What to Do When Your Generator Breaks Down: Step-by-Step Before the Engineer Arrives

The first priority when a generator breaks down or fails to start is information gathering, not repair. A clear, accurate picture of what the set was doing and what it is showing now is the most useful thing you can hand a technician when they arrive.

Step 1 — Read and record the control panel. Look at the display on the controller (Deep Sea, ComAp, Woodward or similar). Note every fault code, alarm light, and status indicator currently showing. Photograph the screen — this takes five seconds and preserves information that may change if power is lost.

Step 2 — Check the fuel day tank gauge. Record the level. If the tank has run dry, this may be the entire fault — but do not assume it is without checking other symptoms first, because fuel starvation can also be caused by a blocked filter or failed lift pump even when the tank reads full.

Step 3 — Check the battery isolator. Confirm the battery isolator switch is in the ON position. A switch accidentally knocked to OFF is a surprisingly common reason a generator will not crank.

Step 4 — Note the ATS position. Check whether the Automatic Transfer Switch is set to AUTO or MANUAL and note which position it is currently in. A generator running correctly but with the ATS in MANUAL will not feed the load automatically.

Step 5 — Check the generator room. Confirm ventilation is clear — blocked air intake or exhaust is a real cause of overheating shutdowns. Ensure no combustibles have accumulated near the exhaust. Note any visible leaks: coolant, oil, or fuel on the floor or on the engine block.

Step 6 — Check oil and coolant levels (engine off and cold only). If the engine has just shut down hot, wait before touching the coolant cap. With the engine off, check the dipstick for oil level. Check the overflow reservoir for coolant level — do not open the radiator cap on a hot engine.

Once you have this information, call an engineer. PowerProKe can be reached 24/7 on +254 762 816 825 — have the generator's make, approximate kVA, fault codes, and the above readings ready when you call.

In a breakdown situation, the wrong actions taken in the first few minutes can escalate a recoverable fault into a significantly more expensive repair. These are the most important things to avoid:

• Do not repeatedly crank a generator that will not start. Two to three attempts are enough to confirm a start fault exists. Continued cranking drains the battery bank and stresses the starter motor, adding new faults on top of the original one.
• Do not reset a low oil pressure alarm and restart. A low oil pressure shutdown is the engine's last line of defence against catastrophic bearing and crankshaft damage. The cause must be identified before any restart attempt — if there is genuinely no oil pressure, running the engine even briefly will destroy it.
• Do not reset a high coolant temperature alarm and restart. Overheating can crack a cylinder head or blow a head gasket. The root cause — low coolant, blocked radiator, failed thermostat, or water pump fault — must be established first. See our generator overheating guide for a full breakdown of causes.
• Do not add water to a hot radiator. Pouring cold water into a hot cooling system causes thermal shock and can crack the block or head. Allow the engine to cool fully before topping up coolant.
• Do not bypass or tape over alarm sensors. This removes the only mechanical protection the engine has against a serious fault condition. It is never an acceptable temporary measure.
• Do not open live electrical panels or the alternator terminal box unless you are a qualified electrician. Alternator terminal voltages are lethal.
• Do not assume the fuel tank reading is accurate. Day tank gauges can stick or fail. If the set is showing symptoms consistent with fuel starvation (cranking without firing, starting and dying immediately), a blocked filter or lift pump failure is equally possible.

If your site has a trained building services engineer or in-house technician, they may carry out the visual checks above — but fault rectification should wait for a qualified generator engineer.

Reading the symptom correctly before the engineer arrives helps them come prepared with the right parts and tools. These are the fault patterns most commonly seen on Kenyan commercial and industrial sites:

Generator will not crank (starter does not turn the engine) The most likely cause is a flat or failing battery — this is the single most common breakdown cause in Kenya. A battery that reads 12 V or 24 V under no load can still collapse under the cranking current demand. Other causes include a faulty battery isolator, failed starter motor, or open circuit in the starting wiring. See our detailed generator battery faults guide for testing steps.

Generator cranks but will not fire This points to a fuel delivery problem: empty day tank, blocked fuel filters, failed lift pump, air lock in the fuel line, or a faulty fuel stop solenoid holding the injector rack closed. Water-contaminated fuel — common after Kenya's rainy seasons — can also prevent firing. Our generator fuel system troubleshooting guide covers this fault in detail.

Generator starts then shuts down within seconds or minutes This is typically a low oil pressure trip (oil level low or oil pump fault), a high coolant temperature trip (coolant low, thermostat stuck, blocked radiator), or a fuel delivery fault causing the engine to starve under load. It can also be a control panel fault on some controllers.

Generator runs but shuts down under load The set runs satisfactorily off-load but trips when the load is applied. Common causes include fuel delivery faults that only show under demand, an overloaded set (kVA draw exceeding the rated output), an overheating fault that takes time to develop, or a low oil pressure condition that only registers under engine load.

Generator runs but produces no output voltage This points to the alternator side of the set. Common causes are a failed AVR (Automatic Voltage Regulator), failed rotating diodes in a brushless alternator, or a winding fault. The engine may sound and run normally while the alternator produces nothing. A generator AVR fault will cause exactly this symptom.

