What causes an ATV engine to smoke?
Smoke can be an indication of bad cylinders, seals, gaskets or something similar, usually accompanied by gasoline or oil burning in the engine. Routine maintenance helps prevent many smoke-related issues, but a hard crash, bad cylinders or other causes may lead to serious problems in your ATV.
What does it mean when your ATV engine is smoking?
Smoke can be an indication of bad cylinders, seals, gaskets or something similar, usually accompanied by gasoline or oil burning in the engine. The cause isn’t too hard to figure out based on the timing and color of the smoke.
How can I tell if my ATV is burning oil?
Decreasing oil levels over time or blue smoke when riding are both signs of your ATV burning oil. This does not, however, necessarily equal total disaster. But we care for our machines and tend to assume the worst when things like this happen.
What’s the difference between black and Blue Smoke on an ATV?
Whereas black smoke means you are burning gasoline, blue smoke means you have burning oil. This may not be a big deal if you have a 2-stroke quad since such engines normally emit a blue/gray smoke. If you have a 4-stroke quad with blue smoke, or your 2-stroke is putting off an excessive amount of blue smoke, then you have a problem.
Why do I need to change oil on my ATV?
It is not wasted time or money regardless, as one extra oil change will only do good for your ATV. A big part of the piston rings job is to keep oil from the crankcase from entering the air/fuel mixture in the combustion chamber.
Smoke can be an indication of bad cylinders, seals, gaskets or something similar, usually accompanied by gasoline or oil burning in the engine. The cause isn’t too hard to figure out based on the timing and color of the smoke.
How can you tell if your ATV is burning oil?
Another way to tell is if you start seeing blueish white smoke coming from the exhaust when the engine is running. Keep an eye on your oil levels, if you notice the oil level dropping after only a few rides, you’re probably burning oil. Some quads will burn the oil slower and it will be harder to tell by just checking the oil levels.
Whereas black smoke means you are burning gasoline, blue smoke means you have burning oil. This may not be a big deal if you have a 2-stroke quad since such engines normally emit a blue/gray smoke. If you have a 4-stroke quad with blue smoke, or your 2-stroke is putting off an excessive amount of blue smoke, then you have a problem.
It is not wasted time or money regardless, as one extra oil change will only do good for your ATV. A big part of the piston rings job is to keep oil from the crankcase from entering the air/fuel mixture in the combustion chamber.