Sportsman 1000i generator

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MotorVation

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 19, 2017
Messages
683
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96
Location
Around Q and Ehrenberg AZ
Just a heads-up. A few of us bought the genny when it was on sale a few weeks ago. Looks like the thread on it was lost when the forum was down for repair.

I crossed the 12 volt battery clamp style leads on the 12 volt circuit by mistake. Duh.
I put a meter on the circuit and it was as dead as a door nail.

The 12 volt protection circuit didn't pop the switch out

I was getting ready to send it back as defective but decided to remove the face plate and take a look. (The face plate that houses the on off switch etc.) Once off, it exposes most of the electrical wiring. There is a plastic sort of cup that also covers the wiring closest to the switches. Pull that back and you'll find a fuse in a fuse holder.
The fuse was cooked. Replaced it with 15A Glass Fuse (GMA), 250v, 5mm x 20mm (3/16" X 3/4") Fast Blow (Fast Acting) and it's as good as new. I bought a pack of five fuses off Amazon and taped the four extra fuses inside the case in case I need another somewhere down the road.
Here's the link to the fuses on Amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074JZF7KQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074JZF7KQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074JZF7KQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
 
jimindenver said:
Nice!

Thanks

You're welcome. I read all the literature it came with and I didn't remember seeing anything about that fuse. I could have overlooked it.

In any case, it's a good running little machine and I'm glad I didn't have to send it back.
 
I just started mine for the first time and white smoke is coming out the exhaust port. Any idea what the problem might be? Too much oil? I followed the manual on adding oil.

Thanks.
 
JRRNeiklot said:
I just started mine for the first time and white smoke is coming out the exhaust port.  Any idea what the problem might be?  Too much oil?  I followed the manual on adding oil.

Thanks.

Mine didn't do that but I've read reviews about that happening. Sportsman now recommends (in the manual) 7.5 oz but I put it all the way up to the lowest thread on the filler neck and didn't have a problem. My guess would be too much oil also. Maybe the genny wasn't completely level when you added it? There could also have been some oil left in the engine when they tested it at the factory and it found its way into the combustion chamber during shipping?
This stuff always seems to happen on the weekend but I would call Sportsman. I've heard they have really good customer support. Good luck with it, mine is better than expected for the price..
 
JRRNeiklot said:
I just started mine for the first time and white smoke is coming out the exhaust port.  Any idea what the problem might be?  Too much oil?  I followed the manual on adding oil.

Mine did that as well, and from reading the reviews from Home Depot where I bought mine it seemed a pretty common occurrence. For the first few times of operation it would put out a heavy stream of white smokey oily exhaust, losing power, then clear up and recover. The problem resolves itself and my generator has been running great for a year now.

I'm guessing some units get turned from upright in shipping and whatever oil was left after QC testing and draining finds its way into someplace like the crankcase ventilation, then getting drawn into the intake. Also make sure the oil isn't over-full. Their instructions I think are misleading and may lead to overfilling. I remember draining off an ounce or two of oil.
 
A long as we're discussing issues with the little Sportsman; be aware that the choke lever is a very dainty plastic assembly and will break very easily. I carry my generator in the passenger footwell and it may be that leaning against the seat cushion caused it to break off.

The choke lever itself is simply butt-glued to the choke shaft, a very weak mechanical design. I repaired mine after removing the air cleaner assembly, then by drilling a tiny hole down the center of the choke shaft and tapping in a #4 screw about 1 inch long and bent at a right angle to create a new lever.
 
I ran mine for about an hour and it eventually cleared up and seems to be running fine now, so it was probably too much oil.
 
bonvanroulez said:
be aware that the choke lever is a very dainty plastic assembly and will break very easily. I carry my generator in the passenger footwell and it may be that leaning against the seat cushion caused it to break off.

Thanks, I'll have to pay attention to that...
 
There's a warning with this generator: High Altitude Use: This generator is not recommended for high altitude use above 3,000 feet.

Anyone used this thing at high altitude?
 
I bought mine and broke it in at 5000 feet. I have run it at 9500 ft. Some places I have run mine without knowing the altitude are Flagstaff, Bishop, and Rampart range. I am pretty sure those are all above 3000 ft.
 
Mine works great where ever I have tried it. Don't be concerned any negative posts on this fine little generator.
 
Anyone know how to drain the carb in this thing? Supposedly, there is a drain screw to loosen, but I can't seem to find it.
 
Yeah, that's been my experience, too, but there is no screw there.
 
got a picture? is the fuel bowl and carb one piece? that would be a very poor design that I would call a flaw. highdesertranger
 
There may be a bolt head holding the bowl on from the bottom, not a screw. A picture is worth a thousand words.
 
Looks like there are 4 tiny screws holding the TINY bowl in place. I finally figured it out. Carb needs a good cleaning anyway.
 
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