Try just filling the oil to the full line. It is not at all uncommon for any brands low oil sensor to trigger even though the oil is not all the way down to the add line.

i emptied the oil out tonight and it was clean so i put the right amount back in perfect till the fill line and it still did it after about 5 minutes of running fine again. what now?

Sounds like you probably need a new oil level sending unit.

In a pinch you could disconnect/jump the switch, but then of course you'd have no protection. But would help in an emergancy, so long as you kept a close eye on the oil level.
Perhapes the unit can be removed and cleaned?

hey again, thanks for the feedback

i think i found the low oil sensor on the bottom of the block today....it also looks as though it has bolts but im not sure if i can remove it or not. does anyone know about what one looks like. it was a 3/16" black cord that came from the bottom of the block under a small metal peice and then up to the spark plugish area. if i do remove it and clean it will all the oil come a pouring, is there a possibility of damaging the sensor? I'd would imagine that a "oil level sending unit" is the low oil sensor in high-tech talk??

thanks ill keep u updated.

CCB

I have a Devilbiss 5000 watt with a Briggs engine. The first time I ever tried to crank it I thought I had the oil up to the full level. It would not crank and the low oil light would blink. I then added more oil (which I thought was slightly overfilled) and it took care of the problem.

What kind of oil are you using? It sounds as if you are using cheap oil that is foaming within the crankcase.

Switch to a good quality oil of the correct grade and try again. Mobil 1 comes to mind.

citgo supergaurd 10w30. i use it in my push and riding mower. plus the little generator with no problems. the genrator had just been ran before i drained the oil and there wasnt any foam that came out. it will start about an hour after low oil shutoff and run again for about 5-7 minutes but then shut down. what would cause it to "change its mind" about whether it has enough oil or not.

how do you go about jumping the wire??. this genset never burns oil so im not to worried, plus i check it everytime i check it as i do all my engines. i would only do this short term until i was able to order the new part anways.

thanks so much guys/girl

ccb

That generator has a 10 HP Tecumseh engine. Just remove the wire from the low oil sensor. The only thing the low oil sensor does is ground the ignition circuit if it detects a low oil condition. So make sure the wire does not touch any metal after itÂs disconnected.

Then start the generator up and see if it does the same thing. If it continues to run, then you know the low oil sensor is causing the engine to shut down. It it shuts down, youÂll have to look elsewhere for the problem.

You are not going to be able to see foam after you drain the oil. The foam will dissipate from the oil immediately after the engine is shut down. The oil foam will only be present when the crank and oil slinger are actively in the process of agitating the oil.

Citgo Superguard is about as cheap an oil as you will find and I expect it would be very likely to foam in a small engine.

so your saying mobil 1 synthetic(or any other high quality oil) would likely fix my problem. and that i dont have to cut the wire or anything i could simple just dis-connect it at the ignition switch???

thanks starhust

As for the oil, use any good quality oil of the correct grade for your engine. Based upon your earlier posts, I suspect that the oil may be contaminated with some moisture (i.e. water). Oil that sits in a sump for a month without use can easily get contaminated with moisture.

You may have to drain the current oil and replace it with fresh oil. You may have to repeat this process to rid the crankcase of moisture.

However, the first thing to do is disconnect the wire to the low oil sensor and then run the generator and see if it quits as you described in your previous posts. If the engine continues to run, then you know that the low oil sensor is the problem. If the engine quits as it did before, then you need to look for other problems.

You can disconnect the wire to the low oil sensor from its terminal connection. If your tests reveal that the oil sensor is indeed causing the problem, then drain and refill the engine with oil to make sure all contaminates are gone.

Also, as wayneinala suggested, slightly overfill the engine with oil. Dipsticks on small engines are often inaccurate and you may need more oil. Good luck!

oil has been flushed and replace....

i was gonna disconnect the wire tonight but ended up pulling my neighbor outta the snow bank with the tractor....i love good drivers. his words "yea the roads are a little icey i guess, but anyways think u could pull me outta the ditch".........

if it turns out to be the low oil sensor...would a porter cable dealer be able to order it as the powerbacks are also made by devilbiss....

thanks

thanks again

Any small engine shop that handles Tecumseh will be able to get the low oil sensor.

the update-

disconnected the sensor...ran for 35 minutes fine. so it is obviously the sensor. left it disconnected(will check oil evertime i add gas or start)..i plan to order a new one and install it in spring when the garage floor isnt 20 degrees. may also change the oil over to a nice synthetic before i do just to see if it is the foaming ur talking about.

now i just need a good long power outage to really use it. my neighbors are going to be begging to move in. with the generator and woodburing that heats the whole house space would be the only problem. what are motels charging a night now...hmmmm ;)

thanks so much guys,

ccb

Based upon the test you just performed, it would seem that the low oil sensor is working properly and doing its job. DonÂt blame the low oil sensor for shutting off the engine when it detects a low oil condition!

You need to address the root of the problem. Your oil sump is too low after your engine runs for about 5 minutes. This is due oil foaming, improper grade of oil or not enough oil in the sump. If youÂre sure itÂs not a foaming problem and youÂre using the correct oil grade then add some oil.

Small engine dip sticks are notoriously inaccurate and difficult to read. The oil capacity on a Tecumseh 10 HP horizontal shaft engine is only 26 oz. Add another ounce or two of oil to the sump and see if that cures the problem.

Also if the generator is not level the oil sensor will shut the engine down as well.

i put a full quart(32 oz) into it figuring that 4 ounces isnt going to kill the engine...it called for 28. so i already have a few extra ounces in there. leaves nothing but either a faulty sensor or the foaming thing right???

thanksss mucho grande:)

"HoustonÂwe have a problem..". YouÂve got too much oil in that engine! That extra 4 ounces makes a big difference and will cause foaming and other problems. You need to get the oil to the proper level.

hello i have a 5250 port cable gen,and i just change oil and since then i cant keep it running ,,not sure if the right amount oil is in there,,how much oil should run it!,,,this is the first time changing it ,,its 4 yrs old and only has maybe 30 hrs on it

i have just been given a devil biss GB5000-3 generator. have the same oil light prob the guy just disconnected the light and it runs fine of course i have to be on the oil levels all the time. does anyone know where i can get an owners manual for this generator. thanks
TJ

I bought a Power Back 5250 a few years ago for impending hurricane. Just openned the box, used it for three camping trips, and the fuel line/fuel cock fell out in my hand while turning on the fuel, dumping a full tank of fuel on me. Thank god I was starting it, not shutting down a hot engine. The cock is a barbed fitting with a plastic seal into the poly tank. Seems like a sloppy/dangerous connection method. Any ideas on repairing this in a safe manner?