Kitchen Garden Forum

In October 2005 I bought a Marksman Silent Remote Control Diesel Generator from Ebay to power electricity in my polytunnel (4.2kw rated power output electric starting). It cost £750 and was new at the time of purchase. It worked fine for a while and then stopped entirely. I've had it looked at and have been told it probably got waterlogged and needs a new control panel. I don't suppose anyone out there has any advice? I've been searching on the internet but it seems you can't get hold of replacement parts. Anyone want to buy a very knocked down in price generator? Or have any suggestions as to how I should proceed? Feeling pretty desperate...

Does it run on petrol or diesel?

diesel

can you give some more details, u said its stopped entirly, i presume you mean the engine doesnt run? did it stop whilst runnig or just wouldnt start? i would suggest getting a second opinion from a competitent engineer, either an agricultural or plant mechanic would be the best bet,

it was left unattended for a month or so with a piece of plastic over the control panel (all the seller said would be necessary to keep the rain out). It was then covered with wooden planks. When I tried to switch it on after that month there was no life in it at all. It just wouldn't start.

I've had a couple of mechanics look at it - it's on a farm where people know about engines and such like – and they've had no joy with it and said the control panel had got waterlogged so I needed to get a new one. I've had no joy with locating such a thing. It's v frustrating because I never even got to use the generator!! My situation has changed now anyway so I have no use for it, working or not.

I'm kind of hoping some handy person in want of a project might want to take it off my hands for a couple of hundred quid. It's a good piece of kit and less than two years old and really should work!!

ok with a diesel, barring major mechanical failure(ie something internal breaking) there are two things to look at , i think in this case we rule out a fuel blockage, so we are left with an electrical problem in the starting circuit, the first thing is the state of the battery and its connections. it could well be just a corroded wiring connention perhaps in the control panal. is there any way of bypassing the control panel to hotwire the starter solenoid. you can often start an old tractor by shorting the terminals on the starter solenoid with the engine oil dipstick ( big battery lead terminal to the small start switch terminal) though a modern engine may also have an electric fuel shut off solenoid which also would need hot wiring before the engine will fire.
you may have engine temp and oil pressure sensors wired into the fuel solenoid circuit to shut the engine down if it gets too hot or looses oil pressure.

gosh thanks for all that. I'm a technical dunce but will try to pass that info on to someone who knows one end of a solenoid whatchacallit from the other.

Have a look here

http://www.evanselectlightandgenstore.c ... /300-10334

yes that's exactly the same one I've got. Don't want to buy one, though, want to sell one! Think I'll just put it on ebay and say it needs a new control panel. Someone out there might want it I hope.

bigpepperplant
Dont they do the spares

good point, I'll ask them on monday.

I know it sounds stupid, but new engines are not usually supplied with lubricating oil in the engine.
Did you check this before you ran the engine?

WELL DARE I SAY THIS BUT HEAR WE GO AGAIN ANOTHER EBAY BUYER WHO HAS BEEN STITCHED UP?, MAYBE NOT BUT SOUNDS SUSPECT?, I AGREE WITH THE ABOVE ALSO, NEW ENGINES R SUPPLIED WITHOUT OIL IN THEM HAS IT SEIZED?, I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN HIGHLY SUSPICIOUS OF EBAY STUFF, IF YOU BUY FROM A NEARBY STOCKIST IF IT GOES WRONG JUST CHUCK IN YOUR CAR & TAKE IT BACK, MORE RANTING A RAVING ABOUT EBAY MADNESS CAN BE FOUND POSTED BY YOURS TRULY ON , WWW.STATIONARYENGINE.ORG.UK UNDER GENERAL CHAT.
GL, ALL, GEORGE IN ESSEX, WITH CHEAPER PARTS FOR LOADS OF ENGINES THAN YOU WILL FIND ON STUPID EBAY. YES I KNOW I AM A MOANING OLD GIT.

ebay is like any other auction, you need to have researched the object you're bidding on, know how much it costs elsewhere and fix your final bid level before u start.

also with ebay u need to look at the feedback numbers , look at the pics and read the description. if it doesnt say in good working order dont bid. you can always email the seller and ask for a phone number to have a chat.

at least with ebay you can walk away knowing that it wont be long before another comes allong

there is also a dealer on there selling tractor parts at double what they cost in his yard,

NEED I SAY MORE?.
GEORGE.