Why the black smoke on stock engine?

[brobeson]

I have a 2001 HO and 6 speed with 35K miles on it.



The last trip we took, my truck started smoking (black) while pulling hills towing a small TT. . Harder the pull or if I need to down shift, the more the smoke (darker and more).



I have never had any smoke before. Truck is 100 % stock. Still the same stock (original) air filter, but the little gauge on the filter does not show hardly anything. .



Any ideas?



TIA



Smoken Bob

 

[KatDiesel]

Airflow would be first thing to look at, second thing would be do you know if the station you use has gone to blended fuel yet? If ya run the blended fuel in warm weather, it will smoke more.



While the filter minder may not show a restriction, I would examine the airfilter and see what she looks like. 35k on stock paper filter seems a bit much.

 

[brobeson]

Dirty filter

I looked at my filter, very dirty, the foam is just solid black, and most of the paper is pretty black.



I will replace the filter with a K&N.



Bob

 

[C1B1DIESEL]

do you have a boost gauge, or pryo, low boost and high pryo readings will give black smoke. Check your clamps for the charge air cooler, they have been known to get loose, there are eight of them.

 

[Diesel Freak]

When my truck was stock, it would smoke a little. When I got it over the 7000' mark it would smoke quite a bit.

 

[Lurch]

Towing at elevation makes smoke. So does lousy fuel. I get alot of variation between tanks, even filling at truck stops.



Lurch