When I turn my kitchenaid standmixer on, it runs on high speed. what could be wrong

it is most likely the armature. You can test the coils with a meter set to ohms. http://www.appliancepartspros.com/motor-control-parts-for-whirlpool-k5ss.html

Your description is very incomplete. Does it not start turning until the lever is at position 8 or does it run at high speed from the moment it starts at position 1?
If it's not starting until position 8 then the problem is probably mechanical and will require some parts to be replaced or adjusted.
If it starts on high speed at position 1 then it's likely you need to replace the phase board under the back cover at the top.
Whatever you decide to do check the carbon brushes first as worn out brushes can sometimes create funny speed problems.

Great link by expert Taylor

Open the gearbox up and look inside, the damage will be obvious once you clean the grease away. You aren't going to fix it from the outside so opening it is going to be part of the solution.

You are probably seeing some dust or the brushes wearing in, unless you smell something burning, its may be just breaking issues. Any electric motor will have small sparks at the brushes. Are they sort of behind the round brush replacement screws?

the lower setting is for stirring. this is a high quality machine that is made to take a beating. you are just hearing the motor wind up. think of it like a jet engine starting, its made to run its smoothest at high rpm's, so it sounds funny at low rpm's but nothing is wrong with it.

Where exactly is the oil leak coming from? Comment back to this post.

The mixer normally has it's gearbox packed with (quite thick) grease. Over time it can heat up and become more fluid and leak out. I would guess that the amount of oil you saw would not be a problem to loose. If it were mine, I would use it and not worry. If you do feel you need to check, the grease is packed in the front of the head. You will need to remove the head, split it (you will need to remove the band and planetary) and then you can see the gears.

Hi. Goto kitchenaid.com and download the parts catalog for your mixer model, these drawings will assist you in the disassembly and reassembly of your mixer.

You'll need to replace the speed control in your mixer. This is a common problem. Be prepared to wait at least a month for your parts to arrive. Unplug your mixer before you open it up.

If you're still under warranty call kitchenaid!

If this solution has assisted you, please rate it. Good luck! ricardok45

See my posts on removing the motor cover. DO NOT USE this mixer if it smoked. Something needs to burn to cause smoke. I doubt you can fix this without new parts.