Generator repair cost in Pakistan (2026): the common faults and what an electrician charges

• Will not start: old petrol, a blocked carburettor, a dirty spark plug or a flat starting battery
• Starts then dies: fuel starvation, a choked air filter or a low-oil cut-off doing its job
• Runs but no output: a tripped output breaker, a faulty AVR or worn carbon brushes on the alternator
• Trips under load: too many appliances on a small set, a short in the house wiring, or a weak changeover switch
• Black smoke and heavy fuel use: over-fuelling, a dirty filter, or an engine that has never been serviced

Karachi 2026, typical, labour only: an electrician's visit and fault finding is PKR 500 - 1,000 and takes about 30 minutes. Fitting a generator changeover switch, the part that moves your house between WAPDA and the generator safely, is PKR 2,500 - 6,000 for about 2 hours of work, part not included. Engine parts such as a carburettor kit, an AVR or a starting battery are quoted separately by the kaarigar, because the price depends on the make and size of your set.

The changeover switch, the output breaker and anything between the generator and your distribution board is electrician work. The engine, the carburettor, the pull cord and the oil is small-engine mechanic work. Many kaarigars do both on home sets up to a few kVA; for a large diesel set ask for a generator specialist. On Mechanics4U write what the generator does and the kaarigars who handle that fault reply.

• Run it for ten minutes every week, with a load, even when there is no load-shedding
• Change the engine oil on the hours the manual says, not once a year
• Drain old petrol before the off season; stale fuel is the most common "will not start"
• Keep the air filter and the cooling fins clean
• Check the battery water and terminals on electric-start sets

Give the make and the kVA, petrol, gas or diesel, whether it has electric start, and exactly what it does: "starts and dies after a minute", "runs but no light in the house". Add a photo of the control panel. Registered electricians and generator kaarigars in your city send a price for that fault. Agree the price before the visit; if the same fault returns within 48 hours the kaarigar comes back, labour free.