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why does smoke come out of my lawn mower

by Thalia Pfeffer DVM Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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And here possible reasons why are your lawn mower white smoke and sputtering:

  • You are using the wrong oil grade/poor oil grade.
  • The crankcase is overfilled with oil.
  • Faulty breather of the crankcase.
  • There is an air leak in the crankcase.
  • Expired cylinder or any rings in there.
  • An obstacle in the breather tube.
  • Lawn mower blown head gasket
  • Engine is operating at more than a 15-degree angle.

More items...

Your lawn mower's carburetor regulates the ratio of gasoline to air mixture. If the carburetor isn't getting enough air, the mixture has a higher percentage of gasoline, which can create black exhaust smoke. It's possible that a dirty or clogged air filter is preventing sufficient airflow into the carburetor.Sep 24, 2020

Full Answer

Why is my lawn mower leaking fuel?

Reasons Why Your Lawn Mowers Leaks Gas

  1. Carburetor Bowl. The first thing to look at is your carburetor. ...
  2. Stuck Float. Take a look at the opening of the carburetor. ...
  3. Stuck Float Needle. After looking at the float, you need to look at a part in the carburetor called the needle. ...
  4. Fuel Lines. ...
  5. Fuel Tank. ...
  6. Fuel Valve. ...
  7. Fuel Filter. ...
  8. Fuel Pump. ...
  9. Gas Cap. ...
  10. Primer Bulb. ...

Why is my lawn mower so hard to start?

Why Your Riding Mower Won’t Start

  • Gas tank is empty
  • Wrong or old gas in the tank
  • Vent is plugged in your gas cap
  • Broke or dirty spark plug
  • Air filter is plugged
  • Faulty fuel pump
  • Plugged fuel filter
  • Clogged fuel lines
  • Carburetor is dirty or has broken components
  • Bad battery or loose connections

More items...

Why does my lawn mower blow out black smoke?

  • oil reservoir has been overfilled.
  • The mower has been tipped on its side.
  • Choke needs adjustment.
  • The air filter is blocked.
  • Carburetor needs adjusting.
  • The spark plug gap is wrong.
  • The engine is worn.

How to fix a smoking lawn mower?

Troubleshooting and Fixing the Mower

  • Check and replace the air filter.
  • Check oil level, grade and type. Change the lawn mower oil if necessary.
  • If oil has found its way onto the engine, let the mower run until the oil burns off harmlessly.
  • Checking the angle at which you’re mowing. Angles greater than 15 degrees can cause your lawn mower to smoke.

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How do I fix white smoke from my lawn mower?

4:024:46White Smoke Coming From Lawn Mower-How To Fix It - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipYou want to clean out the air filter area probably you're probably gonna find some oil in the airMoreYou want to clean out the air filter area probably you're probably gonna find some oil in the air filter area clean it out. An option number two is if there's excess. Oil.

Why is my lawn mower blowing white smoke?

So why is your mower blowing white smoke? Overfilling the oil or an excess of oxygen within the engine usually causes this. White smoke can also be caused by incorrect oil grades, air leaks, worn cylinder/rings or a blown head gasket.

How do I stop my lawnmower from smoking?

Troubleshooting and Fixing the MowerCheck and replace the air filter.Check oil level, grade and type. Change the lawn mower oil if necessary.If oil has found its way onto the engine, let the mower run until the oil burns off harmlessly.Checking the angle at which you're mowing.

How do you fix white smoke?

This generally happens because of a cracked or leaking head gasket, which allows coolant to seep into your cylinders. In extreme cases, you will need to replace your head gasket. At the first sign of white smoke you can try head gasket repair treatment to seal the leak before you do serious damage to your engine.

How do you fix GREY smoke from exhaust?

To fix blue or gray smoke: The easy way is to add a bottle of Motor Honey Oil Treatment to your motor oil with each oil change. It's specially designed to reduce oil burning and stop smoky exhausts. The hard way is an engine overhaul, which is about a hundred times more expensive and a thousand times more work.

Can I use my lawn mower if its smoking?

The smoke may look disconcerting, but it's completely harmless. Solve the problem by restarting the mower and allowing the spilled oil to burn off. If you tip the mower often for cleaning or maintenance, check your owner's manual to determine the best way to reduce the risk of oil leaks.

What happens when you put too much oil in a lawn mower?

Too much oil in your lawn mower may cause the engine to not run well and cause damaging results. Too much oil can cause your engine to overheat which can result in seal damage, blown gaskets or becoming hydrolocked.

What does it mean when you have white smoke coming out of your exhaust?

