ATV Smoking? (SOLVED) Reasons Behind Various Smoke Colors

How is your ATVs engine health? Finding an answer to that question might be hard for you. How can you check whether your ATV is working fine? You have the most straightforward answer under your nose. You can learn many things about your ATV from ATV smoking. Here’s the deal:

What is ATV smoking?

All-terrain vehicles (ATVs), also known as four-wheels or quads, are the ideal vehicle design and technological match for off-road tourists. As every vehicle that runs on petrol does, a cloud of smoke comes from your ATV. If you notice a different smoke color, it could mean your ATV is a little sick. You have nothing to worry about! Since you have diagnosed it quickly, you can find your answer for what causes ATV to smoke in this article.

What does it mean when a ATV smokes?

There could always be smoke coming from your ATV. The smoke can appear when you start your quad and not while riding. Your quad naturally releases some amounts of smoke. White smoke from condensation and black smoke from the exhaust. But when you notice it is releasing the smoke unusually, and the color of the smoke is different, that is when you need to give a good look at your ATV.

Smoke color types

One of the following three colors could come off your quad.

• White

• Black

• Blue

Let us learn about these colors to see if the color can tell what the problem is.

Why is ATV smoking with a white color smoke?

ATV white smoke is not a problem if it only comes within the first minute you start the ATV. This is because of water condensing when starting your engine for the first time. But if it lasts longer, you should check for the following issues.

• Coolant or water in your combustion chamber : To find out if it leaks, start by examining the coolant level in your radiator. How do I know if it leaks? It has a low coolant level and an unpleasantly sweet odor coming from your radiator.
• White smoke comes from your exhaust? : Examine the intake gaskets. Poor gaskets may allow coolant to seep into the cylinders and ignite.
• Cylinder head cracked : Examine your cylinder head’s head gasket. Check your engine block and cylinder head for cracks; even the smallest ones can spread and completely wreck your engine. If there are any indications of cracking, replace the cylinder head.
• Got water into your cylinders : Anytime your ATV has been flooded is another dire condition to watch for white smoke. Water may enter the cylinders any time your ATV is submerged, causing them to catch fire if you attempt to start or operate your bicycle before thoroughly cleaning your ATV. Never attempt to start a quad that was underwater.
• Change melted gaskets : If the gasket is damaged or broken, your cylinder head could overheat and break. You can use steel, rubber, or a combination of the two materials to make gaskets. After some time, the gaskets will melt. The previous one will probably have melted or baked into your leaking area. It would be best if you replaced the head gaskets or the intake.
• Was your ATV sitting for a while? : When a car first starts up, especially after sitting for a long time, it frequently smokes because oil has leaked past the valve stem seals and built up in the cylinders. The oil is ignited when you start the engine. Although replacing the seals is the only solution, you can try using an oil composition designed for “high mileage vehicles” that contains additives that make the seals swell.

Why is ATV smoking with a Black color smoke?

Probably nothing to worry about if your ATV is exhausting black smoke. There are many potential causes of ATV black smoke,

• Not enough air intake in your engine or too much air in your engine : Black smoke often indicates that your engine has a rich fuel-air combination, which implies too much fuel or air in the mixture. Verify that your carburetor is set to the best setting for your fuel-air mixture. You should also check your digital carburetor if you have one. If it isn’t operating properly, you might need a replacement.
• Defective fuel injectors : Verify that the temperatures of the cylinders in your running engine are not dissimilar.
• Engine overheating : There are times when black smoke results from an overheated engine.

Is your ATV smoking with blue color smoke?

Blue smoke typically comes from oil burning in your exhaust and leaving. This can make you use up a lot of oil; the faster it depletes, the more problems you get. The cylinders of your engine have valves that open into them, allowing fuel to be burned to power your ATV. Seals exist to keep oil from entering, but occasionally they wear out, crack, or break. After that, oil spills into the cylinders and burns alongside the fuel and air in your engine, emitting ATV blue smoke.

What is oil burning?

A worn-out piston ring or a broken cylinder wall comes from an ATV oil burning smell. Oil consequently flows into the combustion chamber and ignites with the fuel and air combination, giving off the unmistakable scent of burned oil.

How to know if I have worn piston rings or a damaged cylinder wall?

Test your engine’s ability to contain pressure by performing a leak down.

How can I know oil is burning?

• From the engine or exhaust, you will be able to smell the burning oil.

• As soon as you start the engine, you can see blue smoke rising from the exhaust.

Other causes for oil burning and fixes for them

Earlier we mentioned the main reason for ATV oil burning. Here are some other causes that could happen and solutions for your problem how do I stop my ATV from burning oil. 

• The ATV Is a New : There may still be starter oil in the engine of a brand-new ATV. If your ATV is new, a burning smell is typical at first. 
• The wrong kind of oil : You are using the incorrect kind of oil in your ATV’s engine. While you’re riding, some types of oil can overheat and catch fire inside your engine. Get the proper oil and pour the appropriate amount into your engine to fix this.
• ATV smoking? Check out whether the oil is overfilled or underfilled : Engine oil being overfilled or underfilled. You can notice oil starting to flow out of the exhaust or getting burned up in the engine If the engine has too much oil. If there is not enough oil, the ATV may also smell like it is burning oil. To fix this, maintain your oil level between the lines on the oil dipstick by checking it frequently. 
• The muffler is filled with oil : If the muffler still has any oil in it, it could just be oil in the muffler that the heat from the exhaust is burning off. To fix this, cleanse your muffler of any oil buildup. Remove the exhaust purge valve. You should then cover the exhaust hole with a rag. Do not drive your ATV; just let the engine run. Continue to crank the engine for a few minutes. This should clear the exhaust system of any leftover oil.

ATV smoking? – Did you change the oil?

The oil lubricates and cools the internal parts. The filter collects all microscopic filings produced by normal engine wear and tear. That is why you need to change the oil.

What is ATV smoke after oil change? After an oil change, ATV smoke normally goes away on its own. As the exhaust warms up, oil accidentally spilled close to it will start to smoke. Heat will burn oil spills, causing the smoke to disappear and the issue to be resolved.

Also, the oil may enter the cylinder when you jack up your ATV to replace the oil. This is also a self-curing problem, so it should go away fast.

Stop ATV smoke

The following thought that comes to mind is, what can I put in my ATV to stop smoking? If you have a compression tester like the ones used for outboard motors, you can use it. Fill the spark plug hole with 30-weight oil. Use premium oil and stay away from budget goods. Verify the compression again. If, after adding oil, the compression rises, the rings are the issue.

How to stop an ATV from smoking if smoking persists after this? You can perform additional inspections and fixes, such as rebuilding the carburetor. Replace the carburetor yourself, or get a qualified mechanic to do it for you. The carburetor may cause issues like the emission of black smoke, claims Four Wheeler.

Your ATV has good compression but smokes?

It can smoke due to worn valve seals, but this usually only happens at startup. When you turn it on, the oil sitting there burns off the seals.

The Bottom line

ATV smoking is normal when you start your ATV, which happens for a minute. But if it continues or often happens while you ride, you need to care for it. If the smoke has a color like white, black, or blue, that is also a sign of damaged gaskets, seals, or cylinders, frequently followed by the engine burning oil or gasoline. You risk overheating and damaging your ATV if you drive it while having problems. You can return to the trails more quickly the sooner you resolve your issue.