Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) white smoke

[Wyomingcowboy]

I got pulled over this morning for having expired tags. All I got was a warning but when i pulled back onto the interstate I noticed a BUNCH of black/white smoke. Far more than ever before. I didn't kill the motor while I was pulled over. When I got into town I noticed even at an idle I had white smoke. I have never had this before..... EVER!!



WTF is going on?



Please help!



Nate

 

[Wyomingcowboy]

Anybody? I read previous posts but all of the other symptoms seem to be different than mine. On the drive home the problem was worse. I removed the hypertech program and same thing. Fuel PSI is solid 13-15 as it has been for months.

 

[GaryOwen]

No expert, but sounds like an injector going bad. Is it running rough? Any codes?



Gary

 

[Wyomingcowboy]

It runs ok... ... actually, if I wasn't looking in the mirrors I would never know about the smoke while driving. At Idle it is fairly rough. NO codes.

 

[AllianceDiesel]

could be lots of things, white smoke is partially burned fuel, could be plugged air filter, sticking injector,



how much do you idle the truck?

 

[Wyomingcowboy]

I don't idle much. I am going to crack the injectors tomorrow and see what I can see..... if that is the case I'm gonna go with marine injectors I think. If not... . I'm screwed!

 

[johncameron]

I don't idle much. I am going to crack the injectors tomorrow and see what I can see..... if that is the case I'm gonna go with marine injectors I think. If not... . I'm screwed!

I doubt the naked eye will see anything... .



Pull the codes first.

 

[AllianceDiesel]

oops thought you had a common rail, its very unlikely you have an injector bad but it could happen, you aren't gonna be able to see a bad injector without pulling them and having them bench test,



I would almost bet since its a vp44 truck that you will have injection pump timing failure code or some injection pump code, do you have the stock lift pump and if so what is your pressure

 

[blacksheepdiesel]

You may not be able to "see" a bad injector, but if it is missing at idle cracking the injectors one at a time should show which one is missing. I would do the same as you WyBoy.

Godspeed,
Trent

 

[turbo torque]

If you have access to a infared heat gun, shooting the temps on the exhaust manifold will definatly show which one is missing. (the coolest)

 

[Wyomingcowboy]

I have no codes. I checked twice. Cracking the injector lines should tell me which one is missing. My fuel PSI is 13-15 steady as has been for months. I have had no dead pedal or any other VP like issue.

Cracking the injector lines is free and easy to check right after the code scan.

I'll report tonight after.

 

[blacksheepdiesel]

WyBoy,

Does it feel like one injector missing? Or more? If you get more than one cracked line showing bad injectors I would say there is an air leak in the fuel system.

Godspeed,
Trent

 

[Wyomingcowboy]

I honestly do not know what a missing injector feels like. It seems to have gotten worse since yesterday morning while at idle. It is teribbly rough idling. HWY speeds feel the same.

 

[AllianceDiesel]

whens the last time you changed your fuel filter and you need to see if it has any codes.

 

[Wyomingcowboy]

I CHECKED FOR CODES ALREADY!



the fuel filter has maybe 3K miles on it in addition to the airdog

 

[Wyomingcowboy]

cracked 1, 3, and 4 injectors. The #3 smoothed out the engine a little, but when I cracked the other ones I could tell no difference at all. I talked to a cummins mechanic on the phone and he thought that sounded like the #3 was probably the culprit. I had another friend listen with a scope and he thought the #3 sounded off too.

I drove the 20 miles or so back to Rock Springs and it had a terrible loud knock and banging sound. I got off at my exit and continued on the road home and I lost all kinds of power and it died. I sat for about 30 seconds and tried it again and it started right up but the noise was as bad as ever. I went on ahead the last few miles home and it sorta sputtered a few times but made it home.

It is now smoking worse than ever before... ... the cummins guy is gonna come listen to it for me and crack the injectors and see if he still thinks that but now I am thinking much, much worse.

Would the VP-44 be causing that kinda crap? I still have no codes.

 

[Wyomingcowboy]

How long has it been since my last post? I started it right up again to move it and the terrible knock was gone... ... smoking is still horrible of course.



Also, the last time I shut it down the egt's barely dropped below 400 after sitting and idling for a minute. (That's not happened before either. ) The water temp is fine. Also, before I left Green River this afternoon the egt's were below 200 at idle and water at the normal 190... ... . just a bunch of weird, wild stuff!

 

[blacksheepdiesel]

WyBoy,

Sounds like a bad injector(s) or crossover tubes. Might be best to leave it sit until diagnosed and repaired, would hate to see any further damage done.

Godspeed,
Trent

 

[Wyomingcowboy]

Kaboom! Not sure what happened today but when I got it to the shop at school there was oil all over evrything and none on the dipstick... . I noticed nothing different than the normal huge amounts of white smoke but it sure enough lost all 3 gallons of oil I had put in just minutes before... ...

I'll keep you all posted on my bad luck and just what exactly blew a hole in my motor and how bad it really is.....

 

[AllianceDiesel]

so you put a hole in the block?