White lawn mower carburetor. Cub Cadet Blowing White Smoke – Why And What To Do

Cub Cadet Blowing White Smoke – Why And What To Do?

You may be one of the Cub Cadet owners who has at least once witnessed smoke rising from their lawn mower. It’s not exactly what you want to witness. You might now be curious about the cause and desperately want to know the answer. Fear not—you’ve found the right article! To provide you with the answer, we did a ton of research for you, and this is what we found.

White smoke from an engine burning oil is almost always the cause of a lawn mower generating white smoke. These are the potential causes of oil burning in engines, listed from the most often to the least frequent:

• Your Cub Cadet’s air filtration system is connected in
• Not at an acceptable level of engine oil
• Piston ring issue with a Cub Cadet
• Your Cub Cadet‘s engine gasket is damaged

To learn how to handle each of them, we’ll go through each of these reasons in further detail now so you can decide which one (or ones) applies to you and your Cub Cadet.

Other reasons your mower emits white smoke can also depend on the type of Cub Cadet you have. Also, how frequently you use it and any maintenance you have recently completed can also be the reasons. Continue reading, and I’ll lead you through the process of determining why your Cub Cadet engine is smoking.

Cub Cadet Blowing White Smoke. Causes And Solutions

The challenges that come with having a Cub Cadet lawn mower are not insignificant. Despite being a significant participant in the lawn care sector and offering excellent solutions for your lawn demands, Cub Cadet’s lawn mowers will ultimately break down even though you take great care of a product that has mechanical parts. The common causes of your Cub Cadet spewing white smoke are addressed below.

Your Cub Cadet’s Air Filtration System Is Connected In

To prevent more damage, you should check the air filter system as soon as my Cub Cadet engine begins smoking.

Here’s what you need to do:

• Remove the air filter cover to get started. The lid will always be placed over the carburetor so that it can draw in clean air. Depending on the Cub Cadet model you have, either one screw or two knobs are frequently used to secure the cover. A few air filters are located adjacent to the carburetor along the side of the engine.
• Remove the air filter. Be very careful to prevent dirt from getting into the air intake. Any remaining stray dirt should be wiped away with a clean, dry towel.
• Look through your filter. The engine won’t breathe if your air filter is clogged with grass and dirt. Your engine could overheat as a result of this. Wherever it can, your engine would be looking for air. It may start to draw air and oil out of the crankcase if it is unable to pass clean air thru the air filter. The oil that is burned off will cause your Cub Cadet to start smoking.
• If your air filter appears worn out, replace it. If not, shake any loose debris out of the filter and reinstall it into the air filter housing. Putting the filter open to the sunlight and examining if you can see light through the paper filter is a good technique to determine if your filter can still be utilized. Replace the light if you can’t see it.

Not at an Acceptable Level of Engine Oil

Your Cub Cadet’s engine oil level may be the reason why your lawnmower is smoking. Oil is necessary for engines, but only in a certain quantity. Although lawnmower engines use a tiny fraction of a car’s fuel, the oil is just as crucial.

The engine will struggle if you have excess or too little oil. Considering oil must be changed frequently, it’s possible to make a mistake and use the incorrect amount of oil.

If you changed your oil recently or added oil to your lawn mower after noticing warning indications that it needed it, this is a plausible candidate as the cause of the smoke.

Here’s what to do:

Fortunately, you can typically determine if this is the issue by just checking your dipstick. If your dipstick indicates that the crankcase has too much oil in it, you must drain it.

This could be a breeze or a major pain, depending on your lawn mower. In any case, it is best to completely drain the oil before applying the recommended amount.

After completing this step, confirm that the oil in your lawn mower is at the proper level. Some people think that adding a little extra oil won’t hurt them, but that isn’t always true. Underfilling is somewhat worse than overfilling since overfilling will make the engine work harder and produce more smoke.

Piston Ring Issue With a Cub Cadet

You are now entering the more challenging troubleshooting regions to identify the cause of your Cub Cadet’s smoking. You must inspect the spark plug for oil. The oil could indicate a bigger internal engine issue on the spark plug.

