10 Most Common Diesel Generator Problems and Their Causes

Diesel generator is an important power equipment, the failure of engine may affect the operation of the whole system. When your diesel generator is out of order, keep calm and identify the problem areas. When the problem has been identified, appropriate action can be taken. Here are 10 common problems that your diesel generator may encounter and their possible causes.

What causes black smoke from a diesel generator?

Turbocharger failure

Poor sealing of valve assembly

Faulty precision parts of fuel injector or high pressure oil pump

Camshaft components wear seriously

Dirty intercooler causing insufficient air intake

Poor seal ring of the fuel injector

Cylinder Scoring appear in cylinder components

Poor quality diesel fuel 

Dirty or bloacked air filter

What parts need to be replaced when a diesel engine (take Cummins engine for example) is routinely repaired?

Piston ring, air intake valve, exhaust valve, intake valve seat, Inlet and exhaust valve guide, piston cooling nozzle, upper maintenance kit, supercharger repair kit, value keys, connecting rod bearing, oil pan gasket, fuel injector debugging and accessories, PT oil pump debugging and accessories and cylinder liners.

Under what conditions can power loss of diesel engine during operation occur?

The cylinder components are seriously worn

The precision parts of the injector or high pressure oil pump fail

PT oil pump failure

Incorrect timing mechanism

Supercharger failure

Too dirty intercooler

Poor seal of valve assembly

Dirty diesel fuel filter and air filter

What causes white smoke from a diesel generator?

Defective fuel injector or high pressure oil pump

Oil burning in diesel engine, such as supercharger burning oil

The valve guide and valve are seriously worn, causing the engine oil to enter the cylinders

Diesel fuel is mixed with water

The copper sleeve of the fuel injector leaks and the water enter the cylinder

Severe wear of piston ring or improper oil ring installation lead to oil burning in cylinder

The exhaust gas pipes has not been cleaned for a long time, resulting in dirt accumulation or blockage

What are the reasons for exhaust pipes and supercharger glowing red at high load conditions?

Defective precision parts of the injector or high pressure oil pump fail

Camshaft, idler arm and crank components are seriously worn

The intercooler is dirty, resulting in insufficient air intake

Faulty supercharger

Poor seal of valve assembly

What causes your diesel generator to blow too much exhaust smoking?

The cylinder components are seriously worn

Your generator has been on no or very light load for continuous periods

There is water in the oil pan

Cylinder Scoring problem on your diesel engine

What may cause diesel engine bush-burning failure?

Insufficient lubrication between journal and bush or too small clearance

Defective oil pump

The clearance for bearing bush is too large, resulting in low oil pressure

Low water/coolant level leads to high temperature within diesel engine

Blocked Oil filter

Low quality engine oil

What is the cause of cooling water temperature too high in a diesel engine?

Faulty water pump

Damaged thermostat

Loose fan belts and eater pump belts

The inside or outside of the water tank is too dirty

What may cause unstable diesel engine speed problem?

The diesel engine has a significant power loss

The electronic actuator of the PT pump is seriously worn and the internal components fail

EFC electronic speed controller failure

The speed measuring magnetic head gets damaged

Dirty diesel fuel filters

There is leakage in the diesel pipes

Why would a diesel engine have low oil pressure?

The gap between bearing bush and crankshaft is too large, resulting in severe wear

All kinds of sleeves and shafting wear seriously

Cooling nozzle or oil pipe leakage

Oil pump failure

Faulty oil pressure sensor

Dirty oil cooler causes high oil temperature

The quality of oil is not up to standard.

Hope the information above will be helpful to you. If you still have problems regarding diesel generator sets or want to find a high-quality diesel generator that is right for you, contact us today.