Blower: Blows Black Smoke From Exhaust

The carburetor in your leaf blower is designed to mix fuel and air in the right proportions so the spark plug can ignite the mixture inside the cylinder. This, in turn, powers the leaf blower’s engine. The carburetor will cause black exhaust smoke if it is improperly tuned. The black smoke is the result of incomplete combustion caused by a fuel-rich mixture. The carburetor has adjustment needles on it that adjust the amount of fuel that flows through the carb. When the carburetor is adjusted rich, more fuel enters the cylinder than can be completely burned off during combustion. This unburned fuel creates a carbon-heavy exhaust, which exits the muffler as black smoke. The solution for this problem is to properly adjust the carburetor. Many of our customers have rated this repair as intermediate, and it should take 60 minutes or less to complete.

A clean air filter supplies clean air to the engine and ensures optimal performance. Over the course of time, the air filter in your leaf blower can become dirty and clogged with debris. If your blower’s muffler is emitting black smoke, a dirty air filter could be the problem. A plugged air filter limits the amount of air that enters the engine, while the carburetor still adds the same amount of fuel to the mixture. This creates a rich air/fuel mixture and can result in black exhaust smoke. In many models, the air filter can be easily removed and either cleaned or replaced entirely. Many of our customers have found this repair to be easy, and it should be a part of a regular maintenance schedule.