Idle Smoke Issue

bigwheel · Mar 18, 2015

We are trying to figure out what might be going on with this truck on a cold start and idle smoke issue. The Truck will fire right up after having the GP run one cycle. Seems like no issue there. We have ohm all GP and checked GPR and all seem to be working like should. With the truck running there is quite a bit of fuel smelling smoke. It truck drives great. We have done a lot with the tuning on reducing the amount to fuel delivered. Helps a little but seems like it is not just an issue with tuning. Is there something that we should check to see if working the way they should? Like sensors?

This truck does live at 8000 feet so that does play a part in which we have the tuning adjusted for. It is a 2000 zf6, 200/30 GTP38R reg return.

Any ideas or thoughts would help out greatly.

Thanks

superduty4x4 · Mar 18, 2015

Take a look at this thread- http://powerstrokearmy.com/forums/showthread.php?t=31194. FWIW, I have a new GPR in my truck and I still get a lot of white/blue smoke on cold starts.

Arisley · Mar 18, 2015

Compression test.

White Buffalo · Mar 18, 2015

Manual tranny & idle smoke till the oil temp reaches about 80 degrees?

bigwheel · Mar 18, 2015

I was going to do a compression test just to see. A few years back it was great but that can all change.

Yes ZF6, I can't say it is around 80 oil temp. Started yesterday oil temp at 76 and was smoking pretty good, not as much as 30.

Is there a correlation with the zf6 smoke and oil temp oil more then others?

Swaan · Mar 18, 2015

Yup
Welcome to the club. A lot of people have this issue and nobody can seem to fix it. I come to the conclusion it's nature of the beast with some trucks.

ghohouston · Mar 18, 2015

Yall that are having these tremendous issues, have you put a scanner/monitor device on the truck to see what the EOT sensor reads before first start of the day? I mean the issue at hand is the pcm is playing around with the timing until the EOT sensor reads 80 degrees, right?

White Buffalo · Mar 18, 2015

Swaan said:
Yup
Welcome to the club. A lot of people have this issue and nobody can seem to fix it. I come to the conclusion it's nature of the beast with some trucks.

Yes, same thought here.

I know 3 people with Manusl tranny 7.3L's that experience similar heavy smoke issues when the oil temps are below 80 degrees. One of them (Steve in Montana) is on PSA as well. He's been having some positive improvements with adjusting the timing tables. There is someone else that does his own tunning and has been able to make a big improvement as well.

I'll send a PM to Steve about this thread. I believe he's been on the one posted above as well. IIRC swamps was working on some timing adjustments as well since the PCM uses these on manual tranny PSD's.

White Buffalo · Mar 18, 2015

Unfortunately spring is approaching fast and he's starting to run out of cold mornings....

superduty4x4 · Mar 19, 2015

White Buffalo said:
Yes, same thought here.

I know 3 people with Manusl tranny 7.3L's that experience similar heavy smoke issues when the oil temps are below 80 degrees. One of them (Steve in Montana) is on PSA as well. He's been having some positive improvements with adjusting the timing tables. There is someone else that does his own tunning and has been able to make a big improvement as well.

I'll send a PM to Steve about this thread. I believe he's been on the one posted above as well. IIRC swamps was working on some timing adjustments as well since the PCM uses these on manual tranny PSD's.

That's a good thought, but I also had a similar issue on my old SD, which was an E99 running the PMT2 PCM and had an auto. So I don't think it's exclusive to stick shift trucks though the folks that seem to be having the problems right now all have sticks (mine included). I do have a new GPR in my truck and it didn't seem to make a difference.

jeremiahmercier · Mar 19, 2015

superduty4x4 said:
That's a good thought, but I also had a similar issue on my old SD, which was an E99 running the PMT2 PCM and had an auto. So I don't think it's exclusive to stick shift trucks though the folks that seem to be having the problems right now all have sticks (mine included). I do have a new GPR in my truck and it didn't seem to make a difference.

Mine used to do this until I started running Jody's tunes, possibly give him a call and see what he's changing

bigwheel · Mar 19, 2015

Defiantly more of the stick shift trucks are having problems then the autos. What all would the PCM be looking at in regards to cold start? Are there any differences between the manual and autos?

superduty4x4 · Mar 19, 2015

jeremiahmercier said:
Mine used to do this until I started running Jody's tunes, possibly give him a call and see what he's changing

The 99 I had that smoked quite a bit was tuned by Jody. Right now I have Tyrant tunes and I'm sure they are at least partially responsible because they aren't perfect but I don't think the tunes are the only thing causing all the smoke. This was a 12° morning after sitting for 2 full days.

jeremiahmercier · Mar 19, 2015

superduty4x4 said:
The 99 I had that smoked quite a bit was tuned by Jody. Right now I have Tyrant tunes and I'm sure they are at least partially responsible because they aren't perfect but I don't think the tunes are the only thing causing all the smoke. This was a 12° morning after sitting for 2 full days.

Did you ever mention that to Jody? Just curious, mines live tuned. A few months ago when I met up with Jody, he said he had been using the files he created on my truck as base email files for other trucks with similar setup, and said ALOT of guys were giving him good feedback on those files

Swaan · Mar 19, 2015

Hey, does Jody do tunes for the hydra? Went on his website and it didn't say either way.

jeremiahmercier · Mar 19, 2015

Don't know? Isn't the hydra similar platform to the Dp f6 version 2?

Swaan · Mar 19, 2015

jeremiahmercier said:
Don't know? Isn't the hydra similar platform to the Dp f6 version 2?

Not sure. Just don't see anything about the hydra on his website. I will phone him tomorrow and see. Thanks.

CarportMechanic · Mar 19, 2015

I have a 2000 manual that has smoke on cold starts when idling. Once warmed up it don't smoke at all. Otherwise truck runs great. It not nearly as bad as some of the videos posted on the other thread but still somewhat annoying.

Some say that upping the HPO PSI during warmup helps but mine idles at 1000 PSI on cold starts until warm and it levels off at 600. So this theory doesnt help me. I have only run one set of tunes with my current setup so if others find a tuner that can fix this ill have to give it a shot.

White Buffalo · Mar 19, 2015

Yes, the manual trannys adjust the timing different during cold starts. IiRC, Steve said there were two tables that were used in conjunction with the oil temp sensor, manifold air temp sensor & I think the coolant temp sensor that manual tranny's have. But I don't know squat about Tunning or the timing tables. If you monitor engine oil temp you can see the smoke drop off considerably around 80-100 degrees. Watch FIPW as well.

Tony Wildman has had some success as well with adjusting the timing in his tunes for Manusl trannys.

White Buffalo · Mar 19, 2015

There was also some info floating around that 5W-40 was possibly making the smoke more intense since the timing tables were setup with 15W-40 in mind. But I don't know how accurate that is.