Follow this one

Apply a socket to the spark plug to remove it. To remove the plug, you may require a 5/8-inch or 3/4-inch socket. Check the spark plug for excess oil by removing it.

This may indicate both a score on the cylinder wall and an issue with the piston ring. Oil might get inside the compression changer when the cylinder wall is damaged. This oil emits smoke when it burns.

We advise taking your engine to the local small engine service center if you lack mechanical expertise. You must disassemble the engine in order to locate and fix the problem.

You’ll frequently need to replace your engine if it develops this problem. Depending on the model, you could be better off purchasing a new mower.

Your Cub Cadet’s Engine Gasket Is Damaged

Similar to the other three causes, worn-out engine parts might result in fuel or oil leaking into unintended areas. Piston rings, cylinders, and head gaskets are the three engine components that fail most frequently and produce white smoke.

If any of them apply, your tiny engine project could be quite large. A process of elimination works effectively because it is more difficult to tinker about within the engine to figure out whether faulty parts are the issue. Oil leaks from damaged engine parts can mimic the majority of the symptoms from other sources.

The best thing to do

You would require a handbook to receive a thorough explanation of each of the methods for repairing internal engine components.

If you don’t know much about small engines and you’ve eliminated all the other potential reasons why lawnmowers might be producing white smoke, a small engine repair will be your best bet. If you’re interested, getting a diagnostic from a mechanic will give you more options for a more complicated repair project.

Thorough Routine Engine Oil Changes

Although changing your engine oil may appear to be a lot of labor, it is vital. You must frequently change the motor oil in your lawn mower if you want to keep it operating and avoid shortening the engine’s lifespan.

The majority of small engine manufacturers recommend changing the engine oil every 50 hours of its use. The hourly interval determines the engine’s capacity and how hard it is operated.

The engine temperature can rise significantly when you operate the mower longer and harder than usual. Poor oil has a propensity to fail when heated over the standard engine operating degrees.

Your engine’s oil turns dark and thick in substance as it overheats. This dark, thick oil bakes onto the engine’s interior components. These areas are no longer conveniently accessible for oil to pass over and around as intended.

Your engine will endure more than a few years if you make the effort to change the oil on a regular basis. An affordable insurance plan is a quart of oil’s cost. Consider all that it accomplishes to safeguard the engine as well as its parts.

Quantity of Oil

The recommended amount of oil for such a Cub Cadet lawn mower is three pints, corresponding to one oil bottle. According to the Cub Cadet website, SAE30 motor oil with an API rating of SF or higher is the suggested kind of oil. This kind of motor oil is available online or at the majority of auto and garden supply retailers.

Take Aways

Your query concerning why your Cub Cadet is blowing white smoke has been addressed in this article. We have offered the necessary reasons and fixes. A lawn mower producing white smoke is almost often the result of an engine burning oil. As a result, constantly keep in mind to maintain your Cub Cadet and develop a routine for changing its oil. It is preferable to use the engine oil that the manufacturer suggests for your lawnmower.

Before you go, here are the other article that you may want to read:

How to Clean Your Riding Mower Carburetor: Step-By-Step

Your riding lawn mower carburetor controls the amount of air and fuel mixture to form combustion in your engine.

When the carburetor isn’t functioning correctly, it can cause your riding mower to sputter, stall and not start. Most of the time, your carburetor problems can be solved by cleaning them.

If you are a little mechanical and don’t mind working with small parts, you can follow my instructions below to clean the carburetor yourself. Your local small engine repair shop is an option to have your carburetor cleaned or rebuilt if you don’t want to tackle the job.

Symptoms of a Bad Carburetor on Your Riding Lawn Mower

When a riding carburetor is acting up, you will notice these symptoms due to your mower running with the incorrect fuel-to-air mixture or having a blockage:

• Engine won’t start
• Starts and then dies
• Backfires from running lean
• Engine is sputtering and running rough
• Engine is surging
• Mower is consuming too much fuel

This post may include affiliate links. Purchases made through these links may provide a commission for us, at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

Follow all safety instructions provided in your equipment operator’s manual before diagnosing, repairing, or operating. Consult a professional if you don’t have the skills, or knowledge or are not in the condition to perform the repair safely.

