Honda EU2000i Generator Fuel Shut-Off (The Easy Way!)

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The Honda EU2000i portable generator is an amazing piece of equipment.

2000 watts , inverter based, extremely quiet and sips fuel……but it has one glaring issue in this real world of ethanol gas.

When you shut it down, the carburetor holds a few tablespoons full of fuel. As the gas evaporates it leaves a varnish like residue that causes hard starting (or NO starting) the next time you go to use the generator.

The internet is chock full of folks adding fuel cut off devices and other means to rectify this situation. But it is really quite simple to do it yourself.

The EU2000i has an “ENGINE SWITCH” that is used to shut down the generator at the end of its use.

This engine switch does two things….it shuts off the fuel to the carburetor AND it shorts out the spark-plug to stop the engine.  All well and good, but this leaves a few tablespoons  of fuel in the carburetor. Just enough to really mess up the works!

Honda did install a drain for the “float bowl” that is accessed from a small screw and a little plastic pipe drains the float bowl. This is a nice feature, but not enough with the crappy fuel the government has mandated.

But this STILL  leaves a bit of gas in the carburetor.

So, what to do….?

Disconnect the spark-plug shorting / ground circuit and install a separate switch for this function and allow the Engine Switch to only shut off the fuel supply.

First…Open the side access door and find a white, two wire connector with a green and black wire. You can easily trace it back to the Engine Switch to be sure you are dealing with the correct wire.

Disconnect this white connector.

Find the wire that is connected to the engine…Not the wire going to the switch and either cut the connector off and add two new pieces of wire. Or do what I did and leave the connector intact and solder two new wires into the existing wire just after the connector.

You could also use what is called “Scotch Lock Connectors” to splice into these wires.Available at Radio Shack or any auto-parts store.

 

But I like solder on any wiring that is exposed to excessive vibration.

These two new wires will now go to a simple “Single Pole-Single Throw” (SPST) switch that you can mount anywhere you please.

I cut a hole for a thumb type toggle switch that I found at Radio Shack.

 

 

But a simple toggle switch that you drill a hole for is easier to install.

Now…..Button everything up…

 

Be sure your new “STOP”  switch is in the “RUN” position (breaking the circuit), turn the ENGINE SWITCH to “ON”, set the choke and start the generator.

Test your new “STOP” switch to see if it is functioning properly. When you flip this switch the engine should die immediately. Leave the ENGINE SWITCH in the ON position.

Return the “STOP” switch to the RUN position.

Start the generator again. This time turn the “ENGINE SWITCH” to off. The generator will run for quite some time with the fuel shut off. Just shows how little fuel this generator uses. After a few minutes the engine will sputter and die.

Now here is the important part…..Set the choke like you would for a cold start and leaving the “Engine Switch ” in the OFF position and your new “STOP” switch in the RUN  position, start the generator again. It will run rough and only run for a few seconds, using up the last drops of fuel in the carburetor.

THAT’S IT!…The carburetor is now empty…….(Well, if you turn the float drain screw you might get a few more drops of fuel out of the float bowl…..recommended) Once you have drained the float bowl, be sure to return this screw to its closed position.

This little modification make a great generator even GREATER!

One last caution…..Folks have told me you should not do a “Run Dry” with any electrical devices hooked up to the generator. They warn that damage could be done to the sensitive electrical devices as the generator goes through that final run down phase. This procedure only needs to be performed when the generator is going into long term storage….More than a month in my book is long term storage.

Also, if you shut the generator down overnight or for some other short period of time, use BOTH the Engine Switch and the new STOP switch. STOP switch first and then shut off the fuel with the ENGINE SWITCH.

THANKS!

 

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33 comments on “Honda EU2000i Generator Fuel Shut-Off (The Easy Way!)”

  1. Greg Palman Reply

    Why not just use 100LL aviation gas? I use it in my Yamaha 6600 generator with no issues. Thanks.

    • Vlad

      Unscrew the drain screw completely, get carb cleaner and stick the straw into the screw hole and spray it inside the carburetor and flush it out. Best solution for long or short storage.

  2. Darryl Reply

    Hi

    I liked the idea you posted. However before I went ahead with the project I first disconnect the wire that kills the generator and shut off the gas. After about 3 minutes the generator stopped. I then tried to empty to float bowl and found that there a was still gas in the bowl. I am concerned that this also will continue to cause a problem even when you let the engine run dry.

    Let me know what you think.

    Thanks

    • Roy Bertalotto

      Yes a little bit of fuel remains in the bowl. But on both of my generators it is a lot less then if I simply shut off the generator the normal way. I still use the drain screw to remove the last few drops when I’m going to store the generators for a long period of time.

  3. Jill Smith Reply

    Not sure why this is any better a solution than adding the fuel cutoff valve. Same amount work, same number of switches.

