BAC Forum
General Boards => Technical Support => Topic started by: Randy Keaveny on November 22, 2023, 02:28:20 AM
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Anyone know the fuel capacity of 99 Beaver Patriot?? My fuel Guage shows 1/4. But I filled up recently. Now. The Onan will not stay running ?? Either the fuel filter is plugged. Or bad. Or somehow I'm out of fuel. I have driven maybe 15 miles back to my place in the past year. Ran the motirhome where it sits. The heating system is the espar type. And ran the Genset. Just to exercise it. Kinda at a loss here
Thx
Randy
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Per the 1999 Beaver Brochure (https://sites.google.com/site/beavermotorhomehistory/home/smc/brochures-smc) 112 gallons. In many coaches once the fuel tank reaches 1/4 full the generator will shut down in fear of the coach running out of fuel. Not sure if this is the case on your Beaver.
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Thank you so much. Wish I could read the attached link literature. But it's kinda fuzzy. I'll definitely look into this more once I am on a home computer
Randy
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As Paul notes, the fuel pickups for the genset and any hydronic heat system will be placed well above the engine fuel pickup to make sure you can't strand the coach somewhere. If it's been parked/stored, are you sure there isn't a static tank leak? The hydronics and generator use roughly 1/2 gallon per hour, so you'd have to exercise them a lot to burn up 84 gallons (75% of 112). I exercise ours every few months, and some contend that the hydronic exercise isn't necessary.
Generally, it's advised not to run the engine at all if parked for long stretches unless you can get it up to full temperature. And that doesn't work the braking systems or other highway components. I've had some input to the contrary: run the engine occasionally to ward off corrosion. Opposite suggestions from two highly respected BAC sources.
Joel
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Paul
As mentioned earlier the fuel pickup should run the gen set out of fuel before the engine pickup gets close depending on how far the gen set fuel pickup is down in the tank it could be set at or about the 1/4 tank mark and your gen set may have just run out of fuel.
To bleed the system out and get the gen set running again push your gen start switch on the dash the opposite direction of the start position this will run the electric fuel pump to prime the gen set it should take about a minute to pump fuel through and then the gen should start normally.
How ever there is the possibility that either the fuel filter is plugged or more than likely the fuel line from the tank pickup to the gen set has dry rotted and is sucking air instead of fuel ( common problem on older coaches.
The fuel line ( feed and return) connect to the back of the gen set and are 1/4 inch neoprene fuel line if they look cracked and weather checked they are done and should be replaced.
An easy test is to disconnect the feed line from the back of the gen set and run a line from a fuel container ( gas / diesel can)
To see if the gen set will prime and run .
Hope this helps
Eric
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Heck ya that helps. While I have not physically checked the lines. I did see where they come in and out. And had no idea about the button I side the coach being a priming switch. Thanks so much
Now. Wondering if the switch on the genset should be lit up?? And the panel directly below showing something ??
Thanks
Randy
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Randy,
The tag on the fuel tank for my 98 Patriot is listed at 112 gallons. I have never run it empty but that seem about right when it reads 1/2 tank on the gauge. My generator start switch does not light up. Neither the inside one or the outside one.
If you need to replace the fuel lines to the generator the connections are on top of the fuel tank. You don't have to take the tank out and you can loosen up everything and tilt the front of the tank down to gain access to the connections. You will need to put some wood blocking and a jack under the tank. Being full it will be heavy!
Hopefully this will be helpful