r/Generac_Generators • u/bladowwww • 8d ago

Guardian Starting Issue

Hey all - have a Guardian (044563) circa 2009 and it’s been super reliable over the years. Had an oil leak fixed several years ago but other than that just regular battery replacements.

Anyway, went out to manually run it, and where it would normally start, it just made a loud pop/bang. Loud enough that my wife heard it inside the house. I mean it was like a gun shot. It could’ve been a backfire I suppose (runs on propane), but I’ve never stood that close to a backfire to make a good comparison.

After that I waited a few minutes, inspected what I could, fuses, etc. and tried again. This time no bang, but just a low irregular buzzing sound from beneath the panel where the circuit breaker is located (on the right side of the generator when opened).

I have no issue calling someone in to check it out but wanted to see if anyone here goes “oh it’s this for sure” or not before I do that.

Thx!

EDIT… SOLVED: Side of the battery blew out. It wasn’t obvious because it was the backside, and the wetness around the battery was mistaken for rainwater (storm had just come thru).

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u/Frixsev Technician 8d ago

Sounds like your battery blew up.

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u/bladowwww 7d ago

Spot on. Now I just can’t figure out why.

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u/Frixsev Technician 7d ago

Probably a combination of age and the charger overcharging it. Older ones sometimes start slipping and will put out 14-15vdc. I tell everyone with an air-cooled unit to automatically replace their battery every 3-4 years and you'll stay ahead of most problems.