E4 Error on Dishwasher

[spindrift]

Your surge protector is either before, or after, your ATS. If it's before, then your genny is out of the picture but your ATS is protected. If the surge protector is after the ATS, your genny is protected but you're ATS is not. Most surge protectors are now wired before the ATS in order to protect the ATS because the newer generators have internal protection.

[spindrift]

Originally Posted by Blue Dogs

I don't have a surge guard, I have a potable at the power source.

Yale...not sure I understand this. A portable surge protector is always mounted/installed at the power tower. Surge Guard is just a manufacturer's name for a surge protector/suppressor and can either be hard wired inside the coach, or installed on the tower power (in which case it's a portable model).

[Blue Dogs]

I was saying I use a portable at the tower so mine does not come into play vs the hard wired units with the dishwasher issue.

[TNTBaker]

Wow. We GOTTA figure this out!!

[Railcat]

I have the Surge Guard with the remote display installed. My surge guard is installed down stream of my transfer switch enabling my appliances to be protected while using my generator. I have the factory installed Onan 5500. I believe I know what the issue is, when the generator is running and there is hardly any load my voltage reads 113 to 116 volts. When I turn something on that draws some current like a ac or microwave it will boost the voltage to 121-124 volts which raises the rpm of the gen. My assumption is when the generator is at low rpm the current is not enough to run the low drawing dishwasher. You might try running the ac's or something else while starting the dishwasher and see if it works. I haven't hardly used my gen yet to know if mine has an issue. The only problem I have had with my dishwasher is I believe a U3 code because the bottom water blade fell off, took me a while to figure that out.

[Blue Dogs]

Originally Posted by Railcat

I have the Surge Guard with the remote display installed. My surge guard is installed down stream of my transfer switch enabling my appliances to be protected while using my generator. I have the factory installed Onan 5500. I believe I know what the issue is, when the generator is running and there is hardly any load my voltage reads 113 to 116 volts. When I turn something on that draws some current like a ac or microwave it will boost the voltage to 121-124 volts which raises the rpm of the gen. My assumption is when the generator is at low rpm the current is not enough to run the low drawing dishwasher. You might try running the ac's or something else while starting the dishwasher and see if it works. I haven't hardly used my gen yet to know if mine has an issue. The only problem I have had with my dishwasher is I believe a U3 code because the bottom water blade fell off, took me a while to figure that out.

Problem is you don't even have to attempt to run the dishwasher, you get the E-4 code on power up. So as soon as the gen comes on line the code sets. When the code is flashing you can't reset it and none of the function buttons work. The only way to reset and get any functions is to turn the breaker off then back on or switch back to shore power. Sometime when switching or starting shore power I still get the code. Turn main breaker off then back on, all is fine! Weird.

[atom ant]

Originally Posted by Railcat

I have the Surge Guard with the remote display installed. My surge guard is installed down stream of my transfer switch enabling my appliances to be protected while using my generator. I have the factory installed Onan 5500. I believe I know what the issue is, when the generator is running and there is hardly any load my voltage reads 113 to 116 volts. When I turn something on that draws some current like a ac or microwave it will boost the voltage to 121-124 volts which raises the rpm of the gen. My assumption is when the generator is at low rpm the current is not enough to run the low drawing dishwasher. You might try running the ac's or something else while starting the dishwasher and see if it works. I haven't hardly used my gen yet to know if mine has an issue. The only problem I have had with my dishwasher is I believe a U3 code because the bottom water blade fell off, took me a while to figure that out.

My Onan is fixed throttle. I dont believe Iit is capable of compensating for voltage by RPM.

[atom ant]

Hopefully a silly question, but any chance one of the generator feed circuits
have the hot and neutral reversed?

[Blue Dogs]

Cummins Northwest (onan Service center) has spent about 3 hrs completely checking out my gen set so I'm pretty sure not mine. Plus everything else runs just perfect off the gen.
My onan voltage stays constant with load, no load (verified by cummins NW) so I'm sure there is no load variance.

[johnboytoo]

Good deal, that's one variable (and excuse) eliminated...
now to go to the other finger pointer, the dw people, and get their version of "Not my yob, man" so you can got back to Redwood to get their reasoning

good luck !

[TNTBaker]

The fact the flipping the circuit breaker causes a "fix" PLUS the fact that ALL other electronics work FINE on the RW under gen power, causes me to gravitate toward the dishwasher having a sensitivity issue that needs to be addressed. Also, there are many posts regarding the FP dishwasher in other RV's having the same problem... The evidence suggests it's the DW IMHO. By the way, I also tried unplugging the dishwasher and plugging it back in while under gen power to see if it was a "startup" issue. no go. Still beeps and flashes E4 error. I will try the circuit breaker flip next time I start up the gen... Very weird.

[TNTBaker]

If anyone else cares to check theirs out under the same conditions, it would be fascinating to know! DOES your dishwasher work under gen power??

[atom ant]

Cant' wait to try it Wednesday! Mainly because that means I'll be on Vacation!

[Railcat]

I'll try and go use mine tomorrow to see what it does. Ok turn off your breaker for the dishwasher fire up the genny turn on your ac's let it run a minute then turn on your breaker and see what it does. I don't know if that will change anything or not but worth a try. I know for a fact at idle or no load they only put out that 113 volts so that is probably the issue. The dishwasher like you said is probably just really voltage sensitive. I would guess there will be nothing you can do to fix the issue if the above doesn't work.

[atom ant]

According to the attached spec - Frequency and Voltage regulation on the 5500 from no load to full load is frequency <5% and voltage 1.1%. Shouldn't be seeing 113 volts if I'm reading this right.

[Blue Dogs]

Just checked mine, no load 120v

[TNTBaker]

This is very interesting, especially when you consider all of the troubleshooting Yale has gone through for the exact same problem. I am going to test mine again too, and will post up results. I know that sometimes circuit boards are sensitive to the fluctuating levels of voltage (even within normal range) that happen with a generator. I am SURE that if I called Fisher Paykel they would tell me "our dishwashers are not designed to be used with generators or in RV's". What do you want to bet? Luckily, this isn't a huge deal, but I would like to be able to use my dishwasher under gen power if I want. :-( That seems reasonable to me. I am confident that between all of us, we can figure this thing out.

[johnboytoo]

OH I hope so,
that would be tragic to not be able to use the dishwasher while boon docking !!!

[TNTBaker]

I would simply avoid dirty dishes all together. By not cooking.

[Railcat]

Oh boy! Yeah boon docking and Redwood don't mix, LOL!