ok then its most likely a voltage regulator. these can be had new or used. they do still make them and new are around 150-$180. there is also a stator under the blower wheel. these are known to go bad occasionally. the frequency meters on these sets go all the time. its usually the transducer that goes bad. i have new digital replacements. just click the link in my signature. only other option is to replace with an good used one.

 

[dkpaintball]

There is no blue smoke, a little white smoke on startup but thats all. I found the fuse, sure enough it was blown, I will keep you posted on that when I run it again tomorrow. The oil consumption scares me still though. Where do i find the breather tube or what does it look like? I have gone through like a gallon of oil in a week almost, with only a teaspoon of oil basically leaked from the oil filter gasket.

 

[1800 Diesel]

Keith,

I agree with you that diesels don't operate with manifold vacuum but there is a partial vacuum created in the cylinders during the diesel intake stroke which does draw oil into the cylinder via any worn valve guides or seals. Regarding the rings, I also agree that for regularly operated diesel engines, rings tend to hold up well for thousands of hours and many years. However, the extended lay-up time that these generators are often subjected to can cause rings to stick to the ring lands or grooves from gummed up oil or fuel; thus they don't seal properly. This results in low power and often high oil consumption. Sometimes a 2 or 3 hour run under full load will clear up this problem.

I also agree that blocked crankcase ventilation could be a possibility as well and I forgot to mention that issue. My own experience however in working through dozens of these MEP units, is [fortunately ] I haven't come across that issue.

Thanks,

Kevin

 

[dkpaintball]

Im starting to think that maybe it actually had something do with the large oil cooler, as keith mentioned. I am going mainly off of information given to me by a person who works with me, and I am not able to actually be at my generator a lot of the time. He has told me that in the last several days it hasnt burned much,like a quart in a week, which seems really strange that it would just slow so much. Is it possible that there is a thermostat as mentioned that could have gotten stuck and recently broke free allowing the oil to pass into the cooler, after being ran for 24 hours, which made it appear it was eating up oil? This is basically the first time that this generator, since I purchased it, has been used full time as a main power supply. I dont know to much history about this machine other than it was used for a shop at one point and has 1700 hours on it. If that gauge is right it seems like everything internal should be good, except maybe the possibility of dried seals or gaskets? I was also curious if anyone knew the oil capacity of this generator? I hate scrolling through the TM because it seems like every page is just signatures, lol. Thanks
Brandon