Air-Cooled Home Standby Maintenance Kit Installation
We recommend contacting your Independent Authorized Service Dealer (IASD) to service your generator. Before performing any maintenance on your own, please consult your owner’s manual to ensure you are using the correct maintenance kit and following all safety precautions.
Regular maintenance for home standby generators consists of replacing the air filter, oil filter, spark plug, changing the oil, checking engine valve clearance, and inspecting the battery.
At every 200 hours, replace the engine oil and oil filter. Find the location of each in your owner’s manual. Start by running your generator in manual for a few minutes to warm up the oil. Then, set the generator to Off. When the unit has cooled down and shut off, take the front panel off. Move your suitable container to collect the oil under the drain hose. Pull the drain hose out of the clip and remove the cap. Place the hose into the container to drain all of the oil. When finished, replace cap and place the hose back into the clip.
Next, remove the oil filter by turning it counterclockwise. Take the new oil filter and apply a light coating of clean engine oil to the gasket. Screw the new filter on by hand until gasket lightly contacts oil filter adapter. Tighten filter an additional three-quarter to one full turn.
Now you can fill the engine with new oil. Remember to use 5W-20 GEO Full Synthetic engine oil for your home standby generator. Generators sized 10kW – 26kW will take roughly one bottle and a half of oil. Using the funnel from your maintenance kit, slowly pour the new oil into the tank. Before starting a new bottle, place the dipstick or fill cap back into the tank and run the generator in manual. Run for a minute and check for leaks. Press the off button to stop the engine and let it cool down. Inspect the oil level and add more as needed. Make sure to not overfill your generator.
While your generator is still in the off position, replace the air filter. After changing the oil, make sure to clean off your hands from excess oil. Locate your air filter. Remove the cover to find the old filter. Take out the filter and discard it. Clean the enclosure of any dust or debris. With the new filter found in your maintenance kit, place this into the enclosure in the same position you found the old filter. Place the cover back over the filter and clip shut.
The next step is to check your spark plugs. Depending on the size of your generator’s engine, you may have one or two spark plugs. Generators with 410cc engines will need only one spark plug and generators with 530cc engines or higher will need two. Your scheduled maintenance kit will have the correct number and size of spark plugs. Locate the old spark plug and clean the area around base of the spark plug(s) before removing it to keep any debris and dirt out of the engine. Remove the spark plug using a spark plug socket and inspect. If it looks worn or re-use is questionable or if the spark plug gap is out of specification, then replace with new spark plug. You can check the gap with a wire feeler gauge. When installing a new spark plug, tighten to 18.4 ft-lbs.
Remember to place the generator back into Auto after performing maintenance.
Portable Generator Maintenance Kit Installation
For portable generator maintenance, we recommend contacting your Independent Authorized Service Dealer (IASD) to service your generator. Before performing any maintenance on your own, please consult your Owner’s Manual to ensure you are using the correct maintenance kit and following all safety precautions. It is the owner’s responsibility to retain all receipts of proof of maintenance in the event that warranty service is needed in the future. Find your nearest dealer
here or shop online for your maintenance kit at
generac.ordertree.com.
Regular maintenance for portable generators consists of changing the engine oil, inspecting and cleaning the spark arrestor, replacing the spark plug(s), checking valve clearance, and cleaning or replacing the air filter. It is also important to ensure all cooling air openings on the generator are free of debris or dirt. Clean the generator daily or before each use. Do not use a garden hose to clean your generator. Water can damage the engine, rotor and stator windings, which may leave the generator inoperable. Instead, use a damp cloth to wipe the exterior surfaces and a vacuum to pick up loose dirt and debris.
Replace the engine oil every 100 hours or every year, whichever comes first. For XT, XG, XP and select GP series, the oil filter will also need to be replaced before adding new oil. First, place the generator on a level surface. Run the generator for a few minutes to warm the oil. Then, shut it down and let it cool before working. To avoid accidental startup, disconnect the spark plug wire from the spark plug and place the boot where it cannot contact the spark plug. Clean around the oil fill and drain plug. Place a suitable container to catch the oil under the oil drain. Remove the oil fill cap/dipstick and the oil drain plug to release the oil into the pan. Once all oil has drained, install the oil drain plug and tighten.
Using the funnel included in the maintenance kit, slowly pour the recommended amount of oil into the oil fill. Refer to your Owner’s Manual for oil amount recommendations. Use Generac 5W-30 Full Synthetic oil for the best performance. Install the oil fill cap/dipstick and hand-tighten. Wipe up any spilled oil. Properly dispose of oil in accordance with all applicable regulations.
If your generator has an oil filter, this will need to be changed before adding new engine oil. Remove the oil filter by turning it counterclockwise. Take the new oil filter and apply a light coating of clean engine oil to the gasket. Screw the new filter on by hand until gasket lightly contacts oil filter adapter. Tighten filter an additional 3/4 to one full turn.
Locate the air filter box next. Refer to your owner’s manual for the location. With clean hands, remove the cover and old air filter. Dispose of the filter properly. If necessary, clean the air filter box. Insert the new filter, and then re-install the cover.
Checking your spark plugs is the next step. Depending on the size of your generator’s engine, you may have one or two spark plugs. Your scheduled maintenance kit will have the correct gap and number of spark plugs. Clean the area around the spark plugs before removing them to keep any debris and dirt out of the engine. Remove the spark plug(s) using a spark plug socket. Use a feeler gauge to inspect the electrode gap. Refer to your owner’s manual for the proper gapping. If the spark plug looks worn, re-use is questionable or the gap is out of specification, replace with a new spark plug. When installing a new spark plug, turn until finger tight. Then, tighten an additional 3/8 to 1/2 turn using a spark plug wrench.
Portable generators also have a spark arrestor that must be regularly maintained. For states such as California, it is unlawful to operate your generator without one. Replace the arrestor if it is damaged or there is carbon blockage. Refer to your Owner’s Manual for location.
Once you have finished performing maintenance on your portable generator, remember to place the spark plug wire back on the spark plug(s).