Cold day's are starting....

[JasonCzerak]

It's been in the low 40's upper 30's here the past few days (in the morning) last week. Notice a few things that are odd.



1: zero smoke on start. grid heater fires for 60 seconds, turn the key, she starts up and idles like it was 90 degrees out. But when it's 70+ degrees out, sitting for 1. 5 days, same start deal (minus the pre-heat), I see the smoke from what I been told is a leaky injector from the last shutdown. When the truck was new, the oppsite was true. smoke when it's cold, zero when it was warm out.



2: More boost down low? I suppose it's the colder temps, more dense air out. at 40mph, 1600rpm in 5th, I see 2psi of boost. typicaly, it's 0. EGT are much lower as well (as a result of the more boost?)



3: stock tires bald at 45,000 miles. Tire spin on demand when boost hits in 3rd gear on a roll. This is fun



4: Thus far the Amsoil 5w-30 for the NV5600 is just awesome for these cold mornings. I can get about maybe 2 miles total distance going slow. 10-20mph though the subdivisions, mainly sitting in 2nd and then getting up to 3rd to warm up the trans. Shifts so nice with this fluid.

 

[RBell]

Jason,

How are you, I'm new to the sight and this is my first post. It's funny you brought this up I have the same problem with white smoke in warm weather during start up. The truck has to sit for at least 8 hours before I get any smoke. I did a little test on Sunday in which I removed the intake manifold sensor and placed it in the freezer for a few minutes. When I re installed the sensor the wait to start light came on for about 25 seconds and no smoke at all after sitting for two days. I've heard that the grid heater doesn't cycle below a certain temperature but for me as long as it cycles I get no smoke. If anyone else has any ideas I would love to here them. . ROB

 

[robert4570]

Still hot and muggy in South Fla.

It'll be a long while before we see 30 degrees down here ,enjoy the changing of seasons.

 

[JasonCzerak]

Jason,

How are you, I'm new to the sight and this is my first post. It's funny you brought this up I have the same problem with white smoke in warm weather during start up. The truck has to sit for at least 8 hours before I get any smoke. I did a little test on Sunday in which I removed the intake manifold sensor and placed it in the freezer for a few minutes. When I re installed the sensor the wait to start light came on for about 25 seconds and no smoke at all after sitting for two days. I've heard that the grid heater doesn't cycle below a certain temperature but for me as long as it cycles I get no smoke. If anyone else has any ideas I would love to here them. . ROB

Now that's an interesting test..... wow. My truck has 45,000 miles on it as of today and I don't get the "new motor white smoke", it's a blue tint and smells like un burnt diesel. It should warm up here once or twice before MN goes to the deep freeze. I should try you idea when it's 70 out. .



BTW, the warm day starts (after 8 hours of off). just started happeneing in the last 20,000 miles. I been told to not worrie about it by TDR memebers and DC, if it's just un burnt fuel that's cool, so long as I don't get a hole in a piston at 100,100 miles

 

[05mxdiesel]

I don't have any smoke on startup, none in the 15k that I have on my truck. I did experiance that issue with my psd though, glow plugs SUCK!! Anyways on your Amsoil oil change, I just did mine this weekend. I hope I did not make a mistake, because I used the 75w-90 synthetic transmission oil. My trans after 15k started to loosen up, so i figured it needed changed. The new oil is awesome though, tightened up the trans a lot. The old oil was fairly clean but had a fark tint to it.

 

[Nightram]

Hey Guys,



I get the same thing, if it is warm out and it sits for like 2-3 days, I get white smoke. I was in the cold snap in north central Wisconsin this weekend, and I had the intake heater work, no smoke. Very odd thing.

 

[RBell]

Yes, this is very strange! I'm not sure what to think of it, it has me puzzled. My truck is an 05 that now has @ 22000 miles and get a good bit of towing. I use power service and MMO with every tank to try and keep thing clean and lubed. My white smoke problem started @ 2000 miles ago and has been pretty regular, not a huge cloud as soom describe but enough to easily notice. For the life of me I can't find the dam temperature in which the grid heater fires by it's self without the help of the trusty freezer. I was almost thinking of wiring a switch to the grid heater relays and turning them on myself. I know I should just take it into the dealer but the way they work it will sit for several days and I need the truck to make extra money. .

 

[RaymondSmith]

My grid heater seems to fire on the first start of the day at any temperature below 48 degrees. I also notice less smoke when the grid heater fires as compaired to when it doesn't.

 

[doppx006]

Mine does the same real hot no smoke, kind of cool lots of smoke, cold out no smoke, really cold lots of smoke 32K and no probs I think it is just the nature of the beast

 

[tkerrigan]

This is for 05mxdiesel, better dump that 75w90 out of your 6sp, it takes 30wt. 75w90 doesn't get to the bearings easily.

 

[jwduke]

I get the white smoke, plus a rough idle for the first few minutes every morning.

 

[Nate]

Hmm... mine hasn't run any different yet. Been pretty cold this week, was snowing a bit this afternoon actually.

 

[2Gen3Gen]

Last year, I used a timer and had my block heater turn on about 3 hours before I was due to leave. Worked fantastic. I plan to start in a few weeks again as the temp is getting back in the 30's. I park in the garage but it still helps the heater to work before the usual 10 mile ride . Im also planning to mount some sort of RV a/c plug just behind the front bumper area. I think it will be so much nicer than having the plug just hang over the bumper. Just a thought. Ill post pictures once I get the right application.

 

[JCotte]

White Smoke

You guys are seeing a totaly natural aspect of the CTD and any diesel engine actually. .

1). Above 70 degrees you will get a light tint of white smoke that stops very quickly as the cylinder tempratures rise quickly and warm the water in the cooling system quickly. The Smoke you see is no more than a by-product of incomplete combustion.

2). From 50 to about 70 the air intake is sucking in cooler air and along with the lower cooler temrature the combustion is a bit more incomplete than the item one above and it smokes a bit more of a dense white smoke for a slightly longer period of time until the cylinder temps raise the water temps enopugh to compensate for the cooler intake air temp.

3) At 50 degrees the air intake grid heater cicks in and holds your wait to start indicator on until the grid heater hits a specific temprature and the light goes out. the air is so warm that it compensates for the cooler air temprature and the cold water in the block and gives you a complete combustion, hence the NO Smoke situation.

I have owned 4 CTD ram pick ups and 8 tractor trailers so I am more than just familiar with what you are talking about. I hope this clears things up for you.

 

[JasonCzerak]

Last year, I used a timer and had my block heater turn on about 3 hours before I was due to leave. Worked fantastic. I plan to start in a few weeks again as the temp is getting back in the 30's. I park in the garage but it still helps the heater to work before the usual 10 mile ride . Im also planning to mount some sort of RV a/c plug just behind the front bumper area. I think it will be so much nicer than having the plug just hang over the bumper. Just a thought. Ill post pictures once I get the right application.

Don't bother, Geno's has a plate that attaches to the bumper that has basicly exactly what you may have on the out side of your house for an electrical plug circuit box. (wht the oppsite connecter inside naturaly). I'll be buying one shortly.



I think the plug danglin on the bumper is stupid and annoying to opererate.