• Steel Soldiers now has a few new forums, read more about it at: New Munitions Forums!

  • Microsoft MSN, Live, Hotmail, Outlook email users may not be receiving emails. We are working to resolve this issue. Please add support@steelsoldiers.com to your trusted contacts.

MEP-002A will not crank...Need some help!

1FAST4

New member
24
7
3
Location
NorCal
Hi all,
I have a MEP-002A that is our Backup Whole-House power souce. I last ran it with a load about a month and a half ago during a power outage. At that time it ran for about 3 hours without issue. I normanly fire it up every other month just to keep the batteries topped off. About two weeks ago I added a NOCO 5X2 battery charger/optimizer/maintainer to better maintain the batteries. Today, I went out to fire the 002A up to confirm all was good but it would not crank over at all.

There is 24.5v at the batteris, power to the heater, the prime and to the Control Panel but no crank...I don't even get the clicking that you get from the battery voltage being too low. The batteries are Costco Interstate 51R's purchased 3/2015.

I don't know where to start with the troubleshooting so any help would be greatly appreciated.
 
Last edited:

Scoobyshep

Well-known member
1,090
1,403
113
Location
Florida
Heres where id start, do you have panel lights? When you turn the start switch to preheat do you hear a click? In run do you have fuel pumps?

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk
 

rickf

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
3,124
1,616
113
Location
Pemberton, N.J.
Take the cables off of the starter and clean them and put them back. Check all of your battery connections. It sounds like a bad starter connection.
 

1FAST4

New member
24
7
3
Location
NorCal
I'm going to get a couple of new batteries tomorrow just in case and I will also check and clean starter connections.
 

Ray70

Well-known member
2,562
5,796
113
Location
West greenwich/RI
Also check the starter disconnect switch located just to the right of the oil filter.
If the contacts aren't closed the machine won't crank.
It's the small cover held on by a wing nut, just to the right of the oil filter.
This is the switch that disconnects the starter once the machine is running, which allows you to hold the start switch while waiting for teh oil pressure to close the oil switch.
Test it by disconnecting the connector and see if you have continuity through it.
If not, put a jumper wire across the 2 pins on the harness side and try cranking the engine, if it cranks you need to adjust the contact under the wing nutted cover.
 

1FAST4

New member
24
7
3
Location
NorCal
Also check the starter disconnect switch located just to the right of the oil filter.
If the contacts aren't closed the machine won't crank.
It's the small cover held on by a wing nut, just to the right of the oil filter.
This is the switch that disconnects the starter once the machine is running, which allows you to hold the start switch while waiting for teh oil pressure to close the oil switch.
Test it by disconnecting the connector and see if you have continuity through it.
If not, put a jumper wire across the 2 pins on the harness side and try cranking the engine, if it cranks you need to adjust the contact under the wing nutted cover.
Thanks Roy...I will check that out as well...funny, I was just reading about that in another post and in the TM.
 

Guyfang

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
16,671
23,835
113
Location
Burgkunstadt, Germany
Ray's suggestion, (Checking S7) is where to start. Do not spend money on new batteries. First PROVE they are bad. Throwing money at a gen set might, if your pockets are deep enough, and you are maybe retired and have time, fix something. But this is not the case here. Take J16/P16 canon plug apart. Insert a paper clip in pins A&B. Then try and start it. If it turns over, then get into the -34 TM and learn how to Check and adjust the S7.
 

Attachments

1FAST4

New member
24
7
3
Location
NorCal
Ray's suggestion, (Checking S7) is where to start. Do not spend money on new batteries. First PROVE they are bad. Throwing money at a gen set might, if your pockets are deep enough, and you are maybe retired and have time, fix something. But this is not the case here. Take J16/P16 canon plug apart. Insert a paper clip in pins A&B. Then try and start it. If it turns over, then get into the -34 TM and learn how to Check and adjust the S7.
Guyfang...I agree; I will check the S7 as you and Roy suggested before going the new battery route.
 

1FAST4

New member
24
7
3
Location
NorCal
I checked the Lockout Switch (S7) via the canon plug and it has continuity when NOT running. I'm now testing the Master Switch per the TM but don't really understand how to test the "Start" position across the three terminals...see attached pic.
 

Attachments

Scoobyshep

Well-known member
1,090
1,403
113
Location
Florida
I checked the Lockout Switch (S7) via the canon plug and it has continuity when NOT running. I'm now testing the Master Switch per the TM but don't really understand how to test the "Start" position across the three terminals...see attached pic.
11 to 13 then 11 to 15. 25 to 27 then 25 to 38

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk
 

1FAST4

New member
24
7
3
Location
NorCal
Ok, so after all the troubleshooting I gave the bad Battery(s) idea another shot. Run to Costco and grabbed 2 new 51R's, installed them and the generator fired right up.

Thanks to you all!! It's nice knowing I can pop into SS and always get help and a bit of schooling...the good kind.
 

Scoobyshep

Well-known member
1,090
1,403
113
Location
Florida
Ok, so after all the troubleshooting I gave the bad Battery(s) idea another shot. Run to Costco and grabbed 2 new 51R's, installed them and the generator fired right up.

Thanks to you all!! It's nice knowing I can pop into SS and always get help and a bit of schooling...the good kind.
Glad to hear, my next suggestion would have been to check voltage on start attempts or preheat.

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk
 

rickf

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
3,124
1,616
113
Location
Pemberton, N.J.
I completely missed the purchase date on the batteries in the first post. I saw the battery maintainer and missed the batteries thinking they were also new. So the batteries were 7 years old and that would explain it.
 

Ray70

Well-known member
2,562
5,796
113
Location
West greenwich/RI
Yup, keep in mind static battery voltage means virtually nothing at all.
The only real test for a battery is a load test. Old batteries will often hold a surface charge that makes them appear good, but the slightest load and that surface charge becomes nearly ZERO, but then immediately returns to >12V as soon as the load is removed.
If you should so desire, I think the cheapo 100A battery load testers are only about $20 at harbor freight.
 
Top
AdBlock Detected

We get it, advertisements are annoying!

Sure, ad-blocking software does a great job at blocking ads, but it also blocks useful features of our website like our supporting vendors. Their ads help keep Steel Soldiers going. Please consider disabling your ad blockers for the site. Thanks!

I've Disabled AdBlock
No Thanks