White, blue, or black smoke is being emitted from a Spartan mower (This is Why)

You’re not sure what to do as smoke pours out of your lawnmower. To prevent more harm, start by turning off the mower and refrain from using it after that.

When the air filter is clogged, the oil level is off, an engine gasket is faulty, or you have an internal engine issue with the valve train or piston ring, a Spartan lawn mower may start smoking.

Before making any repairs, remove the spark plug wire and ignition key. For your safety, wait until the engine has cooled and the moving parts have stopped. Read the Spartan operator’s manual for extra safety advice.

What Does It Mean When Your Spartan Lawn Mower Is Blowing Blue, White, or Black Smoke?

I always advise following the instructions in the next section to find the reason why your mower is smoking. However, figuring out the color of the smoke can help you locate a likely source of the smoke.

Your Spartan mower may emit blue or white smoke, which is the result of burning extra oil. This could be caused by oil escaping from damaged piston rings, a malfunctioning valve train, or an engine gasket leak in the combustion chamber.

It can also be the reason why an obstructed air filter is pushing oil into the cylinder.

Your Spartan mower may emit black smoke, which is a sign of excessive fuel combustion. This is caused by a clogged air filter, which permits a higher fuel concentration in the fuel to air ratio.

The Spartan mower can produce black smoke when it is running rich. If the air filter is not the problem, check your mower for another air limitation.

Causes of Smoking from Your Spartan Zero Turn Lawn Mower

A Spartan lawn mower will smoke if its air filter is clogged.

It’s crucial to periodically check the air filter because to the dirt and debris that are thrown into the air while using a Spartan zero-turn. This is because dirt can clog the air filter, preventing the engine from receiving the necessary air and possibly causing it to start burning.

The first thing to remember is to never operate your mower without an air filter, not even for a brief period of time while you wait for a replacement air filter. Without a filter, dust and other particles could enter the engine through the air intake, harming the engine’s seals and cylinders.

Second, always use a fresh air filter when operating your mower. I’ve found that it works best to replace the air filter at the beginning of every mowing season and to clean it numerous times throughout.

Before you start your mower, check the filter in just a few minutes. Spending the time to do this can save expensive engine damage.

You need to change the air filter if it is severely clogged with oil, unclean, or damaged.

Why does your Spartan lawn mower smoke when the air filter is clogged?

• Your engine will run rich and spew black smoke if it can’t receive enough good air, which will damage your mower. This indicates that during combustion, too much fuel is burned.
• Smoke might develop when your air filter is so clogged that it prevents any air from reaching the engine. Air will start to be drawn into the engine from anywhere it can be found, including the crankcase. It can also remove oil from the crankcase that burns off in the cylinder as it draws air from the crankcase.
• When a Spartan lawnmower starts to smoke, the air filter may fill up with smoke, worsening the engine issue.

Spartan paper air filter element cleaning

• From the air filter housing, remove the filter.
• With a dry, clean cloth, remove any leftover dirt from the housing. Keep debris like dirt from getting into the air intake.
• To get as much dirt to become loose and fall out of the filter as possible, tap your filter against a hard surface.
• Hold your filter in front of a source of light. If you can still see light shining through the paper, re-use your filter. If you can’t, it’s time to install a new filter that you purchased. When the filter is completely covered, incredibly unclean, or damaged, it should also be replaced.
• Attach the air filter cover after installing the air filter.

A Spartan Mower Will Smoke If It Has Insufficient Engine Oil

The manufacturer’s recommended amount of engine oil is not a guideline. In order to maintain the oil level at the “full” line as shown on the dipstick, the proper amount of oil must be utilized.

In addition to making a mower smoke, having a low or high engine oil lever may seriously harm the engine.

Engine Oil Level in Your Spartan Mower Is Too Low

Insufficient motor oil in the crankcase of a Spartan mower can have disastrous results. Low engine oil levels prevent the engine parts from having enough lubrication to move freely.

The amount of friction will start to increase, which raises the engine’s temperature. The engine can get so hot that the internal engine components start to melt and the oil starts to burn, producing smoke.

You can try to change the oil and add fresh oil to the proper amount if this happens to your mower. This won’t likely fix the issue, though, as the engine was probably damaged when it got so hot that it started to smoke.

I advise taking the lawnmower to a Spartan mower dealer or a reputable local small engine technician.

It’s crucial to spend a few minutes inspecting your mower, including checking the engine oil level, before each mow because running a low quantity of oil can cause harm. It’s best to identify this issue quickly and to refrain from operating your mower while it’s like way.

Engine Oil Level in Your Spartan Mower Is Too High

The majority of people are aware that running an engine with little oil is bad, but many are unaware that running more oil than necessary in the crankcase is also bad.

The crankcase becomes more pressurized when there is too much oil. Through the valve train, this can force oil into the cylinder and even into the air intake. The cylinder’s oil will start to burn off and release smoke.

Check out “This is What Happens with Too Much Oil in a Lawn Mower” for a list of additional issues that running your Spartan mower with too much oil might cause.

Remove a small amount of oil from the engine to adjust the oil level when you discover too much oil in the crankcase. Through the oil filter or drain plug are two options. To remove a small amount of oil from the oil fill area, you can alternatively use a turkey baster or an oil evacuator.

Use the dipstick to check the engine oil level again after removing a little amount of oil. Oil can be added or subtracted until the level reaches the “full” level.

Make sure the air filter is not clogged with smoke or covered in oil by inspecting it. Install a new air filter if it is.

A Spartan lawn mower’s faulty gasket will make it smoke.

An engine oil leak caused by a faulty gasket on your Spartan mower may be the cause of smoke emanating from it. A heated surface, such as your muffler, will burn off any oil that has spilt onto it and emit smoke.

Changing a damaged gasket. The degree of difficulty here depends on where the defective gasket is.

A Spartan lawn mower will smoke if the internal engine is damaged.

A Spartan mower may smoke due to unnoticed internal engine issues. Finding an internal motivation to quit smoking gets more challenging after you get to that point.

Without disassembling the engine and carrying out leak-down and compression checks, it will be impossible to pinpoint the precise source of an internal engine issue.

However, there is one straightforward test that could indicate you have an internal engine issue but won’t reveal the precise issue.

Remove your spark plug(s) and look for any evidence of oil to finish this inspection. A piston ring or valve train issue may be indicated by oil on the spark plug.

To diagnose your engine and identify the underlying issue, you will require a small engine mechanic. Even though this check is unable to diagnose your specific issue, it will let you know that a mechanic is required to fix it.

An expert in tiny engines will be able to examine the engine and determine what caused the damage.

Engine Issue with a Spartan Mower’s Piston Rings

To identify a problem with your piston ring, your engine will need to be disassembled. Oil can enter the combustion chamber and burn off if a piston ring or scoring is discovered inside the cylinder wall, which can cause your Spartan to begin smoking.

A Spartan mower engine has a valve train issue.

A burnt valve can appear on a Spartan lawn mower that has overheated. Leak-down testing and removing the cylinder head are the only ways to identify a burn valve issue.

A small engine mechanic should conduct this test and repair. To completely complete the combustion chamber, the technician must accurately cut the seat and the valve.