Author Topic: Auto Gen Start  (Read 7783 times)

Ken Sair

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Auto Gen Start
« on: November 15, 2009, 04:44:10 AM »
Me and my auto=gen start are not getting along. Today we were running down the road with the gen running and the A/C's running.
After about an hour the gen shutoff when the batteries were fully charged. So, we turned the auto-gen start off and all worked well. We later turned off the generator. Later this evening we we went to watch TV and found the auto-gen start back on. Is there some default I'm not aware of that automatically returns it to the 'on' position everytime we use the generator?

I've always been under the impression it was 'off' unless I turned it on.

Ken Sair 2007 Beaver Contessa
BAC members since 2006

Daryl Beck

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Re: Auto Gen Start
« Reply #1 on: November 17, 2009, 07:46:03 PM »
I had the same thing happen to me and I shut the auto stop off.  On mine it has an auto start and auto off and I can turn the auto stop off and the auto start is still active.  db

Joel Ashley

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Re: Auto Gen Start
« Reply #2 on: November 19, 2009, 02:18:22 AM »
Ken-

As far as I can tell, there is no default repositioning of the AGS to "On" just because you manually ran the generator.  I assume that what you mean by "we we went to watch TV and found the auto-gen start back on" is that the remote appeared to be set at "on", and you don't mean the generator actually came on.  I don't know about yours, but the problem with my remote is there is no LED lamp to indicate the status of the AGS function;  all you have is onscreen an "<" beside whichever was selected last.  

The first thing on the submenu list after selecting the "AutoGenSt Cntrl" menu is theoretically whichever of the 4 functions was selected last.  A turn of the knob moves to the unselected items including "AutoGenSt Test"; and another twist moves on to "AGS w/Quiet Time", which is identical to "AutoGenSt Enabl", in that it turns the AGS on in case the voltage gets low or inside temp gets warm enough that the air conditioners might come on, but it won't allow the generator to start during quiet hours.  

My guess is you may have thought the AGS was enabled because "AutoGenSt OFF" was the first thing that popped up under AutoGenSt Cntrl when you selected it.  One could understandably perceive that the system was already on, if the first thing you see on the screen is an apparent option to turn it off.  Been there, dun that.  One more twist of the knob would have taken you to the option "AutoGenSt Enabl".  The menu screen unfortunately is not the best indicator of system status, as the "<" can be taken more than one way and might get ignored or overlooked.  The screen probably read "AutoGenSt OFF <", which meant it indeed was off.

Like I said, an ON/OFF LED for the AGS, on the remote panel, would sure dispense with some confusion.  If anyone has any alternative thoughts, I'd sure welcome them;  but it's my guess it was merely a misread of the remote panel, not uncommon with these computerized contraptions.  Feel free to slam dunk me if I'm dribbling the wrong ball here, Ken.
Joel and Lee Rae Ashley
Clackamas, Oregon
36.9 ft. 2006 Monterey Ventura IV, aka"Monty Rae"
C9 400HP Cat

Ken Sair

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Re: Auto Gen Start
« Reply #3 on: November 20, 2009, 04:37:50 AM »
Hi Joel. I am still confused (as usual). On the 14th we ran the house A/C's using the generator. A short time later the generator shut off. I checked the AGS and found it was 'enabled', as you describe. So, I turned it off with the select knob. Generator then ran fine until we turned it off when the temperature cooled. Now, several hours later we went to watch TV. I again checked the AGS. Again it had changed to 'enabled" without any help from me. So, I turned it to off as I did earlier in the day. Everything went fine and I turned off the TV and the generator and went to bed.

Now, I just checked it a few minutes ago. Again, it has changed back to 'enabled'. Somehow it is changing from the last setting I instituted, OFF, to enabled. When the generator is running it shuts off when the batteries are charged.

I tought the AGS was intended to start the generator when the batteries were low-high temps reached etc. Off should be off. It should neither start nor shut off for any reason.

What am I missing?


Ken 2007 Contessa
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Ken Sair

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Re: Auto Gen Start
« Reply #4 on: November 20, 2009, 05:20:43 PM »
Well, I had a little chat with Magnum Energy this AM. Seems I am experiencing operator error with my AGS (not the first time). Anyway, I have been acivating the AGS button and then turning the select knob to choose enable or off. Then I am pushing the ABS button again. At least I think thats what I am doing. Well, after using the select knob to choose enable or off I am supposed to then push the select button again to 'set' my choice. Seems I was missing that step.

