generator? don't know much need help

[exotion]

My buddy is going to bring his generator over tomorrow he needs it for his job, he says the engine starts and runs fine it just doesn't produce power just wondering what I should test and if anyone has any ideas. Never seen this machine nor know anything about it still hoping there are some general tests I can do

 

[ILENGINE]

Test procedures will vary on model, manufacture. Easiest thing for you to check right off the bat is start the generator, make sure all the breakers are turned on, plug a drill into the outlet, and see if the drill starts, if it starts generator is fixed. If it doesn't start grab the chuck with your hand and turn the chuck backwards rapidly. I just give it a quick twist. Some people will put a 1/4 dowel in the chuck and put the other end in a cordless drill and use the cordless to turn the chuck. If that doesn't start the power, than it could be everything from bad capacitor, to bad voltage regulator, to bad brush, to shorted armature or rotor. Will require resistance testing to comfirm the actual problem.

 

[reynoldston]

Check the brushes in the generator, they might just need cleaning or replacement.

 

[Mad Mackie]

As reynoldston has mentioned, the brushes will usually be located on the end of the housing. The brushes provide excitation power to be sent to the field so the generator can have an output.
Some generators have a separate winding and large capacitors to provide a brushless means of field excitation.
With capacitor excitation, in order to test the capacitors, they need to be electrically isolated and tested with a capacitance meter.
I ran into this problem several years ago when we had some prolonged power outages and I had a shop full of generator repairs. I was aware of capacitor field excited generators, just hadn't ran across any until then.
There are lots of what I call "junkerators" around and parts for these are difficult to purchase.
The new thing in generators is inverter technology. The rotating generator puts out low voltage high amperage and an inverter converts it to high voltage AC.
Most times the problems are fuel related, then the electrical!!!!!:laughing: