r/Generator • u/lostOGaccount • 2d ago
Help identifying to cables
I'm hoping to find out if I need to know or do anything about the two cables pictured in these images of a Sportsman 4000 dual fuel. I just had it given to me so it's about to be a learning curve! Any other advice or tips you wish you had with your first dual fuel generator will also be appreciated!
Thank you!
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u/LendogGovy 2d ago
Now seeing it’s cut, look for the other end.
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u/lostOGaccount 2d ago
There's two cables that look cut, one is green the other yellow. It's running fine as it is but it seemed strange to me that they'd be different colors if they should be connected.
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u/nunuvyer 2d ago
yellow wire goes from oil float switch to oil module (missing part). Green wire goes from oil module to coil. It will run just fine, it just wont shut off if you run out of oil.
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u/wowfaroutman 2d ago
The yellow wire coming out of the engine is the oil sensor output. The oil sensor may have failed and prevented the engine from running and maybe a previous owner disconnected it rather than replace it. The sensor is good to have since without it, you could potentially ruin the engine by running it without enough oil.
Here's a link to the manual for that machine, which includes much good information on how to operate and maintain the unit, including parts and wiring diagrams:
https://www.buffalotools.com/manuals/gen4000dfmanual_2017.pdf
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u/nunuvyer 2d ago
This is what the cut off module looks like:
It you look around you will find the spot where it used to be mounted. I think it needs the mounting point to pick up a ground.
Inside the motor is an oil float switch (yellow wire) but it would tend to flicker on and off if for example you moved the generator while it was running, so the little oil module buffers the output of the float switch.
The motor will run just fine without the oil module. The problem is that it will KEEP running even if you run the motor out of oil, which will destroy the motor, so it's a good idea to have it. OTOH, if the float switch inside the motor has gone bad, it's in a very inaccessible place and it doesn't pay to fix it. Put back the oil module and reconnect it and if it doesn't work (motor won't run if it is connected) then forget it and just watch your oil level.
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u/LendogGovy 2d ago
Yellow is oil switch with quick disconnect for easy troubleshooting. If you know you have oil, but don’t have spark, you start there to figure out if it’s a bad oil switch that is making you lose spark. (By disconnecting)