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Electrical Gremlin Shuts 802A Down

bohunk

New member
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Location
Phx, AZ
I'm stumped here. My MEP-802A was running perfectly fine after I installed new batteries, filters, & fuel. All of a sudden it just shuts down after about a minute or so. I get an error light for fuel, but the tank is plumb full. When the unit shuts down I can immediately turn the master to 'off' and rotate it back to "prime/run" and can hear the fuel pump working, switch to start and the unit fires right up and will run again for a minute or so. I watch all the gauges and the oil pressure is 55 - 60 lbs and the temperature is spot on 180... but then with no other indication the unit will shut down. I checked the voltage at the fuel pump once the unit starts and it is between 23V and 25V and then wham... no voltage and the unit shuts down. When that happens of course there is no noise from the electric fuel pump; but, if I repeat the start cycle the electric pump immediately starts and then so does the generator. I thought there might be some sort of 'time out' if the AC contactor isn't closed soon enough; but I can place a load on the generator by opening my air compressor tank to the atmosphere and the percentage duty will go to a maximum of 75% and the voltage is spot on at 220; however, after about a minute or so the generator shuts down on "fuel error"... and it is electrical. Any suggestions? I am stumped because the fuel pump works immediately after the shut down... so it isn't the pump or fuel filters (both of which are brand new < 3 hours) and the fuel itself is also brand new. From my reading I thought there were two fuel pumps, but the same pump runs no matter which position (Aux or Prime). As I stated... I am stumped as to what is causing the electricity to the fuel pump to go away. Is there something I am missing here?? Thanks in advance for your replies...
 

Chainbreaker

Well-known member
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Location
Oregon
Have you verified that all your grounds are solid? Once it starts perhaps vibration breaks a loose or dirty ground connection. However...seems odd that it would then restart immediately afterwards.

The other thought is there might be some kind of fuel starvation/restriction. Enough to get it started but not enough to sustain a run and then after it quits and you then re-prime it has enough fuel to start again but not continue running.
 
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ETN550

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Location
Knoxville, TN
Either your float switch is bad telling the controls that the fuel is too low or the magic box that the float switch is connected to is bad.

You can run it in the battle mode which will bypass the shutdowns.


The float switch can be pulled out and checked and adjusted if the float height is the issue. The magic box is a timer assembly plus some other logic and sends infor to the controller with a few minutes delay just to be certain the fuel is low and not just sloshing. The box is expensive if you can find it.

I recommend running it in the battle short mode as it might begin working better if it has been started cold warmed up loaded and run a dozen times or so.

If there is one thing I have learned with any reserection on military generators is that the initial glory of a start may be short lived. They must be run and run often until the bugs quit appearing, some take a lot of repairs after that initial "successful" start despite everyting working.

If the float is bad you can build one from chinese parts for cheap. If the magic box is bad you can do some rewiring and bypass it but i have never done it yet.
 

bohunk

New member
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Location
Phx, AZ
Well THANKS for all the replies guys: but if this don't beat all... the darn thing is now working fine. I found the TM and went through the recommended steps and everything checked out fine. After all those steps the manual says: Seek higher authority... GREAT. SO... I prayed & darn if it didn't start working ;-) Yes, it will quit but start right up and then run & run as if it knew what it was doing. For the last three days it just starts and runs... doesn't even hiccup... Go figure... Perhaps ETN550 is correct: They just need to be run!
 
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