Quick Answer: A DG set maintenance schedule lists the daily, weekly and periodic checks, grouped as A, B, C and D checks, that a diesel generator needs by running hours or calendar months, whichever comes first. A service company with many customer sites runs it from one record per DG set, with recurring PM, service calls and AMC renewals together.
Key points covered in this article:
A, B, C and D checks with intervals
Why the B check differs by engine make
CPCB IV norm and log book format
How service companies run schedules across sites
A DG set maintenance schedule tells your service engineer what to check on a diesel generator and when, from the daily A check to the D check, by running hours or months, whichever comes first. For an AMC company, it is also the list of visits you have promised each customer.
If you run DG set AMCs across customer sites, the same things go wrong. The next service date sits in Excel, the hour-meter reading reaches you on WhatsApp after the visit, and the customer calls before an engineer is assigned.
A study by McKinsey found that industrial companies with a high service focus generated 1.7 times the total shareholder returns of those focused mainly on products. This guide covers the checks, the log book and how to run both across sites, building on what to check in AMC management software.
TL; DR
Run a daily A check, then B, C and D services by hours or months.
The B check falls due at different hours on different makes, so follow the engine maker's table.
CPCB IV+ is a manufacturer norm, so record each set's compliance status.
Log hour-meter readings, services and engine readings for every set.
In Delhi-NCR, a missing log book can raise compensation for a non-compliant set.
Run recurring PM, service calls and AMC renewals from one record per set.
DGlide keeps all of it on one platform and goes live in weeks.
What are the different types of DG set maintenance checks?
The different types of DG set maintenance checks are the daily A check and the periodic B, C and D checks, which fall due by running hours or months, whichever comes first. The RDSO handbook on diesel generator maintenance, a March 2012 guide for railway sets of 62.5 to 380 kVA, sets out the DG set maintenance schedule for a Cummins B series engine.
A check. Daily. Check oil, coolant, belts, fuel strainer, air filter and leaks, then record all parameters.
B check. Every 225–250 hours or 6 months, whichever is earlier. Change engine oil and the lube, fuel and water separator filters.
C check. Every 475–500 hours or 12 months, whichever is earlier. Repeat A and B, then check coolant and clean the radiator.
D check. Every 950–1,000 hours or 24 months, whichever is earlier. Repeat A to C, replace coolant and inspect belt and fan hub bearings.
Each periodic check carries two triggers, so a standby set that runs a few hours a year still gets serviced. Kirloskar's Bandhan Plus AMC targets sets running under 500 hours a year, with two or three preventive visits.
What is the B check in a DG set, and is it the same on every make?
The B check is the first periodic service after the daily A check, and it is not the same on every make. In the RDSO handbook, the Kirloskar SL90 B schedule falls due every 50 hours and the Cummins B check every 225–250 hours or 6 months.
Engine make | Service points in the RDSO handbook |
Kirloskar SL90 | B every 50 hours, C every 300 hours, D every 600 hours, E every 1,200 hours |
Cummins B series | B every 225–250 hours or 6 months, C every 475–500 hours or 12 months, D every 950–1,000 hours or 24 months |
Mahindra Powerol | Every 300 hours or 3 months, 600 hours or 6 months, 900 hours or 9 months |
Google's AI Overview for this query puts the D check at 3,000 to 5,000 hours, so a generic chart can mislead. Follow the engine maker's table for each set when you build your DG set maintenance schedule, and use the earlier of hours or months.
Running DG set AMCs on different makes?
See how DGlide schedules recurring PM for every set.
What is the CPCB IV norm for a DG set?
The CPCB IV+ norm is the emission standard in GSR 804(E), notified on 3 November 2022 for new engines in power generating sets up to 800 kW, and it is enforced at the manufacturing stage. In a sworn reply to the National Green Tribunal on 6 November 2025, CPCB said manufacturers need type approval from ARAI, ICAT or IIP and a yearly conformity-of-production test.
Does CPCB IV+ apply to DG sets already installed?
CPCB IV+ covers new engines, and we found no CPCB-prescribed service log format. For sets already in use, CPCB's letter of 22 March 2024 asked state boards in non-attainment cities to push retrofit emission control devices, dual fuel or replacement with compliant sets.
What should a service company record for CPCB IV+?
Record the compliance status on each set, such as the CPCB IV+ label reference or the dual-fuel or retrofit kit and its invoice. That is the evidence your customer needs when a state board asks.
Retrofit orders differ by state, so check the customer's board. Keep the answer on the set record, next to its DG set maintenance schedule.
What should a DG set maintenance log book contain?
