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oups.com...

RG wrote:
"snor" wrote in message
...
I have a Kohler gas generator on my Cruisers 3375. While using it the
other day it just shut down. I tried to restart it but the only way I
can keep it running is to hold down the start switch. If I release the
start switch when it starts it shuts down again. I ran through the
check
list for problems and all seem ok. Any suggestions.

I've got one. I have a Kohler 5KW gas genset in my boat. When the boat
was
new, the genset would shut itself down, seemingly without reason. As
you've
found out, there are a number of sensors that will shut the genset down.
Overheat is one, low oil level in the crankcase is another. In my
situation, there was plenty of oil in the crankcase, and the engine was
not
hot to the touch, so it was clearly not overheating. None of the items
on
the trouble shooting checklist was applicable to my situation.

As a last resort, I turned to the schematic of the electrical system that
was included with the owner's manual. I'm not professionally trained to
read schematics, but I can usually interpret enough just to be dangerous.
I
found on the schematic a coolant level sensor that was not mentioned
anywhere in the troubleshooting section of the manual. My Kohler (and
presumably yours) is a closed cooling system design, which means it has a
coolant recovery reservoir, just like in your car. There is a sensor in
there the detects for a minimal level of coolant in the reservoir. If
there's not enough coolant, or as in my case no coolant, a shutdown will
occur. Note that this has nothing to do directly with the overheat
sensor.
My engine block had the correct amount of coolant and would otherwise run
all day without overheating, but when I removed the cap of the recovery
tank
and stuck my finger in it, it came out dry. I filled a glass of water
from
the galley sink, poured it into the recovery tank, and have not had the
problem again in the last six years. There are three areas that made
this
situation more difficult to diagnose than it should have been. In the
first
place, the factory or selling dealer should have filled the recovery
reservoir before delivery. Second, the coolant recovery sensor should
have
been included in the troubleshooting section of the owner's manual. If I
hadn't stumbled across it in the schematic, I would have never known it
existed. And lastly, in the case of my installation the reservoir is
located at the back of the genset, nearly up against the transom, and
almost
impossible to see. The only way I was able to verify that it was empty
was
to remove the cap (finding it by feel) and sticking my finger in it. If
the
reservoir had been in plain sight, I would have noticed right off the bat
that it was empty and needed filling.

I have no idea if this is related to your problem or not, but your post
instantly brought back this distant memory. With any luck, it might just
be
an answer for you. Let me know how it goes.

RG

Another possibility is there might be a self-latching relay that is not
latching. I do not know if this applies to your system.


Another possibility is low fuel. Generators normally have a fuel pickup way
above the tank bottom so the generator does not run the boat or EV out of
gas.