New Yamaha EF2000iS inverter Generator Oil Issue

[boraticus]

Further to the Honda auto engine oil consumption issue, this link clarifies what was happening. Seems the variable cylinder management system is the cause. Reading the article it appears that if the engine isn't under load, cylinders are deactivated resulting in no combustion. I'm assuming now, that with no combustion, the piston rings may not be expanding sufficiently enough to control oil. Interesting enough but certainly unrelated to what happening with the generator.

http://www.hondaproblems.com/trends/excessive-oil-consumption/

 

[TiredTrucker]

I have about 367 hrs on my Yamaha EF200is. Bought it about 14 months ago. Been only using 5w30 Schaeffer in it since the first change at 8 hrs. Runs great, doesn't use hardly any oil. Change it about every 80-90 hours. Gets used more in winter than summer.

 

[boraticus]

Been a while since I've posted anything regarding this issue simply due to nothing to report. Things had pretty much remained the same until recently.

As per usual, I was checking oil levels ever 25 to 30 hours and topping up with one or two oz. as required. Strange thing is that as the accumulated hours approached around 950, I notice the oil level wasn't dropping nearly as much. I can now run a full 100 hours with only a total of 2 oz. being consumed. I can only assume that the engine took that long to break in?

Fuel consumption remains excellent, averaging 3.8 or so hours per liter on mimimal load. Overall, I'm now very much satisfied with this generator.

 

[TiredTrucker]

I have been using my Yamaha 2000 more this summer than previously. Using it to power a main engine off air conditioner in my semi truck. I can get a 10 hr rest break in with the Yamaha running the full time and use 1 tank of gas. Never had the generator run out of gas once. Have near 500 hrs on mine now and as good as the day it was new. One of the best bang for the buck purchases I have made.

Have a custom box mounted on the frame rail of the truck that the generator rides in. And it runs in also. I just remove a cutout panel on the rear of the box and the side when I set up for a rest break and the generator runs right in the box out of weather and secure. Has done a great job whether it is -20F or 100F. A great little generator.

 

[Lenny5160]

I happened across this thread when Googling the problem that I've been having with my EF2000iS. I have an interesting twist for you!

I bought mine almost exactly 3 years ago. I don't recall my break-in procedure, but I am pretty sure I just let it run for a few hours with Eco Mode OFF but no electrical load on it. Anyway, since new I've had the same issue as the OP - runs like a top and doesn't smoke, but I need to add oil every 20-30 hours.

At some point last year, it completely stopped using oil. I didn't change anything; it just sealed up! I was super happy.

A few weeks ago, I changed the oil and for the first time I removed the exhaust screen and spark arrestor to give them a good cleaning with brake cleaner and a wire brush. I was proud of myself for being a good generator owner and taking care of my stuff.

Since I did that, it is now using oil again at the same rate it did before! Same drips of clean oil off the end of the exhaust pipe that the OP described. The additional back pressure of the clogged exhaust must have sealed it up, or stopped it from pulling oil out of the pipe?

 

[boraticus]

Well folks, I'm back with my seven year report on the Yamaha EF2000is. To date, I have close to 2400 hours on the generator. It has been flawless other than oil consumption, which has since diminished somewhat. It still consumes some oil but probably less than half as much as when new. Couldn't be more pleased with it. Rock solid reliable, quiet, and sips incredibly small amounts of fuel. It's going on it's eighth year and I suspect it may outlive me! Anybody bought the Chinese built EF2000is? I'd like to hear how long term reliable they are?

 

[tempestv8]

Greetings from DownUnder!

I just bought a Chinese built EF2000is. Bought it used, year of manufacture is 2017, judging by the stamps on the engine. The previous owner said that they hardly ever used it, due to health issues, their camping plans have been put on haitus, along with their caravan and said generator.

I decided to do an oil change, and when I took the cover off, wow, the internals looked like it only just left the factory. Not a speck of dust, everything looked simply brand new. I drained the oil out and it was still in very good condition.

I rummaged around the garage and could only find an opened bottle of Honda Premium Engine Oil 10W-30 API SJ so in that went into the Yamaha.

Much later I opened the owners manual and checked the oil recommendation. Says Yamalube 10W-40, and also specifies API SE or higher as a recommendation, but also allows for SAE 10W-30. I found this puzzling as to why Yamaha would recommend API SE as this is a long obsolete engine oil. Kind of speaks to the design parameters of the engine, perhaps. Maybe this is meant so that the generator can be used in any world regions or countries where available engine oils may not be as high quality as in the developed countries.

I have not yet started the engine. Hope the Honda oil is OK for use in a Yamaha engine! Anyone have a view on this? Ambient temperatures in Melbourne is around 15 to 22 deg C during the day (59 to 71 deg F).

One reason why I haven't started the engine is that I'm waiting for an hour meter that I ordered to be delivered. And also an aftermarket oil fill plug with a magnet that supposedly picks up any metal debris from the oil.

