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I'm afraid that I'm no engineer but I've just filled up the petrol tank on our old mower and started to mow the lawn. The engine started first time (after priming) and I've been happily bimbling along as expected.
After about 10 minutes the engine suddenly died and started to billow smoke. Since it has a full tank of petrol I've left it in the middle of the lawn to cool down.
Unsurprisingly it won't restart and doesn't even turn over. There does appear to be a drop of oil left in the oil port (although we've certainly neglected this); is it dead or can it be revived?
Sounds dead. What engine?
what's an 'oil port'?
Sounds like a rather expensive lack of maintenance - do you not service your car either?
Blue smoke?
And sharkbait - there was no need for that was there?
Let it cool. Top up the oil and its very likely to run again.
Blueish-gray smoke (oh and I don't have a car but do keep on top of my bike maintenance). It's an old secondhand mower that was given to us so it probably wasn't in the best of nick from the off. The oil port (probably not its proper name) is for oil which I assume lubricates the engine.
I'm afraid that I know nowt about the engine but it's marked Tecsumeh Vantage 35 (it's a Flymo mower).
I think that it may have expired but I'll leave it to cool down and top up the oil and see what happens.
Takes PJ's lawnmower behind shed, a shot is heard.
"Mower is now dead" HTH
If it's blue-grey smoke it suggests that a gasket has blown and oil has got to somewhere it shouldn't. Given you switched it off straight away it may not be unfixable, but I doubt putting more oil in and restarting it will help.
Given that a decent petrol mower can be had for £150 I would question whether having it repaired would make economical sense personally - it would probably cost £80-ish + parts to strip it down and fit a new gasket if that is what it is.
A quick google suggests it's a four stroke. Let it cool down, fill up the oil and try again. If it works keep it, if not bin it.
My Honda XL500 bike ran out of oil like that many years ago. It was fine when it had cooled down.
If it won't turn over it sounds like it's seized [possibly through lack of lubrication] = dead