HELP - white smoke at cold start

[punkrockford]

Had a 2000kw diesel generator do the exact same thing. turned out all 4 turbos sucked in the air filters after customer did not want to replace the filters, turbos destroyed and charge air cooler plugged. Caused mass amounts of white smoke at start up.
I know this sounds to simple but based on what you stated was done to the truck I figured I would throw this out there.

 

[livinlots26]

Have you drained the fuel water separator? A little water or air even could do that.

 

[yeehaw]

how cold are these cold starts? Any diesel i have owned pours white smoke under ten degrees at start up.....

 

[Rob D]

Guys I am looking for professional mechanics advice. I do not need questions asked about stuff like air filters or statements that every truck should smoke when in cold weather. I obviously wouldn't have sunk 4k into this without checking an air filter or if it was a typical cold start haze. I have owned the truck since new and it did not do this. Please comment only with legitimate experience and fixes for this issue.

 

[POWER-STRUCK]

6.0 diagnostic guide

Guys I am looking for professional mechanics advice. I do not need questions asked about stuff like air filters or statements that every truck should smoke when in cold weather. I obviously wouldn't have sunk 4k into this without checking an air filter or if it was a typical cold start haze. I have owned the truck since new and it did not do this. Please comment only with legitimate experience and fixes for this issue.

we can get very technical if you like! but.. if the mechanic cannot give us exact test results a conclusion can not be reached!

otherwise you are playing parts til it starts!

just because a part is new does not mean that it tests good.
here is a link for a diagnostic guide and if the tests are ran correctly you will more than likely stumble across the problem. print the sheet and do all the tests without skipping steps, write exact test results on the sheet
http://www.motorcraftservice.com/vdirs/vehicles/diesel/schematics/05_Diesel_Performance_Sheet.pdf

 

[Snoop]

What year? My 2004 smoked white all the time on every tune I had. Mine had the throttle body plate so I removed that, did the CCV reroute mod, and installed new turbo and no more smoke.....

Did all three at the same time pretty much. Not sure what "fixed" it.

 

[SICKS LITER]

doesnt sound like to great of a shop if the customer has to go on forums to post for help lol

 

[Rob D]

The shop is great and the owner/my mechanic has really been working with me on this issue. He has run all the diagnostics on it using the IDS - nothing has shown up. Power balance, ICP, IPR, compression test, everything checked out. No codes being thrown.

 

[907DAVE]

And yet it run like piss when cold, you cannot say everything is perfect. I know it might not seem like much but a this point its your only symptom besides the smoke. Most likely it is caused by the same thing.

 

[punkrockford]

Sorry If my input offended you. I have heard of condensation building up in the intercooler pipes because of the ridges in the boots. Maybe that is freezing in the cold weather and then melting at start up, causing smoke

 

[Rob D]

Obviously everything isn't perfect Dave lol! And nothing has offended me I am just trying to keep this thread clean. Understand we have done all the small basic stuff before we rebuilt the whole top end.

 

[Rob D]

Also we tried running a known healthy turbo from a different truck in mine and it did not help on top of just inspecting mine.

 

[punkrockford]

is it as bad if you plug the trucks block heater in over night?

 

[Rob D]

Haven't tried that. Way I see it regardless of it it is plugged in or not it still has an issue until cylinders are warm....plugging in would just be masking the problem. Only plug it in if it is going to go below 20. I know truck doesn't smoke nearly as bad when warm bc when started in shop at around 55 degrees after sitting over night she started and just hazed. Not excessive pouring like it is doing now.

 

[SICKS LITER]

relative compression test is just that, relative to the condition of all the cylinders. if they are all down on compression evenly the test will still come back 100%. i shouldnt be the one telling you this but the compression should be tested with a gauge.

 

[SICKS LITER]

The shop is great and the owner/my mechanic has really been working with me on this issue. He has run all the diagnostics on it using the IDS - nothing has shown up. Power balance, ICP, IPR, compression test, everything checked out. No codes being thrown.

scan tools only get you so far.

 

[3brorce]

Sorry If my input offended you. I have heard of condensation building up in the intercooler pipes because of the ridges in the boots. Maybe that is freezing in the cold weather and then melting at start up, causing smoke

Don't say sorry man. You are most definitely right in your posting. I believe this to be his problem as well. Everything checks out and every diesel does not run its best when it is cold. Sounds like condensation causing white smoke to me also. My 6.0 did it and so does my 6.4

 

[Rob D]

Guys if it was condensation it would burn off within a minute or so this thing billows out smoke until engine is 140 or warmer. It will pour smoke for 10 mins straight no problem if just sitting at idle. It also wreaks of raw fuel. This is most definitely not water

 

[Rob D]

I also have upgraded pipes they don't have ridges

 

[Rob D]

Bottom line is I have been on these forums since 2006. I have seen a lot and read a lot. I am not a mechanic just as most are not on these forums. A ton of Internet guys who just read these forums all day and will post up stuff they have read from another forum as if it is their own knowledge. I am not interested in keyboard typers rather wrench turners. No offense to anyone but anybody who has been on these long enough knows exactly what I am talking about. I appreciate all help and suggestions but am looking for legitimate professional help from men with knowledge and expertise on the 6.0 which may go above and beyond my mechanic. He is a younger guy but really seems to know his stuff. All he works on is Ford diesel trucks. I am hoping some guys who work on them day in and day out as a profession will have seen this before and may know of something above and beyond the bases i have already covered which could cause my problem. Sorry myself if I have offended
anyone.