A DG set maintenance log book is the proof that the DG set maintenance schedule was followed. It records each set's hours, services and engine readings, and the RDSO handbook recommends one for every set.
Set identity. Serial and engine numbers, kVA, make, model, site and customer.
Hour-meter reading. The reading and date at every visit.
Service entries. The check done, parts changed and the engineer's name.
Engine readings. Lube oil pressure and temperature, water temperature, amps, volts and kW.
Contract and compliance. AMC type, visits included, renewal date and CPCB IV+ status.
In Delhi-NCR the log book carries a price. In a letter of 31 January 2025, quoted in DPCC's SOP of 3 June 2025, CAQM said a DG set log book is mandatory, and without one environmental compensation runs from 1 October 2023 (1 January 2024 for emergency use) until the set is sealed, removed or made compliant.
CAQM's standard schedule sets compensation at ₹7,500 a day for sets of 20 to 125 kW and ₹15,000 a day above 125 kW and below 800 kW. DPCC annexed that SOP to its response in National Green Tribunal Original Application 216 of 2026.
📊 A water technologies OEM mapped its installed base and found more than $350 million in aftermarket leads across 45,000 customers. The per-set record that proves a service is also your list of next AMC orders. Per McKinsey, March 2025.
Outside NCR, check the state board's own rules. Log books are the one document most likely to be written the night before an inspection.
📋 Still keeping visit details on WhatsApp? See how DGlide keeps each set's visits and history in one record.
What is AMC software for DG sets, and what should it do?
AMC software for DG sets is the system a service company uses to run recurring PM, service calls and contract renewals for every set it maintains. It replaces the Excel visit list and the WhatsApp group, and it makes the DG set maintenance schedule visible to the whole team.
Visit list in Excel. A recurring PM schedule raises each set's next visit without anyone retyping dates.
Service calls on WhatsApp. Every call becomes a work order with the set's history, assigned by availability, location or expertise.
Visit notes after the fact. Engineers update the job from the mobile app, and the customer confirms at closure.
AMC renewals from memory. Renewal windows and response targets sit on the set's record and surface early.
📊 A water treatment company's digital scheduling tool raised technician capacity by 40 percent and cut overtime by 6 percent. Better-planned visits are the same gain for a DG set AMC book. Per McKinsey, March 2025.
Set response targets using SLA metrics and escalation rules. Review them each month against the visits you promised.
🔍 Want to see recurring PM on your own DG set list? Book a DGlide walkthrough.
Why Should You Choose DGlide?
DGlide gives a DG set service company one platform for recurring PM, service calls, AMC renewals and response targets. It runs on one asset record for every set.
Work Order Management. Each call becomes a work order with the set's history.
Recurring PM. Preventive visits recur on a schedule for every set.
Scheduling & Dispatch. Engineers are assigned by availability, location or expertise.
SLA & Escalations. Response targets escalate before a breach.
Renewals & AMC Tracking. Renewal windows surface before an AMC lapses.
Technician Mobile App. Engineers close jobs with customer confirmation.
DGlide's field service management page reports that Prompt Lasers, a laser machinery maker, cut response time from 40+ minutes to 8. Most teams go live in weeks, on pricing fixed to the agreed scope.
vs Excel and WhatsApp. One record per set with an owner.
vs a rigid suite. Your service head changes the checklist without a vendor ticket.
If you run DG set AMCs across customer sites, book a free 15-minute demo. Bring your customer set list and see the schedule on it.
Conclusion
A DG set maintenance schedule works when every set has its A to D checks, its log book and its next visit on one record. The B check changes with the make, CPCB IV+ sits with the manufacturer, and in Delhi-NCR the log book can decide the penalty.
Start with the set list. This month, list every customer DG set with make, kVA, last hour-meter reading, last service date and CPCB IV+ status, starting from the commissioning record in equipment installation and service tracking, and count the blanks.
FAQs
Which oil is used in a DG set?
The engine maker's manual sets the oil grade and capacity. Use that grade at every oil change. On Cummins B series engines, oil changes at the B check. Record the grade in the log book.
What is PM on a DG set?
PM on a DG set is preventive maintenance done on a fixed schedule. It covers the A to D checks by hours or months. Engineers log each PM in the log book. A recurring PM schedule raises the next visit.
Is a DG set log book mandatory?
In Delhi-NCR, CAQM calls the DG set log book mandatory. The RDSO handbook recommends one for every set. Outside NCR, check the state board's rules. Keep one for every customer set.
How do service companies track DG set AMC visits?
Service companies track AMC visits on one record per DG set. Recurring PM raises each visit, and the work order carries the history. Renewal windows surface before the contract lapses. Our AMC contracts guide covers visit clauses.
