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.
Check this air filter on Amazon.
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.
Find this SAE30 motor oil on Amazon.
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.
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