Steps to Clean Your Riding Mower Carburetor

Spray Carburetor Cleaner in the Air Intake: You don’t want to take your carburetor apart if it isn’t causing your problem. To identify if you need to take your carburetor apart, remove your air filter from the filter housing.

Spray carburetor cleaner into the air intake and start your riding mower. If your mower starts and then dies, you must take apart your carburetor and clean it.

Gather Tools and Items Required to Clean the Carburetor

• Pliers
• Screwdriver
• Socket/ratchet set
• Carburetor cleaner
• Thick wire
• Needle nose pliers

Take Photos for Reassembly

I highly recommend taking photos during the disassembly of your carburetor. There are so many small parts to your carburetor that it can be hard to remember where every part to when you reassemble it.

Most people have a cell phone available to take photos and easily access them. If you have a camera or phone, take photos of your carburetor before you remove it and during each step of taking it apart.

Shut off Your Fuel Supply

Use your fuel shut-off valve to stop fuel flow. You will find this valve at the bottom of your fuel tank. If you don’t have a shut-off valve, crimp the line to stop fuel flow. Remove the fuel line from the carburetor.

Remove the Throttle Choke Cable

Remove your throttle and choke cables.

Detach the Filter Housing

Remove the hardware that attaches the carburetor to the air filter housing.

Remove the Springs on Your Carburetor

Next, you need to slowly remove the springs. Be careful to not stretch out the springs. You may have to twist the carburetor a bit to get the springs to come off.

Be careful not to tear the gasket located between the engine block and the carburetor. If you do tear it, you will need to replace it with a new gasket.

Remove the Bowl from Your Carburetor

The carburetor bowl stores a little gasoline inside your carburetor. The bowl is located on the bottom of your carburetor and is held on by a screw. Have a rag available to catch any remaining gas in the bowl.

Go ahead and remove the screw and the bowl while taking care not to damage the gasket that sits between the bowl and the carburetor.

This gasket looks like a rubber Band. You don’t want any substance such as carburetor cleaner to get on the gasket or you will need to replace it.

Check the Stem for Clogged Holes

There is a little piece that hangs down from the center of your riding mower’s carburetor. This is known as the stem. There are holes in the stem that can become clogged from running old fuel.

When this happens, the stem will not draw fuel up to the jet. Use a flashlight to better see the holes in the stem. Clean the holes with a thick wire to unplug the holes.

Check Your Carburetor for White Crusty Buildup

Check out the carburetor and its parts for a white crusty buildup which is the result of fuel additives including ethanol. Try to remove as much of this crusty material as possible using carburetor cleaner. It is almost impossible to remove all the crusty deposits.

Use the carburetor cleaner to clean any parts that are sticking or clogged.

Reassemble Your Carburetor

Once you have cleaned your carburetor and ensured the float and float needle are moving freely, it’s time to reassemble it. Reference the photos you took earlier when putting your carburetor together to make sure all the small parts get put back in the right places.

Reattach components to your riding mower carburetor including the springs, filter housing, throttle and choke cables (if the mower uses them), and the fuel line.

Fill Your Fuel Tank with Fresh Gas with a Fuel Additive

Start your fuel flow. Use fresh gasoline mixed with a fuel additive, like Sea Foam Motor Treatment, in your riding mower’s fuel tank. Give the fuel a chance to fill the bowl of your carburetor and start your engine.

Read more about why I choose to use Sea Foam to stabilize and clean my fuel system with my article on the advantages of Sea Foam here.

Replace or Rebuild Your Carburetor

Sometimes cleaning your carburetor doesn’t get the carburetor working again. You may have too much buildup or parts of your carburetor may become stuck or damaged. In this case, you will have to rebuild or replace your carburetor.

Check the price for a carburetor rebuild kit and the price for a new carburetor. Sometimes the aren’t that far apart and you may choose to replace your carburetor instead of rebuilding it.

