Visibility can be blocked by the larger diameter gas lens...
But the glaringly obvious issue that I see here is the fact you have ignored the warranty! You should have tested your unit as soon as you received it. IF there are any shipping issues/damage, it will likely be up to you. You are supposed to test and FULLY inspect the unit promplty after receiving it. The reason I bring this up is this also affects our ability to determine what happened to the unit, and will send you past the 30 day warranty period. Please read your warranty if you haven't. http://www.everlastgenerators.com/terms.php