Where do you start?
Boys have a Honda 2000 and they were packing for an elk trip and the Honda went on vacation too. They got a Dewalt and away they went.
What could be the problem?

I am no help, I pull the rope on mine a couple times and she fires up and runs like a clock. Try the Google I guess.

I have rebuilt a couple. More details?

Did it sit along time with crap gas ?

Motor won't start or no output at the plug?
If it's no output, sometimes if the gen sets for a while the magnets get weak.

Open the air vent on the gas cap.

Engine runs, just don't make juice.

I'll look into it tomorrow. I'll tap it with a tune-up hammer first thing.

It is September now so an 8 pounder is the minimum legal weight.

Turn it off and then back on. Sorry, couldn’t help it. And yeah the tune up hammer would have been my first suggestion but you were already there.

8# is the smallest I keep around so I'll start there.
It might been used too much when it was new.

Following this because that quiet little gen is the one i was thinking of buying for my wife to. Use for her events in the summer to run lights and a fan

I highly recommend Predator by Harbor Freight
Started by a guy that left Honda and started his own company. Uses same parts as Honda at half the price.

check for a reset button?

What about Generac? It's made in America.

Plug in an electric drill.

Need to excite the electro gizmos inside to re-energize the field.or something like that.

Really does work

ETA
You've lost residual magnetism

ETA2

Electric Drill Method
This is a super easy method for testing if it is the loss of residual magnetism that is causing your problem. Even better, if your theory is right it will fix your generator in the process.

Plug an electric drill into the receptacle of the generator. Make sure that you have the drill in a forward position. Press down on the trigger of the drill.

Now, start your generator. Then start to release the drill’s trigger. You want to be spinning the drill’s clip in reverse.
If the problem is with loss of residual magnetism then doing this will wakeup the magnetic field in the generator. The drill will turn on and start spinning. The generator will now produce power.

If this doesn’t work, try spinning the drill in the other direction. You may have your reverse switch positioned backward.

Tip – Make sure that nothing is attached to the drill bit when doing this method. The drill will turn itself on as soon as the generator’s field is woken up. It will start spinning, as will anything else attached to the drill bit.

Tip – if this does not work you should try replacing your Automatic Voltage Generator. As that is the next most likely cause of your problem.

I haven't looked at it myself but I will today.

What about it? Don't think there's a dealer in town and I wasn't aware they made a 40# 20000 watt generator but it's worth looking into.

Thank you! Very informative. I'll try to find an electric drill that is corded. It's been a long time.

Try this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Fk1AgrOUjs

Sure enough they do! Thank you.

We’ll I’ll be.

I had that issue with my inverter generator, fortunately it was just a bolt that came loose on the rotor/ stator

I would start with the voltage regulator. You can purchase an after market one online relatively cheap, and easily install it.

Interesting...thank you

Push the reset button.

Many small gen's require monthly fire ups to keep the magnets "exited" or they won't produce. You will need to take it to a qualified shop/dealer to have it re-exited to work again. Read the manual that came with it.

This magnet theory is wonderful, but I have been running small generators for over 30 years as my electrical power source and have never had this issue. Some of these generators sit years without use. Anything is possible though.

If you overload the system, it will run but won't make any power.

Turn the switch to OFF. Generator should be off.

Push in the overload button below the outlets on the side.

Turn the switch back on.

Open the gas cap vent on top.

Flip the choke to ON.

Pull the cord to start. Shut OFF the choke.

If it runs, it should have power now. Happens a lot if you overload the Honda 2000. It has to be shut off and turned back on. You cannot just pop the overload button back in while it's running, still no power, shut it off first. Pop the button, turn it all back on, should work fine.

One of my.brothers used to repair and flip a LOT of small.engines, OBs, etc.
He bought a number of " runs but don't make power" gens and about half, drill trick worked.

Again, that and trying the reset is easy and don't cost a cent, so good first try.

Just bump it with a suicide cord , if its the exciter coil it will power up . could be dirty slip rings also. got no idea if small gen have brushes, but most welders i work on do and it could just be a stuck brush.

With an EU, I'm not sure you can do a lot of the stuff recommended? The power comes from an inverter. The generator powers capacitors( I believe) that supply the inverter. Maybe you can?

^^^ I am sure it has an Overload Trip - Push the Reset and see if it will power a lamp or light load.

On the Honda the Rill method won't work as the 2000 is an inverter Jenny and you will screw up the board if you try that trick. Sure fore way to kill it good.

They do have a trip switch if they had a short or do much draw. Dust on the board together with moisture is another fault that will stop them from exiting pixies. Blow the thing out with some compressed air. failing that, its down to electronicals and probably expensive.
I have 2 of them sitting here ... one with a really sick engine and one with electronic issues in the inverter section. So I am planning to build one good one out of the two.

Buy it you won’t be disappointed.

It’s so worth it to spend a few extra bucks on the Honda.

I'm following this thread too. Lots of good information I did no know about, especially the need to start and let run every so often.
I've been running ethanol-free or True Fuel in my small engines for a year now. Seems to be helping, they run better and way less problems.

Go to u tube video's . James Condon, he fixes , and repairs. sick generators, all the time . have seen him working an honda 2000 's . might pick up a tip there. If not he is fun to watch, a real generator , guru. old 243

I run three on a rotating schedule....Honda 2000, MTM 2000 and Generac 2200.

I favor the generac but the MTM has run 75% of the time since covid started...I run these invertors for power. So, the MTM has thousands of hours on it.

The Honda has been picky about spark plugs and can give issues where I have to change a fairly new plug to get it to run right.

The MTM sips the gas, the Generac uses a bit more gas than the MTM and the honda uses the most gas. Spring thru fall the MTM uses less than 5 gallons a week but I don't ever run ac.

Just did an overhaul on the MTM and it is running great now....all three are very quiet.

I don't think drill thing will harm the inverter. That is why they breaker on the generator/inverter.

Keep us posted on how this turns out. That way if mine ever gives up the ghost I will have some place to start looking. Thanks

Nice to know...
Thanks