When purchasing parts for your carburetor, have your engine’s make and model number available. Many lawn tractors use another manufacturer’s engine so you need to have the engine information on hand to ensure you get the right parts.

Riding Mower Problems Could Be than a Carburetor Problem

A dirty or bad carburetor can be a cause of your riding mower not starting, quitting after starting, and leaking fuel. There are many other items that can cause these problems. To find out more about these causes and how to solve them, check out the links below.

Still Having Problems With Your Riding Mower?

As a lawn mower owner, when you own it long enough, you are going to run into different types of problems. This may include problems where your mower is smoking, cutting unevenly, losing power, not starting, leaking fuel, and more.

Check out this handy guide including charts for common mower problems and solutions:Common Riding Lawn Mower Problems Solutions.

If you are unable to fix your mower or don’t want to attempt a more complicated repair, have your local lawn mower dealership or repair shop for assistance.

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Riding Lawn Mower Specials Service

Does your lawn tractor / riding mower got you down? Stuck in reverse? Running rough? No start at all? Matt’s can help get your riding lawn mower / lawn tractor running like new again! Below you will find specials and bundles to get you up and running this season.

Tune, Oil Lube Special. 275

What’s included?

• FREE Pick Up and Delivery
• Engine Tune Up
• Engine Oil Change and Filter Change
• New Spark Plug(s)
• Clean/Replace Air Filter(s)
• Parts Lubrication
• Blade Sharpening
• Tire Inflation
• Belts Inspection
• Electrical System Inspection
• Full Safety Inspection

Carburetor Clean, Rebuild or Replace. 110

Engine issues are often due to dirty, clogged, or broken carburetors. Having it cleaned or replaced will bring back the original performance of your riding mower / lawn tractor.

What’s Included?

Free Pick Up and Delivery plus…

3 Stage Ultrasonic Carburetor Cleaning

Carburetor Rebuild / Replacement

Which is right for you? Have Matt diagnose it for you over the phone or in person.

Cost for carburetor rebuild/replacement parts not included

Value! Save 40

What’s Included?

Combine both the Tune, Oil Lube and Carburetor Clean, Build or Replace specials and save. FREE Pick Up and Delivery too!

This package is the best way to ensure that your equipment runs smooth and lasts for years to come.

( Costs for parts, carburetor rebuild/replacement parts not included. If additional parts are needed, Matt’s will contact you before moving forward with service)

Why Is My Lawn Mower Smoking? 9 Reasons Solutions

It’s a fine day and you plan to give your lawn the much-needed grooming, but as you start the mower engine, it starts billowing smoke. It’s the worst you can even imagine, right?

Even though the lawn mower smoking would be the last thing you would want to see, it’s not unusual for the lawn mower to emit a different color of smoke. But the immediate question that may strike your mind is, why is my lawn mower smoking?

There are numerous causes why your lawn mower emits blue, black, or white smoke. The most common reason is oil leaking from the exhaust or spillage if you’ve overfilled the tank. Motor overheating is another cause for an electric lawn mower to smoke, leading to wire breakage and short circuit.

There are several other reasons for the lawn mower to smoke. In this article, I’ll discuss all the probable causes of lawn mower smoking and their solutions. Keep reading for more.

• 0.1 Key Takeaways

• 1.1 1. Low Oil Levels
• 1.2 2. Motor Overheating
• 1.3 3. Clogged Air Filters
• 1.4 4. Spark Plug Issues
• 1.5 5. Carbon Build-up
• 1.6 6. Fuel Issues
• 1.7 7. The Deck Has Gathered Debris Grass
• 1.8 8. The Discharge Chute Is Blocked
• 1.9 9. Worn Out Motor

• 2.1 1. How Do I Fix White Smoke From My Lawn Mower?
• 2.2 2. Why Is My Lawn Mower Smoking Blue?
• 2.3 3. Why Is My New Lawn Mower Smoke When I Start It?

