# Need Help portable generator



## Kentc13064 (Jan 12, 2019)

We have pending bad weather coming here to Virginia and I wanted to make sure my Deere 440 G portable generator was operational.

My luck, it would not start:-( I googled some troubleshooting and tried the following
1. New spark plug
2. Fresh fuel ( old fuel had Stabil in it)
3. Added some oil
4. Sprayed some carb cleaner on carb.

The carb cleaner gout it to start but massive amounts of white smoke, oil coming out of carb, and oil coming from beneath the unit. I feel like I wayyy overfilled it with oil.

Update.. I got it to run and on "idle" i get massive white smoke and it tries to cut off. I switch it over to the "run" setting and it rums maybe 3-4 minutes before with no smoke but then it tries to cut off and the white smoke reappears. I switch it back to "idle" with more white smoke and eventually back to "run". I am able to get it to operate for longer periods on run but it still tries to cut off and it has to be switched back to idle.

Will the excess oil burn off and it eventually fix itself? 

Is there something else I should try?

Take it to service center?


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## tabora (Sep 6, 2018)

Drain the oil completely and refill with the proper amount of the recommended oil from your manual.


_Blue or white smoke coming from your engine usually indicates burning oil, which can be caused by:_


_Overfilling the crankcase with oil_
_Incorrect oil grades_
_Operating engine at greater than a 15 degree angle_
_Inoperative crankcase breather_
_Crankcase air leak_
_Blown head gasket_
_Worn cylinder and/or rings_
_Turning/tilting the engine on its side for storage, oil change or any other reason_
_Note: If the engine has to be tilted, ensure the spark plug is facing upwards to help prevent oil from escaping the crankcase._
​


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## RedOctobyr (Aug 8, 2018)

tabora said:


> Drain the oil completely and refill with the proper amount of the recommended oil from your manual.



Yikes. Just seconding tabora's advice. It sounds like the oil level is way too high. Do not keep running it like this. Too-much oil can damage a running engine, in addition to too-little causing damage. 

Drain it and refill with the suggested weight and amount of oil. And then check the level however the manual suggests, don't just "blindly" add the recommended amount and assume it's fine (if you didn't get all the old oil out, for instance, you can end up with too much, if you just add the recommended amount and don't check it). 

Then see how it behaves. 

That's good that you had Stabil in the gas. I'd add Stabil to the fresh gas you put in the tank, as well (plus your gas can). It's cheap insurance against carburetor problems.


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## Kentc13064 (Jan 12, 2019)

You are talking to a real novice here and I know I screwed up adding too much oil. 

Procedure for removing oil? Is there something underneath the engine or do I attempt to remove it from the tiny screw cap I used to fill it with?


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## RedOctobyr (Aug 8, 2018)

Check your owner's manual. There should be a drain fitting of some kind near the bottom of the engine. It might look like a 4-sided bolt head, screwed into the engine. Or the engine might have a short length of pipe screwed into it, with a female cap screwed onto that. Or it could be something else. 

Again, the manual should show what you're looking for. From some Googling, the diagram here shows item #3 as a Drain Plug, which is likely the oil drain plug: 
https://weingartz.com/assembly-diagram/john-deere-parts-lookup/model-440g-generator-pc2673-crankcase-engine-440g/4275-170896-66025

If it is a 4-sided hole, then you would typically use a ratchet handle's male square stud to remove it. Or if your ratchet set has an extension piece, you can use that, for easier access. 

Loosen the fill cap (to let air in), then remove this drain plug, and let it all drain. Reinstall the drain plug, then refill with the correct weight and amount of oil. If you don't have a manual, 10W-30 is a pretty common weight to use. If it has a dipstick on the fill cap, then use that to determine the correct oil level, measured with the generator on level ground. 

There may be a model number on the engine itself, maybe as an ID tag, or stamped into the sheetmetal. If so, that may help with looking up details of the actual engine, including recommended oil weight, and capacity.


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## motormonkey (Jul 10, 2016)

The symptoms do indicate too much oil (or fuel) in the crankcase.


You said that you, "added some oil."
You never did say that you actually checked the oil level. Did you? Was the oil level low? How much oil did you add? Did you check the oil level after you added the oil?


Could be you added too much oil. 


You also said that you added, "Fresh fuel (old fuel had Stabil in it)."

Has the generator been sitting idle with fuel in the tank for any significant amount of time? Stabil helps preserve fuel, but that fuel could still go stale in a matter of weeks in the right conditions. Did the old fuel smell funky?


Could also be that the carburetor float stuck because of stale gas, and allowed fuel to overflow the float bowl and into the engine, filling the crankcase with fuel.


Sounds like you really need an owner/operator manual. This will tell you where the oil drain plug is. (and how to check the oil level if you don't know how to do that.)


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## tabora (Sep 6, 2018)

You do have the owners manual, right??? If not, you really need to get one. The part number is OMPS19837B.

You can purchase/download the service manual here: https://www.deeretractors.org/store/products/john-deere-440g-generator-service-manual-download/

Parts diagrams are here: https://weingartz.com/John-Deere/DrillDown/4275-170896/440G-Generator--PC2673

The oil drain plug is shown in the diagrams below (either item 3 in the first or 7 in the second?). It appears that the 440G even has an oil level window gauge to show you the correct level?


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## jkingrph (Sep 18, 2017)

Drain plug is #3 in parts diagram. Fill plug is #5 . Keep engine level and drain, replace and if if remember correctly on those little engines that do not have a dipstick, there is usually a small slot in the opening for filling, fill oil to that level, basically so it is just below level of the #5 plug when installed. If the engine is level when you fill, it should be difficult to overfill.


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