So, I will monitor it for a while and Magnum Energy assures me I am now properly trained to push buttons. Thanks to everyone for all their help.

Ken
BAC members since 2006

Joel Ashley

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Re: Auto Gen Start
« Reply #5 on: November 20, 2009, 09:55:16 PM »
Yup, Ken.  It took me awhile to get the hang of it also.  It's kind of like getting a new cell phone - their organization is not always intuitive, especially to the cyber-challenged like me.  The owner's manuals don't always explain everything you need to know either.  

You have to push in on the selector knob to actually set or activate the selection that's currently onscreen.  The AGS button on the faceplate merely brings up the AGS menu onscreen so you can select from options;  the button itself doesn't activate any generator operational function, like ON or OFF.  

The telltale thing to go by here is the left arrow (<) icon I mentioned in my previous post.  If you turn the selector knob and scroll through menus, you will see that icon immediately to the right of whatever function is currently activated.  And activated functions should always come up first onscreen after you initially go to a menu that has several functions available.  

So if you push the AGS button, select  AutoGenSt Cntrl, and the first thing onscreen is AutoGenSt OFF <, then the AGS is indeed off.  If the first thing onscreen is AutoGenSt Enabl <, or AGS w/ Quiet Time <,  then it is on.  The little < is the clue, and only one of the 4 possible functions you can scroll to in that menu will have the < beside it.  

AutoGenSt Enabl and AGS w/ Quiet Time do the same thing:  they turn on the generator in one or both of two situations - 1) the battery bank voltage falls below a set level, or 2) the interior coach temperature reaches a set point that might trigger the thermostats to run the air conditioners, which need the generator to run.  Pretty simple, really, since there are only those two reasons for the AGS to exist.  By choosing AGS w/ Quiet Time instead of AutoGenSt Enabl, you merely are adding into the mix that, should low battery voltage or high interior temperature trigger the generator to come on, it will never happen between certain night time hours.  That's great, but it theoretically leaves a person open to waking up in the morning with dead batteries if some component draws some serious current overnight.  

One further option onscreen which you've probably scrolled across, is Set Current Time, and that relates to the Quiet Time lockout feature - you adjust for the appropriate quiet time period by using the Magnum black control box in the outside electrical bay, but it won't work right if the system doesn't know the current time of day.  So if you are going to use AGS w/ Quiet Time instead of just AutoGenSt Enabl, then the screen will want you to make sure it's timeclock is correctly set.  I had trouble with that one when we first got the coach, as the AM/PM wasn't set right, so the thing wouldn't come on mid-day, but did come on in the middle of a warm night!  We often don't set the air conditioners to come on and don't mind slightly high temps;  but when the interior of the rig got to 75 degrees the generator would kick on out of the blue.  I'd go kick the switch on the dash off, and seconds later the generator would kick on again.  Aggravating, and perplexing, til I got the clue by hook or by crook of how to turn the AGS off.

That black Magnum control box in the outside electrical bay, by the way, is also where you set the low voltage point, the coach interior temperature point, and the length of run time for the AGS, as well as Quiet Time hours.  (Ignore the Clock AM/PM setting on the black box, since it is disabled on our coaches that are networked with inverters).  Theoretically, one could rotate both the Start Temp F and Start Volts DC knobs fully counterclockwise to OFF and prevent the generator from auto starting if setting the inside remote wasn't doing it.

Hope I didn't add to any confusion.  If not, and you need more input, feel free to ask.  And thanks for bringing up the subject, Ken... I needed to refresh myself on the topic.

-Joel
« Last Edit: November 20, 2009, 10:23:45 PM by 77 »
Joel and Lee Rae Ashley
Clackamas, Oregon
36.9 ft. 2006 Monterey Ventura IV, aka"Monty Rae"
C9 400HP Cat

Ken Sair

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Re: Auto Gen Start
« Reply #6 on: November 21, 2009, 01:34:35 AM »
Thanks Joel. I'm pretty sure I have it now. My version does not have the quiet time feature. One of the many cost saving features Monaco enacted in recent years. aaarrrrgggghhhhhhhh!!!!!

Ken
BAC members since 2006