Key Takeaways

• Lawn mowers smoking black, blue, and white smoke is very common.
• The primary cause of lawn mower smoking is oil leaking from the exhaust.
• Motor overheating is another cause of electric lawn mower smoking.
• There are multiple other causes for the issues like low oil levels, clogged air filters, worn out motor, dirty discharge chute, etc.
• You need to maintain your lawn mower and check for probable causes to keep the lawn mower protected from further damage.

Top Nine Causes of Lawn Mower Smoking and Effective Solutions

Mentioned below are some of the main reasons your lawn mower may emit smoke:

Low Oil Levels

Low oil levels are one of the causes of lawn mower smoke. Like your car, the lawn mower engine needs appropriate levels of oil to work smoothly. If smoke is coming out of the engine, this could be a sign of not enough oil.

Operating the lawn mower at a low oil level may cause increased friction up to the point that it heats up the internal parts and causes smoke.

Please note: Similar to low oil levels, overfilling oil can also cause smoking in the lawn mower. The smoke comes in the form of burning oil, which usually has a blue or white hue.

The Solution

The simple solution to the problem is to fill the lawn mower tank to appropriate levels. Don’t underfill or overfill it. Use the dipstick to check oil levels if you notice symptoms like noise, overheating, engine heating up, etc.

Motor Overheating

An overheating motor will also lead to smoking in an electric mower. But what causes the motor to overheat? There are several causes of the problem, such as:

• You didn’t clean the inside of the motor, and it got too dirty. A dirty motor can’t cool itself, leading to overheating.
• If the grass is too tall, it can put force on the motor, causing overheating.
• Something has been stuck in the blade for a long time, leading to overheating. Make sure to inspect the blades regularly before and after using the lawn mower.
• A very old electric lawn mower can also overheat easily.

The Solution

Since a dirty engine is one of the primary reasons for overheating, keeping it clean is the top solution. To clean it, remove the mower casing and clean the inside using a soft brush or compressed air.

Another way to prevent overheating is to keep the machine’s cutting height a little higher than where it’s set now. Pro tip: Never cut more than 3rd of the length of grass in one go.

Clogged Air Filters

If your lawn mower is emitting blue or white smoke, stop the machine and check the air filter once the engine cools down. Clogged air filters are another common cause of lawn mower smoking, similar to having a stuffy nose. Clogged air filters mean that the combustion chamber isn’t getting enough oxygen, leading to a rich oil mixture and smoke being emitted.

The Solution

The easiest solution to the problem is replacing the air filters. You should anyway replace the air filter once a year as part of your yearly maintenance.

If the smoke issue persists even after replacing the air filter, it means the lawn mower’s carburetor needs adjustment. You can either do it yourself or get help from a professional.

Spark Plug Issues

The spark plug is an essential component in the lawn mower as it ignites the fuel and air mixture in the cylinder. Examining the spark plug regularly is essential because a dirty one can cause various problems, and smoking is one of them.

If the spark plug is dirty or too old, or if the plug’s gap is too large, it won’t start the mower and will sputter black smoke.

The Solution

Many people would start adjusting the plug gap as an immediate solution, but getting a new one is the best thing to do as it’ll cost you only a few dollars.

Carbon Build-up

Excessive carbon build-up can also lead to lawn mower smoking. But what is the cause of carbon build-up? Incomplete combustion is one of the top causes of carbon build-up. Carbon build-up can happen if the plug is designed to run at a cooler temperature or if you keep the machine idle more than when you run it at full speed, which the engine needs for proper combustion.

If the carburetor sprays too much fuel into the combustion chamber, the fuel burns cooler. The smoke resulting from such a cool burn can ruin the air filter, plug, and the spark arrestor that covers the engine’s exhaust port. This ultimately can cause smoking in the lawn mower.

The Solution

Regular cleaning of the air filter and the cylinder is essential to prevent carbon build-up. Additionally, you should only use quality oil to run the engine. Maintain regular oil changes as recommended by the manufacturer, and you can use a fuel additive like AFC to improve combustion and engine efficiency.

A good quality additive reduces the amount of engine deposit and keeps the engine in pristine condition. If you’re already facing the carbon build-up issue, try increasing the engine’s RMPs to let the engine burn off carbon build-up within the machine.

