2350 with Onan KY Generator - generator alarm?

Greetings folks,

I went out to start my 2004 2350 and run the generator as I do every month, but this time there is a problem for which I can't find an answer.

First, the starting battery was dead.  But the coach battery was in good charge and I started the generator with no problems.  However, after about a minute, a piercing alarm started to blare from the area of the circuit breaker panel below the fridge (which is where the generator start switch is located) but the tone of the alarm was so high pitched and loud that I could not track down exactly where it was coming from.  I shut down the generator and the alarm faded out as it lost power.

I jump started the engine to get it running and while the engine was running I tried starting the generator again.  Same thing happened.

There is no mention of an alarm in the Onan manual; just trouble codes of which I don't have any. 

Currently (no pun intended) have the starting battery on a charger.  I'll try it again after the battery has been brought up to full charge.

In the meantime, has anyone reading this ever experienced this high-pitched alarm issue with the generator before and have some insight into what it may be, what causes it, and how to correct it?

The only alarm we've had was the inverter when we drew too much power from the house batteries. If your inverter is in the same area, try turning it off. If that works, start looking for whatever is pulling power.

I agree with John and Holly, there is no generator alarm but there is a CO/propane alarm.  I suspect that's what is sounding off.  But, a few questions first.

Are the house batteries disconnected?  Are you in a place where you could run a shore power line (doesn't have to be 30amp,15amp is fine)? While the generator is running or you are plugged into shore power, what happens if you turn off the breakers in the panel, one at a time?

I agree with John and Holly, there is no generator alarm but there is a CO/propane alarm.  I suspect that's what is sounding off.  But, a few questions first.

Are the house batteries disconnected?  Are you in a place where you could run a shore power line (doesn't have to be 30amp,15amp is fine)? While the generator is running or you are plugged into shore power, what happens if you turn off the breakers in the panel, one at a time?

I plugged in the shore power without running the generator, and the same alarm went off after about 20 seconds so it's not the generator.  I turned off the breakers one at a time and the one that shut the alarm off is the one for the "Microwave, Converter" so it looks like I'm going to be taking it in to an RV repair shop as there is nothing turned on and I'm not comfortable digging into things myself.

Thanks for the replies!

2006 mod 2350 here.

The microwave/converter breaker does not do a thing controlling the LP gas detector in mine. Turning off the 12V power in the coach does.

Not sure what it could be otherwise. Ours are old and didnt come with inverters as standard, but I see yours is a 2004, lots could have happened in the past 18 years. Good luck!

2006 mod 2350 here.

The microwave/converter breaker does not do a thing controlling the LP gas detector in mine. Turning off the 12V power in the coach does.

Not sure what it could be otherwise. Ours are old and didnt come with inverters as standard, but I see yours is a 2004, lots could have happened in the past 18 years. Good luck!

Definitely not the CO/LP gas detector.  I pressed the test/reset button while the other alarm was going and that alarm made a different noise.

Please clarify which battery is dead.
1) Ford truck/chassis battery or
2) House/RV/pull out drawer batteries

If it is the house batteries, I recommend charging them with an external charger or by running the truck. Then make sure everything you can find is turned off. Once you have a decent charge, try plugging in to shore power again and see if the alarm sounds. If that fixes it, it is a low battery/overdraw alarm. If it doesn't fix it, I'm out of ideas.

Please clarify which battery is dead.
1) Ford truck/chassis battery or
2) House/RV/pull out drawer batteries

It was the Ford truck battery, but I've recharged it.  Made no difference.

I found the manual for my Elixir Model ELX45 Converter and discovered that there is indeed a low voltage alarm that sounds if the DC load exceeds the rating of the converter and/or THE HOUSE BATTERY VOLTAGE DROPS BELOW 12.5v

Even though the monitoring LEDS showed the battery was fully charged (my 2004 PC2350 has only one coach battery), I put a voltmeter on it and found it was only 12.1 volts, so I put a charger on it and brought it up to 14 volts then switched the converter back on while the generator was running ---  NO ALARM!

And now we know.

Edit:  I spoke too soon.   By the time I got back out to the PC, the alarm was blaring again.  I double-checked the coach battery and it's showing 19.1 volts.  Maybe that's now an overcharge alarm?

I found the manual for my Elixir Model ELX45 Converter and discovered that there is indeed a low voltage alarm that sounds if the DC load exceeds the rating of the converter and/or THE HOUSE BATTERY VOLTAGE DROPS BELOW 12.5v

Even though the monitoring LEDS showed the battery was fully charged (my 2004 PC2350 has only one coach battery), I put a voltmeter on it and found it was only 12.1 volts, so I put a charger on it and brought it up to 14 volts then switched the converter back on while the generator was running ---  NO ALARM!

And now we know.

Edit:  I spoke too soon.   By the time I got back out to the PC, the alarm was blaring again.  I double-checked the coach battery and it's showing 19.1 volts.  Maybe that's now an overcharge alarm?

There is NO way the converter/charger should output 19 volts!  I would shut off that breaker, take your PC to an RV shop and have them look at it.

My *guess* is the converter/charger is going to need replaced and you may need those batteries replaced too.  19 volts can very quickly boil off your batteries.

While we here can try to remotely try to diagnose the issue, some things require 'professional' analysis.

It is not the generator, it's just a source of 120v.  Same as connecting to shore power.  That's why I asked you test it that way. You reported the same alert until you switched off the converter/charger breaker.

I know the RV dealer trip will probably be expensive, but a fire or exploding batteries will be much worse!

Just my opinion, others may disagree.

Thank you, Don and Patti.  I have a feeling you are correct.

For the record, my voltmeter was bad.  I checked the battery in my pickup and the starting battery in my PC and they all show 19.1 volts.  I have discarded my voltmeter and will purchase a new one today.   

For the record, my voltmeter was bad.  I checked the battery in my pickup and the starting battery in my PC and they all show 19.1 volts.  I have discarded my voltmeter and will purchase a new one today.   

That's actually a relief! 

Okay, the problem was a dead house battery.  Problem has been resolved.   Thank you all for your advice!

For the record, my voltmeter was bad.  I checked the battery in my pickup and the starting battery in my PC and they all show 19.1 volts.  I have discarded my voltmeter and will purchase a new one today.   

Curious, was it a cheapie red Harbor Freight meter? For unknown reasons, I have had 3 go bad in the last few months. I dont recall their purchase date(s). Tried replacing the 9V battery, no change. They all read high on DC voltage. I like using them to keep my $$$ Fluke meter away from harm, and have done so for a few years. I have not picked up replacement 'cheap' meters yet.

The Fluke has always been right on, and I expect that. I have always had good luck with the cheap meters for continuity and voltage testing. I am going to start writing the purchase date of the cheap meters on the back with marker and see if its an age issue.