Your last generator Maintenance Run

[grsthegreat]

Here are the 2 sensors

 

[WinterDeere]

Porsche tried (static) remote oil level detection a while back.... last I heard, that wasn't working out so well, but I'm not a Porsche guy, so may be out of date. Our stuff would be shutting down on low-pressure.... I've banged on before about why a $400 generator has this from the factory, but a $100k vehicle does not... could be better detection on gens, but at least they have something !

Generators stand still, Porsche's move. Still not an insurmountable problem, but it does require some long time constant to mind the sloshing. Our 2005'ish Audi A3 had a low oil level sensor, which would trigger a light on the dash, so it's been done.

I know my neighbour has a temperature sensor dipstick on his Harley. Analog needle, and survives Vtwin vibes, but don't know what thread that is.....

I have one on the hydraulic oil reservoir of my log splitter.

 

[3930dave]

Here are the 2 sensors


View attachment 851772

Belt+suspenders.

Rgds, D.

 

[3930dave]

Generators stand still, Porsche's move. Still not an insurmountable problem, but it does require some long time constant to mind the sloshing. Our 2005'ish Audi A3 had a low oil level sensor, which would trigger a light on the dash, so it's been done.


I have one on the hydraulic oil reservoir of my log splitter.

I defer to Thoreau . Even resurrected, I doubt he'd be P's target market today.....

It's a German Thing..... reminds me of Leno, going on about the complexity of what Mercedes finally deigned to put into their cars, for a cupholder....

Rgds, D.

 

[daugen]

Here are the 2 sensors


View attachment 851772

thanks, I'm impressed by this.
My Westinghouse sure doesn't have that.
I wonder if a conventional Briggs Vanguard say 30hp has a high oil temp sensor.

now the real question is how often have you seen these sensors do their job, or not?
if an engine blows, was it always due to low oil?

I'm curious how the low oil sensor works when it is positioned well above the oil fill line.
no oil pump, ?

 

[ronjhall]

thanks, I'm impressed by this.
My Westinghouse sure doesn't have that.
I wonder if a conventional Briggs Vanguard say 30hp has a high oil temp sensor.

now the real question is how often have you seen these sensors do their job, or not?
if an engine blows, was it always due to low oil?

I'm curious how the low oil sensor works when it is positioned well above the oil fill line.
no oil pump, ?

View attachment 851824

My B&S whole house generator has low oil pressure and high oil temperature sensors. High temperature sensor did its job last year when muffler broke and overheated engine compartment. Generator is 18 years old. First repair needed except battery and normal maintenance.

 

[WinterDeere]

I defer to Thoreau . Even resurrected, I doubt he'd be P's target market today.....

It's a German Thing..... reminds me of Leno, going on about the complexity of what Mercedes finally deigned to put into their cars, for a cupholder....

Rgds, D.

There's an old saying about cars, no longer true, but was for generations:

"The British over-design, the Japanese under-design, and the Germans just get it right."

As you noted, the Germans and the Japanese have probably swapped in that regard in recent decades, although I still find their cars more fun and sexy on average.

 

[3930dave]

My B&S whole house generator has low oil pressure and high oil temperature sensors. High temperature sensor did its job last year when muffler broke and overheated engine compartment. Generator is 18 years old. First repair needed except battery and normal maintenance.

Good point.

Not having an enclosed gen, I'd never considered that scenario.

Rgds, D.

 

[3930dave]

There's an old saying about cars, no longer true, but was for generations:

"The British over-design, the Japanese under-design, and the Germans just get it right."

As you noted, the Germans and the Japanese have probably swapped in that regard in recent decades, although I still find their cars more fun and sexy on average.

Complexity delivering enhanced (< in some respects, not far off Beauty is in The Eye of the Beer-Holder ) function is one thing. Thanks to advancements, we now have small, relatively light portable generators, that can deliver much cleaner power than their ancestors.

Just Because We Can.... is another story. Thinking of those something like 12-sided sparkplugs BMW chose to use in car engines.

Grrrrr.....

Rgds, D.

 

[3930dave]

thanks, I'm impressed by this.
My Westinghouse sure doesn't have that.
I wonder if a conventional Briggs Vanguard say 30hp has a high oil temp sensor.

now the real question is how often have you seen these sensors do their job, or not?
if an engine blows, was it always due to low oil?

I'm curious how the low oil sensor works when it is positioned well above the oil fill line.
no oil pump, ?

View attachment 851824

Haven't played with the guts of small engines enough to be certain, but w/o an oil pump, I'm suspecting that crank-splash may be creating some low pressure baseline @ normal oil level.

^ Total guess though.

A counterpart of mine, down in TX, had converted his p/u truck to run on propane back in the 90s. Sitting down with him after dinner at a conference, I was asking him various questions. First up - oil, as I knew it never really changed colour much, with propane in use.

He'd installed an Oil Temperature gauge in his p/u, and said he found that as the oil aged/miled-up, he could start to see oil temp creeping up, vs. Ambient and Load/Use...... not details many people would bother to notice...... just a long story about what happens to oil, in a water-cooled engine

Rgds, D.