If your Engine will turn a full revolution by hand with no obstruction to the engine, please follow these tips. If there is an obstruction and the engine will not turn over with a good amount of effort, please contact us below.

1. First, be sure you have enough oil in the Generator.

If the Oil is filled to the correct level, and it still won’t start or shuts itself down after a short time, disconnect the wire from the Oil Sensor to the Oil Sensor (CDI) and try running the unit. This is usually a yellow or black wire protruding from the engine above the Dipstick. If you get a spark, with this wire removed, it means that the Oil Sensor CDI needs replacing.

Do not run the engine for prolonged periods of time without the Oil Sensor CDI attached. This device protects your engine from catastrophic failure, in the event the oil gets low or the pressure drops. This inexpensive part could save your engine from a very expensive repair!

2. Remove the Spark Plug from the engine and re-attach it to the Ignition HT Lead. Hold the end of the spark plug tip to a metal section of the engine, and turn over or crank the engine (you might need a friend to help you if your Generator does not have electric start). If all is working correctly, you should see a strong spark, and the engine should run smoothly. Not getting a spark? Then you need to replace your Ignition Coil. Buy a replacement here.

3. Replace fuel with fresh fuel and check the tank does not contain any debris or rust, as this will eventually enter the Cylinder Head and begin to cause damage. Drain some fuel into a glass and inspect it for particles and/or (a small layer of) water. Replace rusted Fuel Tanks as soon as possible as the contaminants will damage your engine. Replace all the fuel (and flush the Tank by swilling with a small quantity of fresh fuel) if you find water or contaminants.

4. Check if the fuel is getting to the head by checking if the Spark Plug is wet after cranking the engine. If the Spark Plug is dry: 

• If your unit has a Fuel Pump, check it is working correctly.
• Remove the Carburetor. Clean, replace and try starting the Generator. 
• Rebuild it with a Carburetor Repair Kit (if available for your model).
• If this does not fix the problem you will need to replace the Carburetor. The high Ethanol content of fuel these days can eat away the Carburetor housing and turn into a “varnish” that blocks the internals of the fuel system.
• Check the Float Needle is moving freely (See video below).

5. Service the Generator. This should fix most running problems, you should service your Generator regularly – as instructed in your manual. Change the oil, all filters and inspect the air filter closely. The foam of the filters has a tendency to break up and get pulled into the head. To give you an idea of how important regular servicing is, the standard is to service every year, or every 500 hours, whichever comes first. Full-Service Kits are available for most Generators.

6. If you have removed the Carburetor, or adjusted the settings on the Carburetor, then there are a few more things you need to check:

A) Be sure the Air Mixture Screw is set correctly. The Air Mixture Screw is brass, with a spring behind it, on the side of the Carburetor. On the vast majority of modern units, it is usually set to “1.5 turns back from tight.” but take note of the setting before changing incase the setting for your engine is different.

B) Check the Carburetor Gaskets are not pinched or split. This will also affect the Air/Fuel mixture. Replace if necessary. We sell these separately from the full Gasket Kits where possible. Look up “Carburetor Gaskets” on our parts system to see if we do it for your engine.

C) Check the Float Needle inside the Carburetor Bowl is moving freely.