exMark Radius X w/Kawasaki engine - - sporadic excessive smoking

[JoeFriday]

Mower has 50 hrs on it.

I originally was starting it with half throttle and choke as needed....but for some reason, I have been starting it with no throttle and mostly no choke....it had been starting fine and almost immediately with no smoke at all....

Then, about 2 weeks ago....I started the mower as usual and mowed my grass (about 1.3 acres) and then shut the mower off just outside my polebarn, after letting it idle at zero throttle for a minute.

It sat for about 40 minutes and I started it up to move it into the polebarn and plumes of smoke (like in the attached video) beloved out of the exhaust and filled my 16 X 24 polebarn.

I simulated this scenario and restarted a day later....and video recorded the start procedure and the attached video is the result....

Since then, I have been starting the mower at 1/2 throttle and 1/2 - full choke and have not had as extensive smoke as in video, but still get an initial blast of smoke that quickly clears up....but it just doesn't seem right to me....I had a John Deere 350X mower with a Kawasaki engine and never had issues like this with it over a 12 years ownership.....

What do you think?

 

[bertsmobile1]

That is excess oil that has found it's way into the cylinder when the engine is at rest.
Usually this is caused by fuel overflowing the car , leaking into the engine then draining into the sump thinning the oil.
So first thing to do is check the oil level, its feel & smell .
If they are all ok then the next biggie is overheating thinning the oil which finds it's way on top of the piston after shut down .

After that then you are looking at things like a cracked head, loose valve guide or damaged valve guide seal .

 

[hlw49]

Like Burt said check for fuel in the crankcase. The way I check for fuel in the cc I take a lighter and see if the oil on the dipstick will ignite if so you have fuel in the oil. But don't do it over the engine.

 

[sivicman]

It's still under warranty, time to contact dealer and Exmark.

 

[bkeller500]

Mower has 50 hrs on it.

I originally was starting it with half throttle and choke as needed....but for some reason, I have been starting it with no throttle and mostly no choke....it had been starting fine and almost immediately with no smoke at all....

Then, about 2 weeks ago....I started the mower as usual and mowed my grass (about 1.3 acres) and then shut the mower off just outside my polebarn, after letting it idle at zero throttle for a minute.

It sat for about 40 minutes and I started it up to move it into the polebarn and plumes of smoke (like in the attached video) beloved out of the exhaust and filled my 16 X 24 polebarn.

I simulated this scenario and restarted a day later....and video recorded the start procedure and the attached video is the result....

Since then, I have been starting the mower at 1/2 throttle and 1/2 - full choke and have not had as extensive smoke as in video, but still get an initial blast of smoke that quickly clears up....but it just doesn't seem right to me....I had a John Deere 350X mower with a Kawasaki engine and never had issues like this with it over a 12 years ownership.....

What do you think?

Have you found out what that smoke was caused by? Is the issue a motor warranty problem? Is it fixed?