Generac 5500XL - Manual (Page 5)

Generac Portable Products 5500XL Extended Life Generator
5
BEFORE STARTING THE
ENGINE
Add Oil
WARNING! Any attempt to crank or start the
engine before it has been properly filled with
the recommended oil may result in an engine
failure.
• Place generator on a level surface.
• Refer to your engine owner’s manual for proper oil
fill information.
NOTE: The generator’s revolving field rides on a
prelubricated and sealed ball bearing that requires no
additional lubrication for the life of the bearing.
Add Gasoline
DANGER! NEVER fill fuel tank indoors.
NEVER fill fuel tank when engine is running or
hot. Do Not light a cigarette or smoke when
filling the fuel tank.
WARNING! Do Not overfill the fuel tank.
Always allow room for fuel expansion.
• Use regular UNLEADED gasoline with unit. Do Not
use premium gasoline. Do Not mix oil with gasoline.
• Clean area around fuel fill cap, remove cap.
• Slowly add unleaded regular gasoline to fuel tank.
Be careful not to overfill. Allow about 1/2" tank space
for fuel expansion, as shown in Figure 2.
• Install fuel cap and wipe up any spilled gasoline.
IMPORTANT: It is important to prevent gum deposits
from forming in essential fuel system parts, such as
the carburetor, fuel filter, fuel hose or tank during
storage. Also, experience indicates that
alcohol–blended fuels (called gasohol, ethanol or
methanol) can attract moisture, which leads to
separation and formation of acids during storage.
Acidic gas can damage the fuel system of an engine
while in storage.
To avoid engine problems, the fuel system should be
emptied before storage of 30 days or longer. See
“Storage” on page 11. Never use engine or carburetor
cleaner products in the fuel tank or permanent
damage may occur.
Figure 2 — Fuel Expansion Space