Powermate generator only runs for a few min, low oil sensor?

[chris1976]

It will start the first pull and run for a few min. I have used new gas, oil, air filter, spark plug, even cleaned out the carb float, bowel and main jet they where all pretty clean. I think it's something with the low oil sensor. I have disconnected what i think is the sensor it is a yellow wire that goes into the side of the motor into a bolt to replace it.

There are some other wires that go to the bottom of the carb. I'm not sure what they are for see pics below.

 

[Scrubcadet10]

Those wires on the carb is what the EPA calls an Anti Afterfire solenoid... to prevent gas from combusting in the muffler after the spark is killed. it has a plunger on the solenoid that retracts when power is to it, and pushes out into the main jet when turned off blocking fuel... what i do to eliminate it is remove it, snip off the metal rod the plunger is on, and reinstall. It's not critical to engine function.
Yep, that is the yellow Low oil shutdown wire.
Now does it sputter and die, or just shut off like you turned a switch off?

 

[chris1976]

Those wires on the carb is what the EPA calls an Anti Afterfire solenoid... to prevent gas from combusting in the muffler after the spark is killed. it has a plunger on the solenoid that retracts when power is to it, and pushes out into the main jet when turned off blocking fuel... what i do to eliminate it is remove it, snip off the metal rod the plunger is on, and reinstall. It's not critical to engine function.
Yep, that is the yellow Low oil shutdown wire.
Now does it sputter and die, or just shut off like you turned a switch off?

So that wouldn't be anything to do with my issues then if it was not working correctly.

How does the low oil shut off work? Seems like just disconnecting it would not work.

It shuts off like you turn the on/off switch off.

Thanks for the help.

 

[Scrubcadet10]

No, if it is not working properly it will kill it.
when there is no power to the solenoid, the plunger is pushed into the main jet.
when there is power to it, it retracts and allows fuel to flow.

 

[chris1976]

I still think it is something simple, i mean it runs like a champ for a few min.

 

[cpurvis]

I had a low oil sensor problem on a 10 hp horizontal shaft Tecumseh. Even though it showed it was full of oil, it needed a little more to be happy.

 

[Scrubcadet10]

I still think it is something simple, i mean it runs like a champ for a few min.

Here's what i would do, Locate the ignition coil, it should just be removing the side blower housing cover. Trace the spark plug wire if you need help locating it... there should be 2 wires on the coil. The spark plug wire and the coil Kill wire.
unplug the coil kill wire. and start the engine. If it dies, you then know it is a problem fuel problem, or fuel solenoid problem. If it Does not die, there is something grounding coil, such as a bad low oil switch, or may even be the coil is failing when it heats up.
Can you start the engine immediately after it dies?

 

[Hammermechanicman]

Get an inline spark tester. Hook it up and watch it while the engine runs. At the point the engine dies does the spark stop? Have to be watching real close. If spark stops you have an ignition problem. If not you have a fuel delivery problem.

 

[ILENGINE]

Those wires on the carb is what the EPA calls an Anti Afterfire solenoid... to prevent gas from combusting in the muffler after the spark is killed. it has a plunger on the solenoid that retracts when power is to it, and pushes out into the main jet when turned off blocking fuel... what i do to eliminate it is remove it, snip off the metal rod the plunger is on, and reinstall. It's not critical to engine function.
Yep, that is the yellow Low oil shutdown wire.
Now does it sputter and die, or just shut off like you turned a switch off?

Actually the fuel solenoid works the total opposite that what you just described. On generator the solenoid is always open and then when shut off uses the wind down current to push the solenoid closed and then reopened when it stops.

 

[chris1976]

I had a low oil sensor problem on a 10 hp horizontal shaft Tecumseh. Even though it showed it was full of oil, it needed a little more to be happy.

Yeah but if it's unhooked it should not matter.