Case study
House generator that would not hold load, plus a transfer switch fault
The house generator started and ran but dropped out under any real load, and the coach would occasionally fail to pick up shore power at all. The owner had bought three rounds of fuel system parts elsewhere. The generator had years of light load running behind it and the transfer switch had a heat damaged contact set that nobody had opened.
Vehicle
31 foot Class C, Ford E450 chassis, Onan house generator
Price band
$400 to $8,500 plus
Calendar time
3 business days to 2 weeks
Operations
What the job actually consisted of
- In depth diagnostic hour, generator load tested and compression checked before parts talk
- Exhaust and combustion chamber inspected, wet stacking deposits documented photographically
- Transfer switch opened, heat damaged contacts and a discolored neutral lug found
- Transfer switch replaced and torque values recorded on every terminal
- Shore power cord end and the inlet receptacle inspected, inlet replaced for heat damage
- Generator control board and windings tested, findings presented with numbers to the owner
- House generator serviced and load banked to confirm it held rated output before delivery
Outcome
How it ended
The owner got a compression number and a photograph instead of a fourth guess, and chose the scope with the actual condition in front of them. Note the boundary: this was the house generator and the coach electrical system. Chassis engine and drivetrain work is not performed at this facility.
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Is your vehicle in the same situation
Match on construction type and failure mode, not on the badge. We are 18.4 miles from Hacienda Heights via SR-60 west to Fullerton Rd, then south to La Palma Ave.