Lots of white smoke on startup (even after JD Quick Heats installed)...

[Big Red Suburban]

After reading many posts here in the forums I assumed my stock glow plugs were due for replacement. The thing really puts out the smoke on startup, with it plugged in all night and temps around 0 it will start alittle hard and smoke for 20 to 30 seconds. It often dies right after it fires up and requires a restart (maybe twice if around zero). I've noticed the glow plug light usually doesn't come back on for more than one second after it has first started. Never has it cycled back on more than once.

Anyways, I replaced the stock glow plugs with JD Quick Heats and I honestly couldn't notice a difference. We took a trip to Steamboat CO to go skiing and parked in an underground parking garage. It was about 20 degrees in there when I started it the next day (not plugged in), took 3 tries and smoked for a good 20 seconds, filled the garage with white smoke. Had everyone in there running for the exits.

Two weeks ago I drove it to Centennial WY for a snowmobile trip and it barely started after sitting on the mountain all day. Roughly 10 degrees, around 9000 feet, took atleast 30 attempts to get it started, no kidding.... I thought I was going to have to roll it down the mountain 7 miles to the house we were staying in!

Are my stock injectors causing the smoking? Time for a replacement? Or should the glow plugs cycle back on more often or for a longer duration? Is there a way to check this?

Thanks...

[ucdavis]

Pull codes & post. Sounds like glow controller, so you may be getting a DTC 29. See:
http://www.thedieselpage.com/members/trblcode.htm
for instructions if you need them for codes.

[Kennedy]

Try adding a manual switch or apply one of the recent DP article methods to extend the cycle time. If this does not help, then you may have problems on the horizon.

The higher elevations WILL take more heat to get started.

[Shad]

I am going through the same problem and everyone has pointed towards worn injectors or possibly air in the system after shut down. I hope you find yours, I am waiting till I get some time to check things out and the truck is'nt full of snow and slush.

[Jim P]

My truck has low compression(18:1 maybe lower) and even with quick heats, it has a hard time starting at 0* F but if use my manual glow plug switch for 10 or 15 seconds longer than what the pcm gives me, it starts in about 1 1/2 revolutions. It still smokes for while but it starts better than some gassers that I have had. I think everybody should have a manual glow switch. It makes much more sense to me than grinding and grinding on the starter.

[C.K. Piquup]

I,too,have an 18:1 engine.They don`t like cold starts.Using engine heater isn`t always possible.Until I can install a manual glow-plug switch,I cycle plugs/fire it up/run about 15 seconds/shut down,repeat this 2-3 times.It gets smoother each time.It doesn`t take any starter grinding,she fires right up.Just runs rough and smokes.

[j7l2]

In following this topic I see John Kennedys comment about" may be problems on the horizon". I was wondering what he is refering to? John could you add more comments about that? Thank you.

JimO

[Big Red Suburban]

I will see if I can find time to pull the codes tonight. I read the article on extending the glow plug time, looks pretty easy to do... Is there a way to just install a manual switch for the glow plugs? Anyone have any instructions?

Also, would new injectors possibly help the situation? I think injectors with 165,000 miles are due for replacement.

Thanks...

[BUZZ]

I have the same issue with my 135000 mile burb. I really started to show up after an IP change at 115000 miles. I feel certain that it is air in the system but is it due to worn nozzles?\

Thanks
Buzz

[ucdavis]

Big Red & Buzz-
Changing an old, worn IP (which is probably sloppy on producing full, up-to-spec injection pressure (1700 psi IIRC) but not changing old, worn out injectors (which are probably not up to spec on holding shut up to the 1700 psi trigger, & therefore more or less compensating for the worn pump) is generally considered a bad idea here on TDP. Usual advice is change out a worn set of injectors when you change out the IP.

[Big Red Suburban]

The previous owner replaced the IP at 125,000 miles on mine. The injectors are still stock at 165,000. Sounds like I should replace my injectors and install some sort of manual glow plug controller.

