Have you ever been cutting your grass when the engine begins to smoke or starting to leak oil? It’s a typical issue with lawnmowers, but thankfully there are solutions you may try. It’s not something you should ignore if the lawnmower is smoking and leaking oil from the exhaust.
Oil leaks from an improperly tilted lawnmower, adding too much oil, carburetor imbalance, a clogged air filter, or engine damage are the most common causes of oil flowing out of a lawnmower’s exhaust. Finding the right reason can be complicated, but most of these problems are not difficult to resolve.
What To Do If Your Lawnmower Smoking and Leaking Oil from Exhaust
Oil is harmful to the environment, known as common knowledge. For this reason, doctors advise us to avoid eating fried foods at reputable places. I’ve never seen someone take the risk seriously though we have been warned about them.
Don’t panic if the exhaust from your lawnmower is burning and dripping with oil. We’ll demonstrate how to solve it since it needs to be fixed. We’ve looked at what to do if your lawnmower is smoking and leaking oil.
Problem
Oil is coming out of the exhaust of a lawnmower and is smoking.
Cause
A rusted or damaged piston ring is the most frequent cause of smoking and oil leaks in lawnmowers. Since the piston rings are comprised of rubber, they will eventually deteriorate.
Oil leaks into the engine’s combustion chamber as a result of their deterioration. This results in excessive smoke coming from your exhaust pipe. The other potential reason is that you have a faulty valve cover gasket or valve stem seal. It is dripping oil onto your spark plug wires or into their boots.
Solution
Take the spark plug wires from both sides of your engine and remove the spark plug wires’ boots. Look at the bottom side of the engine where the crankcase cover joins the leaky piston ring. If the piston rings on this part of the engine are worn out, notice an oily patch on either one side or both sides of this connection.
Solution Of The Problem
It is concerning when a lawnmower starts to smoke and leak oil from the exhaust. Both of these symptoms indicate an issue with the engine and, if ignored, may require expensive repairs. The good news is that you can troubleshoot the issue in a few different ways. Here are a few techniques to use:
- Shut off the lawnmower.
- Check the oil level.
- Take a look at the air filter on the lawn mower.
- Check the spark plugs in the mower.
- Examine the mower’s blade.
- Inspect the petrol tank.
- View the lawnmower’s angle.
Potential Cause
It is hard to determine the source when oil is seen pouring from your lawnmower’s exhaust. You should first check your oil level.
Make sure to have a funnel on hand and fill the tank before starting the engine if you need more oil. Consider the following alternative causes if this isn’t the issue:
Air Filter Clogged or Dusty
To prevent dirt and other particles from entering the engine, your lawnmower’s air filter is placed inside the engine compartment. When you mow your lawn, an oil leak from your air filter occurs if you have not changed it or if it’s full of dust and debris.
Replace your old air filter with a new one approximately once a month to address this issue. Before reinstalling the new filter clear off any extra dirt that may have formed on top of it.
The leakage of Oil From the Engine
Check to make sure there isn’t an engine leak if you have recently replaced the oil in your mower. Either an O-ring was harmed or the housing for the oil filter came loose. It’s a simple fix, but you’ll need to tighten the housing or change the O-ring.
Rusted Bearing
The engine will produce more noise than usual when a bearing starts to fail. This occurs as a result of rusted components inside the engine casing preventing the engine from moving smoothly anymore. As a result, you notice more oil leakage from the exhaust pipe and more smoke coming from your lawnmower.
Check the oil level first to determine whether your lawnmower is experiencing this. Then look inside the engine housing to see if there is any extra oil around any bearings. If so, this means that one or more components need replacing right away as they are worn out or rusted.
Defective Oil Filter
A malfunctioning oil filter is another potential factor in oil seeping from your exhaust pipe. Over time, an outdated or damaged filter leads to various issues, including oil leakage into other machine components.
Air Purifier
The air purifier should not be covered with oil because it purifies the air that enters your engine. If so, the purifier must either be cleaned or changed. The recent oil change on your lawnmower may pollute the filter. The filter should be cleaned or replaced to address this issue.
Consequences of Leakage of Oil or Smoke from Lawnmower
- A lawnmower that spills oil and smokes may have unintended consequences.
- It can firstly present a fire risk. A fire could start if the oil dripped onto the burning engine.
- Your health is at risk of the smoke. It can irritate your lungs and lead to respiratory issues when inhaled.
- The environment will contaminate by the oil leak. It can harm wildlife and contaminate soil and water.
- Finally, using a lawn mower that is burning and leaking is uncomfortable. It pollutes your yard and releases poisonous smells.
- It’s critical to get your lawnmower to a repair shop as soon as possible if it is smoking and leaking.
Can You Fix Your Lawnmower Smoking and Oil Leakage By Yourself
It’s critical to act fast if your lawnmower is burning and dripping oil to stop further harm. With a short time and little effort, you can solve your lawnmower issue yourself. Although you tempt to make repairs yourself, lawnmowers are complicated devices, and doing so is at risk.
In addition, if repairs are attempted by anybody other than an authorized technician, many lawnmower manufacturers void the guarantee. So the best action is to bring your lawnmower to a reputable repair facility. The specialist will identify the issue and carry out the required fixes. Although it can cost you money upfront, it will ultimately save you time and hassle.
Prevent Your Lawnmower From Smoking and Leaking
Maintaining your lawnmower is essential to keeping it in good working order. The engine oil deteriorates and degrades over time, which causes it to smoke and leak. To avoid this change the oil frequently and use higher-quality oil and frequently inspect and clean the air filter. The engine may run hotter than usual and emit smoke due to a clogged air filter.
Last but not least, maintain the deck of the lawnmower clean. On the deck, grass and other debris might accumulate and tip the blades out of balance. The engine may become stressed as a result and start to smoke and leak oil. You can prolong the life of your lawn mower by following these easy instructions.
FAQ’S
How can oil leakage into the engine be stopped?
You must properly maintain your lawnmower if you want to continue operating as intended for a longer time. The lawnmower can work in good order for a longer time with proper maintenance.
If I see oil in the exhaust of a lawnmower, should I take it to the shop?
Filters that are broken, poor-quality fluids, or challenging operating circumstances can all contribute to oil in the exhaust. You might contact a professional if you are not sure how to resolve the problems.
What is the source of the gas coming from the exhaust?
The extra gasoline is to blame for this. On the other hand, this could also be caused by a fuel injector leak. Unburned energy is released as exhaust.
How can I check the lawnmower’s oil level?
First, take it out and wipe it down with a cloth. Next, reinstall the dipstick in the mower. Check the location where the oil rises now. It is filled if it reaches the top. However, if it goes over that, it can become problematic.
How dark is oil smoke?
If your exhaust is blue or grey, your engine is probably leaking oil and burning oil. It’s time to have a skilled technician examine the situation. Numerous problems, like leaking valve seals, fractured piston rings, or worn cylinder walls, may be to blame for the leak.
Conclusion
You can take a few steps if oil is seen flowing from your lawnmower’s exhaust. Initially, confirm that the oil is leaking from the exhaust and not from another part of the mower. You need to send your lawnmower in for repairs if the noise is coming from the exhaust.