If your exhaust system is producing a thick, white smoke – you may have a problem. Many times, this thick smoke is due to the likes of a blown head gasket, damaged cylinder, or a cracked engine block, which is causing coolant to burn.

How do I know if my lawnmower has a blown head gasket?

Low Pressure If the mower is dropping out or not starting and you do notice the oil leak, you have a bad gasket. If the mower shuts off when you turn corners, but there is no oil leak, you may still have a bad gasket since the pressure to keep the combustion going is not strong enough.

Can low oil cause white smoke?

So Can Low Oil Cause White Smoke? A. No, it cannot. Unrelated to the fluid's level, if oil does make it into the combustion chamber, you could see blue-tinted smoke coming from your exhaust.

Is white smoke normal from exhaust?

White Smoke The most common cause of this is a blown head gasket, which can quickly lead to an overheating engine. But it could also be due to a cracked cylinder or engine block, making it necessary to replace the engine entirely.

Why does my lawn mower smoke?

White or blue smoke may indicate an oil spill on the engine. If you’ve recently changed the oil in your mower and the engine is emitting white or blue smoke, it’s possible that some of the oil spilled onto the engine. Similarly, you could’ve spilled oil on the engine by mowing on a slope greater than 15 degrees or tipping the mower on its side.

How to fix black smoke on lawn mower?

If the carburetor isn’t getting enough air, the mixture has a higher percentage of gasoline, which can create black exhaust smoke. It’s possible that a dirty or clogged air filter is preventing sufficient airflow into the carburetor. Try replacing the air filter. (Note: air filters vary by mower model; view example air filter on Amazon .) Next, run your lawn mower for a few minutes. If the black smoke still appears, the carburetor might need to be adjusted in order to increase airflow. Either take the mower to a professional or adjust the carburetor yourself with instructions in your owner’s manual.

How to check oil level on a lawn mower?

Ensure you didn’t overfill the mower by checking the oil level with the dipstick located on the reservoir. To do this, remove the dipstick cap, wipe off the stick with a rag, and reinsert it into the reservoir. Then remove the dipstick once again and determine the oil level in comparison to the recommended “fill” line on the stick.

Do all lawn mowers have internal combustion engines?

Keep in mind that all mowers with internal combustion engines contain the same basic parts, but the configuration of those parts varies widely, depending on manufacturer and model. Consult your owner’s manual if you’re unsure how to access a specific part of your lawn mower’s engine.

CROSS YOUR FINGERS FOR WHITE SMOKE

White smoke could be harmful or beneficial. The good news is that you’ll find out soon enough which one it is. The presence of white smoke indicates that the engine is burning oil.

COMMON REASONS A LAWN MOWER IS BLOWING WHITE SMOKE

As previously stated, there are several common reasons why your lawn mower may be emitting white smoke. It happens frequently — much more frequently than you’d think — and the majority of these issues are simple to resolve, but more on that later.

HOW TO FIX THE MOST COMMON CAUSES OF WHITE SMOKE IN LAWN MOWERS?

While white smoke appears to be a serious problem, it is not. If you just follow a few simple steps, you’ll be able to fix it in no time. Naturally, you may not know what caused the smoke right away, but it doesn’t hurt to try some of these solutions until you get it right.

HOW DO I KNOW IF MY LAWN MOWER HAS A BLOWN HEAD GASKET?

When a lawn mower blows a head gasket, it immediately emits SOS signals that allow you to diagnose its current condition. Let’s look at the three most common symptoms.

CONCLUSION

White smoke can be alarming, but it’s usually a simple fix. Blue or black smoke is far more hazardous to your lawnmower. When it comes to white smoke, it’s simply a matter of resolving a minor issue and letting the engine run until the smoke disappears.

Why is My Lawn Mower Blowing White or Blue Smoke?

If you have a lawn mower blowing white or blue smoke, you can be almost certain that it is due to the engine burning oil. These are reasons why your engine could be burning oil (from the most common to the least):

How to Fix a Lawn Mower Blowing White or Blue Smoke

Fixing your lawn mower blowing white or blue smoke can require a varying degree of time and abilities. Some of the repairs are super straightforward but some can get pretty complex. I’ll use the same descriptions of the above causes to talk about their fixes.

Causes of 4 Stroke Lawn Mower Blowing White or Blue Smoke

All of the most common causes listed above apply to 4-stroke lawn mowers. The only important distinction to make is when addressing oil that has mixed with the fuel, and overfilling engine oil.

Causes of 2 Stroke Lawn Mower Blowing White or Blue Smoke

When 2-stroke lawn mowers blow white smoke, all of the same causes listed above still apply but they do so a little differently. This means that issues of fuel mixed with oil and overfilling engine oil come from the same problem with 2-stroke engines: too much engine oil mixed with the gas.

