When you suddenly found your chainsaw is smoking, the first thing is to find from where the smoke is coming- either the bar or the engine -so that you can troubleshoot the problem. Today, we listed 5 reasons may cause the chainsaw to smoke and how you can resolve the problem. Cause 1: Dirty Air FilterThe Air Filter plays an important role when the chainsaw is in operating. Over time, it will gets clogged up and restrict air through as wood waste gets accumulated in the air filter. Then your chainsaw heats up and produces smoke. To resolve this issue, clean the air filter or replace it. Normally, you should clean your air filter after 2 or 3 times use.Cause 2: Excess Amount of OilIf you’re certain that the issue is not caused by the air filter, you should also check if you’ve mixed too much oil with the gasoline, which will cause excessive smoke too. In this case, we suggest draining the oil and gasoline, and mix a new batch refer to your manufacturer’s guide for the correct ratio.Cause 3: Incorrect Idle SettingIf you noticed your chainsaw only smoking when it’s idling, and not when cutting wood. Then you should aware that the idle speed of your chainsaw is way too high. You should adjust the idle with a low-speed adjustment screw. Normally, the recommended idle speed is 2500-2700 revolutions per minute(RPM). However, this may vary for different models, so you’d better refer to the machine manual for the correct parameters.Cause 4: Insufficient Bar OilIf you noticed the smoke comes from the guide bar or the chain, you should realized that the bar or your chain may can’t get enough oil to get lubricated while cutting. This leads to overheating and smoke. Make sure there is enough oil in your oil reservoir, and both your bar and chain are adequately lubricated, and don’t forget to clean the oiler holes. Cause 5: Dull ChainsIf none of the above reasons resolves your issue, it might because your chain is not sharpened or not properly sharpened. An unsharpened chainsaw is also one of the major reason for smoke. If you are facing this problem, it’s time to sharpen your chainsaw chain. We’d be happy to receive feedback on whether it works for you! At Hipaparts, we are dedicated in providing a wide range of high-quality small engine parts and also repair skills. If you have more questions towards small engine, here at www.hipaparts.com, we are happy to help!