Started failure on Generac standby generators

Hi all,
I have a 4 year old Generac 8kv standby generator powered by NG. Within a year of buying it, the started needed replacement under warranty. My neighbor has the same generator, but a year newer. He is currently on his 3rd starter, first was also free under warranty. He mentioned to me that he had heard from some electricians that the starter problem is likely due to the starter having to work to hard with the recommended 30 wt oil which according to the manual is for year round use. We've had some cold winters in upstate NY and I'm wondering if the heavy oil could indeed be the problem and if so, should we be considering a shift to synthetic to try and protect our starter. It auto starts once a week for a brief test, as winter is getting colder, I'm thinking about the change. Anyone have similar experiences or thoughts on going to a lighter oil?

 

Please disregard my previous post, I rechecked my manual and it recommend the lighter oil, I was going by the verbal instructions of the installer, not a great idea.....

 

I primarily install Kohlers that use a block heater.

Straight 30w in a cold climate could definitely be an issue.
You should be using 10w30 and I would consider synthetic.