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Lawn Mower Smoking and Leaking Oil from Exhaust? Expert Solution

Your Personal Gardener

July 3, 2023

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If you are in quest of finding a proper solution to fix your Lawn Mower, then you have placed your hands on the right page. If you expect your Lawn Mower to function in the long run, then you must know the tips and tricks behind its maintenance.

We must tell you that it’s not an easy task to handle if your electric Lawn Mower is smoking. We have seen a lot of people complaining about the same regarding their Lawn Mower. Generally, this is why we are here to look into your problem.

If you also feel the same and believe that it’s not your cup of tea, then give us a chance to prove you wrong. All you need to know is how to deal with the situation when your Lawn Mower starts smoking and leaking oil from the exhaust.

Why Is My Lawn Mower Leaking Oil From The Exhaust?

The most common question that probably hit your mind is, why is my Lawn Mower leaking oil from the exhaust?

While you are busy mowing your lawn, suddenly you notice that your Lawn Mower is smoking and leaking oil. You need to fix the issue right in time to get rid of it. If you don’t fix it on time, it may give rise to many additional problems.

It’s quite obvious that your Lawn Mower will start leaking oil after a certain period. It’s not abnormal. If you know how to deal with it, then nothing can stop you from keeping your Lawn Mower in an active state for a long.

Here we will guide you to dig deeper into why is my Lawn Mower smoking and leaking oil from the exhaust.

Before getting started, you must know a few things. The main reason behind the leakage is when the oil or coolant leaks. The smoke from the exhaust indicates that it’s time to pay attention to your engines. The smoke color greatly varies in different situations. It might generate black, white, grey, or blue smoke.

First things first, you have to know the reasons before jumping into the solutions. Though the reasons can be many, these are some common reasons which you may probably face with your Lawn Mower. Let’s take a closer look into the reasons and find out why my Lawn Mower is smoking and leaking oil–

• Shabby air filter
• Bad fuel regulator
• Unrepaired fuel injectors
• Broken engine block
• Damaged cylinder head
• Broken head gasket
• Improper functioning of the valve
• Damaged piston ring
• Overfilled crankcase

You have got a brief idea regarding the reasons behind it, right? Now let’s take a look at the color of the smoke and what it signifies-

1 – Black Smoke

If you discover your Lawn Mower is generating black smoke, then you can wait until the engine cools down. If the smoke disappears as soon as the engine hits the normal temperature, then bingo! You need not worry.

Sometimes, your Lawn Mower smokes on startup. It’s not an alarming situation. But if it continues to do the same, then you must come up with a solution.

Why Is My Lawn Mower Smoking Black?

Here, we have talked about the most common remains. Below are some reasons behind your Lawn Mower leaking oil and smoking –

1 – When The Air Filter Gets Dirty – The air filter plays an important part not only in improving the quality of the air entering inside but also in enhancing the ventilation in the engine. So you can guess the rest if you don’t replace the air filter periodicity

2 – In The Case Of A Poor Fuel Regulator – The pressure range starts to vary when the fuel pressure somehow gets altered. Then and there, the fuel system starts to malfunction

Impacts

A dirty air filter can harm your Lawn Mower in every possible way. Below are some consequences of using a dirty air filter that can lead to black smoke from Lawn Mower –

• It reduces the gas mileage
• It emits harmful emissions
• The engine becomes noisy, creating a bad smell
• The engine also starts to suffer due to a low air-to-fuel ratio

Ways To Getting Rid Of It?

It is very important to know the dos and don’ts while dealing with the impacts. You can examine the parts which are prone to wear and tear to proceed accordingly.

If you are dealing with an air filter, then, first of all, notice the smoke intensity followed by an examination of the air filter. Once you are done with it, make sure to clean or replace the air filter as soon as possible.

Impacts

• Impacts of poor fuel regulator-
• Reduce fuel efficacy
• Reduction of fuel mileage that results from over fueling due to high pressure

Ways To Getting Rid Of It?

When it comes to fuel pressure regulators, you have to be cautious while dealing with them. You have to either repair or install it.

Now you need to learn the proper steps to repair or install a fuel pressure regulator.

Let’s Talk About Repairing First,

1. While repairing, make sure to release the negative battery cord at the beginning
2. Then, you should slowly release the pressure of the system
3. Once you are done with it, start to install the upper intake manifold and adjust it properly
4. Then, it’s time to release the vacuum channel from the fuel pressure regulator
5. Dismantle the screws very cautiously, and use a piece of cloth to clean the spillage

Now Let’s Learn To Install It

1. Clean the necessary parts one after another
2. Make sure to use the engine oil to lubricate your new fuel pressure regulator before fixing it
3. Once you finish lubricating, place it on the regulator inlet
4. Attach the fuel outlet pipe to the regulator, followed by the vacuum line
5. Adjust the retainer screw in the proper place
6. Cross-check and verify their placement and pull them to confirm those screws are well seated
7. Once you are done with it, start to install the upper intake manifold and adjust it properly
8. Make sure to release the negative battery cord at the end
9. In the end, check its functioning and look for any leakage

Apart from these, you also have to keep your eyes on fuel injectors. Unrepaired fuel injectors can also affect the efficacy and performance which can further lead to oil leakage from the exhaust.

