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Why Is My Lawn Mower Blowing White Smoke?

Smoke from lawnmower looks worse when it is not followed by blunt engine performance. Actually two types of smoke is commonly seen through lawn mowers when there is certain issue with their working and that is white and blue; the major reason behind this smoke is that your engine is burning more oil and it could be due to some kind of internal engine problems. One thing is important to note that the color of the smoke tends to go bluish when amount of burning oil increases but if this smoke is white then it naturally goes away when engine runs. There are chances that oil moves into combustion chamber of equipment; for example whenever we push mower in order to service its blade then oil can directly drip inside combustion chamber. This thing can be observed when a person is operating his lawn mower at hill area and its slope is kept more than 15 degrees or in some cases it can be caused by just overfilling mistakes. Smoke usually has bluish color at first and it starts turning white when most of oil gets burned.
Mower Blowing White Smoke

As blue as well we white smoke from lawn mower is due to burning of oil in the engine; here are few reasons that cause such situations and one must take necessary steps to avoid them:


  • If the crankcase is overfilled with oil.
  • In case if you are using improper oil grades.
  • If you are operating engine at hill area where engine is moving at a greater than 15 degrees.
  • Crankcase breather is not proper.
  • Leakage of air from crankcase.
  • Problem of blown head gasket.
  • Worn rings or cylinder.
  • Tilting of engine towards its storage side.


It is good to diagnose these problems on time so that your lawn mower can serve you for long life. If you wish to troubleshoot your engine by yourself at home then following steps will be useful:


  1. Check if you are operating your engine at more than 15 degrees angle because such tilting of mower leads to unwanted leakage. Correct this issue before moving ahead.
  2. The best troubleshooting technique is to check the engine oil and replace it if there is certain problem. In case if oil is overflowing from your engine then surely you are using wrong grade type and it must be replaced as soon as possible.
  3. Check the crankcase of your device for any kind of leakage, if found then diagnose this issue.
  4. Verify that your head gasket is not blown; in case if it is damaged then you have to replace this part.
  5. Make sure that cylinder as well we rings are at perfect location and in good condition.


Once you are able to locate the fault then it becomes much easier to troubleshoot your lawn mower; almost all manufacturers provide a repair manual with their lawn mower or you can purchase it from websites. It is much easier to repair this equipment at home by following those specified procedures.