I actually don't anticipate much use for this generator, as I can't get away camping at any stage soon due to COVID lockdown restrictions. But even in a normal season, I can only get away during the school holiday term breaks, which are in 2 week chunks. And even if I am boondocking somewhere, I would only really need to use the generator if I needed to use the airconditioner on the caravan (you guys call it a travel trailer).

So I may not be able to give you any meaningful oil consumption data anytime soon.

 

[Cujet]

To date, I have close to 2400 hours on the generator. I

That's a good number of hours for any small generator. I'm glad it's holding up well. You may be the world leader in Yamaha 2000 hours!

 

[tempestv8]

Apparently there exists an EF2000iS generator with 18,000 hours, however the link to the document is dead.

Synthetic oil worth it? 18k hour yamaha generator says no.

I know this is going to start a war, figured I post it anyway link is below for a EF2000iS using Pennzoil Conventional 10W40 Motor Oil that has run 18,000 hours. Actually he has multiples over 10k in hours. Yamaha EF2000iS Portable Generator: Product Review | Ghost32Writer I never thought a...

www.tractorbynet.com

 

[Cujet]

I do wonder if 18,000 hours is even possible. At 12 hours per day, 7 days per week, that's well over 4 years of use. The date of that link was 2016. Were the units even available in 2011?

 

[Sam_Julier]

I do wonder if 18,000 hours is even possible. At 12 hours per day, 7 days per week, that's well over 4 years of use. The date of that link was 2016. Were the units even available in 2011?

There was a member from Canada, Clevy I think was his name, who had over 26 Honda engines running air, electric, etc for his framing business. He ran them all year. One had over 10,000 hours. I thought that was remarkable.

 

[Cujet]

There was a member from Canada, Clevy I think was his name, who had over 26 Honda engines running air, electric, etc for his framing business. He ran them all year. One had over 10,000 hours. I thought that was remarkable.

That is pretty remarkable!

I've run off grid via my generator for as many as 6 months at a time. My house is the last on on the line, and therefore I don't seem to be a priority after each of the FL hurricanes. Even many weeks of use, construcing the house, and 2ea multi week power outages, along with 6 months of steady running after hurricane Wilma, stopping just for oil changes and minor repairs, I only accumulated just over 4000 hours.

I'm here to tell you that I spent nearly $10,000 in fuel and a stupid amount for motor oil. I still have 3ea 55 gallon barrels of used motor oil from that. It really is not easy to accumulate 18,000 generator hours.

 

[Sam_Julier]

That is pretty remarkable!

I've run off grid via my generator for as many as 6 months at a time. My house is the last on on the line, and therefore I don't seem to be a priority after each of the FL hurricanes. Even many weeks of use, construcing the house, and 2ea multi week power outages, along with 6 months of steady running after hurricane Wilma, stopping just for oil changes and minor repairs, I only accumulated just over 4000 hours.

I'm here to tell you that I spent nearly $10,000 in fuel and a stupid amount for motor oil. I still have 3ea 55 gallon barrels of used motor oil from that. It really is not easy to accumulate 18,000 generator hours.

What engines power your generators?

 

[tempestv8]

If we are still referring to the Yamaha EF2000iS generator, the engine is a Yamaha MZ80.
Here are some technical details about the engine:

MZ Series Features - Power Products | Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd.

Introduction to the special features of our Multi Purpose Engine.

global.yamaha-motor.com

What I like are - auto cylinder decompression for easier startup, iron sleeved bore for durability, no plastic components inside the engine nor timing belt unlike the Honda EU2000i. It is unusual that Yamaha recommends SAE 10W-40 oil for this engine as most other Outdoor Power Equipment manufacturers seem to have settled on the defacto standard 10W-30.

 

[tempestv8]

I still have 3ea 55 gallon barrels of used motor oil from that.

How do you produce so much waste oil from 4000 hours of use? If you had halved the oil change invervals, 4000 run hours = 80 oil changes every 50 hours. 80 oil changes at 0.4 litres = 32 litres or roughly 8.5 gallons all up.

Also the Yamaha generator at 100% load will run at 1 litre per hour worse case scenario
Assuming 4000 hours at full load, this is 4000 litres or 1060 gallons (rounding up to the nearest 10 gallon)
If 1 gallon is USD $3.40, that's $3600 in fuel cost.

I can only conclude that you have many generators all running at the same time.

 

[tempestv8]

Installed an hour meter to the new (to me) Yamaha generator. Cost all of under USD $6 delivered

Whilst it will show hours, it does not show engine revs, but that's fine by me.

Initially wanted to buy a blue one, but they were double the price, so went with the plain black one. No battery required, but I understand these sealed ones will last around 7 years. Which is OK for me, as I only need the hour meter to help me determine when to change the oil.

Getting ready for boondocking this summer, if the COVID travel restrictions are removed.

 

[thastinger]

I've got a couple of Yamaha inverter gens (EF2K & a 3K ISEB), each only has a couple hundred hours on them but neither has ever consumed oil. I broke both in running half load, no load, full load, no load cycles. They both have M1 Euro 0-40 in them now.