kohler generator issues

K

kleb22

New Member
Aug 18, 2013
4
Massachusetts
Boat Info
Sundancer 360
Engines
8.1
I have a kohler 7.3e that recently stopped running. I would not remain running unless I held the start button down. I replaced the voltage regulator fuse and now the generator starts/sounds great but is producing greater than 150 volts. There is a adjustment screw on the voltage regulator which I a tried to dial down without any success. I plan on replacing the voltage regulator but not sure this is the only issue????

Has anyone had any similar issues or know what happens when a voltage regulator is faulty?

thanks
 
Last year my Kohler 5e would start but not stay running. It was blowing 10amp input fuses during startup. Turned out to be a faulty voltage regulator. Replaced the regulator to fix it.
 
If a generator runs but puts out too much voltage then then rpm's are too high and you need to adjust the governor. Do not trust the voltmeter on the panel and use a digital voltmeter in the outlets to measure voltage as you adjust the governor speed.
 
Just .02 from talking to the Kohler repair tech during my extensive diagnosis and repair process with them on my surging issues (turned out all to be faulty carb related). At least for the 5E (and sounded like kohler across the board) the generators are set to start and run immediately up to 3600rpm and run at that speed the entire time. Adjusting the idle/running speed was not recommended except for a minimal fine tuning which he said they almost never need unless someone has already changed the setting in trying to fix/trouble shoot previously. Also, he said that (again at least in my case with the 5E and its specific engine) adjusting the govenor itself was not possible in the field. You have to pull the generator and send it back to kohler if it is having internal issues.
 
On the subject of Kohler generators I have a 5e and I am guilty on not running often, I started the other day to use microwave while anchored and it ran for about 10 minutes and then shut down. I would start up again and after maybe a minute it would shut down again. Water flow out the exhaust is excellent. Any ideas? About 2 years ago I was having the same problem and they replaced the impellers in water pump.Could it be the same or thermostat, seems to me shutting down when it gets too hot.Is there a separate water pump in generator for internal water flow mixed with antifreeze?
 
gbeato said:
On the subject of Kohler generators I have a 5e and I am guilty on not running often, I started the other day to use microwave while anchored and it ran for about 10 minutes and then shut down. I would start up again and after maybe a minute it would shut down again. Water flow out the exhaust is excellent. Any ideas? About 2 years ago I was having the same problem and they replaced the impellers in water pump.Could it be the same or thermostat, seems to me shutting down when it gets too hot.Is there a separate water pump in generator for internal water flow mixed with antifreeze?
Click to expand...


Okay, so again no expert, but have had my share of generator troubles before having the carb replaced twice (first replacement was faulty). Sounds to me like a fuel starvation issue. Your generator may be running the first 10 minutes on the fuel that's available in the bowl before it runs out (they can run suprisingly long --to me anyway-- on the fuel in the bowl if not really loaded down). If that's the case, my first thought may be sticky / gummed up fuel preventing the float from opening, or a gummed up solenoid at the bottom of the fuel bowl. Second thought would be fuel filter (the actual kohler one, or the spin-on in line water separating fuel filter) being blocked or partially blocked preventing good flow of fuel into the bowl to replace the fuel the generator is burning. Third thing might be the fuel pump. I would start looking in the order i listed them (also cheapest). Last thing would be a new carb, but as a last resort. Fuel pump and carb are each going to be $100+ experiments. At some point its worth calling in a good tech to check things out before dumping big bucks in experimental replacement parts that in the end may not be the solution. (I learned that lesson.)

One other thing came to mind... if you have good water flow over the side, but you still think it's an overheating issue... Is your coolant in the bottle on the side within high/low spec? Have you opened the closed cooling system at all? There are several threads on here where folks talk about an air bubble getting into the internal cooling system which causes an overheat. The solution seems to be opening the bleed valve on the heat exchanger and pushing all the air out with more coolant. If you havent opened your cooling system, I personally wouldnt mess with it until I checked the other things.
 
Last edited:
gbeato said:
On the subject of Kohler generators I have a 5e and I am guilty on not running often, I started the other day to use microwave while anchored and it ran for about 10 minutes and then shut down. I would start up again and after maybe a minute it would shut down again. Water flow out the exhaust is excellent. Any ideas? About 2 years ago I was having the same problem and they replaced the impellers in water pump.Could it be the same or thermostat, seems to me shutting down when it gets too hot.Is there a separate water pump in generator for internal water flow mixed with antifreeze?
Click to expand...

If you do not use your genset the impeller drys out and cracks also if you shut down well hot and under load you can shear vanes on the impeller also after runni g you need to run a cool down with no load the. Shut down. This comes from kohler tech rep that has worked on mine they are made to run
 
Okay, allow me to add my woes to the pile.

So I've been a non-boater the majority of this summer. Not my idea, its just the way it worked out. Now, my favorite time of the season is upon me, my 8 year old boy is asking to go "camping" on the river and the flipping genset is showing its hind end.

I've got the 5E, 233 hours, minimal use for a nearly 10 year old boat. So, all this being said.....

I start it, sounds good, looks good, its pushing water, everything is groovy. it gets warmed up, I put it under load (air conditioner... nothing heinous) and it starts coughing and acting like a petulant child. I take the load off of it, it continues to run like crap, rough, spitting, ect. After a moment or two more it dies. I come back to it the next day, figure it was having a moment, like my second exwife, so I give it some space. The next day it does the same thing. Huh?

Any help would be, as always, greatly appreciated.
 
You might also try making sure your carb is clean. If it's been sitting for a while without running things could be gummed up. If it ran for a short while when you started it (maybe under 20 minutes) it may have been running off the fuel that was left in the bowl. If it cant get more or only a little bit then that may be the problem. I took off my spin-on (oil can looking) water separating fuel filter and dumped the fuel in a jar, then mixed up some slightly stronger than normal seafoam/gas mix and poured it in the filter and put it back on. If you can keep the gen running long enough to get some seafoam mix into the bowl, it may clean out the gunk for you. If not you may have to take off the carb bowl and clean it too. Just another thought of something to try.
 
Kohler 5e (late model) diesnt have a voltage regulator, that I can find. What did you replace?
I have an “over voltage” problem but throwing a “UU” code.
 
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