Power Generator

"Soon as we get the truck moving, I am going to RUN YOU OVER. Stupid generator."

- Francis "All right, look, no messin' around, let's get these cans."

- Coach

Temporary Power Generators can be found throughout both games in Left 4 Dead and Left 4 Dead 2. They are diesel generators of a standard industrial design. They are frequently encountered throughout both games and provide the basis for survivor task-roles in the "Crash Course", "The Passing" and "The Sacrifice" campaigns.

The general principle is that this equipment has been brought in by CEDA to supply electric current either to augment the power grid or to replace it when mains electricity has failed. These generators deliver power to floodlights, workshop equipment and operationally important infrastructure such as the river bridge at Rayford.

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


 * Generator 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 (e.g. "The Passing")

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/Battery starter switch (e.g. "Crash Course")

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 as your advantage.
 * Though you cannot predict the Survivors' movements and coordination most of the time, work as a team of Infected when the Survivors return to the generators as they will be more vulnerable then.
 * If the Survivors are trying to get the CHAOS GENERATOR achievement, make sure to aim for any of the generators that has one person at them.