Puff of white smoke, Bad wright?

[mymtnhauler]

Last Friday the fam and I went to Billings MT. (abought 50 miles from where I live) for some last minute shopping, stopped at my favorite taco place for lunch. 30 or so minutes later started my 05 (truck is a 2005 3500 HO with 52,000 on the ticker) and a large puff of WHITE smoke came from the tail pipe!: The truck has never done this not even black smoke. Outside temp was in the mid 30s, and the truck had been starting fine and running fine all day. After a few more starts the white puff smoke finaly quit. Went back to Billings today (don't ask) and at the third stop and start there was that darn puff of white SMOKE!!!!!#@$%! What could be the problem? If there is a problem, how bad is it and what can be done?:{

 

[JR]

Have you checked your coolant lately? If its not eating fluids mysteriously and isnt driving any different, the only thing you can really do is keep an eye on it. I had a 2nd gen that would puff white smoke when first started the injection pump was on its way out, but there was obvious symptoms to go along with it.

 

[RVTRKN]

Check for water in fuel if the coolant level stays the same, and if you don't keep fuel receipts, start doing it. You mentioned it went away and has not come back points to possible water in fuel. How often do you change your fuel filter, and drain a sample from the filter before you start your truck. It doesn't have to come from a fuel station, it could be condensate, btw, before you fly an airplane you draw a sample from the bottom of the tank, and if water is present, you drain it till its gone or you have it serviced.



Receipts are the only proof you filled up from the station that had the water in the fuel if its present. I imagine it can cause the white puff as you described, then go away.

 

[cerberusiam]

If you can try to get a whiff of the smoke to see if its fuel or something else. To start with 16 oz's of Power Service and a quart of 2 stroke oil in the tank when filling with known good fuel would be the next step. Assuming your fluid levels are all good, the only thing that is going to cause that kind of dense white smoke is fuel dribbling into the cylinder while it sits then starts. If you can replicate it in roughly the same circumstances it is likely a sticking injector.

 

[mymtnhauler]

Have you checked your coolant lately? If its not eating fluids mysteriously and isnt driving any different, the only thing you can really do is keep an eye on it. I had a 2nd gen that would puff white smoke when first started the injection pump was on its way out, but there was obvious symptoms to go along with it.

Yea I've been checking the coolant!

Check for water in fuel if the coolant level stays the same, and if you don't keep fuel receipts, start doing it. You mentioned it went away and has not come back points to possible water in fuel. How often do you change your fuel filter, and drain a sample from the filter before you start your truck. It doesn't have to come from a fuel station, it could be condensate, btw, before you fly an airplane you draw a sample from the bottom of the tank, and if water is present, you drain it till its gone or you have it serviced.
Receipts are the only proof you filled up from the station that had the water in the fuel if its present. I imagine it can cause the white puff as you described, then go away.

I get fuel at only one place. Now I know that fuel will change at even at the same place over time. And changed the filter abought two weeks ago. I've checked for water in the fuel and did not get any from the drain. (so I believe)

If you can try to get a whiff of the smoke to see if its fuel or something else. To start with 16 oz's of Power Service and a quart of 2 stroke oil in the tank when filling with known good fuel would be the next step. Assuming your fluid levels are all good, the only thing that is going to cause that kind of dense white smoke is fuel dribbling into the cylinder while it sits then starts. If you can replicate it in roughly the same circumstances it is likely a sticking injector.

All the fluids are ok. And I do use Power service every time I fuel up, and I don't use a whole bottle if it dose not need a full tank. Now the quart of 2 stroke I've never used it before.

Thancks for the info.

 

[sag2]

White smoke is unburned fuel. You may have an injector that is dribbling a little fuel when you shut it off.

 

[NIsaacs]

White smoke is unburned fuel.





Or unburned oil, as in a possible dribble out of the exhaust side of the turbo.



Nick

 

[mymtnhauler]

Or unburned oil, as in a possible dribble out of the exhaust side of the turbo.



Nick[/QUOTE]



Would there be any sign of oil at the tail pipe, and what would cause this?????

 

[Oil Stain]

That white smoke you get for the next minute or so is called “cold smoke”. It is diesel vapor mist that does not get burned because the cylinder is not hot enough.

 

[NIsaacs]

Or unburned oil, as in a possible dribble out of the exhaust side of the turbo.