Is White or Blue Smoke from My Lawn Mower Dangerous?

In short, yes. The dangers of white/blue smoke from lawn mowers are health-related: your health and your lawn mower’s health. You don’t need a doctor to tell you not to breathe in smoke resulting from burned oil. And if your lawn mower does have problems that cause oil to burn, it’s a hard-to-miss sign that there is a problem that will get worse.

How to Stop a Lawn Mower from Smoking?

Lawnmowers are not much of a complex machine, and you could deal with them at home if it is a tiny issue. If you practice regular maintenance, the machine will not cause any problem and will work in the long run.

How to Troubleshoot Lawn Mower Engine Smoking?

This is serious! Smoke coming out of your machine’s engine could indicate a severe problem that calls for a professional at most times, but in case you could do the troubleshooting at home.

Conclusion

And so, you know how important it is to keep a check on your machine before it is too late. Lawn mowers are basic and easy to operate but make sure you save yourself from that smoke, or the confrontations would not be very pleasant for you or your pocket.

Why is my lawn mower smoky?

Black smoke might seem like the end of the world, but in reality, black smoke coming from your lawn mower can just be a sign of a faulty fuel system. In most instances, lawn mowers that billow black smoke need to have their carburetors, filters, or fuel lines checked and possibly recalibrated.

What Is Lawn Mower White Smoke?

In most cases, that visible white smoke is simply the burnoff of oil that has come into contact with the unit’s engine itself, like food residue burning off the bottom of a cooking pan when placed on the stove.

Why does my lawn mower oil leak?

This is more common on lawns that have an incline of over 15 degrees, where the lawn mower needs to function on a sustained angle in order to mow the grass and the oil tends to leak over and into the engine.

What happens when you mowing your lawn?

When you are mowing your lawn, you can expect to see grass clippings go flying—but the last thing you might anticipate is for your machine to start billowing smoke. In a matter of moments, your peaceful afternoon of yard maintenance can turn into a coughing fit amid a smoke plume.

Why does my car smoke black?

Once an air filter is clogged, the engine receives too much unregulated gasoline and will start to blow black smoke.

Do gas lawn mowers smoke?

Unfortunately, gas-powered lawn mowers tend to be full of surprises, including a variety of smoke expulsions for different reasons. Whether your mower starts smoking halfway across the lawn, or it begins the second you try to start the unit, lawn mowers are known to blow smoke during their lifespan.

Is it dangerous to smoke a lawn mower?

This can be dangerous to the engine if you don’t solve the smoke problem immediately, as higher carbon levels can harm the rest of the lawn mower.

Why is my lawn mower white smoke?

And here possible reasons why are your lawn mower white smoke and sputtering: You are using the wrong oil grade/ poor oil grade. The crankcase is overfilled with oil. Faulty breather of the crankcase. There is an air leak in the crankcase. Expired cylinder or any rings in there. An obstacle in the breather tube.

Why does my John Deere tractor smoke?

It’s normal that your new John Deere tractor will be emitting white or blue smoke during the initial break-in period because it consumes oil during that period.

How To Stop A Lawn Mower From Smoking?

A smoking lawn mower does not mean the end of its lifecycle. There are plenty of fixes when the lawn mower blowing white smoke and won’t start smoothly.

Why does my lawn mower fill up with oil?

When you replace the blades or want to have a look under the deck, you may unwittingly tip the mower to its sides. So, mowing on the steep heel and tipping over are two common reasons why the cylinder may fill up with oil.

Why is my lawn mower sputtering?

White or blue smoke from your mower engine simply indicates burning oil. And here possible reasons why are your lawn mower white smoke and sputtering: 1 You are using the wrong oil grade/poor oil grade. 2 The crankcase is overfilled with oil. 3 Faulty breather of the crankcase. 4 There is an air leak in the crankcase. 5 Expired cylinder or any rings in there. 6 An obstacle in the breather tube. 7 Lawn mower blown head gasket 8 Engine is operating at more than a 15-degree angle. 9 For storage or oil change, if you tilt the mower engine on its side. Mowing steep heels may result in the same problem too. 10 Damaged piston rings or cylinder. 11 Pouring engine oil in excess of its capacity shown on the dipstick.

What does it mean when a head gasket is damaged?

A damaged head gasket means there is no proper sealing. Even a tiny leak in the head gasket will result in oil leak into the cylinder from the combustion chamber.

What happens if you overfill an engine with oil?

