Generac Portable Products 5500 XL 9778-7, Owner'S Manual, Page: 5 / 20

Generac Portable Products 5500 XL Generator
5
CONTENTS
The following items are shipped with your generator:
• Main unit
• Engine and generator owner’s manuals
• 2 Bottles oil (28 oz.)
• Video
• Battery Charge Cable
• 120 Volt and 120/240 V 30 A Plugs
• Spark Plug Wrench
• Spare Air Filter and Spark Plug
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.
Select the oil's viscosity grade according to your
expected operating temperature. Do not use SAE
10W–40 . Refer to the engine owner’s manual.
• Above 40°F, use SAE 30 or 10W–30.
• Below 40°F, use synthetic 5W–20 or 5W–30.
To fill your engine with oil:
• Place generator on a level surface.
• Clean area around oil fill and remove oil fill cap.
• Pour oil into oil fill opening until oil reaches the
point of overflowing. Do not overfill!
• Install oil fill cap.
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 the
generator engine. 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" of 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 an engine’s fuel system 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.
SAE 30, 10W–30
Synthetic 5W–20, 5W–30
Figure 2 — Tank Expansion Space