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I cut my grass yesterday evening in my front yard. This evening I was going to cut my backyard. As soon as I started the lawn mower white smoke was pouring out of the muffler. I turned it off and did not see anything wrong at the engine. I restarted the mower and the smoke was still pouring out of the muffler and there a burning smell. After turning the mower off this time I notice black oil just below the muffler. My father just gave the lawn mower a tune up at the beginning of spring- he has always done the tune ups in the 6 years of me owning the lawn mower. He does live two hours away from me, so is unable to diagnose the issue over the telephone. Can anyone help with suggestions as to what could be going on?

Oil overfilled, Stored with the cylinder/spark plug down hill, or tipped on its side allowing oil to get into the breather and then over into the carb where it was then pulled into the intake and burned.

Is there something I can do to remedy the issue? I have been searching online and people say to drain oil, replace spark plugs, filters... It sounds like things I can do, but what to make sure I do the appropriate things to fix the issue. Thank you!

First check your oil level and report back. We will guide you through this.

Got home and checked the oil. Looks like it is well over the markings on the dip stick. Not certain which picture is clearer.

Yes it is overfull.
Rub it between your fingers and smell it.
If it feels thin, hard and has a smell like fuel then you have fuel in the crankcase.
It gets there because the float does not cut the fuel off either becaue of gunk or the mower being left at a funny angle.

You will need to find out how the fuel is getting in there
then replace the oil, run the engine for a while then change the oil again.
I always fit an in line tap to everything where possible.
In theory it should not be needed.
In practice it costs less than an oil change.

Sorry for the delay response. No there is no gasoline smell in the oil.

CAO1980 said:

I cut my grass yesterday evening in my front yard. This evening I was going to cut my backyard. As soon as I started the lawn mower white smoke was pouring out of the muffler. I turned it off and did not see anything wrong at the engine. I restarted the mower and the smoke was still pouring out of the muffler and there a burning smell. After turning the mower off this time I notice black oil just below the muffler. My father just gave the lawn mower a tune up at the beginning of spring- he has always done the tune ups in the 6 years of me owning the lawn mower. He does live two hours away from me, so is unable to diagnose the issue over the telephone. Can anyone help with suggestions as to what could be going on?View attachment 29002View attachment 29002

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The time before, when you used the mower, did you tilt it up and look at the blades or see if the deck had a lot of build up underneath?

CAO1980 said:

Sorry for the delay response. No there is no gasoline smell in the oil.

Click to expand...

Then drain out the oil, fill to the correct level and check it before you mow everytime without fail.

after my father did the tune up and sharpened the blade in the spring, I tip the lawn mower twice to make sure the blade was still on tight after mowing. Did not have an issue after I did that. I do have a slight slope I have to push mower into my storage shed, not very steep at all. It is stored on a flat concrete surface. I was able to siphon out a cup or so of oil after I got off work today. They level on the dip stick is now within range. It did start smoking at first and turned it off. There was no oil leaking, unlike the time before. I started it back up and there was no smoke at all and I was able to cut my entire backyard. I will continue to monitor the oil before I cut each time. Still not certain what would have caused this. If it was because of too much oil, why did it just show up 4 months later after we changed the oil? Confusing and hopefully it is now corrected.

Check the oi you syphoned out against some fresh oil.
If the old stuff is a lot thinner you have fuel contamination.

Is there a small person running loose why likes to be helpful to daddy ?

A friend had a very expensive veteral motorcycle that he only rode once every year or two .
He used to tip some oil down the plug hole and kick the bike over a few times a coupe of times a year.
Daughter watched daddy doing this so to help him she mixed the bestest ever "oil" from the best dirt in the yard, filled the cylinder right up to the top

I don't think I need to tell you the results except now the bike lives in a locked shed all by itself.