When a standby generator quits, it usually quits at the worst time
A backup generator earns its keep on the one day the grid fails, which is exactly when a hidden fault turns into a dark house. Generator repair is diagnostic work first: finding why a unit will not start, keeps shutting down, or runs but sends no power, then fixing the specific part at fault. Bayou Generators is a referral resource, not a repair shop. This page explains what repair covers here so you know what to expect when we connect you with one vetted, licensed local installer who also services what they and others install.
If your unit is still running fine and you want to keep it that way, the maintenance guide is the better starting point. Repair is for a unit that has already thrown a fault, a warning light, or a no-power outage.
Common failures on South Louisiana units
Our climate is hard on standby equipment. Heat cooks batteries, humidity corrodes terminals and connections, and coastal air accelerates it all. The faults installers see most often:
- No-start in an outage. The single most common call. Frequently a dead or weak battery, since ours wear out in about two to three years, but also failed chargers, corroded terminals, or a fuel-delivery problem.
- Starts, then shuts down. Often low oil, an overheating condition, a clogged air or fuel filter, or a faulty sensor cutting the engine to protect it.
- Runs but no power reaches the house. Usually points at the automatic transfer switch failing to hand the load over, or an alternator output problem.
- Skipped or failed self-tests. A unit that stops running its weekly exercise is telling you something is wrong while the weather is still calm.
- Alarms and warning codes. Overheat alarms, oil or coolant leaks, fuel smells, or a controller displaying a stored fault code.
Warning signs worth a service call now
Do not wait for the next storm warning if you notice slow or labored cranking, a warning light on the controller, surging or an uneven engine note, knocking or grinding, burning smells or smoke at startup, or visible oil, coolant, or fuel leaks. Any of these means get it looked at while the grid is up.
How diagnostics actually work
A licensed installer does not guess. The diagnostic runs system by system: battery and charger, fuel delivery and pressure, engine oil level and the low-oil sensor, airflow and cooling, alternator output, the controls, and the transfer switch that routes power to your panel. Many faults live in the controller as a stored error code, so a technician reads those codes with the right equipment to point straight at the engine, alternator, or a specific component instead of swapping parts blindly.
When you call, it helps to have the model number, the fuel type, any code showing on the display, and whether the unit even attempts to crank. That detail lets the installer arrive with the likely parts already on the truck.
Brands the installer can service
Local installers here work on most major standby brands, most commonly Generac, along with Kohler, Cummins, Briggs and Stratton, and older Honeywell whole-home units. Portable generators are generally a separate category and often not covered. Parts and service support vary by brand and by parish, which is one reason the installer we connect you with tends to recommend equipment they can source parts for fast when something does go wrong.
Response time and cost
Repair pricing is even harder to pin down than an install, because it depends entirely on the fault. Simple fixes are inexpensive: a battery replacement, a corroded terminal, a clogged filter. Bigger jobs like an alternator, control board, or transfer switch cost more. Reputable installers give upfront pricing after the diagnostic rather than a number over the phone, and many offer emergency and storm-season service when call volume allows. Treat any figure here as a ballpark, not a quote.
Get connected with a local installer
Tell us your city and we will route you to the one vetted, licensed installer covering your area. Start on the Bayou Generators homepage, or go straight to your parish page for New Orleans, Baton Rouge, or Lafayette.
To stop repairs before they start, a service plan keeps a unit on schedule, and the maintenance guide walks through what that upkeep involves. Shopping for a brand-new system instead of fixing an old one? See standby generator installation.