Engine
- Engine oil condition and level
- Oil filter
- Air filter
- Fuel filters
- Visible oil or fuel leaks
- Belts
- Hoses
Updated
Service checklist
Generator Service Checklist
A typical generator service covers the engine oil and oil filter, fuel and air filters, coolant, belts and hoses, battery and charger, fuel condition, controller alarms and a run test that records voltage and frequency, usually every 200 to 500 hours. The manual for your engine sets which items are due at each visit.
Callout fee waived when you accept our written quote. 1-year workmanship guarantee. See prices
- Oil, filters, coolant, battery, fuel
- Run test with readings
- Hours recorded for next time
- Onsite across Gauteng
Before any filter is changed
What do we check during a generator service?
We start by recording the hour reading, any alarm on the controller and anything the set is already doing wrong. We write down a leak, a weak battery or a stored fault before fresh oil goes in, so a fault never hides under a service.
The mechanical core is oil, filters, belts, hoses, coolant, fuel condition and the starting battery. The electrical core is voltage, frequency, the AVR and the controller. Where an automatic transfer switch is fitted, we test the changeover itself, because a key start does not prove the ATS will transfer.
We finish with a run, recheck for leaks and record the hours, so your next interval starts from a known point. For diesel sets, our diesel maintenance checklist adds the fuel-water and owner checks between services.
Start to finish
How a service visit runs
Before the service
We note the hours, alarms, visible leaks and oil level, and why you booked the visit. A known fault goes on the job card before we change any parts.
Electrical and controller
Once the set runs, we read voltage and frequency, check how the AVR behaves if the voltage is off, look for damaged connections and read the controller’s hours, mode and stored alarms.
ATS and automatic start
Where a transfer switch is fitted, we simulate a mains failure as a controlled test and watch the set start, take the load and hand back to the mains, with any transfer of the whole building agreed with the site first. This is technician work on a live board.
Items that suit your engine
A diesel has a water separator; a petrol set has spark plugs. We follow the manual for your engine and tell you which items were due and which we changed.
A practical generator service checklist
Use this as a briefing list for what a service covers. Leave live electrical work and hot cooling systems to us.
Cooling system
- Coolant level and condition
- Radiator fins and debris
- Coolant hoses
- Fan and belt condition
Fuel system
- Fuel condition
- Filters
- Lines and leaks
- Water in the separator, where the engine has one
Starting system
- Battery condition
- Terminals
- Charger
- Starter behaviour on a start
Controller
- Alarms
- Operating mode
- Hour reading
- Service warnings
- Stored faults, where the module records them
Close of visit
- Start and run
- Voltage and frequency recorded
- Leaks rechecked after the run
- Hours recorded for the next interval
Typical published intervals for service items
These are published figures for particular engines and generators. They show how often the main items typically come due. Your own engine’s manual gives the exact figure for your set.
| Item | Typical interval | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Oil and filter, home standby set | 200 hours or 2 years, whichever comes first; 100 hours in very hot or cold conditions | Generac support: home standby maintenance schedule |
| Oil, portable petrol set | First change at 20 hours or 1 month, then every 100 hours or 6 months | SlashGear, reporting Honda’s schedule |
| Oil and filter, diesel in continuous emergency use | Every 240 operating hours | FEMA IS-815: generator servicing requirements |
| Minor service, Perkins diesel | Every 500 hours | Perkins: How do you maintain a Perkins engine? |
| Fuel tank water and sediment, Perkins diesel | Every 50 service hours or weekly | Perkins: How do you maintain a Perkins engine? |
| Oil level, coolant level, air cleaner indicator, belts, walk-around | Daily | Perkins: How do you maintain a Perkins engine? |
Our cost guide lists a basic service at R900 – R1,800 and an oil and filter change at R600 – R1,400. We confirm your price in a written quote before work starts. See the generator repair cost guide.
Related Pages
Servicing, hours and load testing
Common Questions
Questions about the service checklist
What is included in a generator service?
Typically the engine oil and oil filter, fuel and air filters, coolant, belts and hoses, battery and charger, fuel condition and the controller, followed by a run test that records voltage and frequency. The manual for your engine decides which items are due at each visit.
How often should a generator be serviced?
Typically every 200 to 500 hours or on the calendar limit, whichever comes first. Generac lists 200 hours or 2 years for its home standby sets, and Perkins lists a minor service every 500 hours. Your engine manual gives the exact interval.
Is this checklist the same for diesel and petrol?
The groups overlap, but the fuel-system items differ. A diesel has a water separator and injectors; a petrol set has spark plugs and often a carburettor. Our diesel maintenance checklist covers the diesel-only items.
Do you change every filter at every visit?
We change the filters that are due for that interval on your engine, and tell you which ones we left and why.
Is an ATS test part of every service?
Yes, wherever an automatic transfer switch is fitted. The changeover is checked as a controlled test, and a transfer that puts the whole building on the generator is agreed with the site first. Portable sets without an ATS skip this step.
Does the service include a load bank test?
A load bank test is a separate booking, at R2,800 – R5,500 on our cost guide. We recommend it when you need proof that the set can carry a defined load.
How much does a generator service cost?
Our cost guide lists a basic service at R900 – R1,800 and an oil and filter change at R600 – R1,400. We confirm your price in a written quote before any work starts.
What should I send before the service?
A data plate photo, the hour reading and the fuel type. With those, we bring the right oil and filters for your engine.
Still unsure what the fault is? Call or WhatsApp 082 057 4605 for onsite diagnosis.
Service Areas
Onsite visits across Gauteng
We come to your generator anywhere in Gauteng, 24/7. Choose your region for local suburbs, call-out details and the faults we see most there.
What to send before we attend
These details help us plan the visit and bring the right parts. Send what you can on WhatsApp; if you can’t find the model number, we still book the visit.
- Location
- The suburb or site, so the visit can be booked in the right area.
- Make and model
- The generator brand and model, if they are known.
- kVA
- The size printed on the data plate.
- Fuel type
- Diesel, petrol, LPG, natural gas, or dual-fuel.
- Controller model
- The module name on the panel, when it is visible.
- Fault or alarm
- What the set does, and any text on the screen.
- Photos
- The generator, the data plate, and the controller or alarm. Send these on WhatsApp.
Book a Visit
Book the service with the hours
Send the plate, the fuel type and the hour reading, and we plan the visit around your engine.
- Call
- 082 057 4605
- Message us on WhatsApp
What happens next
- We reply with questions about the generator, or to book a visit.
- A technician comes to you. For a breakdown we arrive within 1 hour.
- The fault is diagnosed on site and you get a written quote. No work starts until you accept it.
Charlie, lead technician: Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Degree in Electrical Engineering, Diesel Plant Fitter. Generator specialists since 2000.