Gentrax Generator

[Charles in Aus.]

It seemed like a decent buy at the time , a second hand 149.5cc petrol generator producing 3.5KW with a remote start and stop .
They are sold under many different names and in various colours but are all essentially the same . It was cheap, I need a back up generator and I was told it wouldn't run so I wasn't cheated . I had hoped it would be a fuel issue as it usually is with these things .
I can't get it to spark , I have changed the plug and ordered a new coil but in the interim I want to test the coil and eliminate the ignition module .
A few things please if you can help ?
The aprox Ohms reading I should get from the coil measuring between the pos and neg terminals and the Ohms when measuring between either of the terminals and the high tension lead ?
At the moment I have 5 or 6 K Ohms between either terminal and the plug lead and .6 Ohms between both pos and neg terminals .
The ignition module it has is a cluster combination of output , oil alert and overload lights set in resin , so if I were to turn the motor over with its electric start would I be able to measure some type of voltage going to the coil from the module if the module is working ?
Thanks as always .

 

[Butch(OH)]

If it is like most of them and has a
Honda clone engine it has a low oil shut
down and they do go bad. Disconnect it
and see if spark returns. Google "Honda
GX low oil shut down" to get pictures and
testing procedure. It could be the coil
also. Parts to repair are dirt cheap.
There are kits on EBay with new carb,
coil, switch, spark plug, air cleaner,
fuel filter and low oil shut down box for
$15

 

[Kid Shileen]

I agree with Butch. Check the oil level and make sure it is at the correct level. Then disconnect the oil pressure sending unit. Try to start per
instructions. If it starts reconnect the sending unit and try to start again. If the gen has been sitting a long time the sending unit may not have any oil in it
and is cutting off the spark.

 

[Charles in Aus.]

Thanks for the suggest I'll n Butch and Kid
It doesn't look to be like any Honda I've seen , I did read somewhere that it might be a Hyundai engine but can't be sure . The sensor looks like it's in the side as shown but has one wire . I traced it to the ignition module where it meets a red pos supply at the module itself . Do I bridge the red and black or ground the black ?

 

[Butch(OH)]

I am not at all knowledgeable about that
engine. First you must figure out if the
ignition is via magneto or battery
powered. If magneto like the Honda the
low oil sensor would provide a ground
path. If battery it could be either
grounding or not depending on the
electronics. Now knowing I would
dissconect the wire from the sensor and
check for spark inleu of jumpering. Sorry
but can't be of more help.

 

[Charles in Aus.]

Thanks again , something to go on while I wait for parts for another day . Our mail seems to be stuck in wet concrete at the moment .
Even though made in China these generators are usually very reliable and efficient , as well as being one quarter the cost of a comparable Honda .

 

[The Famous Grouse]

(quoted from post at 05:03:57 04/09/20)
Thanks again , something to go on while I wait for parts for another day . Our mail seems to be stuck in wet concrete at the moment .
Even though made in China these generators are usually very reliable and efficient , as well as being one quarter the cost of a comparable Honda .

I would check and double check the low oil sensor, Charles. Anytime one of those Chinese engines goes "no spark" and doesn't have a lot of hours on it, it's either a switch, mouse-eaten wires, or the low oil and I check the low oil first.

If this is a Honda clone engine, you may be able to simply unplug the low oil sensor where the wire comes out of the block, between the sensor and what I call the "shutoff brainbox", there is generally a little bullet connector plug that allows for replacement of the sensor unit without cutting wires.

Unplugging that in most cases will cut the sensor out of the loop on Honda-clone engines and allows the engine to run.

Coil is possible, but if a coil is worn out, usually I've found you still get spark especially when the engine and coil are cold. As the coil heats up, the spark disappears. This has happened to me on lots of equipment when the coil starts to die, it starts and then either you cannot shut it off and restart or it dies while in operation.

Worth testing the oil sensor while you're waiting for parts.

Good luck down there. I remember in grade school looking at a globe and a classmate and I had a long, serious 8 year old discussion about weather or not you would have a vague sense of being slightly upside down if you went to Australia. Nothing you could put your finger on, but just a slight sense that down was really up...

Grouse

 

[Charles in Aus.]

Thanks for the reply Grouse , I'm sorry for the
late reply , Easter and ' The virus ' complication getting food and fuel have gotten in the way .
I received the new coil today and promptly swapped it over , no change at all . So it's either the ignition module or hopefully the low oil sensor as you've suggested .
I'm having difficulty understanding how the sensor on this engine would work , it has only one wire , the thin black one shown in the first photograph . I tested continuity of the wires from its connector to the module and they are fine .
The single wire to the sensor is insulated from its outer body so should I ground the wire going to the sensor to complete the circuit or leave it disconnected when trying to start it ?
I'd really appreciate any further thoughts you might have .

By the way I usually do fell a little upside down but I don't think it's got much to do with living down under

 

[The Famous Grouse]

Charles, I'm going under the assumption this engine is a Chinese Honda clone because it's just so dang common these days. So if that assumption is wrong, then all bets are off... But lets hope it holds.

To test the oil sensor on a Honda, you just unplug the black wire coming off the sensor. If the sensor itself was bad, the engine should now have spark.

On Honda GX engines and clones, there is another part to test as well. The sensor wire goes to a little silver or gold metal "brain box". This little module is essentially the switch that chops off the spark if the sensor tells it there is a low oil condition. So this little module is the next thing that you need to test. Unplug it between the module and the on/off switch or key switch and again check for spark.

Here's a video the does a good job of explaining how to disconnect the low oil system on a Honda clone engine. Again, I'm assuming that's what you have as they are so common in generators now.

Hope this helps.

Grouse

 

[The Famous Grouse]

Sorry, here's the video link.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GPK_Jq91E4