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20kw generator warm up - Printable Version

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20kw generator warm up - MARKGMC3 - 05-04-2026

Does the 20kw generator have water circulated in it from the aqua-hot system to warm up in cold weather?

RE: 20kw generator warm up - bestgenman - 05-04-2026

(05-04-2026, 11:43 AM)MARKGMC3 Wrote:  Does the 20kw generator have water circulated in it from the aqua-hot system to warm up in cold weather?

Not unless someone has altered the piping.  Newell typically did not preheat the generators to my knowledge..
You could tie the generator into the engine preheat loop without too much difficulty but I believe I would use a braised plate heat exchanger to prevent coolant loss to the generator set.

RE: 20kw generator warm up - [email protected] - 05-05-2026

(05-04-2026, 11:43 AM)MARKGMC3 Wrote:  Does the 20kw generator have water circulated in it from the aqua-hot system to warm up in cold weather?

So it’s generally not a big issue of starting the gens in the cold. Not sure if you are aware, but if you hold the generator start switch in the stop position it should run the glow plugs as well as run the fuel pump to prime the system. If you do this for a minute or so before starting in the cold the gen should fire up fairly easily. It would be nice to preheat the gen but it would be a bit of a project to do the tie in, and I would do as Gordon suggested tie it in with a heat exchanger so that you are not mixing the two coolants.

RE: 20kw generator warm up - MARKGMC3 - 05-05-2026

(05-05-2026, 05:28 AM)[email protected] Wrote:  
(05-04-2026, 11:43 AM)MARKGMC3 Wrote:  Does the 20kw generator have water circulated in it from the aqua-hot system to warm up in cold weather?

So it’s generally not a big issue of starting the gens in the cold. Not sure if you are aware, but if you hold the generator start switch in the stop position it should run the glow plugs as well as run the fuel pump to prime the system. If you do this for a minute or so before starting in the cold the gen should fire up fairly easily. It would be nice to preheat the gen but it would be a bit of a project to do the tie in, and I would do as Gordon suggested tie it in with a heat exchanger so that you are not mixing the two coolants.

Found out I did not have a leak; I was losing cooling fluid when the Genny over heated & the fluid went out the high-pressure cap onto the ground.
The main problem was I had a bad 180-degree Thermostat that was stuck closed. Ran it with the AC on & without a thermostat she ran as cool as cucumber. Seams 180 degree is kind of high. Thought about installing one with a lower temp.

RE: 20kw generator warm up - [email protected] - 05-05-2026

(05-05-2026, 01:39 PM)MARKGMC3 Wrote:  
(05-05-2026, 05:28 AM)[email protected] Wrote:  
(05-04-2026, 11:43 AM)MARKGMC3 Wrote:  Does the 20kw generator have water circulated in it from the aqua-hot system to warm up in cold weather?

So it’s generally not a big issue of starting the gens in the cold. Not sure if you are aware, but if you hold the generator start switch in the stop position it should run the glow plugs as well as run the fuel pump to prime the system. If you do this for a minute or so before starting in the cold the gen should fire up fairly easily. It would be nice to preheat the gen but it would be a bit of a project to do the tie in, and I would do as Gordon suggested tie it in with a heat exchanger so that you are not mixing the two coolants.

Found out I did not have a leak; I was losing cooling fluid when the Genny over heated & the fluid went out the high-pressure cap onto the ground.
The main problem was I had a bad 180-degree Thermostat that was stuck closed. Ran it with the AC on & without a thermostat she ran as cool as cucumber. Seams 180 degree is kind of high. Thought about installing one with a lower temp.

180 is fine, most of those small diesels kubotas and yanmars are fine running from 180 to 195 and under full load they will run in the 200s up to 220 is fine. They generally run the higher thermostats for emissions, it makes them run hotter and burn more completely.

RE: 20kw generator warm up - Richard - 05-06-2026

Mark. I think the original tstat was around 160

RE: 20kw generator warm up - MARKGMC3 - 05-06-2026

(05-06-2026, 05:08 AM)Richard Wrote:  Mark. I think the original tstat was around 160

RICHARD, ACORDING TO THE PART # 23-3608 THE THERMOSTAT IS SET AT 190 DEGREES. THIS # REPLACES KOHLER # 249930.
AVAILABLE AT AUTO ZONE AND MANY OTHER RETAILERS, INCLUDING AMAZON.

RE: 20kw generator warm up - Richard - 05-13-2026

Mark, thanks for that info.

Seriously, Thanks! You helped me gain an understanding of a long journey I had with the yanmar/kohler genset in coach 512. I won’t drag everyone through the story, but after years of inability to cure a smoking generator, the solution was to replace the valves and valves seats. Years of carbon buildup had pitted the valves and seats beyond lapping. I always thought the gen ran cold, but the tstat was stamped 160 and the engine ran at 160. I never cross referenced the Kohler number to the tstat installed.

In reflection, I remember that Tuga, a previous owner, complained about the gen running hot. I never had that issue. Apparently one of the solutions was to put in a lower temp tstat.

The long term problem that caused was the engine would load up with carbon.

Thank you again. I will reach out to the new caretakers of 512 with this info.

RE: 20kw generator warm up - hypoxia - 05-13-2026

The later models with the 20Kw Martin Generator powered by a Yanmar 4TNV84T use a 160° thermostat.  That seemed cold to me but apparently not.  Martin says we should remove the exhaust pipe at some point and bang on it to remove the soot which builds up on a 45' long pipe.  I thought about running a sewer snake through it and blowing it out with a yard blower instead of removing it but haven't gotten to it.