Cold Start White Smoke!?

[KellyP]

I have an 05' 3500 with 14000 miles. This is the problem ... when I start itfter its been sitting for a few hours I get a large cloud of white diesel smelling smoke! It happens whether its below freezing or as warm as 45 whether its plugged in or not. Does anybobdy have any suggestions of whats wrong or how to solve this problem.

Thank you very much for any info on this.

 

[RBell]

Are you using Power Sevice or any other additive? I had the same problem so I started using power serive and MMO, after a few tanks the smoke is gone. From what I understand it's the injector leaking fuel into the cylinder which causes the white smoke at start up

 

[nick05]

i've got the same also. but only when it's cold out, 20 or less. not sure if it's anything major?

 

[tractorseller]

Welcome to the club. I've tried every fuel additive known to man, made a trip to a worthless service department, and I've scoured postings here to try to figure out how to fix it. I finally gave up. I just smoke out all my neighbors when I start it.



I've heard everything from injector replacement, to additive cocktails, to a re-flash of the computer, to "Flying J fuel additives". You'll also read where some on here think it's "normal" to have this cloud of white smoke, which I think is ridiculous.



If you have a good service department, I'd take it in and have them try to fix it before I did anything else. If nothing else, it documents the problem in case you have a catastrophic injector failure later. In Tucson, we have no good service departments. They talk real pretty and do nothing, just like a politician. The worthless service manager at JIM CLICK DODGE tried to blame it on "bad fuel from Texas and New Mexico" after he had my truck all day and did nothing to fix it. The only problem is that I hadn't bought any fuel in Texas or New Mexico. I tried switching brands as well (from Flying J to Pilot), didn't work. If you get it fixed please post here so I can try again. Good luck.

 

[SSalzer]

I have an '05 and my friend has an '02. Both of our trucks smoke just after starting it when it's really cold out. From what we've both researched, it's normal. Just so long as it stops smoking after it's warmed up a little. I've read that it's just unburned fuel due to the fact that the cylinder temp has not had a chance to warm up to a point where combustion is efficient.

 

[cerberusiam]

when I start itfter its been sitting for a few hours I get a large cloud of white diesel smelling smoke

What part of the country are you in? What are the outside temps when this happens? By a few hours do you mean 1 to 2 or ??? Is the engine still warm when you restart and this happens?



White smoke on a cold start, ie after sitting over night, is normal. It should only last 10 to 20 seconds down to about zero then clear up. If this smoke is happening when the engine is still warm then you probably have an injector or 2 that is not seating and leaking fuel into the cylinder. Check you oil for diesel to see how serious it is. The dealer can do a basic injector kill to test for misfires and see some info from the ECU on injector operation but other than that they are pretty worthless for trouble shooting. Take it to a authorized Cummins repair facility and they should be a lot more help. It will cost you but it beats melting the engien down or filling the crank full of diesel if the dealer says it is normal. Good luck.

 

[Cattletrkr]

Lately I've had a terrible cold start problem. I let it crank for 3-4 secs and nothing. Try again and sometimes it'll go, sometimes I have to try a 3rd time. It might give me a little puff of smoke, but not much. But man does it shake. Once it's running for 10 secs or so it smooths out and everything is seemingly OK. This thing used to start better than that when the outside temp is 0*F.



Oh, this is during a recent sold snap with morning temp hanging around 30*F or less and not plugged in.



Diesel Kleen or no Diesel Kleen doesn't make a difference. Fuel is good, filter good, everyting good except for the startup.



Juice 'on' or 'off' at shutdown doesn't seem to make any difference either. I thought maybe that had something to do with it.

 

[DPKetchum]

Mine had some white smoke and roughness when in the 30s or less from day one. Then I installed a Rokktech crank sensor(advanced timing a few degrees) and it smoothed out and no smoke on cold start.

 

[Cattletrkr]

Mine had some white smoke and roughness when in the 30s or less from day one. Then I installed a Rokktech crank sensor(advanced timing a few degrees) and it smoothed out and no smoke on cold start.

The Rokktech makes mine crank longer. I haven't adjusted it back up to see if it helps with the rough crap. Weekend project.

 

[Diesel Power]

the crank sensor is only good for starting, after starting the camshaft sensor takes over. so the rock teck MAY help with starting, although i think it should be left alone. the 3rd injection event adds just a little more fuel at start up than is needed, thus it will over fuel and " flood" the engine for a few seconds, this is exactly why you have white smoke when cold-- a diesel needs heat to properly burn the fuel, if the injectors or what ever were not seating then it would be evident all across the power band as in lack of power, plus we have replaced injectors on trucks that have bad smoke problems and yes it did help but it did not fix the problem.

 

[RobertP]

the white smoke on start up when below 35 degrees is just simply not enough heat in the cylinders to burn the fuel correctly nothing more. A cold soaked engine with have this happen every time no matter what injector or sensors you try.



if it is happening when warmer temps are present then there is a problem.

 

[BigEasy]

the 3rd injection event adds just a little more fuel at start up than is needed, thus it will over fuel and " flood" the engine for a few seconds, this is exactly why you have white smoke when cold-- a diesel needs heat to properly burn the fuel, if the injectors or what ever were not seating then it would be evident all across the power band as in lack of power, plus we have replaced injectors on trucks that have bad smoke problems and yes it did help but it did not fix the problem.

He beat me to the same answer. You wanna see white smoke? Start up a semi that hasn't been plugged in... I've had the fire department called more than once

 

[JimDay]

When Texas went to the ULSDF early this year, and I got the first tank full. Two days later my truck started missing and smoking white smoke at start. I had picked up some trash from the fuel station, which stuck in one or two enjectors. It took two months before it cleared up. As for cold weather, I had an old 88 F450 with the 7. 3, that I could start at any time at any tempature with out plugging it in. A machanic in Iowa, told me years ago to cycle the key on twice letting the glow plug light go off each time before starting in cold weather. Now, I haven't had a need to do this with the Cummins,and I know that it doesn't have glow plugs. It does have a heater in the intake. It might help. As far as white smoke at start in cold weather that is the norm for a diesel.

 

[BigEasy]

I had picked up some trash from the fuel station, which stuck in one or two enjectors. It took two months before it cleared up.

How did it get past the fuel filter?

 

[DPKetchum]

My 93 w250 smoke nothing like these 3gs. It also ran smooth on cold start even a 0 and not plugged in.

 

[PKozlowski]

This is perfectly normal for a diesel. Nothing to worry about. Wait till it's -30 then watch the white smoke fly! I'm not talking just a puff. Just a large cloud hahahaha.

Nothing to worry about. Just unburnt fuel.

 

[staarma]

Yep, anyone who owns heavy equipment or trucks in colder climates knows this is normal. Our trucks complicate the problem as well with the 3rd injection event. I have an 04. 5 done in January 2004 according to the sticker on the valve cover and I have never been back to the dealer for a flash for cold start, white smoke, etc. blah blah blah. Most guys around here that have had that done now report of cold start poor performance. I'd rather have a little white smoke myself.

 

[steved]

They reflashed my 04. 5 for those exact symptoms, even though MY truck didn't have those symptoms (was a blanket flash for all available updates)... it did help with cold starting and fuel mileage...



steved