I didn't get a chance to pull the codes last night, I'm in the process of rebuilding my snowmobile engine. The snow is melting every day!!! It has been sunny and around freezing the past couple of days.

[BUZZ]

OK I drop the $ and get new inj. Would you go stock or high pop? The truck runs great however.

My burb has limited ugrades and will probably remain this way. I am adding a larger exhaust.
Towing 30 ft camper.
Thanks
Buzz

[S\W Off Road]

If the power is good for you with the stock injectors with that many miles on them then you will most likly notice more power with new stock injectors. And in the future if you ever have a problem with just 1 injector then you can get a replacment anywhere, anytime.

[canada cold]

I am not sure but if you are getting excessive smoke it could be a head gasket is leaking coolant into a cylinder and causing white smoke. If you are using coolant this could be your problem. Most injectors when they leak you would get a lot of black smoke from over fueling. We have two 6.5 turbo diesel at work in 15 passenger vans and they have over 300,000 miles on them and have never been touched other than new glow plugs. Hope this will help.

[BUZZ]

No coolant loss here. This is cold un burned fuel. Truck also does no have good throttle response when cold and not using block heater.
When using block heater truck starts OK and runs OK.
This truck should start better on a 35 deg. morning without the block heater.
Thanks
Buzz

[BuffaloGuy]

Buzz, It sounds like we're in the same boat. Mine is a '93 with the mechanical IP but I'm having the same problems.

I have replaced the glow controller. Did the 60g glow plugs and then found out that some batches of these were lousy and didn't draw enough amps to get very hot (even with the extended glow time). I just switched them out to the quick heats. Starts a tiny bit better.

I have an old IP (120,000 miles) but new injectors. It sure looks (white smoke) and sounds to me like an injector sticking when cold, but they are new.

Since there are so many of us having this problem with all sorts of different year models and varing states of repair I'm beginning to wonder if the diesel fuel is the culprit. Have they changed it to satisfy the so called environmentalists? I'm pretty disgusted!
Ken

[BUZZ]

I get very good diesel fuel and run a cetane boost. Seems like there are many of these things with age that cold start like crap. I am going to splurge on nozzles as I have done all the checks, grounds, filter, lift pump, fuel hose check etc. The one thing I have not done is install clear hose to verify air in the system. Any one have recommendations on a fuel safe clear hose?
Thanks
Buzz

[C.K. Piquup]

Usually a stuck injector will reveal itself with a knocking sound.Anybody with this problem noticing this?

[BUZZ]

No knocking here, and I don't think the inj is actually stuck maybe just weak and or dirty, with a poor spray pattern. I would think that a poor spray pattern would result in poor cold starts. I also think that an inj that does not seal properly may allow air to back feed in to the system when cold. These are only theories, but there are a ton of complaints of poor cold starts as mileage starts to accumuate. Most people have added extended glow time to fix the cold start issue, but what is the real cause? At at one time this truck would start great, with normal glow and temps in the low 20's.

[Jim H.]

I was having similar problems. When starting cold below approximately 60 deg. F it would run rough and smoke a lot. The smell of the smoke was definitely unburnt fuel. Sometimes it would do it longer than others and sometimes it would start fine, no smoke. The other interesting thing was that would just start running well although lately it had been taking longer. Also some other symptoms that made me think it was a timing problem most likely due to the injecion pump. Last week I noticed that the spedometer was jumping when it was running rough at startup. Since I had already checked the grounds, that left power. To test, I removed the fuses for ENG-1 and ECM-1 at the underhood fuse panel and using jumpers, wired up a couple of relays to power the loads. There is a tremendous improvement. My guess is that the ignition switch is getting old and was not supplying full power, especially when it is cold. This morning it started fine, just a little puff of smoke and no roughness but it was 35 deg or so, not as cold as it had been last week. Time will tell if the problem has been fixed. If so, I will change the temprorary fix to permanent and make a more detailed post.