Buying Used 3rd Gen, What year is best

[cerberusiam]

this '07 running empty, not towing, runs at 800 EGT and the boost pressure tends to be above 10 most always. I have never been able to get it to run as low as 600, no matter how I try to drive it... . and it takes a long time to cool down to get it below 400 deg.

I have noticed that this truck produces smoke almost all the time: it smokes a little at idle on start-up, it smokes a little idling down the street and it produces smoke when pulling gently away from a stop light. It doesn't pour out a huge cloud of black smoke, but it puts out enough that I can see it in my passenger side mirror. Is this smoke and EGT level "normal"?

From my experience, none of that is normal. Its too hot and smokey empty and if the Smarty does not drastically reduce the EGT's it is simply fueling too much.



The big question is whether it is a mechanical issue (injectors), or an electronic issue with the ECU fueling map.



Either way, stock programming you should not see any smoke at an idle or normal driving. Now, adding timing with the Smarty will make the smoke more visible driving but from what I have seen not idling. Generally when you start seeing greyish smoke on a stock tune there is an injector problem of some kind.

 

[Jim Ross]

Made to the Idaho house right at sunset. Beautiful weather, 55-60 deg all the way.

 

[Jim Ross]

So, is the smoke at idle and "loafing" and the 800+ EGT's running down the road not loaded or towing an indication that the computer is a likely problem?

 

[cerberusiam]

So, is the smoke at idle and "loafing" and the 800+ EGT's running down the road not loaded or towing an indication that the computer is a likely problem?

It is not clear cut, unfortunately. It could be an ECU issue. It could be an injector issue.



I would do an injector reutrn flow test and have a cylinder contribution test done with a scanner first to see if there is anything obvious.



Since getting codes on that truck requires a scanner have that checked also. You could have a code that is not setting a CEL that might indicate a direction.

 

[TCDiesel]

The Control Modules In most Vehicle today are very very robust, when they fail you don't have just 1 Problem. Its Always associated with other conditions, limp mode,or No gages, intermittent problems etc, If PCM/ECM is damaged internally (or Corrupted OS) you will NEVER start the Vehicle.

 

[Jim Ross]

Thanks for the advice and giving me some direction.
I will go to our local mechanic today and ask if he is familiar with these tests, if he is not able to help us, I will go to a Dodge dealership and see what they have to say.

 

[Jim Ross]

Well, I finally got our truck into the shop and got the injector return flow test and the cylinder contribution test done.
The results say that injectors nos. 1 and 6 are not in balance with the other 4 injectors and the shop recommends a new set of injectors.
The truck is out of warranty by a week.