So I had my 7,000KW gen looked at because it would start but wouldn't stay on. Service folks checked it and rats had eaten some wires so they fixed it. Service tech turned it on for me while I paid the bill and when I came out to my RV, gen starter was smoking, then shut off. Apparently the on/off switch didn't go back to neutral after the tech started the gen and that burned up the starter. Being that Dometic gen parts are hard to come by, any ideas on this one? Can the starter be rebuilt? Anyone have an old starter they don't need? Any off brand starters work for this generator?

It can be rebuilt, I had it done in Worcester, Massachusetts once. The engine is a 3 cylinder Daihatsu, it is used also in things like forklifts apparently. I don't know the story of that engine, if it is still made, and if it is still used in forklifts. If so, I would imagine that there is someone in California that services this and has parts.

good luck!
Matt

The engine for the 7KW is from the Daihatsu ED series. The bore and stroke line up, 66.6mm by 81mm.

The wikipedia page shows a slanted engine for industrial purposes. The engine is 850cc. It is used in little Asian cars and trucks. I have sometimes seen trucks like this for on-site work at industrial complexes, in the US. There might be a supply chain for this product.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...ne#ED-series_(850_cc)

I think the designations of 6v and 12v are not voltage, but the number of valves.

Matt

Thanks for the info . I was wondering who made that engine .

Ed says the movie production companies used these generators in many of their trailers . There should be resources for these in California . I haven't been able to find much about them online .

Steve, Sorry to hear about your generator starter issues. Yes I was able to get parts for that generator as a company near LA had lots of parts BUT that was several years ago and the company has been sold and all the Dometic generator parts were either sold or scrapped. Starters for this engine should be available, this engine as noted is used in many applications but you must be careful to match yours to the new one particularly the drive gear of the starter.

The starter should be able to be rebuilt but I would worry about the flywheel ring gear on the engine or for that matter the starter gear itself. If it was running long enough to start the starter smoking smoking, hmmm.

The Daihatsu engine is a 3 cylinder propane set up and is laying flat. Nice setup great engine but the propane regulator will get filled with gunk from the propane adaptive and hard to find someone to set it up properly. The electronic regulator is NLA but I have seen a Canadian version that a Barther put in but I didn't copy down the manufacturer.

Unfortunately I sold mine when I replaced it with the QD8000 diesel generator. but I will check again but I think all my spares went with it.

Thanks everyone for your input. I found a company who could possibly rebuild the starter. The flywheel ring issue and starter gear is a concern, obviously. I'll let you know what happens but it was smoking pretty good and a bad smell so not sure that could come out of just the starter, plus it shut off by itself right when we got to it. Not sounding too good to me as a non-mechanic.

Here's a few things I found. Cushman used the Daihatsu 850cc engine in the Truckster product line for a few years. They called it the 327, for 3 cylinders, 27 horsepower. Cushman may have been purchased by Jacobsen.

Some parts are on ebay, and there are some websites with gaskets and bearings.

There is an engine on ebay and the pictures show that the starter is the Mitsubishi 31100. It looks like a Chinese copy of that is on ebay for $80.

I hope this might help out.
Matt

Currently , our Dometic Kyawatt generator is working pretty good . When it starts giving me problems that I can't or don't want to mess with , I'll probably swap over to a inverter generator .

Looks like the first place I was referred to has a starter for this generator. I'll get it put in on Monday. We'll see then if it's correct for this gen and whether or not any other items are damaged as a result of the starter melting down. Thanks again everyone for your input. I'll let you all know what happens.

Good deal . I hope it works out ok . If it does work , post the brand and part number please .

Sorry, late to the game.(First time my cover has been off this year!)
My Dometic 7.0 apparently has the original starter. The sticker reads Made in Japan by a company called Denso and has two numbers, they being 128000-5790 and 28100-87215.

Use Denso 128000-5790 and you will find many sources, starting at $120 for Chinese shit. Will call around Monday to try to find others. Intend to "put one on the shelf".

So my generator mechanic put the first rebuilt starter in and it turned the generator but apparently the unit that I got wasn't 100% so off we go to get another replacement. Hopefully the next one works. I'll keep you all updated as this little journey moves forward.

Well, the new starter went in fine and performed it's job. Problem now is an electrical issue according to the mechanic as the generator won't stay on after start. He mentioned a coil that is part of a generator system and there are different designs to these generators and he's not sure what design this one is. The other problem is this generator is fixed, so it's not easily accessible. Any other thoughts and recommendations?

I found a thread on this issue .

https://www.barthmobile.com/eve...083991277#3083991277

Well everyone, here's an update on my gen situation. After much thought about how to proceed and realizing that no one had any schematics on the original Dometic gen (that was built by Kohler apparently), and that no mechanics wanted to deal with servicing it as parts are really hard to come by, it seemed best to locate another generator that would fit in the original space and that is quality gen that I can service, long-term.

I ended up finding a very clean, used Onan Marquis 5500 propane generator with about 500 hours on it for a great price and I had it installed. It needed some custom welding to fit (sits about an inch lower than the original gen) and since it's taller, it fit, but barely cleared my HWH system on the front passenger side of coach! I mean it is close! Also, barely had enough room to fit under the accelerator mechanism too. But it fit!

Thanks to Ed Raether, who has answered every call and helped figure things out during the research and installation. He saved the day when my installer didn't realize a few things, one being that the original propane connection to my propane tank was a liquid propane connection, not gas, which the Onan needs, and Ed helped us figure that out as the regulator was freezing up quickly after the generator fired up! LOL

All in all, I'm happy with the generator. It worked great on a trip my wife and I took a couple of weeks ago. It runs smoother and quieter than the Dometic so all is good! Thanks again to Ed and all who gave advice and who provided input. It's very valuable to have a group as available and smart as you all!