Honda EU10i Questions & Answers

uses oil.needs a rebuild.had same problem

How come Honda doesn't reply to some of these technical questions?

im still waiting for my answers to.

Have you checked the vent on the full tank cap is not blocked or working properly. A closed full tank vent has the same symptoms.

How come Honda doesn't reply to some of these technical questions?

Yes it does. I have attached an oscilloscope to my own EU10i and it produces a very clean sine wave under varying loads.

Sounds like fuel starvation. Look at cleaning the carby bowl and jet and checking there is good fuel flow from the tank and through the tap. Check the cap breather for blockage and even the muffler ports for carbon build up which will restrict flow.

Hi Robin,
The problem you are having is that the vacuum cleaner may be rated at 700 watts but the starting power can be 3 or 4 times that i.e 2100 watts or more to start. The generator will attempt to supply start power but it is way in excess of what the generator can provide and it will go into overload mode to protect itself. This is very common when a reactive load such as a motor starts up. If you must run a vacuum cleaner from a generator you will need a larger unit than eu10i.

Hi Johno,
You have a similar problem to the question above. The compressor in the fridge draws far more power to start than to run. You mention that your generators are older type eu10i's. You will find that both generators are most likely struggling to start the refrigerator but generator A may have a more sensitive protection circuit than generator B causing it to trip into overload before the fridge can fully start. It may be the case that generator B may just have a little extra grunt and just gets the fridge to start or its overload adjustment is less sensitive that A. The only way to check the overload function is to connect a purely resistive load, such as an electric bar heater of about 900 to 1000 watt rating or a small electric jug of about 900 to 1000 watts to see if the generator is producing its rated output. Short of that get them to a dealer that can load test them and adjust if necessary. Car fridges are a completely different set up to a standard household refrigerator. They use electronic control to start and run their compressors and are there is soft start circuits involve with most modern car fridges. This eliminates the high starting currents that house hold fridges draw when starting.

Wouldn't think so after two tanks. If the oil is at the correct level, and you have been using a quality non ethanol fuel, it sounds unlikely. Is it only high revs and little or no load that it runs a touch rough? Does it smooth out with a load on? Another simple thing is clean and regap the spark plug. If you have run ethanol fuel, there is a possibility it may need a jet and emulsion tube clean ( carburettor ). If the emulsion tube holes block, it can run a touch rough, depending on the severity of the blockage. Cleaning both will present no great challenge to a Honda dealer ( to maintain your warranty ). Its surprising how quick they can block with ethanol based fuel. The eco switch is there to use, if its run in, then save fuel.

You need to find out the STARTING CURRENT DRAW of your appliance. If that is greater than the output, in Amps, of the generator, then no. You would need to size your generator to suit the draw of the appliance.

Hi Jonesy I had a 150litre freezer and I had to up grade to another gen set as the start up gave the E10 too much load. I now have a 2.4 kVA Yamaha and have a surplus my friend uses a Westinghouse diesel of similar size and will get 24hrs before refueling, the Yamaha gets8 to16hrs depending on load

If you store it with fuel in, the best way to prevent condensation is to ensure the tank is full. This helps to minimise surface area for the condensation to form on. Also store off the ground on a shelf or similar, and obviously under cover. Is there water in the fuel you use? Do you use fuel with an ethanol content? Ethanol is hydroscopic and could cause more condensation than non ethanol fuel maybe.

Thank you in future I will top up the tank and store it in a better place Kev

If you store it for a while make sure you're fuel has a stabiliser eg Morey's upper cylinder this will stop the rubbers valve stem seals fuel cap etc from deteriating when you are storing or using any petrol motor no matter what size or number of cylinders. Before storing check fuel tank Cap and seal as breather as well as fuel tap and carby. Kensei. Degree Automotive Engineer

Probably not. Most caravan aircons require over a 2kva ( 8 - 9 amp ) supply to start them. The EU10i is not capable of supplying a current of this magnitude. Go for a generator that is capable of supplying the required current.

Doubtful, an aircon draws a far higher start current, than its rated cooling capacity, probably as high as 12 - 15 amps for a short period. The EU10i can deliver about 3.8 - 3.9 amps continuously. Better to obtain a generator that can handle that, to start with.

I can only provide an answer from my experience with this generator. As far as sensitive equipment goes, mine has run a PC and PS and charged mobile phones and a tablet, all without issue. No ill effects to the equipment or generator. Hope that helps.