2 – White Smoke

If you discover your Lawn Mower smoking white, then it is normal sometimes. Quite a few times, your Lawn Mower smokes on startup. But that does not necessarily mean it’s normal for your Lawn Mower to smoke on startup.

That’s why you have to look into the matter and verify whether it’s normal or not. When the leaked coolant comes into the combustion chamber, and the engine starts burning it. Then you can catch a glimpse of the white smoke.

If you find your Kohler engine blowing white smoke, then it’s probably because of the float valve and carburetor. The float valve has failed to function properly, which is why the carburetor has overflowed into the engine.

Why Is My Lawn Mower Smoking White?

Now let’s see behind the curtain and unearth the reasons behind the best Lawn Mower spitting oil.

1 – Broken Engine Block – A lawn mower’s broken engine can start to leak after a certain period.

2 – Damaged Cylinder Head – A normal cylinder head allows the fuel to get inside the cylinder and permits the exhaust gases to come out of the system. When it gets cracked or damaged, it can reduce the engine cooling efficacy.

3 – Broken Head Gasket – When the head gasket gets damaged, it cannot avoid oil leakage or coolant into the cylinder.

Impacts

A broken engine block can reduce the efficacy of the engine.

Ways To Getting Rid Of It?

You have the seal the damaged part of the engine to return it to a functioning level as early as possible.

Impacts

A damaged cylinder head reduces the engine cooling efficacy, followed by oil leakage in the combustion chamber.

Ways To Getting Rid Of It?

If you don’t want to make a hole in your pocket, then the most budget-friendly way to deal with a cracked aluminum cylinder head is to repair it. You can either go for hit welding or furnace welding, or frame flame spray welding.

Impacts

A broken head gasket can let your engine overheat instantly, followed by oil leakage as well as a reduction in cylinder compression.

Ways To Getting Rid Of It?

To get rid of the damaged head gasket, check your engine’s condition and continue to monitor it. Take a good look at the belts and hoses’ condition.

3 – Blue/Grey Smoke

If you have asked yourself a zillionth time why your Lawn Mower is blowing blue smoke, then this section can surely put an end to all your queries. Make sure to stick to the last line to comprehend the ways to deal with blue/grey smoke.

Just like the above two, grey smoke also indicates that there is trouble with Lawn Mower & is facing a serious issue. Before the leaked oil can damage your combustion chamber anymore, you should keep your eyes on it.

Why Is My Lawn Mower Smoking Blue?

There can be several reasons behind it. But the most common reason is the malfunctioning of the valve stem seal.

1 – Improper Functioning Of The Valve – Yes, you heard that correctly! Let’s look forward to seeing how far it can damage your system and how to get rid of it

Impacts

• The damaged seal absorbs the oil and passes it into the combustion chamber. But ultimately cools down your engine before your system can start functioning
• It can give rise to long-standing excessive smoke
• Poor sealing also creates a high vacuum in your engine, which is why oil gets leaked and absorbed by a seal. Ultimately, it produces a huge amount of smoke from the exhaust.

Ways To Getting Rid Of It?

You can find a lot of ways to deal with this kind of situation. We have mentioned the specific ways to get rid of the smoke.

• The very first thing that you can do is to replace the damaged sea
• Or else you can also go for high-mileage motor oil. It has an inbuilt good quality seal conditioner which can reduce the occurrence of malfunctioning.

What To Do Instantly If Your Lawn Mower Starts Smoking And Leaking Oil From The Exhaust?

It may also happen that you don’t have enough time to assess the color of the smoke and implement the specific measure. Then you can jump on the approaches stated below irrespective of the color of the smoke.

1. Check the level of your Lawn Mower. While doing this, make sure not to don’t your Lawn Mower more than 15°
2. Try to remove the excess oil immediately
3. Take a look at your filter
4. Once you check the filter, then try to adjust the carburetor
5. You should also review the condition of the muffler
6. Check all the valves and their conditions
7. Once you finish checking all of them, try to keep your eyes on the internal elements afterward.
8. Last but not least, make sure to use good-quality oil

You can follow these simple steps to discover the associated problem with your Lawn Mower. If you find it too hard to solve on your own, it’s better to call a mechanic.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Wrapping Up!

We hope this article has answered bits and pieces of your queries. Your Lawn Mower can respond differently based on the reason for its suffering. Take time to dig deeper and develop the most appropriate strategies to get rid of the problem.