So the hour meter on my genersator is not working. There is also a light that should come on when the power is on and that does not work. All the outlets work. The wire diagram shows the 2 wires from the hour meter goes to each leg of power. How will the meter and light work if there is no ground or neutral that goes to them? I will try to post the wire diagram. I Just do not want to spend money on a new one if they are still good. Thanks
I'm assuming this is at least a 240v capable genset? For 240v a neutral isn't required as the two 120v phases are 180 degrees out from each other, so the opposing leg acts as the neutral return on each cycle. Or more basically 240v circuits don't require a neutral (this applies to home electrical supply as well in the US). If you're generator is 3 phase it depends on the setup but similar principals kind of apply.
As to the reason yours isn't working (as well as the power indicator light), I'd check the wiring first. I'd assume they're wired in line with each other... so a poor connection or damaged wire can certainly be the cause. It may also be fused so check for in line fuses or fuses at the connection points. Hour meters also just go bad/fail sometimes, especially if it's mechanical and in an older genset.
It's under $15 for a basic replacement , or assuming that you're not using a diesel genset an even simpler/cheaper solution would be an inductive meter
which can be had for under $10
If you can give us a make/model/size.. any additional info it may be easier to narrow down possible causes. If it were me, I'd pull the meter and bench test it but I'm hesitant to suggest such a thing unless you're really comfortable with what you're doing and have a solid understanding of AC electrical wiring/safe practices... a mistake in many cases will lead to 3rd degree burns at best and death at worst. In fact, I'd suggest going with the $10 inductive wire meter as a quick and easy replacement that also has the bonus of zero (or near zero) electrocution risk. You simply wrap the induction wire around the spark plug wire 5+ times (if you have a diesel this isn't an option), secure with zip ties/electrical tape and double sided tape or self tapper screw the meter wherever you'd like. Wham bam easy and you're good to go.
