Quicksilver Generator Problems/ PlayDate, Are you still around?

tmal2

Member
Feb 14, 2009
116
Warwick RI
Boat Info
1989 340EC
Engines
Twin 7.4L Mercruisers with Hurth transmissions
I've got a 7.5kw Quicksilver (Generac) genset in my boat that has run the gauntlet of driving me crazy to giving me a few years straight of trouble free service. Since I'm here posting, it's driving me crazy again.
I have had zero issues with this unit lately until last week when of course, I was away on vacation.
I woke up one morning and tried starting the generator and got nothing. It didn't even crank. upon inspection I found the circuit breaker next to the start/stop switch had popped. I pushed it back in hit the start button and she fired right up. I ran it for about 30-45 minutes then shut it down.
The following morning I went to start it again and it cranked, started and shut itself off after 2-3 seconds and continued to do the same thing.
I've had this issue before (ended up replacing control board) so I started doing some troubleshooting. I removed the #85 wire from the control board to rule out any sensor shutting it down and that made no difference.
My second thought was perhaps the overspeed shutdown adjustment had changed so I fiddled with that screw turning it from all the way counter clockwise to all the way clockwise but still had the issue. ( I know it needs to be reset again before using the unit)
At this point I was frustrated and just stuck with my portable Honda for the rest of the week.

Yesterday I tried again to figure out what's going on with no luck. I was able to keep the unit running by playing with the overspeed shutdown but not every time I cranked it. Just out of curiosity I looked at my electric panel and had no voltage showing with the generator switch set to on. Never had that happen before so I went back to shut the unit down using the start/stop switch on the motor and it would not turn off. The only way I could shut it down was by pulling the circuit breaker. Sometimes it would restart and other times it would run and shut down again.
The green light on the board is on while it's running but then goes out and the unit immediately shuts down. The red light never comes on and I'm really stumped by the lack of AC power output

I have a source for parts and don't mind buying what I have to but also want to avoid throwing costly parts at it without knowing exactly what the problem is.

Has anyone else had this problem or have any suggestions on where to start?

Thanks in advance.
 
The no shutdown/no voltage usually means the generator is running too fast and the over speed safety has kicked in. You need to put a hertz meter on it and get it back into its operating range.

As to what caused it to pop the breaker.....it could be a couple of things. The control panel and fuel pump are both suspects.
 
The no shutdown/no voltage usually means the generator is running too fast and the over speed safety has kicked in. You need to put a hertz meter on it and get it back into its operating range.

As to what caused it to pop the breaker.....it could be a couple of things. The control panel and fuel pump are both suspects.
Here's what I'm confused about. Although I don't have a Hertz meter to get on it I do have a digital tach and know that every 30 rpm = 1 Hertz so I should be around 1800 rpm which would give me 60 Hertz. When I did have it running I was running around 1780-1850 rpm which should have kept me from an over speed situation and the AC on but it wasnt. Am I missing something?
Also, upon further inspection I did find this.
I'm not exactly sure what's going on here but this is the potentiometer which is used to set the over speed.
I can install a new board for about $325 but don't want to do if if there may be other issues going on. The lack of AC power is my biggest concern
Screenshot_20190709-160419_Gallery.jpg
 
Last edited:
Hopefully you don’t mind me jumping in on this one I was getting ready to ask Play Date the Guru of these generators a question today about ours. I have the same one.

Mine last year ran fine except one day I noticed coolant in the drip pan under it, we have only owned the boat a couple years so I figured it needed an impeller, so I did an impeller, along with the exhaust pipe nipple, exhaust temp sensor and the coolant temp sensor. Now the problem.

Generator starts runs for just over 2 minutes shuts down, after that it will start but only last about a minute or less.

I pulled wire 85 no difference. But here is the kicker.

The first time you start it if you transfer the power to the generator it stays running and will power everything on the boat until you switch it back to shore then it shuts down and will go back to just shutting down after less than a minute.

Any help or ideas would be great..

