I have an abelian category $A$ that is AB4, AB3* and has an injective cogenerator. Do these conditions "help" in checking whether a given family $a_i$ of (compact) objects of $A$ is generating in it? So, where can I find any "non-trivial" conditions that ensure that $a_i$ generate $A$? I would prefer not to assume that $A$ is AB5 or Grothendieck abelian here; yet I am interested in any criteria for generators (that can assume any additional restrictions including these ones). In particular, does the existence of a conservative functor respecting coproducts from $A$ into abelian groups "help" here?
Any hints and (especially) references would be very welcome!