Power Generator

"As soon as the truck's down, I'm gonna run your ass over you god damn piece of shit!"

- Francis "Alright, no playing around. Get the gas cans and go!"

- Coach

Temporary Power Generators can be found throughout both games in Left 4 Dead and Left 4 Dead 2. They are stationary motorized generators that have been transported to areas (by vehicle) in need since the infection started. Civilians fleeing the sickness caused chaos, panic, as well as lots of damage and destruction in cities and rural areas of the country to the point where CEDA, as well as private contractors, brought in several portable power generators due to the constant power outages and threat that the power lines may go down. The necessity of power to allow for an evacuation is the main purpose of these generators since most areas are no longer on the power utility company's grid. Most of the generators provide lighting to help make areas more visible (also to help CEDA make proper assessments of the evacuees) and so that people can see where they are going. However, there are some power generators that serve other purposes than simple lighting such as the generators in Crash Course, The Sacrifice, and The Passing, which are used to power up machinery as well as some lighting. These generators are more crucial and necessary as it helps the Survivors accomplish their objective in the finale.

Visible Types:
The generators come in four different visible types as seen in the Gallery section below:


 * Just the generator itself with no attachments


 * Generator with short floodlight attachment


 * Generator with tall floodlight attachment


 * Generator with a signal/radio attachment

Motorized Types:
There are two different ways the portable generators can be powered up:


 * Gas Can/Fuel source

In Scavenge Mode in Left 4 Dead 2, they serve as the main objective for the game as Survivors try to fill them up before the other team incapacitates them or they run out of time.
 * Manual Crank/starter switch

Tactics
For more options or a better understanding of tactics, view the finale pages' "Strategy" sections.

Survivor Tactics

 * Stay together as a group and try to be relatively close to the generators themselves, especially the generators in the original Left 4 Dead, since they stall out and require the Survivors to restart them.
 * Ensure the Survivors are providing cover to the lone Survivor restarting the generators as the horde will continue to attack, making that Survivor more vulnerable to hits and taking damage.
 * Similar strategy when pouring gas into the generator in Left 4 Dead 2: Stay as a group and move together to get more gas cans, to ensure less vulnerability to the Infected
 * Cover the lone Survivor who is currently pouring the gas can into the generator as, again, they are more vulnerable to hits from the horde

Infected Tactics

 * The Survivors will have to work and stay close together; use this to your advantage.
 * Though most of the time, you cannot predict the Survivors' movements and coordination, work as a team of Infected when the Survivors return to the generators as they will be more vulnerable
 * If the Survivors are trying to get the Chaos Generator achievement, make sure that you attack any of the generators that has one person at them.