Lawnmower smokes

[Wade Lippman]

Started the mower again today and it didn't smoke at all. Nothing has changed, it just didn't smoke.

I didn't mention it the first time (didn't want to confuse anyone) but I added something called "Mechanic in a bottle" just before it started smoking. Before asking here I asked them if they could be responsible. I thought maybe it had loosened up some crud that caused smoke. They said their product couldn't cause smoke; it was either oil or a carburetor problem.

But whatever it was, it seems to be gone now.

[Andre Packwood]

+2 on Bruces's reply. I also have a Craftsman mower with a Briggs and Stratton engine. My neighbor also uses it and at some point, he added too much oil. I guess that was the source of the oil that soaked the air filter, blocking the passage of air and making the engine very hard to start, and if it did start, it would sputter and stop. There was also oil on the parts past the filter. Although the smoke in this case was black (too rich gas/air mixture) instead of gray, it shows that too much oil can be a bad thing.

The filter on this mower is also prone to be doused with water (rain or hose) as well as blocked by dirt, especially if you run the mower over dry, barren terrain. The location of the filter is not ideal, in my opinion.