Thanks
Ed
 
Hopefully you don’t mind me jumping in on this one I was getting ready to ask Play Date the Guru of these generators a question today about ours. I have the same one.

Mine last year ran fine except one day I noticed coolant in the drip pan under it, we have only owned the boat a couple years so I figured it needed an impeller, so I did an impeller, along with the exhaust pipe nipple, exhaust temp sensor and the coolant temp sensor. Now the problem.

Generator starts runs for just over 2 minutes shuts down, after that it will start but only last about a minute or less.

I pulled wire 85 no difference. But here is the kicker.

The first time you start it if you transfer the power to the generator it stays running and will power everything on the boat until you switch it back to shore then it shuts down and will go back to just shutting down after less than a minute.

Any help or ideas would be great..

Thanks
Ed
Ed, I had a similar issue once. My genny was shutting down and I was concerned that my over speed shutdown was kicking in too early so I was making adjustments to it to see if it made a difference. I had it running with a full load but once I removed the load the RPM's jumped just enough to trigger the over speed and shut it down. A slight ( and i mean very slight) adjustment to the screw fixed the problem.
I'm no expert but it's worth a shot
 
Can't say for sure, but that pot in the pic looks like it has a sealant on it to prevent turning/tampering.
 
Hopefully you don’t mind me jumping in on this one I was getting ready to ask Play Date the Guru of these generators a question today about ours. I have the same one.

Mine last year ran fine except one day I noticed coolant in the drip pan under it, we have only owned the boat a couple years so I figured it needed an impeller, so I did an impeller, along with the exhaust pipe nipple, exhaust temp sensor and the coolant temp sensor. Now the problem.

Generator starts runs for just over 2 minutes shuts down, after that it will start but only last about a minute or less.

I pulled wire 85 no difference. But here is the kicker.

The first time you start it if you transfer the power to the generator it stays running and will power everything on the boat until you switch it back to shore then it shuts down and will go back to just shutting down after less than a minute.

Any help or ideas would be great..

Thanks
Ed

Ed,

Tmal2 give you some good advice. These things are over 30 years old and they get more cantankerous with age. Overspeed can cause the symptoms you are experiencing. Get a Hertz meter ($15) and make sure that it is in range under load and in no load.

The other issue is the Governor which controls the speed of the engine. As they age, they can become less responsive to engine speed and loads. Lots of threads on replacing the oil and what to look for.
 
I've got a 7.5kw Quicksilver (Generac) genset in my boat that has run the gauntlet of driving me crazy to giving me a few years straight of trouble free service. Since I'm here posting, it's driving me crazy again.
I have had zero issues with this unit lately until last week when of course, I was away on vacation.
I woke up one morning and tried starting the generator and got nothing. It didn't even crank. upon inspection I found the circuit breaker next to the start/stop switch had popped. I pushed it back in hit the start button and she fired right up. I ran it for about 30-45 minutes then shut it down.
The following morning I went to start it again and it cranked, started and shut itself off after 2-3 seconds and continued to do the same thing.

At this point my money would have been on a failing Fuel Pump. I am assuming it is the 10amp breaker (CB1) which popped which feeds the Control Board and provides power to the Fuel Pump.


I've had this issue before (ended up replacing control board) so I started doing some troubleshooting. I removed the #85 wire from the control board to rule out any sensor shutting it down and that made no difference.

Lifting the #85 wire disables the safety's (temp, oil pressure and exhaust temp) was a good diagnostic. But I still have money on the Fuel Pump.


My second thought was perhaps the overspeed shutdown adjustment had changed so I fiddled with that screw turning it from all the way counter clockwise to all the way clockwise but still had the issue. ( I know it needs to be reset again before using the unit)

That potentiometer is problematic. It is set at the factory with a diagnostic device to 65-70 Hz.
The only time that pot is adjusted is if you are switching from 60 to 50 Hz.


At this point I was frustrated and just stuck with my portable Honda for the rest of the week.