Overfilling the engine with oil will not only result in white smoke , you may even notice the oil is coming out of the engine muffler. But don’t get too scared of it.

Why does my lawn mower smoke?

Another cause for lawn mower smoking would be using your mower on a very steep surface. Both of these scenarios may cause the cylinder to fill up with oil. Once your cylinder fills up, restarting the mower causes the oil burns, making your mower a chimney.

Why does my lawn mower blow white smoke?

However, a tipped mower is, in most cases, the reason why your lawn mower could be producing the fumes. You may have tipped your mower to unclog the chute, to change the blades, or clean out the deck.

Why does my lawn mower make a noise?

A puffing noise and a high crankcase pressure is usually an indication of a head gasket failure in addition to the white fumes. A faulty head gasket means that there is no seal on the cylinder, and therefore oil gets sucked into the combustion chamber. As a result smoking lawn mower is common at this stage.

What does it mean when your lawn mower smokes white?

There is no need to panic as most times, lawn mower white smokes mean that your mower needs a little time out. There are various ways to handle the white smoke issue. This article provides you with the necessary information you need to fix your lawn mower and get it back on your lawn in no time. Read on!

How to fix a lawnmower that is tipping over?

Fixing this issue is simple. Clear the mower off any oil and let it idle for a while. Allowing it to idle enables the lawnmower engine to rest, and the smoke will eventually clear itself out. If you are unaware of the correct way to tip over your mower, you can always check in your manual. It is also advisable to avoid surfaces that are steeper than a 15-degree angle.

What is a damaged head gasket on a lawn mower?

However, a damaged head gasket is something to worry about. A head gasket is a metal used to seal the cylinder. It is fitted to close the combustion chamber.

How to fix a black smoke on a lawn mower?

Most times, a mower with a dirty air filter produces black smoke. This scenario is, however, a simple one to fix as you need to remove the filter and clean it out. To ensure the filter is clean, it is advisable to use water and soap. Another alternative would be to replace the filter with a new one. With doing all these jobs you should check and prevent air leak from any possible way.

What could be causing the white/blue smoke from the engine?

Blue or white smoke coming from your engine usually indicates burning oil, which can be caused by:

What happens if you tilt your mower?

Are you tilting the engine or using it at more than a 15 degree angle? Tilting your mower or equipment can cause leaks. Right the machine before moving forward

Why is the spark plug facing upwards?

Note: If the engine has to be tilted, ensure the spark plug is facing upwards to help prevent oil from escaping the crankcase.

Why does my lawnmower smoke white?

The most probable cause of white smoke is that your lawnmower’s engine is burning oil. This can happen due to any of the following reasons: Tipping the mower on its side or using the mower at a steep slope. You have overfilled the mower with engine oil. Damaged head gasket.

Why does my lawn mower burn oil?

While a lawnmower engine with less than a normal amount of oil is going to face a lot of friction due to lack of lubrication if you have excess oil in your mower’s engine the oil will enter the cylinder and start burning along with the fuel. This results in white smoke from the exhaust and sometimes excess engine oil can start coming out ...

Why does my lawn mower have low power?

In addition to consistent white smoke from the exhaust, you can hear the sound of air being blown from the leaking gasket and loss of compression which causes low power output from the mower . If a lot of oil is rushing into the cylinder the engine may fail to start or stop running after a while.

How to get rid of white smoke on lawn mower?

If your mower has started smoking after being tipped over or after using at a steep angle you can get rid of the white smoke by simply letting the mower run on idle until it burns up the oil that has gotten into the combustion chamber. In order to know the correct way to tip the mower on its side, read the owner’s manual of your lawnmower. Similarly, it is best to avoid using your mower at a surface with a slope of more than 15 degrees as too steep of a slope can cause excess engine oil to enter the cylinder and start burning resulting in a cloud of white smoke. Most lawnmowers should be fine if they are tipped on the side for maintenance with the carburetor and air filter facing upwards.

What causes a mower to overfill with oil?

You have overfilled the mower with engine oil. Damaged head gasket. Piston ring failure. The petrol you used in your mower had engine oil in it. Some causes of engine oil entering the combustion chamber of your mower’s engine can be resolved by simply letting the mower idle for a while until the smoke clears out.

What is the purpose of piston rings on a lawn mower?

Piston rings control the amount of engine oil and supply very little amount of oil to the piston in order to move smoothly inside the cylinder. Piston rings of your mower’s engine also remove excess oil from the combustion chamber and flow it back into the engine block.

What happens if an air filter is worn out?

An unclean or worn out air filter may allow dust and other particles to enter the combustion chamber and damage the piston rings.

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