View Full Version : Black smoke?
I drive my truck pretty easy as its only got 3500 miles but when i really do mash on the go pedal i notice a pretty good amount of dark smoke coming out the tail pipe. Is this normal build up that is just burning up. Tuhanks
One more quick question. ( Sorry for the stupid questions but this is my first diesel. ) I have heard that driving a new diesel to easy isnt good for the engine. Why would that be? I would think it would be better for it to brak in easy. But aht do i know. :confused:
What's the specs on your truck?
2003 w/ EGR////running Juice thru it?
And when you say /mash/ is that up a grade full throttle?
NickLeinonen
11-05-2002, 16:04
if you baby a new engine, especially a diesel, you can end up glazing the liner/cylinder walls. if you do end up doing this, your rings will not seat properly and you will have excessive blowby and low compression. if you work [aka beat the snot out of ] the engine, you build combustion pressure which seats the rings properly. it is a good idea to not lay into it real hard for the first 800km [500 miles] and then work her as hard as you can. the engine will produce better power, and get better fuel economy.
and that 500 miles is not because of the engine, it is to allow the tranny gears to lap together and to brake in the differential. if they are already broken in [like in an engine rebuild] go out and tow the heaviest trailer/load you can safely tow/haul and beat the **** out of the engine...
Its a 03 2500HD bone stock. I only really notice it when i mash the gas pedal, doent really matter if its under load or not. So have i done damage to it because i have been kinda nice to it. I havent really had a chance to pull anything real heavy yet. Just a small motorcycle trailer, probably 2000lbs. is all it weights. Should i start running it harder to get everything seated right? Or is it to late? I was just trying to take it as easy on the rig as i can cause it has to last a long time and i have never spent so much money on a vehicle before. Thanks for your input.
Mic what do you mean EGR?
Timberline
11-05-2002, 18:35
Dmaxin, It's not unusual for it blow the black smoke when you put your foot in it. Typical diesel trait, if you notice once the truck really gets going with the turbo spooled all the way up the exhaust cleans up. Even my 1.9 turbo diesel Beetle does this very same thing.
I doubt that you have hurt anything.
My rule is to break them in hard and it will run hard. Don't abuse it but don't be afraid to put your foot in it either. I put 10,000lbs on mine with just over 100 miles on it and have had no problems at all (knock on wood)and the truck runs strong with no oil usage.
==>Mic what do you mean EGR?<===
"E"veryone "G"o "R"epublican.....
"E"nvironmentalist "G"one "R"idiculous......
"E"xhaust "G"as "R" ecirculation......
Yes the gasser world enviro cops have entered the diesel market.....Blame California.....Sooner or later the will shake hard enough and float off into the pacific lose touch with the mainland and OLE GLORY DAYS to follow !!!!!!
Well throw a dounut to a few guys only....... ;)
MAC
^---- E G R
What mackin said...'03 started coming with them emission police devices...
I thought that might be part of the problem
Is this anything i can remove? Or replace with another?
SoMnDMAX
11-07-2002, 01:04
What's wrong with smoke?? :confused: I like smoke.. :D
Not much you can do, Dmaxin. Check the air filter for possible restriction, and possibly mention it to your service manager the next time you're at the dealer.
[ 11-07-2002: Message edited by: SoMnDMAX ]</p>
Amianthus
11-07-2002, 09:40
Dmaxin, black smoke is an indicator of incomplete combustion. Your engine should be programmed (if it's stock), to prevent any black smoke. Diesels really don't "build up" as most people think of it. Yes, you can get fuel slobber and that will result in more smoke, but you have to have a prolonged no load condition for that to happen. I doubt that's the case for you. I have yet to see an un-modified anything (newer model) put smoke out it's tailpipe. You may get a haze from time to time, depending on fueling, boost, and load on the engine. But that should be it.
As for EGR, this is the bane to all that is diesel. EGR is a quick-fix to make the enviro police happy in their quest to outlaw the diesel engine. EGR has one upside. It reduces NOX emissions. That's it. It reduces fuel economy, increases soot load on oil, decreases oil change intervals, and increases engine wear (because of quicker contamination of the oil). All in all, it a really bad idea to fix a problem that really isn't that bad on an unmodified diesel engine. Although, there's nothing you can do about it, per se. If you mokey with the EGR system, the computer will sense it and throw a code (my guess). And then you'll be in limp mode (again, a guess on my part).
Don't even get me started on catalytic converters on a diesel. My not very PC advice on those things, get rid of it. They will cause nothing but problems. You will get better performance with it gone. Of course that's just a suggestion.
The best thing you can do, if you have alot of smoke, is check your air filter (as the SoMn wise one said), check your turbo boots (rubber connections from turbo to engine), and look for air leaks. If this doesn't solve your problem, a trip to the dealer may be warranted. You may have a fuel system problem that is allowing too much fuel into your engine for a given load.
As for break-in, ride it hard. Use good oil, clean fuel (with additive), and drive it like you stole it. In the long run, you will get the best performance from your investment this way.
Hopefully, that helps answer some of your questions.
SoMnDmax, smoke?! Your's don't smoke. Don't EVER get caught behind ME! That's SSSSSSSMMMMMMMOKIN'! (I wish I had a MPEG of my truck in Muncie!)
