white smoke

[cranky old fart]

So I was towing a 4000# trailer with my '94 2500. When I went up steep hills ,it was blowing quite a bit of white/gray smoke out the pipe. It seems to be running great and has plenty of power. Is this normal? The truck is stock with 176000 miles on it. If it matters ,I was in 4 wheel hi because it was dirt roads.
Now for a different matter. My truck is a S type. What are the differences between S and F? Pros and cons. Does a turbo master work well with the S type? do you have to keep the vacuum pump for the EGR ? Can you remove the EGR and if you do do you have to change to a F type computer so it doesn't throw codes?
Thanks,Jeff

[rustyk]

I can give you a partially worthless answer, but no doubt other forum members can add something more useful. Grayish smoke is normal under load. White smoke could be an indicator of motor oil consumption or coolant. White smoke can also arise from overboost (too much air in the mixture), but this is REALLY rare.

Keep in mind that smoke will look the shade it does based on the color of the road. A blacktop will make gray smoke look whiter, and a light, concrete, road will make it look darker.

[cranky old fart]

It looked the same color as a dust cloud on a gravel road. It also dissipated. quickly

[cranky old fart]

bump bump bump

[mitchedo]

My shop manual is for a 99, so some items might be different on your 94.

The S code engine has an EGR; the F does not. Because of the EGR, when you put a Turbo Master on an S code engine, you still need the vacuum system to run the EGR. On the left rear of the engine, right on top, there are three solenoids on yours. The furthest one to the front runs the turbo wastegate; the one in the middle is the EGR solenoid; the one to the rear is the EGR vent solenoid.

As for the white smoke, how is your antifreeze level? Do you have pressure in the surge tank first thing in the morning when the truck is cold? Do you smell antifreeze in the exhaust?

I bought the 4-volume shop manual for my truck on Fleabay for $35. ...worth every penny and then some.

[Robyn]

This sure sounds like antifreeze getting into things :eek:

A lose of power would result if it were a missfire condition.

Do check the coolant level and before you run it again check the oil in the crankcase. If its overfull and the coolant is low, Bingo, a leaky head gasket most likely.

Hope all comes out ok

Robyn

[cranky old fart]

Coolant levels are fine. Not making oil. It is probably gray rather than white I don't think it's steam.

[rustyk]

Coolant levels are fine. Not making oil. It is probably gray rather than white I don't think it's steam.

Then it would appear to be normal, if on the darker side of gray.

However, don't discount Robyn's observation, based on your comment that the "thing" dissipated quickly, as that's frequently a symptom of steam, not smoke.

The color/shade is a real clue, and if gravel in your area is light (as it is in mine), it's probably time to investigate further.