Nick

Would there be any sign of oil at the tail pipe, and what would cause this?????[/QUOTE]



Not unless there was a lot, it sounds like you only have a small smoke signal. Excess oil from anywhere, pre or during the combustion cycle, will show up as blue, black or if in real small amounts, you won't even see it. Unburned oil, as in post combustion is usually white, not hot enough to burn but hot enough to smoke. If you have a seal leaking on the turbin side of your turbo it can show up as white. When they first start to leak, it is usually just a small amount during shut down with a puff at start up. I am not saying this is whats wrong, just that it could be.



Nick

 

[mymtnhauler]

Not unless there was a lot, it sounds like you only have a small smoke signal. Excess oil from anywhere, pre or during the combustion cycle, will show up as blue, black or if in real small amounts, you won't even see it. Unburned oil, as in post combustion is usually white, not hot enough to burn but hot enough to smoke. If you have a seal leaking on the turbin side of your turbo it can show up as white. When they first start to leak, it is usually just a small amount during shut down with a puff at start up. I am not saying this is whats wrong, just that it could be.



Nick[/QUOTE]



I have been watching every time the truck is started. It has not smoked when cold, plugged in or not!

If the seal on the turbine side is starting to leak how do I check it???

 

[cerberusiam]

In order to create enough smoke to be noticeable on a regular basis you will see a steady oil loss. Once it starts leaking it won't stop and it will always be smoking. The turbo seal will pull 3 quarts out the oiling system and you will never see smoke out of it, a hard tubo oil leak is hard to catch and find unless it is a catastrophic failure.

If it is an intermittent thing and your oil is not disappearing, look elsehwere.

 

[NIsaacs]

I have been watching every time the truck is started. It has not smoked when cold, plugged in or not!

If the seal on the turbine side is starting to leak how do I check it???

If the oil leak has just started (and it sounds like it just did) you might not see an oil loss yet on the stick. When your engine is totally cold as in the first start of the day there will not be enough heat to show smoke from a small turbine seal leak, but when warm from a second start it will. When you are driving down the road the drive pressure on the turbo will keep the oil leak stopped because there is almost no oil pressure in the turbo bearing/shaft cavity, it is just a splash/flood thing since the input is tiny and the return is large.



To check it just pull the exhaust pipe off at the turbo, feel for end play (should be none) or excessive side movement (there will be a small amount) then start it for a few seconds, shut it off and look for oil. If it is bad you will see oil before you start it, if it is still small the oil will hide in the housing until you start it. Sometimes a small issue can be hard to find/trouble shoot so you might need to drive it some until you can find the problem.



Nick

 

[JR]

Another way to know if your turbo is leaking is if youve got it in the intercooler piping.

 

[mymtnhauler]

Found that one or more injectors may be bad#@$%!. ( I stress may be bad ) The meck at a local repitable diesel performance shop and the dealer say they like to replace all 6. If so I have a few questions.

When replacing the injectors, do I go with new or do I go with rebuilt? And if I go rebuilt do I get match flow and or 50 horse upgrade:-laf? If I do get the 50's is there other mod's I will need or can they be run solo?

 

[seafish]

Unfortunately the quality variance from injector to injector on rebuilds, even from a reputable shop, is so great, that it is a crapshoot that all six rebuilds will work within specs.

Almost all knowledgable people here will agree for the need to use brand new injectors supplied by a reputable shop like Exergy or TC Diesel. TC Diesel often posts on TDR and is REALLY good at common rail fuel system/Injector diagnosis and repair by symptom over the phone, so he might be a really good source to go with.



Nothing wrong with going 50 hp over on the nozzle with a stock truck as long as they are flow tested and balanced.

 

[Shamp]

Have you replaced your air filter. People get caught up on all sorts of things but white smoke is a sign of UNBURNT FUEL. That can be caused by dribling injector and on start up and the extra fuel is blown out of the exhaust. Or on the other hand. Air is just as important for the combustion process. If your air filter is clogged it creates a restriction from air entering the cylinder thus allowing some fuel to be blown out the exhaust. When you start up you are pretty much a naturally asperated engine. Once started the engine "suction" over comes the restricted air filter. I can even show you a publication for a case tractor, symtom was white smoke, problem was people putting air filter in backwards. I guess it happened enough times for them to print up a warning.

 

[Prairie Dog]

I've read so many posts here about guys getting a couple of reman injectors and then a few months later, having more problems. If your going to keep the truck and can afford it, go with all new sticks.



But just for the fun of it, call up TC diesel and tell him you wan't a couple of remans and have heard that is what the "social media" suggests. #ad




Scotty

 

[TCDiesel]

I hear Ya Prairie Dog... .....

 

[Prairie Dog]

DOH! :-laf