    • Roy Bertalotto

      Not sure what you mean by “fuel cut off”? The Honda 2000 already has s fuel cut off. That is what the big knob does when you turn it to off. But since it also cuts ignition, it doesn’t let the fuel run out in the carburetor .

  4. R Fisher Reply

    Roy – Jill Smith is referring to the many videos on YouTube about installing a fuel petcock valve between the fuel tank and the carburetor. To empty the carburetor you shut off the petcock and let the generator run until the carburetor is empty then you turn the main switch off. While both techniques seem relatively easy I think yours is slightly easier.

  5. Steve Reply

    I don’t care what suggestions there are made to “fine tune” this post. This is a well thought out and innovative way to deal with a Honda design “fault”.
    We can take this idea and adapt it to suit our own perception how it will work best.
    Thanks and well done Roy.

  6. norman Reply

    Hi guys,
    I live on a boat 6 months of the year on canal du midi in france & am about to buy honda eu2000i to use when afloat.
    if I simply run my gen until my tank is empty will this have the same effect ?

  7. Robert Reply

    By installing the switch have you not disabled the quick shutdown feature of the generator which protects sensitive electrical equipment from the surge of running out of fuel?

  8. bryan harris Reply

    great mod! just finished this and I’m very certain is was easier than doing the fuel line interruption. thank you for posting. this was the only webpage i found on this method.

  10. Chris Reply

    Hello. I see the connector. Do I add the switch inline to the black wire or the green wire? Thanks..im not seeing the pictures show up

  11. Jerry Reply

    Hi Roy,
    Im confused with this. Hopefully you can clarify it a bit. You said you added two wires. Was it one to black one to green????? But also said split the green wire to the switch. Can you please explain this,a litle better.

    Thanks for the help

  12. david Reply

    Really great !

    A sneaky problem with these generaters is that the “electric” section of the “on-off engine switch” Fails often, but still works as a fuel on-off . it is a “dual purpose switch!
    leading many people to an un-needed carb clean/repair when they cant start generator.

    This mod you do is a very valuble fix for this “hidden” expensive and hard to get at on-off switch, and really makes for great reliability !!

  13. tod Reply

    the new 2200i has a fuel cut off just before the off position, wondering if that will shut off the 2000i fuel in the same almost off position , could just swap in a new switch/ shut off from the 2200i

  14. JD Reply

    Not available everywhere and you could damage the engine with the high lead content. But you are correct 100LL stays fresh indefinitely.

  15. eu2000 Reply

    im super new to all this.. on a toggle switch green wire goes to off and blk goes to on correct plz let me know asap

    • Roy Bertalotto

      It depends on the particular toggle switch you are using. You are simply making and breaking the connection on that wire

  16. Ed Muns Reply

    I’m not understanding why the added toggle switch is needed. Just disconnecting the spark plug grounding circuit allows the carburetor to be emptied. Why is the new toggle switch ever needed to kill the engine?

    • Roy Bertalotto

      Hi Ed,
      Not sure where you are disconnecting the sparkplug….If you simply turn the fuel know, that shuts the engine off with fuel still in the fuel line and the float bowl. Even with my modification you still need to drain the float bowl with the little screw under the carburetor.

  17. Dan Minor Reply

    Roy,
    If you first run an unmodified e2001 dry (empty tank and lines to the carb), then drain the float bowl using the factory screw (empty float camber), precisely where does gas remain in the system? Thank you!

    • Roy Bertalotto

      If you do as you say, there is no fuel anywhere in the system. When I am not going to use my generators for an extended period of time, I dump all the fuel out of the tank and into a gas can, put a couple squirts of Sea Foam gas preservative in the generators tank, start it up and let it run out of fuel. Then drain the float bowl. There is now zero fuel anywhere in the system and the Sea Foam (or other gasoline preservative) coats the carburetor and float bowl until the generator is needed again. Hope this helps

  18. Bill W Reply

    My caution on the pictured toggle switch is in moving the gen around ad storing. It would protrude and be easy to break off. Your thumb switch would be better, OR you could route the wire and mount switch on the top. My storing spot when traveling is on back of trailer between two boxes. secure but tight. Getting ready to do this mod, so walking therough all uses and possible issues.

    Nicely done tutorial!

    Question,Is there an actual fuel pump or is it a solenoid that cuts off the fuel? If a pump I assume it is powered by the gen circuit, so there would be no means of priming carb other than user pulling start rope a number of times.

    • Roy Bertalotto

      Hi Bill, there is a fuel pump…but that is not what shuts off the fuel. Turning the knob actually shuts a valve to9 the fuel. And yes, you can mount the “kill” switch anywhere you like by extending the wires…

  19. Charles Bothams Reply

    I would like a timer so I can run the generator for 6 hours and it stops at that period. Don’t like to run out of fuel as to hard to restart

    • Roy Bertalotto

      All you would need to do is wire in a simple clock timer with a “make/break” switch and have it connected to where I mounted that on/off switch.

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