April 19, 2023

Gas Leaf Blower: What should I do if my leaf blower engine smokes?

Mixing too much 2-cycle oil with the gas can cause excessive smoke from the leaf blower's engine; follow the guidelines in your owner's manual for mixing the fuel and 2-cycle oil. Most leaf blower engines use a 40:1 ratio of gas to 2-cycle oil. To achieve that mix, add a 3.2-oz bottle of 2-cycle engine oil to 1 gallon of gas.

A dirty air filter also can lead to engine smoke. If the filter prevents the carburetor from getting enough air to create the right fuel/air mixture. A fuel-rich mixture can cause the engine to smoke. Clean the air filter and perform preventive maintenance on the leaf blower to help prevent engine smoking.

Clogged jets inside the carburetor also cause excessive smoking because the carburetor can't mix the right amount of air with fuel. If the engine still smokes after completing preventive maintenance (which includes cleaning the air filter), you may need to rebuild or replace the leaf blower's carburetor.

gas leaf blower

THESE REPAIRS MAY HELP SOLVE YOUR GAS LEAF BLOWER PROBLEM

JC-LB-Replace-the-leaf-blower-carburetor

Replace the leaf blower carburetor

The leaf blower's carburetor mixes air and gasoline in the proper proportions to create a combustible gas. If the engine starts and then sputters, or doesn't start at all due to lack of fuel, you might need to replace carburetor. It's often more cost effective and practical to replace the carburetor rather than rebuild it.

Leaf blower carburetor

Find the required part specific to your product.

RG-LB-Replace-Leaf-Blower-Carburetor-Intro-Image
August 01, 2013

How to replace a leaf blower carburetor

Is your leaf blower not starting even though there's gas in the tank? It could be a problem with the carburetor. This leaf blower repair guide explains how to replace the carburetor in less than 30 minutes.

Repair difficulty
Time required
15 minutes or less
JC-LB-Rebuild-the-leaf-blower-carburetor

Rebuild the leaf blower carburetor

The leaf blower carburetor mixes air and gasoline in the proper proportions to create a combustible gas. If the engine starts and then sputters, or doesn't start at all due to lack of fuel, you can rebuild the carburetor. Rebuild kits are available for most carburetors and contain essential components for rebuilding a leaf blower carburetor, such as diaphragms, seals and gaskets. You can sometimes fix a fuel supply problem by dismantling and cleaning a carburetor. Use the kit to rebuild the carburetor after cleaning it.

Rebuild the leaf blower carburetor

Find the required part specific to your product.

ART-lb-how-to-rebuild-a-leaf-blower-carburetor
August 01, 2013

How to rebuild a leaf blower carburetor

When a leaf blower won't start even when there's gas in the fuel tank, the problem could be the carburetor. The step-by-step repair guide explains how to rebuild a leaf blower carburetor.

Repair difficulty
Time required
60 minutes or less
JC-LB-Do-leaf-blower-preventive-maintenance

Do leaf blower preventive maintenance

Proper maintenance ensures that your leaf blower runs smoothly and works properly. Refer to your owner's manual for guidance in maintaining the leaf blower. Replace parts such as the air filter, fuel filter and spark plug.

Do leaf blower preventive maintenance

Find the required part specific to your product.

Symptoms for gas leaf blowers

Choose a symptom to see related leaf blower repairs.

Main causes: damaged fan blade, engine needs a tune up, dirty carburetor...

Main causes: mixing too much 2-cycle oil with the gas, dirty air filter, clogged carburetor, engine needs tune up...

Main causes: cracked fuel lines, leaky carburetor seals, damaged fuel tank cap, cracked fuel tank...

Main causes: stale fuel, dirty air filter, bad spark plug, cracked fuel lines, clogged carburetor...

Main causes: bad gas, clogged air filter, cracked fuel lines, clogged fuel filter, dirty carburetor, bad spark plug, wor...

Repair guides for gas leaf blowers

These step-by-step repair guides will help you safely fix what’s broken on your leaf blower.

How to rebuild a leaf blower carburetor

How to rebuild a leaf blower carburetor

If the leaf blower engine won't start even though there's fuel in the tank, the carburetor could be the problem. Follow ...

Repair difficulty
Time required
60 minutes or less
How to replace a leaf blower carburetor

How to replace a leaf blower carburetor

The carburetor could be the problem If the leaf blower engine won't start even though there's fuel in the tank. Follow t...

Repair difficulty
Time required
15 minutes or less
How to replace leaf blower fuel lines

How to replace leaf blower fuel lines

Leaf blower fuel lines deteriorate with time and eventually can split or crack. You can remove and replace them yourself...

Repair difficulty
Time required
60 minutes or less

Articles and videos for gas leaf blowers

Use the advice and tips in these articles to get the most out of your leaf blower.

Top questions about Sears and Sears PartsDirect

Top questions about Sears and Sears PartsDirect

Get answers to frequently asked questions about Sears and Sears PartsDirect....

Preparing a leaf blower for long-term storage

Preparing a leaf blower for long-term storage

Follow these easy steps to prepare you leaf blower for long-term storage....

Leaf blower common questions

Leaf blower common questions

From what kind of fuel to use to why your leaf blower won't start, here are the questions our experts hear most often ab...