:(


Yesterday I tried again to figure out what's going on with no luck. I was able to keep the unit running by playing with the overspeed shutdown but not every time I cranked it. Just out of curiosity I looked at my electric panel and had no voltage showing with the generator switch set to on. Never had that happen before so I went back to shut the unit down using the start/stop switch on the motor and it would not turn off. The only way I could shut it down was by pulling the circuit breaker. Sometimes it would restart and other times it would run and shut down again.
The green light on the board is on while it's running but then goes out and the unit immediately shuts down. The red light never comes on and I'm really stumped by the lack of AC power output

My money is still on the Fuel Pump as the original problem. Now I am concerned about the condition of the Control Board since you no longer have ac voltage and it is not responding to de-energizing the board from the Start/Stop switch. I do not know of a way to set that pot other than by trial and error. I would first replace the Fuel pump which is $35 and buy a $15 plug in digital Hertz/Volt meter. That way if you can keep it consistently running you may be able to set the pot in increments. Once it signals overspeed to the control board.....you have to shut it down and start over. Alternatively, depending on what your time is worth.....you can buy another Control Board.
 
Ed,

Tmal2 give you some good advice. These things are over 30 years old and they get more cantankerous with age. Overspeed can cause the symptoms you are experiencing. Get a Hertz meter ($15) and make sure that it is in range under load and in no load.

The other issue is the Governor which controls the speed of the engine. As they age, they can become less responsive to engine speed and loads. Lots of threads on replacing the oil and what to look for.[/Q

Thanks John I will give it a shot.

Ed
 
Ed, I had a similar issue once. My genny was shutting down and I was concerned that my over speed shutdown was kicking in too early so I was making adjustments to it to see if it made a difference. I had it running with a full load but once I removed the load the RPM's jumped just enough to trigger the over speed and shut it down. A slight ( and i mean very slight) adjustment to the screw fixed the problem.
I'm no expert but it's worth a shot
Thanks Tim,

I will give it a shot.

Ed
 
I've got a 7.5kw Quicksilver (Generac) genset in my boat that has run the gauntlet of driving me crazy to giving me a few years straight of trouble free service. Since I'm here posting, it's driving me crazy again.
I have had zero issues with this unit lately until last week when of course, I was away on vacation.
I woke up one morning and tried starting the generator and got nothing. It didn't even crank. upon inspection I found the circuit breaker next to the start/stop switch had popped. I pushed it back in hit the start button and she fired right up. I ran it for about 30-45 minutes then shut it down.
The following morning I went to start it again and it cranked, started and shut itself off after 2-3 seconds and continued to do the same thing.

At this point my money would have been on a failing Fuel Pump. I am assuming it is the 10amp breaker (CB1) which popped which feeds the Control Board and provides power to the Fuel Pump.


I've had this issue before (ended up replacing control board) so I started doing some troubleshooting. I removed the #85 wire from the control board to rule out any sensor shutting it down and that made no difference.

Lifting the #85 wire disables the safety's (temp, oil pressure and exhaust temp) was a good diagnostic. But I still have money on the Fuel Pump.


My second thought was perhaps the overspeed shutdown adjustment had changed so I fiddled with that screw turning it from all the way counter clockwise to all the way clockwise but still had the issue. ( I know it needs to be reset again before using the unit)

That potentiometer is problematic. It is set at the factory with a diagnostic device to 65-70 Hz.
The only time that pot is adjusted is if you are switching from 60 to 50 Hz.


At this point I was frustrated and just stuck with my portable Honda for the rest of the week.


:(


Yesterday I tried again to figure out what's going on with no luck. I was able to keep the unit running by playing with the overspeed shutdown but not every time I cranked it. Just out of curiosity I looked at my electric panel and had no voltage showing with the generator switch set to on. Never had that happen before so I went back to shut the unit down using the start/stop switch on the motor and it would not turn off. The only way I could shut it down was by pulling the circuit breaker. Sometimes it would restart and other times it would run and shut down again.
The green light on the board is on while it's running but then goes out and the unit immediately shuts down. The red light never comes on and I'm really stumped by the lack of AC power output

My money is still on the Fuel Pump as the original problem. Now I am concerned about the condition of the Control Board since you no longer have ac voltage and it is not responding to de-energizing the board from the Start/Stop switch. I do not know of a way to set that pot other than by trial and error. I would first replace the Fuel pump which is $35 and buy a $15 plug in digital Hertz/Volt meter. That way if you can keep it consistently running you may be able to set the pot in increments. Once it signals overspeed to the control board.....you have to shut it down and start over. Alternatively, depending on what your time is worth.....you can buy another Control Board.

