Onan QD generator issues

[bradf]

Hello Ranger Factory. I'm sorry to say that the Onan QD 5KW genset in our 2021 R-31 CB has been nothing but trouble. We've lost an entire Florida summer without the use of our genset due to product quality issues and abysmal service and support from Cummins.

1. The genset developed a diesel fuel leak due to a manufacturing defect. It took me four months to get this issue resolved, during which time the genset was unusable. I'm also out of pocket $261 for warranty service that Cummins refuses to reimburse me for.

2. More recently the oil dipstick broke leaving a portion of the dipstick lodged inside the engine. It is devilishly hard to snake the oil dipstick through the very poorly designed oil filler hose on this generator and the repeated flexing of the dipstick fatigued the metal, causing it to break. I had a service tech out to repair this, a BIG job at my expense. Cummins will not cover this under warranty.

3. There are very few authorized Cummins service centers in SW Florida that service Onan marine generators. The closest service center in Sarasota told me he'd be out to service the fuel leak in a week or two. Then he completely ghosted me. The next closest service centers are 40 to 50 miles away and they have a 7 week backlog.

My experience with this genset has been enormously time consuming, frustrating and expensive. Just wanted you to be aware of this issue. I'm not a happy customer right now.

 

[Bobby P.]

Bradf,

I'm so sorry that you are having struggles with your genset. Please don't lose hope. I had this exact genset in my last boat for 10 years and it ran superbly. The base engine (kabota) is a solid piece of equipment and Onan has made a product that is efficient, yields good power and is one of the quietest gensets on the market.

That being said, when I first bought my Ranger I was delighted that it came with the same exact Onan 5kw QD. However, I had a leaky water line that had been fixed, but water had seeped down onto the fuel pump and starter. I had the same issue of no Onan mechanic available, anywhere. I was SOL. I ended up taking the sound shield apart and doing the repairs myself.

Once the engine was running fine, often the genset would just shut down and throw an overload code. I spent many hours trouble shooting this until I found that a screw that held the sound shield together on the generator side had chaffed a wire and was grounding the system out. I fixed it myself. That was 2.5 years ago. Machine has run flawless since and I've used it many times overnight and underway.

The short story is that I believe this is an excellent product. It is, however, a machine. And like all machines, they can have faults. I think that once you get the bugs worked out, you will have a long and happy life with this product. I think it's one of the better gensets on the market (notwithstanding the dipstick)!

Let me know if I can help in any way.

Best,
Bobby