(346) 420-5744

Your generator will not start

Find what yours is doing below. Each one tells you what you can safely check yourself — usually one or two things — and where to stop.

Call (346) 420-5744Request a service visit

Stop and call us instead if you can see smoke, smell fuel, see leaking fluid, or the unit is making a noise it has never made before. Do not open the enclosure and do not keep restarting it. Those are the four signs that mean it is protecting you from something.

Nothing happens at all

No crank, no click, no lights on the display. The unit behaves as though it is not there.

You can safely check

  • Is the controller in AUTO? If somebody ran a service or checked the oil and left it in OFF, it will sit through an outage doing nothing. This is the single most common cause and it costs nothing to check.
  • Is the generator’s own main breaker on? It is usually a large switch inside the enclosure, and it gets left off after maintenance.

Then stop and call

If it is in AUTO with the breaker on and still shows nothing, it is most likely the battery or the charger. Batteries are the number one cause of standby generators failing to start, and they fail quietly — the unit sits for months doing nothing visible until the day it is needed.

It clicks but will not turn over

You hear a single click or rapid clicking from the unit when it tries to start.

You can safely check

  • Nothing safely. This is almost always a battery with enough charge to pull the relay but not enough to crank the engine.

Then stop and call

A battery that clicks is a battery at the end of its life, and jump-starting it gets you through tonight rather than fixing it. We replace it and check the charging circuit, because a battery that died early usually had help.

It cranks but will not fire

The engine turns over — you can hear it spinning — but it never catches and runs.

You can safely check

  • If you are on propane: is the tank valve open, and is there fuel in the tank? Tanks run empty, and the gauge is often on the far side.
  • If you are on natural gas: has anything else gas-powered stopped working? If the stove and water heater are out too, the problem is upstream of the generator.

Then stop and call

If fuel is present and it still will not fire, stop. The remaining causes are the fuel regulator, the gas valve, the spark system or a fuel line sized wrong for the unit — none of which is homeowner territory, and all of which involve a live fuel supply.

It starts, runs a few seconds, then shuts down

The engine catches and runs briefly — anywhere from two seconds to a minute — then stops on its own.

You can safely check

  • Check the display for a fault code before it clears. Write down exactly what it says. That code is the fastest route to a diagnosis and it is often gone by the time we arrive.
  • If you have recently had an outage lasting more than 24 hours, check the oil — low oil triggers a protective shutdown, and that is by design.

Then stop and call

A unit that shuts itself down is usually protecting itself: low oil pressure, overheating, overspeed or a sensor fault. Repeatedly restarting it to see if it holds is the worst thing you can do, because the shutdown is the thing preventing damage.

It runs, but the house has no power

The generator is running normally outside and nothing inside has come on.

You can safely check

  • Is the generator’s main breaker on? If it is off, the unit will run happily and deliver nothing.

Then stop and call

Otherwise this is the automatic transfer switch, and the transfer switch is the one component we will not talk anyone through over the phone. It is the device that separates your house from the grid, and working on it wrongly can backfeed the utility line and endanger whoever is out there restoring power.

There is a fault code on the display

The controller is showing a code, a warning light, or a message you do not recognize.

You can safely check

  • Write the code down exactly, including any letters. Photograph the screen if you can.

Then stop and call

Then call and read it to us. We are not publishing a code table here on purpose: codes differ between controller generations, and a code that means one thing on an older Nexus means something else on an Evolution. A wrong interpretation sends somebody to open a panel they should not open.

It stopped doing its weekly exercise

The unit used to run itself for a few minutes once a week and no longer does.

You can safely check

  • Is it in AUTO? Exercise only runs in AUTO.
  • Has the exercise schedule been reset? A battery disconnect or a controller reset can clear it.

Then stop and call

This one is not urgent, but do not ignore it. The weekly exercise is how a standby generator proves it still works. A unit that quietly stopped exercising has been untested for however long it has been quiet — and you find out during the outage.

Still stuck?

Call and tell us what it is doing and what the display says. We diagnose and repair Kohler, Generac and Cummins standby systems across Greater Houston, whoever installed them — including warranty work on the brands we are authorized for.

Call (346) 420-5744 About our repair service

Common questions

Why will my standby generator not start?
The most common cause by a distance is the battery. Standby generators sit unused for months and batteries degrade quietly, so the failure only shows up when the unit is finally needed. After that: the controller left in OFF after a service, a fuel supply problem, or a protective shutdown from low oil. Check whether it is in AUTO and whether its main breaker is on, then call us.
Can I jump-start my generator battery?
It may get you through tonight, and we would rather you had power. But a battery that needed jumping is a battery at the end of its life, and it will fail again — probably during the next outage. Treat it as a temporary measure and get it replaced.
My generator is running but I have no power. What is wrong?
First check that the generator’s own main breaker is on — if it is off, the unit runs and delivers nothing. If it is on, the problem is almost certainly the automatic transfer switch, and that is not something to investigate yourself. Improper work on a transfer switch can backfeed the utility line and endanger crews restoring power.
How often should a standby generator be serviced?
Annually at minimum, and more often if it has run through extended outages. Manufacturer warranties generally require documented maintenance on schedule, so skipping it can cost you coverage as well as reliability. Our GenWatch plans start at $35/month and cover the schedule for you.
Do you repair generators you did not install?
Yes. We service Kohler, Generac and Cummins standby systems regardless of who installed them, including warranty work on the brands we are authorized for.

Own a generator and want the routine procedures written out? See our tips and owner guides — checking oil during a long outage, correct shutdown sequence, and manual shutdown for liquid-cooled units.

Get a straight answer on what it costs

Tell us about your home or building and we'll come out, size it properly and put a written number in front of you. No charge for the visit.

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