Thanks again for your time. It's still a work in progress. Can you tell me where I can find a fuel pump for $35?
 
Here you go:

I have always used Facet style pumps as replacements. They are self regulated between 3-5 psi which is more than enough to run a generator.

Sea Choice buys them from China and puts a sticker on them as USCG approved ($71). Not to start a new topic but what electric fuel pump would not be ignition safe? That just seems to be a bad idea.:)

https://www.ebay.com/itm/AUTO-MARIN...347895&hash=item54670648d7:g:fGoAAOSw4IVcDbg5


You can also find a ton of them from China (where all of them are made) for $15 on Ebay. Just make sure they are rated between 3-5 psi.
 
So Here's my update and it's all good news. It seems I had a few issues going on. One problem was too much resistance between my brushes and slip rings to excite the field and I had no AC output which was shutting the generator down, Also I had a faulty voltage regulator which I have now replaced and everything is running as it should.
For anyone with a Quicksilver genset needing parts or advice I'd very highly recommend Advance Service and Parts in PA. Not only do they have a decent selection of common parts in stock, they also have a very knowledgeable service department that was able to walk me through a lot of troubleshooting to help pinpoint my problem.
Also thanks to everyone here that offered suggestions. I could not have fixed it without everyone's input
 
Here you go:

I have always used Facet style pumps as replacements. They are self regulated between 3-5 psi which is more than enough to run a generator.

Sea Choice buys them from China and puts a sticker on them as USCG approved ($71). Not to start a new topic but what electric fuel pump would not be ignition safe? That just seems to be a bad idea.:)

https://www.ebay.com/itm/AUTO-MARIN...347895&hash=item54670648d7:g:fGoAAOSw4IVcDbg5


You can also find a ton of them from China (where all of them are made) for $15 on Ebay. Just make sure they are rated between 3-5 psi.
Play date. I'm located in Marblehead Ohio. There are no marine generator techs here. That being said the 7.5 quicksilver 1990 quit putting out power. I sent the voltage regulator for the power output to be checked. It was bad and it had no adjustment setting screw. The new one has the adjustment screw in it.
The new one installed the generator does not put out any voltage. Is there something I need to do to get it to work?
 
Play date. I'm located in Marblehead Ohio. There are no marine generator techs here. That being said the 7.5 quicksilver 1990 quit putting out power. I sent the voltage regulator for the power output to be checked. It was bad and it had no adjustment setting screw. The new one has the adjustment screw in it.
The new one installed the generator does not put out any voltage. Is there something I need to do to get it to work?

Do you have both service Manuals (1 and 2)?
 
The Quicksilver Manuals have pretty decent diagnostics to sort out a problem either in the engine or electrical generation. That is the place to start and that's why I ask the question. Any mechanic is going to follow the same diagnostic procedures the manual calls for.
 
I do have them. Upon checking I found that if the unit runs it has to be generating power. Once back in the water I will be able to diagnose it better.
 
If you have access, you can run it off a garden hose (not directly though). I have a large 40gallon tote with a barbed fitting I put in the side. Set the tote in the cockpit, pull the generator raw water hose off the strainer and connect it to the tote. You may need a 4’ intermediate hose - one the same size as your mains. Fill with water, and start the gen. Keep the garden hose on to help maintain water levels. Depending on your water pressure you can probably run it all day.

Works on the mains as well, but they suck down alot of water and without good water pressure you may only get about a 10min run. This setup lets the engines pull as much water as they need, allowing for high idle and even revving.
 

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