What is up with all this blue smoke???

[joel]

OK, a few weeks ago, I noticed I was getting a lot of blue smoke at start up. From what I've read on here, that meant unburned fuel so I figured maybe it was time to clean the air filter - just over 25K on it (Filter minder still showing new!). Sure enough, it's dirty, but not horrible so I cleaned, dried and re-oiled it. Virtually no more smoke. Last weekend, it was oil change time with the fuel filter due, too. Do the appropriate maintenance and Monday morning when I start up, my garage is FILLED with blue smoke. I mean it's just billowing out the tailpipe! Same thing today... both this AM and this afternoon when I came out of work to go home. At night it lives in the garage (insulated but not heated) and during the day it's outside. I wait for the "Wait to Start" light to go out whether it's just the 2 seconds check or an entire cycle. Lately it's just been the check because it's been warm enough. Finally, if I sit there and run it at high idle, it billows the blue smoke until I take my foot off the gas, then gives a puff of white smoke, then goes back to the blue. It's kind of embarrassing sitting there in my blue haze when co-workers walk by on the way to their car not to mention the fact that it stinks (sorry, I'm not in the crowd that loves Diesel fumes in the morning).

Anyone have any thoughts or suggestions? Thanks.

By the way, 98. 5, 8001 recall and low power reflashes last summer, K&N air filter (in the standard box), no other mods.

 

[jwgary]

You should expect to see blue smoke at start-up. However, I think that some of your problem may come from running high idle when you crank it. It is my unerstanding that you should not give it more fuel while it is trying to warm up. Excess fuel can wet the cylinder walls and wash away your oil. I never have any problems after start-up by just letting it idle normally. Sure there is a little blue smoke, but any cold engine will do this.

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B I G O R A N G E AMBER-FIRE (BURNT ORANGE) / BRITE SILVER 2001(. 5), 2500, SLT, Q-CAB 4x4, SWB, AUTO, 3. 55, LSD, TOWING PACKAGE
ADD-ON'S: LINE-X, 1/4" STEEL LONGHORN HITCH COVER, WESTIN NERF BARS, YELLOW-TOP OPTIMAS

 

[Guest00]

Could you have gotten a tank of krappy fuel?????
You should not cold start and then immedeatly go to high idle, high idle is for extended idle when already up to operating temp.

[This message has been edited by JNutter (edited 03-20-2001). ]

 

[joel]

OK, let me rephrase... by high idle, I mean I give it a little gas (guess I'm still thinking old school or something) to maybe clear any residual gas that didn't get burned when I last shut down. And then I let off... I don't run it at high idle continuously; more like a short rev.

jwgary, I understand I'll see a little blue smoke, but I'm talking about smoke that would make a big rig feel inadequate!

And it doesn't smoke at all when it's warm.

I suppose I could have gotten a tank of crappy gas. I filled it up Sunday at a local truck stop when I went and picked up the fuel filter, then went and did the changes. Hmmmm... ...

 

[Alan Reagan]

Joel, I fueled in Metter, GA last week and had smoke on startup and acceleration. It was leaving a plume at traffic lights. I finally got some good stuff in there and its back to normal. One question. . Do you use any additive to keep the injectors clean? If not, you may want to try some. You may have an injector sticking or not spraying properly causing the fuel to "drip" into the cylinder. The smoke is usually more gray than blue when that happens. I left my diesel tractor idling a couple of months ago during the cold and when I got back to it it was chugging blue/white smoke like nothing I had ever seen. I revved her up and after a couple of minutes it stopped. Added some Lucas and haven't had a problem since. Just a thought.

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2001 HO 6 spd 2500, 4. 10 LSD, Towing Package, Electric Brakes, SPA EGT/Boost Gauges, Fog Lights, Real Backup Lights, Molded Running Boards

 

[Cliffman]

Maybe the problem is that your putting “gas” where the "diesel fuel" goes #ad
. LOL. (sorry, I just couldn't resist #ad
)

When I start my truck in the morning I don’t even touch the throttle pedal. I get just a small “puff” of smoke. You mentioned that after cleaning your filter the smoke went away. Try taking your filter completely out and starting it just to eliminate the possibility of having a problem with the filter.


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2001 Driftwood 3500 Quad Cab 4x4, Long Bed, 5. 9L HO Cummins Diesel (ETH), 6-Speed HD Manual (DEE) Loven the shift thing (Arrrrrh), 3:54, SLT+, 3. 54 Anti-Spin Axle, Camper Special Group, Trailer Tow Group, 18,000 LB 5th Wheel Hitch, Leather, Sliding Rear Window, BDs E-Brake, Rhino Liner (gray), Velvet ride shackles, cup smoothy, Power Edge box / EZ Box w/elbo, DD Stage III injectors, McLeod Dual Disk Clutch, K&N, SPA Gauges, Jardine Exhaust, 16cm turbo housing. Love the smell of diesel in the morning. Hope your watchen DC cuz every thing you see here is a big lie, Hehe.

