A mysterious phenomenon is causing headaches for home gardeners. The lawnmower starts immediately, the engine purrs and yet a cloud of blue smoke rises. This guide highlights common causes of blue smoke and provides tips for effective countermeasures.
What to do if the lawnmower smokes blue?
If a lawnmower smokes blue, this could be due to the oil level being too high, the tilting direction being incorrect, or spilled petrol/oil. To resolve the problem, turn off the lawn mower, allow it to cool, clean oily areas and check/adjust oil level.
First measure: turn off the lawnmower
If your lawnmower smokes, please turn off the device immediately. This measure applies regardless of whether the device works smoothly or stutters. It can be either a harmless cause or a serious one. To avoid permanent damage to your valuable lawnmower, the problem should be identified and resolved before the next mowing.
Cause: Oil level too high
If a lawnmower emits blue-white clouds, burning oil comes into focus as the first cause. If there is too much oil in the crankcase, it spills over and burns on the hot engine block. How to get your lawnmower back in shape:
- Let the engine cool down
- Clean the mower deck and engine block thoroughly with a cloth
- Check oil level according to manufacturer's instructions
If the oil level is too high, you can regulate it using a suction pump (€14.00 on Amazon) or drain some engine oil.
Cause: Incorrect tilting direction
If a lawn mower is tilted in the wrong direction, oil will leak. The air filter, spark plug and cylinder head are flooded with engine oil. As a result, blue smoke rises when the lawn mower is started. To solve the problem, you cannot avoid thoroughly cleaning the oily components.
So that the mishap doesn't happen again, always tilt your lawnmower so that the spark plug is pointing upwards.
Cause: Spilled gasoline or oil
If a little is spilled when adding gasoline or oil, the liquid will burn as blue smoke as the engine heats up. Turn off the lawnmower and let it cool down. Then clean the mower deck with a cloth. Use a funnel to refill petrol and oil without loss.
Tip
If a lawn mower smokes, the color alone provides more information about the cause. Black smoke is usually due to a clogged air filter. Fortunately, this component can be easily cleaned even by an inexperienced hand. Simply tap out the paper filters. Clean the foam filter with hot water and dish soap.
