It is a Sears riding lawn mower. I am not sure of make or model, but I know when I was mowing the lawn yesterday, black smoke started coming out from under the hood and it seemed like the engine started to miss. I just parked it and decided to ask your experts about this.

Betsy, April 2008

Are you sure its the engine, and not a jammed up belt underneath? If its the engine, check the oil level, and make sure the cylinder fins aren't choked with grass to prevent it cooling. If it was the exhaust actually chuffing black smoke, then the choke is stuck on.

John, April 2008