Skip to content

Generator brands

Every Generator Brand, Repaired and Serviced

We Service & Repair All Generator Brands, on site across Gauteng. That covers complete sets from builders such as Cummins, Caterpillar and FG Wilson; the Perkins, Volvo Penta and Deutz engines fitted by many other builders; Stamford and Leroy-Somer alternators; Deep Sea and ComAp controllers; and portable Honda and Yamaha units. Most generators combine several makers’ parts, so if your brand is not listed below, we work on it from the engine, alternator and controller plates.

Cut-away diagram of a canopied generator set. Main parts: 1 radiator and fan, 2 air filter, 3 engine, 4 alternator, 5 terminal box and AVR, 6 controller, 7 starting battery, 8 exhaust silencer, 9 base fuel tank. Where the names are: A engine data plate on the block or rocker cover, B alternator plate on its housing, C the controller front, D the set nameplate on the canopy or base frame.
  • Established 2006

    20 years of experience

  • 24/7 operations

  • We Arrive Within 1–2 Hours

    (usually within 1 hour)

  • Free callouts and quotations

  • One-year warranty

  • Qualified and certified technicians

  • We Service & Repair All Generator Brands

    All generator makes and models

  • 1 kVA–20,000 kVA capability

One generator, several brands

A generator is an engine turning an alternator, with a controller to start, stop and protect it, built into a set by one company. Each of those parts can come from a different maker: a set sold under one name may have, say, a Perkins engine, a Stamford alternator and a Deep Sea controller.
One generator, several brands
PartBrand pagesWhere its name isWhat it decides
Generator setBrand pagesCummins, FG Wilson, SDMO, GeneracWhere its name isNameplate on the canopy, base frame or control panel door: model, serial number, kVA rating, voltage and phasesWhat it decidesWiring, enclosure, base fuel tank, control panel layout and the set’s documentation
EngineBrand pagesPerkins, Volvo Penta, Deutz, DoosanWhere its name isData plate on the engine block or rocker cover: engine model and serial numberWhat it decidesOil and filters, the fuel injection system, cooling, the governor and most mechanical repairs
AlternatorBrand pagesStamford, Leroy-Somer, Mecc AlteWhere its name isPlate on the alternator housing or terminal box: frame, serial number, rated kVA, voltage and excitationWhat it decidesThe AVR, exciter, rotating diodes, bearings and rewinding
ControllerBrand pagesDeep Sea (DSE), ComAp, SmartGenWhere its name isThe front of the module; the model is printed there or on a label at the backWhat it decidesAutomatic starting, alarms and shutdowns, mains sensing and the signal to the changeover

Two sets with different names on the canopy can share the same engine and alternator, and two sets with the same name can differ inside. That is why the plates, not the canopy, decide which parts fit.

How to read the data plates

Four photos tell us most of what we need before we arrive. The diagram at the top of this page shows where each plate is on a typical canopied set.
  1. 01

    The set nameplate

    On the outside of the canopy, the base frame or the inside of the control panel door, depending on the builder. It gives the builder, model and serial number, the rating in kVA and kW, the voltage, phases and frequency, and often whether the rating is standby or prime.

  2. 02

    The engine plate

    A small plate or label on the side of the block or on the rocker cover. Open the canopy only with the set stopped, the engine cool and the controller set to stop or off, because a standby set left in auto can start by itself when the mains fails. The engine model and serial number identify filters, gaskets and injection parts.

  3. 03

    The alternator plate

    On the alternator housing or terminal box, usually at the opposite end of the set from the radiator. It names the maker and frame, with the rated output, voltage, power factor and speed, and often the excitation type or AVR fitted.

  4. 04

    The controller screen

    The controller’s make is printed on its front. Photograph the screen as it is, including any alarm, before anyone resets it: the alarm text tells us which part to check first (see controller alarms explained), and the running hours show how far the set is from its next service.

Alternators

The alternator turns the engine’s rotation into electricity, usually 230 V single-phase or 400 V three-phase. Once engine speed is ruled out, low, high or unstable voltage usually traces to the AVR, the exciter or the rotating diodes, and the alternator plate tells us which regulator and parts suit the machine. See AVR repairs and generator rewinding.

Controllers

The module that starts, stops and protects the set and, on a standby system, watches the mains and signals the changeover. Many controller complaints turn out to be a sensor, a loose wire, a setting or a weak battery rather than the module itself; control panel repairs explains how we find out.

Other brands we work on

These makes have no page of their own yet. We work on them the same way, from the engine, alternator and controller plates, because the same components turn up across many brands. Kohler sets and home standby units are covered on the SDMO and Kohler page.

