Troubleshooting white smoke

[primemover]

I've had this issue since I bought the truck in March. I was hoping a tune up ,new pcv vlaves, new vacuum hose kit etc would help things out. Here's all the relevant info I can think to give.

Coolant looks good. Not oily milky or foamy. I don't see any bubbles with the cap off and engine running.

Engine oil looks great. I do have to add some here and there maybe half a quart between oil changes. But I've only had it long enough to do one oil change so it's hard to say.

I do have the blue smoke at start up but that's just the valve seals.

IC fluid stays full and looks good.

I changed out my plugs to put the ngk's in everybody on here talks about and the old ac delco ones all looked good and had normal wear.

Turbo does have some side to side/up and down end play and there was oil residue in my orange hose going to the turbo. I didn't check the hose to the IC yet.

Another issue that may or may not be related is my idle kinda stumbles every few minutes.

Oh yea. I notice the white smoke the most after I rev the engine in park and let off and it gets back to idle that's when the smoke come out the most. Otherwise on a hot day in the sunlight at idle you have to get close to the exhaust pipe to see it.

From what I gather from looking at previous threads it's my turbo needing a rebuild?

 

[turboj91]

Re: Troubleshooting white smoke

black ='s fuel
blue='s oil
white ='s coolant

Look at the plugs real close. A trained eye can spot coolant on a plug. Pressure test the system. Look in the tail pipe. Rev in park ='s high vacuum ='s coolant draw.

 

[CHEVYZ2004]

Re: Troubleshooting white smoke

Recommend you do a "block test" on the engine, if there is exhaust gasses in the system it will turn the fluid in the block tester a different color. You can have a repair shop do this or you can by a "block test" kit from a local parts stor like NAPA. Hope this helps!

 

[JaySS]

Re: Troubleshooting white smoke

This sounds familiar.

Everything previously posted is true, but there is another possibility. White smoke can also be unburned fuel from a stuck injector (some) or split pressure regulator diaphragm (lots). This may explain your intermittent idle stumble.

I've been chasing a light throttle knock & occassional rough idle issue. I also have the blue smoke startup condition now and then, but other night I started it up after sitting for about 3 hours and out of nowhere it was missing and had white exhaust. My first thought when I saw white was that the cooling system had been compromised, but it did come out of it after driving for a few minutes.

Until then I'd never seen the white exhaust on this truck. Thinking about it over the past couple days, I'm pretty confident that one of the injectors has been occasionally hanging open and leaning out the other cylinders. I have been waiting to install a set of 36 lb units with the upgraded drivers until I could correct this issue, but I think I'll go ahead and make the swap now.

- J

 

[primemover]

Re: Troubleshooting white smoke

OK I got the block tester from napa with the blue fluid and the squeeze bulb and I warmed up my motor and followed the instructions and it stayed blue the entire time meaning a negative result. This info combined with the fact I have never had to add any anti freeze even to the reserve tank over the past three months Id say we can conclude Im not burning antifreeze. I can do the test again if necessary I have enough left in the kit for multiple test. I did make extra sure I was warmed up all the way..

So JaySS you think I have an injector problem?

 

[CHEVYZ2004]

Re: Troubleshooting white smoke

Good the test came back negative. Does this vehicleever miss after it'sbeen driven and then sits for about an hour to 3 hours? If so, I would recommend you gain access to cooling system pressure tester and pressurize the system after the vehicle has reached operating temp. and leave the tester on for at least a 1/2 hour. After this, start the vehicle and see if it misses and if you get any white smoke, if so it is mostlikely a head gasket. It takes a very little amount of coolant in the cylinder to make a decent amount of smoke. Are you sure the engine was at operating temp (195-220) when you did the block test? If not sure do it again and dont be affraid to leave the tester on for awhile, just make sure you do NOT get any coolant in the teter or it will give you a false reading. Hope this helps and feel free to ask any questions. I am more than happy to help. Scott

 

[Jimmy]

Re: Troubleshooting white smoke

Prolly blowby.

Pull the oil fill cap off with the engine running.White smoke pours out the engine needs a rebuild.

 

[primemover]

Re: Troubleshooting white smoke

Prolly blowby.

Pull the oil fill cap off with the engine running.White smoke pours out the engine needs a rebuild.

did that it's good too

 

[primemover]

Re: Troubleshooting white smoke

Good the test came back negative. Does this vehicleever miss after it'sbeen driven and then sits for about an hour to 3 hours? If so, I would recommend you gain access to cooling system pressure tester and pressurize the system after the vehicle has reached operating temp. and leave the tester on for at least a 1/2 hour. After this, start the vehicle and see if it misses and if you get any white smoke, if so it is mostlikely a head gasket.

It misses all the time. The radiator pressure test is a good idea. I'll try and do that this weekend.

It takes a very little amount of coolant in the cylinder to make a decent amount of smoke. Are you sure the engine was at operating temp (195-220) when you did the block test? If not sure do it again and dont be affraid to leave the tester on for awhile, just make sure you do NOT get any coolant in the teter or it will give you a false reading. Hope this helps and feel free to ask any questions. I am more than happy to help. Scott

I have a 180 degree stat and every time I run data master its at least 170 to 180 degrees . Im sure my motor was that temp during the test.