Practical, data-backed guides to generator sizing, maintenance and running costs — compiled from the manufacturer documents behind this site.
A generator set is three separate products bolted together — engine, generator end (alternator), and controller — often from three different companies. Here's how to tell them apart.
Engine runs but no power? In 506 manufacturer troubleshooting entries the cause is a tripped breaker 71% of the time, wiring 25%, and the AVR only 18%. Check them in that order.
Generator hunting or surging? Across 268 manufacturer troubleshooting entries, fuel delivery is named in 73% of cases, the governor in 47% and ignition in 35%. Diagnose in that order.
A genset controller and an engine governor do different jobs on the same machine. Here's what each one actually controls, with real controller examples from our catalog.
A complete air-cooled generator oil change: tools, the right oil weight, draining without a floor drain plug, filter swap, and refill — with buy links for every part.
Real generator service intervals from 51,203 records: change oil and oil filter every ~500 h or yearly, plus fuel/air filters and daily checks.
Troubleshoot and clear fault codes for the Cummins/Onan DQKB generator model.
In 611 manufacturer troubleshooting entries for a diesel genset that won't start, battery/connections lead at 40%, fuel system 39%, then a wrong switch position or controller fault at 32% and the starter itself only 20%. Check in that order.
Learn about fault codes for the Perkins 1104D-E44T generator model to diagnose and resolve issues.
Troubleshoot Perkins 1106D generator issues using the 16 documented fault codes.
We analyzed 10,275 complete symptom→cause→fix entries from 229 brands' service manuals and ranked what actually takes generators down when the weather hits — and how much of it is preventable.