4000 watt buffalo tools generator: Engine Starts, but after a few minutes it cuts out and stops running. No appliances plugged in, drained gas(it did sit for 6 months), oil is full, Plug is good.

Make sure the gas is fresh. Also, take off the carb bowl and look for signs of gumming. If there is gooey stuff in the bowl, then the carb needs to be cleaned.

Could be lost exciter current. This is how to restore it - Connect 16 or 18 gauge wires to a 12 volt battery. With generator running, insert bare ends of wires into AC outlet - one to Hot, the other to Neutral. Insert and remove quickly. There should be a flash and power will be restored. If not, repeat until you get that flash and output current restored. Using light gauge wires is so that if you are too slow to remove them once AC is restored. they will burn out before the battery suffers from the AC incoming. Be quick and be careful.

find out who manufactured the engine... if it's a honda knock off a honda recoil might work and you can get an after market one for cheap... like $30 USD or something close

You have a carburetor problem. Stuck float or clogged filter. Gas cannot get into the carb as fast as it is used. Letting it sit for a few minutes will allow the bowl to fill.

call buffalo tool parts dept.they have brand new tanks for $36.75 or if you need a petcock they cost $9.95 they also have the gas gauge for $9.60.call 1-800-568-6657

There have been several factories in china that have made the motors used on buffalo generators, a couple of these are Lifan and J.D. as in Jiangdong.All of these motors are very similar to honda motors.The 6.5,13,and 15 h.p. motors are real brutes and hold up very well.

My Honda generators have a low oil sensor that automatically shuts them down when a low oil level is detected. I keep a quart handy and top off the oil, and they start and run fine.

The reason can be:

1. Bad or loose ignition (spark plug, magneto, coil cable etc);
2. Water in the gas;
3. Dirty fuel strainer;
4. Not set on level surface;

If it has been in storage with gas in it. it is gunked up. Need to remove carburetor and take to someone to clean carb.

The generator engine is jetted for sea level. When you run at 24 hundred feet, it's flooding out. That's what you smell. The carb will need to be jetted for high altitude.

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