Starting issue- warranty?

[wclatane]

I have a 43902, serial number 38293xx which I purchased from an individual who had bought the until but never installed it. When I got it, it was still on the original packing pallet with shrink wrap. He purchased the until in January 2004 and I bought it from him in the spring of 2005 as he realized he would be selling his house before installing the unit.

With one thing and another it was fall of 2005 before I got it installed (self install). Up until about a month ago, it worked perfectly with the excercise cycle stable and the generator starting perfectly on the few power outages we have had. At this point, the unit has around 50 hours on it including exercise time and actual run time. I do not have an hour meter which would be extremely useful.

A month or so ago, I noticed that the exercise timer lights were flashing and I reset the timer. It started and ran fine so I thought it was just a quirk. Three weeks ago, I heard the unit try to start and it gave a short "cough" and quit. The exercise lights were again flashing. I again reset the timer and it started and ran fine.

Two weeks ago, the same issue. Up until now, it would start and run fine when started manually or if I cut the line power to the transfer switch. Today, it won't start either by resetting the timer or using the manual start. The starter solenoid rapidly clicks but will not crank the engine.

I checked the battery and it is hot, however I have pulled it and am charging it with a different charger just to see. The cable ends were clean but additional cleaning had no effect. I haven't tried to check the starter end of the cables or the engine end of the ground as it appears to be a major job to get to those.

Considering the until was purchased second hand but unused, did I have any warranty? If so, would it still be valid? If there is a warranty, do you know of a reliable dealer in the neighborhood of zip code 22520?

If there is no warranty, can you assist with trouble shooting.

Thanks for a great web site and any help you can give me.

Bill

[Bill Liedtke]

There has been some reports of fried batteries and low battery voltage can cause some wierd things. Borrow your car battery and try it. If it turns out that you need a control board, email me as I have an extra for sale. Bought one thinking that was my issue and it wasn't. It works fine and fits a 4390-3 which is slightly newer, but I believe the boards are identical. I have the latest release.

Bill

[wclatane]

I may take you up on the offer. The battery was bad, when I swapped out and used a car battery the generator fired off. In spite of having access to about a dozen batteries, none actually fit so I am looking for a group 26 battery now. Oddly enough, the specs call for a group 26/26r with at least 550 CCA but I haven't found a major manufacturer that produces a battery with more than 540 CCA. I know that 10 CCA is a minimal difference but if the unit needs high CCA, they should have allowed for a bigger battery space in the cabinet.

Anyway, after the battery is replaced, I'll see what is still working or not.

Thanks again.

Bill

[rrprecrif@sofnet.com]

Autozone sells a group 26 battery with 575 CCA. Mine cost $88.66, but I didn't have a core to turn in. Core charge was $12. That was the only battery I could find that met the Guardian criteria.

[Kelly Myers]

Put that battery back in.

Check two things, make sure that the fuse on top of the generator is screwed in all the way, it should be labeled "System fuse".

If it still has issues, use a DC voltmeter to take a reading of the battery at rest.

Keep the meter on the battery, and flip it to manual. If it just coughs again, post up the volt readings under cranking load.

You do have a warranty if its less then <2 years from the build date.

If you need a build date check ran, email it to me at kelly@zillerelectric.com

[Kelly Myers]

Autozone sells a group 26 battery with 575 CCA. Mine cost $88.66, but I didn't have a core to turn in. Core charge was $12. That was the only battery I could find that met the Guardian criteria.

They used to make a 550CCA battery for $54.00

We have since switched to 500CCA batterys without any issues.

[wclatane]

Thanks for the help. I checked the battery and sure enough, it was not lively enough.

Btw, I got a 540 CCA battery from through Va. Farm Bureau and the price was very reasonable.

Thanks again for the advice.

[Bill Liedtke]

I think before you gave up on the other battery, Kelly wanted you to verify that it wasn't the charging circuit that "killed" your old battery. If it is not functioning, your new battery will die in short order as well. Check the 5 amp fuse by the exerciser switch on the control panel. Also, check the voltage at the battery cables with the negative battery lead disconnected from the battery terminal. See if there is voltage on the leads to the battery indicating that the charger circuit is healthy.

If you want to skip all this and just keep your fingers crossed that it is not the charger, at least check the 5 amp fuse. If it's blown, the old battery was not getting any charge and the new battery will die too if the fuse isn't replaced.

[Kelly Myers]

Yep..

If the battery charger is shot, it will not have enough juice to start after a week.

[wclatane]

Thanks for the tips but I actually did check for the charging circuits, fuse etc. It was charging but evidently the battery had reached the end of its life. It's been two weeks and so far everything is back to normal.

I'm surprised that the battery has such varied effects but from reading the message board it would seem that a temporary swap might be one of the quick tests most owners should try, after verifying the charging circuit of course.

Thanks again.

Bill

[Gnmaples]

Good battery & charging discussion guys! I have found that a Group 25 battery is the exact same size square as a Group 26 but it is about an inch taller. These are what I use. I put a rubber mat under the battery and discard the battery hold down. NAPA Legend 75 month battery is 570 cca. The Group 25 seems to be much more readily available here in NC.

BUT, based on a different thread, Kelly, Bill & others were discussing overcharging, low battery water, etc., I checked one of my 16kw 992cc units (a 5284 Quiet Source). I found that after 13 months, I had to add exactly 16 ounces of water to the above battery. I need to know if this is "normal" with the Guardian onboard charger. I haven't seen nearly that much water consumption in any of my cars, trucks or tractors.

Gene