BTW-I didn't even know that the big guy with the green truck was you. Sharp looking truck. Can't say the same for the owner though. tongue.gif
What kind of additave should i look into using? I know there are a few differant options out there.(cetane boost, diesel additave, diesel fuel modifier) Those are the options i have in front of me in my amsoil catalog. Thanks for everyones input.
SoCalDMAX
11-07-2002, 11:26
I'm hopin' somebody'll toss me a ring if/when Commifornia falls into the ocean. :eek:
Amianthus, great post, you're depressing me with all this catalytic convertor and EGR talk, mine came with both... Pretty rough on SoMN, eh? :D Jeez, and I thought you were a pretty nice guy... for a Cummins owner! tongue.gif
Regards, Steve
I have the same concerns as Dmaxin, and drive about the same, pretty normal then once in awhile hit the go pedal pretty hard, and I also get the black smoke for several seconds. And it's usually a good cloud not just haze. I've never noticed this when pulling my 5th wheel, but only after a few days of normal city driving. My truck is a stock '02 with 12k miles, never noticed this until recently, and was wondering if this could have anything to do with injectors or injector pump problems that have been mentioned here before. Thanks in advance ;)
SoMnDMAX
11-07-2002, 13:37
Amianthus, I know mine doesn't smoke that much, not NEARLY as much as your Dodge.. :D I'm still working on it. :cool: Yep, that was me with the green Dmax. I'm just a little guy. ;) Sorry we didn't get to talk much at K&S, but we were both kinda busy. There's always next time.
SoCal, even though Amianthus is rattling my cage, he is a nice guy. Very knowledgeable when it comes to diesel performance!!!
Dmaxin, since the EGR is an integral part of the emissions system and the engine itself, it probably cannot be defeated easily.
How big of a smoke cloud are we talking here? Is it just a little puff that clears to a light haze, or it it a black snake?
Fuel additives- Cetane booster improves combustion, and can reduce smoke somewhat, so you might want to try that. I use FPPF Total Power, which is a cetane boost, a lubricity additive, and it increases the fuel's resistance to gelling in cold temperatures. I use one quart per four tanks of fuel. That's better than double the reccomended dose, but the extra (within reason) won't hurt anything.
SoCalDMAX
11-07-2002, 14:59
Oh absolutely, I can tell he's a nice guy. I'm hoping to meet him some day. One of these days I'll get out of my zip and get to meet some of you real dieselheads.... ;)
FWIW, I was told by a diesel tuner that soot collects in the pipe from normal cruising/fwy driving. Then once in a while when you punch it, a little smoke from the engine added to the soot knocked loose makes a little bigger, more visible cloud than if the soot hadn't been there.
I guess one way to tell is cruise it for a day or so. Then punch it and look at the cloud. Stop and punch it again exactly the same way and see if the second cloud is the same size.... It's not bothering me enough to try the experiment.
Regards, Steve
Wheres a good online store that holds the FPPF Total Power? THanks
SoMnDMAX
11-08-2002, 02:51
Dmaxin, Kennedy Diesel stocks it and sells it. John should have some left I would think... I helped him load up the last 10 cases.. smile.gif
www.kennedydiesel.com
If I'm not mistaken, you can order online now... :cool:
As far as the black smoke issue, I have a bone stock '02 with the 6 speed. If I drive the truck pretty easy for a couple of weeks, when I do get on it, there is a huge cloud of black smoke. I contribute this to soot build up in the exhaust pipe. After the truck is blown out, I cannot duplicate the black cloud...unless I baby her for a few weeks! ;) It is pretty cool looking!!! :cool:
MaxRock
Amianthus
11-08-2002, 12:59
What additive? Hmmm... I thought this would get as many responses as which oil to use.
It's almost gonna come down to personal opinion. The FPPF is good stuff. So is the Stanadyne (IMHO). I use Power Service for one reason only. It's very easy to find. It's not as good as the Stanadyne (again, IMHO), but it does everything I want/need it to. There are several quality additives. These are just a few. Find one you can get to and performs well for you and stick with it. Make sure it can do these things, add cetane, add lubricity, lower gelling temperature (for winter), emulsify water, keep critters to a minimum. I know it sounds like alot, but most additives can do these things. If you are looking a fuel driers, don't. Not unless you have a bonifide water problem. Then only use a diesel specific water remover (after a drain). Don't use a water remover for prolonged periods because the alcohol that is used in some additives to remove water, can damage your pump and fuel system from extended use.
When I went to FM diesel school we talked about fuel slobber (carry over of unburned fuel in a diesel). It can manifest itself as black smoke until you burn it out of the engine. However, I forgot that most of you have catalytic converters. I could very well be that the converter is loading up and you are able to blow it "clean" and get a puff of smoke. But still, it shouldn't be a regular occurrance.
The wife and I were planning a trip to NoCal (Sacramento) to visit a Navy buddy. But now she's got a bun in the oven and we aren't going anywhere. Except for Texas sometime in Feb. So our trip out west will have to wait for a little while. When we do get out there, Steve, I'll try to hook up with you there.
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