Generator Won’t Start?
Step-by-step repair guides for every common generator failure — won’t start, starts then dies, no power output, surging. Diagnose it yourself, fix it right, and skip the $300 service call.
What Is Your Generator Doing?
Pick the symptom and go straight to the fix.
Won’t Start / Won’t Turn Over
No fire at all — fuel, spark, air, or a gummed carburetor.
Starts Then Dies
Fires for a few seconds then quits — classic stale-fuel carb clog.
Runs But No Power
Engine runs fine but no electricity at the outlets — AVR, capacitor, brushes.
Surging / Hunting
RPM revs up and down — carb, governor, or stale fuel.
Hard to Start
Takes many pulls or won’t catch when cold.
Smoking
Black, white, or blue smoke — each color means something different.
Overheats / Shuts Down
Runs then quits hot — load, oil, cooling, or thermal trip.
Low-Oil Shutdown
Shuts off or won’t start with oil present — sensor issue.
Trips Breaker / GFCI
Breaker pops the moment a load is connected — overload or fault.
Leaking Fuel or Oil
Gas or oil pooling — carb bowl, fuel line, gasket, or overfill.
Repair by Part
Component-level repair walkthroughs.
Carburetor
The #1 cause of no-start and starts-then-dies on stored units.
⚡Spark Plug
Reading a plug tells you how the engine is running. Gap, replace, diagnose.
⚗AVR / Voltage Regulator
Runs but no power, or wildly wrong voltage at the outlets.
⏻Capacitor
Brushless generators that lose output — cheap part, simple test.
⛳Fuel System
Tank, valve, lines, filter, pump — everything between the gas and the carb.
Repair by Brand
Brand-specific failure patterns and fixes.
Generator Basics
Sizing, maintenance, and safety fundamentals.