 

[jwgary]

I just noticed this morning while backing out of the driveway that there is a lot more smoke when you push the loud peddle. I gave it a little more to make the sharp turn and up the crest in the road. I backed into a big cloud of blue smoke. I don't think there is that much of a problem, but you shouldn't have to peddle after you start.

 

[joel]

ARRRGH!! Everyone's jumping on the bandwagon about giving it "gas" WHEN I start it. I start it in accordance with the manual... THEN when it starts billowing, I rev it a little to see if I can clear anything out (of course to no avail). All I want to know is how much blue smoke is too much and what can/should I do about it. I know I'll get a little. I know you don't use the accelerator to start. I don't hold the thing sit at high idle while cold (though, this point appears to be debatable on here as there are those who want a high idle switch to bring up the temp).

I'm just looking for thoughts on why there might be so much **** smoke! Like bad fuel or the like. .

 

[Texasdeere]

Just something weird I noticed the other day.
I drove my truck for an hour on the freeway, pulled in the driveway, and turned the truck off. (It was about 65 to 70F outside) 5 min later I started it to pull into the garage, and I noticed my voltmeter cycling. I am almost positive the heater grid was cycling.
Next morning it is about 48F, and the truck had been sitting all night (8hrs) the WS light would not come on. I started it anyway and it smoked heavily, fumes and all, it even was idling rough until I drove it. Anyway from what I remember the heatergrid should come on below 60F. I beleive when every thing is working right you should only be getting a "puff" on start up, unless it is very cold... .

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Erik F.
2001. 5, Silver, Quadcab, Longbed, SLT, 24V, Auto, 3. 54 LSD, 2x4, Tow and camper packages,
(Add ons) Pioneer, Husky Liners, Tint, Diamond Plate Tool Box, and Rail Guards, OEM Bedlinner, OEM 4x4 Mud Flaps, K&N, Geno's Breather Vent Catch Can.
(Wish list) 4" Exhaust, Low stall converter, Built transmission, Banks Power Pak.

 

[Idaho Native]

I posted the following a few weeks back... worth taking a look at your wiring...

Yes, this is embarrassing... but probably a lot less so since joining
TDR. If you suspect your heater grid operation, check your heater
grid connection to the battery closely!!

I bought my pickup new in Nov 98... it was assembled in Sep 98. I've
only put a little over 30K on it since I bought it. I noticed this
winter, which has been quite a bit colder than the previous two
here in the Omaha area, that it didn't like to start very well below
20 degrees after sitting outside at work all day. I would even cycle
the heaters twice sometimes. I'd seen a thread about guys getting
their rigs started at temps down to 0 or below without the aid of
being plugged in, so I figured I had a problem. Sure enough!

I talked to KatDiesel off line about it last night and started to
trouble shoot my heater grid, which I suspected of being
inoperative. The battery voltage didn't ever drop like others said
and the lights didn't dim at night after a cold start. It would smoke
quite heavily and make plenty of noise which the guys at work
loved to give me heck about. NOTE: I found that the Wait to Start
light is tied to a timer and head water temp sender, completely
independent of the heater grid, so the Wait to Start light will give
the indications that the grid is working no matter what. I normally
plug it in at night so when I go to start, so the light would
extinguish almost immediately and the engine starts with no smoke.

Today, I went out at lunch with another TDR member (JAKEBUD)
who just took delivery of his 2001 Cummins and compared the wiring
under the hood. In tracing the wires from the heater grid harness, I
found mine to lead UNDER the left battery. My buddy's was
connected directly to the hot positive side of his battery. We
removed my battery hold downs and pulled the wire out from under
it... appears that it had NEVER BEEN CONNECTED at the factory!!!


I'm wondering how many years of life I took off the poor Cummins
by doing all those "cold" starts. I started it once in Dec of 98 after
it had sat for a week at 7 degrees. I cycled the heaters twice (or
so I thought) and it still didn't like to run. No frickin' wonder!!!
Took about a half dozen attempts before it would go.

Hope no one else has this to find this after owing a diesel for two
years. My previous diesel experience was with Caterpillars on the
farm... they all had gas starting motors so this little "problem" never
cropped up.


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1999 24V 2500 QC HD,5 Spd, Luverne Steps, Predator Topper
1995 Impala SS, Dark Cherry Metallic
1995 Dutchmen 26 foot travel trailer (the "excuse" for the diesel!!)
1997 Honda Shadow ACE 1100
(Too Many Toys)