If your generator is running on auto-start and is manually shut down, will this create a error code (red light). Looks like the fix is to disable and then enable the auto-start again?
asked
Manual shutdown of generator while running on auto-start?
Yes, you must turn off Auto Start to stop the generator from the GX device. If you stop the generator external to the GX device then the GX device believes the generator is still running. If you connect the generator run to a digital input programmed as Generator then you will get an alert if it is enabled in generator start/stop menu.
GuiMods includes some generator enhancements in this area:
Run time accumulation factors in the state of the Generator digital input: if it's false, then time will not accumulate.
The GX device's manual run state is synchronized by changes in the Generator digital input so that if the generator is shut down externally, the GX device will cancel a manual run. For auto runs, a warning is shown on the Generator Overview page but does not cancel an auto run.
I am having a similar issue. When my generator starts on automatic and I want to discontinue the Run I manually turn it off after placing the auto start in off. When I restore the auto start immediately after the generator has been shut down it restarts. Apparently if the auto start does not see the shutdown parameters it restarts the generator. I have a digital input telling the GX unit that the generator is running.
Each auto run parameter has separate start and stop thresholds. I believe that if the parameter is inside the start/stop thresholds the generator won't start again but if the value is outside the start threshold then it definitely will restart.
I concur with the previous poster. I have also seen the occasion where the gen was auto started for example soc goes below the auto start level of 15, auto stop is set to 99, generator runs for a while and soc reaches whatever value above the start parameter lets say 50%. Disable auto start, shut down generator, enable auto start and generator restarts. I have seen this on more than one occasion.
Perhaps in the next software iteration a manual shutdown that cancels the auto shutdown without having to turn off the auto function could be done. I can imagine quite a few scenarios where I generator will start automatically and you wanted conveniently shut it down for the next cycle to take over. Most recently for me the generator started on state of charge and was about halfway through charging the batteries; however we were going to be running that morning to a different location and the alternator would have done the job nicely so shutting it down was not as simple as pushing a button.
As I discussed earlier, the auto start/stop logic has two thresholds for each parameter. The first is where the generator should start and the second is where it should stop. There was a report earlier in this thread that even if the start condition had been satisfied, the generator would restart if the stop condition had not been. If true, that can probably be fixed easily. That may be all that is needed.
Note that in GuiMods, I've added a way to manually start the generator before the automatic start thresholds have not been met and let the automatic stop logic stop the generator. This is the opposite of what you are asking for.
The question becomes: when should the automatic logic take back over after the generator is manually stopped?
Hello Kevin and thank you for your comments.
I agree with you and I'll just provide some further clarification. My auto start functions are set for only two parameters. Battery load of 70 amps or more for 100 seconds and SOC of lower than 63% and will shut off at 80%. If the generator starts on SOC and runs to 70% and I turn it off manually, when I place it back into Auto the generator restarts even if the state of charge is over the trigger threshold of 63%. It's a simple work around to leave it manual until the batteries have been recharged by another source however necessity being the mother of invention I believe laziness is the father and I prefer to be lazy LOL
I made some changes in the autostart logic as part of GuiMods v10.48.
Now, if the start conditions are all satisfied when autostart is enabled, the generator will NOT start.
So now you can turn off autostart to stop the generator manually and it will not restart. Of course it will start if at least one start condition is active.
For example if the SOC start threshold is 30% and the battery HAD reached that level but is now at 50%, turning off autostart, then back on again (after generator is stopped), the generator will remain stopped until the threshold drops below 30% again.