Other solutions you can adopt to cure the problem include chemical cleaning, special fuel additives, fuel treatments, etc.

Fuel Issues

Seeing smoke from the lawn mower could be due to various fuel issues. As I mentioned before, leaking oil from the exhaust is a reason for the problem. If you have recently changed the oil and overfilled the tank, it could be a probable reason for oil leakage, causing blue or white smoke.

The Solution

You should change your lawn mower oil after every 50 hours of operation. If you are using old, contaminated fuel, it can cause the engine to smoke and further damage the engine. Additionally, if the carburetor is dirty or damaged, it can also cause fuel issues as it’s responsible for the correct combination of fuel and air.

To prevent damaging the engine, make sure to change the oil at regular intervals. Also, you should use good quality oil to prevent easy and smooth functioning of the engine. Also, check the oil level using the dipstick located at the reservoir.

To check the oil level, remove the dipstick, clean it with a rag, and re-insert it in the reservoir. Remove the dipstick again to check the oil levels. If you have overfilled it, drain the oil completely and start refilling it following proper instructions from the user’s manual.

The Deck Has Gathered Debris Grass

The deck of a lawnmower is responsible for keeping grass and debris away from the motors and blades to help them run smoothly. Therefore, cleaning the inside of the deck regularly is important to keep it running smoothly.

If you don’t, the deck will start accumulating grass leading to motor overheating and smoking. over, it can also interrupt the smooth rotation of the blades, which will ultimately affect the grass cut.

Some common signs of a dirty deck are: the mower leaving grass clumps and trails of debris behind, the deck accumulating lots of debris underside of the deck, or the deck being visibly very dirty.

The Solution

If you see the above symptoms, you should immediately clean the deck. To do so:

• Disconnect the mower from the power source.
• Tip it to the side to access the inside of the deck, and use a brush to get rid of all debris and grass.
• Clean it further using a hose and let it dry before using the mower again. Make sure there is not even a single droplet of water before you use the lawn mower again.

The Discharge Chute Is Blocked

Just like the deck, the discharge chute also plays an important role in keeping the grass clipping away from the blade. But if the discharge chute gets blocked, it can cause grass build-up inside the deck. And as you already know, excessive grass build-up will cause overheating and smoke.

Hence, keeping the discharge chute clean is paramount to avoid the problem.

The Solution

The cleaning procedure of the discharge chute is quite similar to cleaning the deck. Here are the detailed cleaning steps:

• Turn off the mower and disconnect it from the power source.
• Next, remove the discharge chute from the mower and thoroughly clean it using a hose.
• Once the discharge chute dries, reattach it.

Worn Out Motor

If you have an electric lawn mower and it’s smoking, an old or worn-out motor is one of the main reasons. Some early signs of a worn-out motor, apart from the smoke, are that the motor isn’t operating as smoothly as it used to.

The Solution

The solution in such a case is replacing the motor and getting a new one. However, you can also ask a professional to inspect the motor and see if minor repairs can be done. But it’s better to replace the motor to save additional costs in the future.

Why Is My Lawn Mower Smoking? FAQs

How Do I Fix White Smoke From My Lawn Mower?

White smoke isn’t very harmful, so you can fix the issue by allowing the spilled oil to burn completely.

Why Is My Lawn Mower Smoking Blue?

The usual cause of blue smoke is burning oil, and the reasons for burning oil are- incorrect oil grade, overfilling the oil crankcase, or operating the engine at higher than 15 degrees.

Why Is My New Lawn Mower Smoke When I Start It?

Overfilling the oil tank is again one of the common causes for even a new lawn mower to smoke. So always be careful while filling the oil tank.

Final Thoughts

The lawn mower plays a crucial role in keeping your lawn spick and span, hence it’s important to maintain it in the best possible condition. There are many reasons that can cause your lawn mower to smoke. And there’re, of course, some simple ways to fix the issue. Keep in mind that the earlier you diagnose the problem with your garden equipment, the easier and more cost-effective the solution will be. And if you can’t resolve the repair yourself, it’s best to turn to a professional in the field.