Generator runs and produces voltage but the ATS does not transfer The generator is working — the fault is in the Automatic Transfer Switch circuit: a failed contactor, incorrect ATS mode setting, a wiring fault, or a control voltage problem. Confirming the ATS mode (AUTO vs MANUAL) is the first check.

High coolant temperature alarm active Do not run through this alarm. Common causes in Kenya are low coolant level (evaporation is significant in a hot engine room), a stuck-closed thermostat, a blocked or scaled radiator, a failed water pump, or a coolant leak. In extreme cases, a cracked head gasket allows combustion gases into the coolant circuit, causing repeated overheating that no amount of topping up will cure.

Understanding the process helps your team prepare correctly and sets realistic expectations for what happens when the engineer arrives.

Phone triage. When you call PowerProKe on +254 762 816 825, the team will ask for the generator's make, approximate kVA, the fault symptom or alarm code showing, and your location. This allows the technician to be dispatched with the most likely parts for your set. Having the control panel photograph, fuel level, and the readings from your initial checks ready will shorten this call significantly.

Technician dispatch. The nearest available technician is assigned and an estimated arrival time is confirmed based on location within Kenya. Upcountry sites may require longer travel times — this is worth factoring into your site's emergency planning.

On-site fault-finding. The technician carries out a structured diagnostic process before touching any controls: checking battery voltage under load, fuel level and delivery pressure, coolant level and temperature, oil level and pressure, and reading active fault codes from the controller. This sequence matters — jumping to a restart before completing it risks compounding the fault.

Repair or stabilisation. Where the fault can be resolved on-site with available parts, the repair is carried out and the set is test-run under load before the technician leaves. Where a major component repair or part sourcing is required, the set is made safe and a clear follow-up plan is agreed with you.

Documentation. All findings, readings, and work carried out are recorded and provided to you. This matters for insurance purposes, compliance documentation, and planning the next service — especially if the set has no prior service history on record.

If your site operates a generator that is critical to patient safety, food safety, or data continuity, it is worth identifying a qualified generator technician in advance rather than searching for one during a live outage.

The majority of emergency callouts we attend across Kenya trace back to faults that were developing for weeks or months before the final failure. None of these develop overnight:

Battery and charging system failure is the most frequent cause of a generator that will not start when needed. Standby batteries spend most of their life on trickle charge and are rarely tested under actual cranking load. A battery that appears healthy on a float voltage reading can still fail to deliver adequate cranking current when the demand comes. Trickle charger faults accelerate this — a charger that has failed silently allows the battery to self-discharge between test runs.

Water-contaminated fuel is particularly prevalent in Kenya following heavy rains. Water enters bulk fuel tanks through condensation, poorly sealed filler caps, or during delivery from contaminated bowsers. At low concentrations, water-contaminated fuel causes rough running and black smoke; at higher concentrations, it prevents the engine firing at all and can cause injector damage.

Cooling system faults — low coolant, a failing thermostat, or a scaled radiator — build up gradually and typically show as slightly elevated coolant temperatures during test runs before they cause a shutdown. An engine room that is poorly ventilated or that has had air intake restrictions added (equipment stored nearby, blocked louvres) significantly worsens the risk.

AVR and alternator faults often present first as slightly unstable voltage output before complete failure. A flickering voltage reading on the control panel during a test run is a warning sign that the AVR or rotating diodes are degrading.

Control panel wiring and sensor faults — corroded terminals, chafed wiring looms, and failed sensors — are common on older sets and on sets installed in humid or dusty environments. A false low oil pressure reading from a failed sensor will cause the set to shut down as reliably as an actual oil pressure fault, and distinguishing between the two requires a technician with the right test equipment.

Between scheduled maintenance visits, there are straightforward checks your facilities team can carry out that meaningfully reduce the risk of a breakdown during a real power outage. None of these require specialist tools, and together they take less than ten minutes per week:

• Check the fuel day tank level — allow for consumption during the last test run and top up to at least 75% capacity. Fuel sitting in a tank for extended periods should be tested for water contamination, particularly after heavy rains.
• Check coolant level in the overflow reservoir when the engine is cold — low coolant is a leading cause of overheating shutdowns and is simple to catch early.
• Check engine oil level with the dipstick, engine off and on a level surface. Oil consumption between services is normal within limits; a sudden drop is not.
• Check the battery charger or trickle charger is powered on and showing a charge indicator. A charger that has failed silently will allow the battery to discharge over days or weeks without any obvious sign until a start is attempted.
• Run the set on a brief no-load test — at least five to ten minutes once a week — and note the running hours on the meter. This confirms the set starts and runs, keeps injectors and seals conditioned, and surfaces developing faults before they cause a real breakdown. Our generator maintenance checklist provides a structured template for these weekly checks.
• Log any alarms, unusual noises, smoke, or abnormal readings and escalate them before the next scheduled service. A fault noted and ignored for three weeks is a fault that will cause an emergency callout.

These are visual and operational checks only. Any abnormal reading or alarm during a test run is a reason to call an engineer — not to attempt self-repair.