Engine makes

  • Baudouin
  • Mitsubishi
  • Scania
  • Iveco (FPT)
  • Lister Petter
  • Weichai
  • Yuchai
  • Hatz
  • Lombardini
  • Briggs & Stratton (Vanguard)

Set and portable generator brands

  • Bundu Power
  • Turner Morris
  • Dellent
  • Ellies
  • Magnum
  • Firman
  • Steco
  • Ecco
  • Pro-Power
  • Coelmo
  • Zest
  • Grip

What the brand changes about the work

We find a fault the same way on every make: confirm the symptom, read the controller, test the suspect part. The brand matters most in these six places.
  • Parts: Generator repairs

    We identify parts from the engine plate and serial number and the alternator plate, not the canopy name, and fit genuine or quality-equivalent parts as the job suits. Parts for older or less common sets can take longer; we say so when we quote.

  • Service schedule: Generator servicing

    Oil grade, filter types and intervals come from the engine maker’s schedule, counted in running hours and at least once a year. Heavy load shedding brings the hours interval round far sooner than test runs alone.

  • Planned maintenance: Generator maintenance

    Battery, charger, fluid-level, leak and test-run checks follow the same routine whatever the make. What differs is how each controller records running hours, alarms and service reminders, which we read on every visit.

  • Controller menus and alarms: Control panel repairs

    Each controller maker names its alarms and arranges its settings differently. We read the event log where the module keeps one, and check the start, cool-down and changeover timers in the module’s own menus before changing anything.

  • Voltage regulation: AVR repairs

    Alternator makers use different AVRs and excitation systems: self-excited, auxiliary winding or a permanent magnet generator (PMG). A replacement AVR has to match the machine’s excitation and sensing.

  • Fuel and set design: Generator types

    Whether a set burns diesel, petrol or gas, and whether it is a portable unit or an automatic standby system, shapes its faults and its servicing as much as the name on the canopy does.

Independent service

We Service & Repair All Generator Brands

Onsite Generator Repairs is an independent generator specialist. We repair, service and maintain every make of generator, engine, alternator and controller.

Manufacturer warranty claims go through the manufacturer’s own network. If your generator is still under warranty, check the warranty terms before arranging work by anyone else.

Brand names and trademarks belong to their respective owners. Onsite Generator Repairs is an independent service and repair company.

FAQ

Questions about generator brands

Are you independent of the generator manufacturers?

Yes. We are an independent generator specialist: We Service & Repair All Generator Brands. Brand names on this site describe the equipment we work on and do not indicate any connection with the companies that make it.

My generator’s brand is not listed. Can you still help?

Yes. Most sets are built from an engine, an alternator and a controller bought in from specialist makers, so an unfamiliar name on the canopy usually hides familiar parts. Send us photos of the plates and we can usually tell what the set is built from before we come out.

Do you work on Chinese, imported or unbranded generators?

Yes. We Service & Repair All Generator Brands, including imported sets sold under a retailer’s name or with no name at all. Larger ones may have a Chinese-built engine, such as a Weichai or Yuchai, with a SmartGen controller; small portables usually have an air-cooled single-cylinder engine. Their alternators work on the same principles as any other. Where a plate is missing, we identify the engine from its layout, its markings and the part numbers on the fitted filters, and match replacement filters by size and thread.

Can you get parts for older or imported generators?

Usually. We work from the engine and alternator data plates and serial numbers rather than the name on the canopy, because those identify the actual parts. Filters, belts and service items are widely available, with genuine or quality-equivalent options. Parts for older or less common engines can take longer, and where a part is no longer made we look at a compatible replacement, such as a current AVR or controller that suits the set. We give you the lead time when we quote.

How do I find out which engine, alternator and controller my generator has?

Start with the set nameplate, engine plate, alternator plate and controller front described in the four steps above. If a plate is missing, painted over or faded, the engine maker’s name is often cast into the rocker cover or block, and photos of the whole engine from both sides, plus the part numbers on its oil and fuel filters, usually let us identify it. Only open the canopy with the set stopped, the engine cool and the controller set to stop or off.

Does the brand change how often my generator needs a service?

The engine maker sets the interval, in running hours and by time, so it does vary between engines. How you use the set matters as much: a set that runs through several outages a day during load shedding reaches its hours interval long before one that only runs on test. See service intervals and oil care and generator servicing.

Is an older or discontinued generator worth repairing?

Often, yes. A sound engine and alternator frequently outlast the controller and canopy around them, and an obsolete control panel can usually be replaced with a current module. It stops making sense when the engine or alternator needs a major rebuild and parts are scarce. The repair or replace guide sets out how to weigh it up.

Tell us what is on the nameplate

Send photos of the nameplate, the engine plate and the controller screen with your enquiry. Free callouts and quotations. We arrive within 1–2 hours, usually within 1 hour.

Call nowWhatsApp us