Hello FTE,
I hate to beat a dead horse, but I have been crusing the forums for about two days on white smoke issues and I haven't found an exact to meet my situation. I bought the truck used in Sept this year and it drove good. That day the check engine light came on and and AutoZone determined it was an EGR problem. I drove it another month and changed the oil with Delo (4 gals if I recall) and the filter with a motorcraft. It started to struggle after that and didn't accelerate as well, this is my first time with a diesel soo I figured that if I don't drive it enough it will drive worse (is that true) and thought that was the issue.

Just last week it started producing some white smoke and just three days ago the tow/haul started flashing and the truck couldn't accelerate to save its life. So I turned right around and put it back in the driveway. I just cleaned the EGR valve tonight the best I could and bolted it back in and tried to do a test drive but it kept smoking worse (it seemed) and it smelled a little different . I checked the coolant reservoir and it had yellow coolant in it. I'm lost on what to do and I really want to trade it in for an 08 but I know they won't give me much if it has issues. I'm honestly looking for the cheapest fix possible so I can get the best trade in. Willing to work hard and answer questions sorry if I rambled but I could use some knowledgeable help. Thank you for your time!

2005 6.0 turbo diesel automatic. XLT. 124k miles.

 

Does the exhaust smell like fuel? What EGR code did you get? Sometimes the EGR valves go bad and need to be replaced.

Are both the fuel filters fairly new? Hopefully they are motorcraft, Racor, or International filters.

You might want to consider a fuel pressure gauge.

The tow/haul blinking indicates a tranny code - most of the non-dealer scan tools do not read those/ You might need to have a diagnosis done at a dealership.

 

Any GOOD independent shop will have the right scan tool to read the codes. Exactly NONE of the auto parts stores will have them.

As for the free diagnosis you got from Autozone, it is worth no more than what you paid for it, and probably less. It is most likely misleading, if not just outright wrong. They made the diagnosis based on reading some of the codes, not all of the codes. They are not capable of reading all of the codes because they don't have the right tools.

 

Mark and Mark,
Thank you for your replies.
I'm not very familiar with diesel trucks, but it does smell normal as in nothing smelled like it was burning. The EGR codes I received from Autozone are as follows (in this order):
P0401
probable cause
-Blocked passage on EGR system
-Failed EGR valve
-EGR solenoid faulty
-Failed EGR pressure sensor where applicable
-Failed EGR position sensor where applicable

I cleaned it last night and stuck it back in. This morning I went out disconnected the battery for about 10 mins to let the check engine light reset, and then I connected it and started it up. The check engine light dissapeared, so that was good news to me. I then drove about 200 feet and the tow/haul started flashing again, so I didnt accelerate to hard and just returned it to my driveway. The check engine light did not return either, so still good on that part. I did not check the fuel filters so I doubt they are new.

Thanks again for your time!

 

The white smoke is almost certainly not related to the flashing tow/haul light. The flashing light means something is wrong with the transmission. You need to get the codes read to find out what is wrong before it destroys your transmission.

 

Mark thanks for the reply. I took it on level ground and check this transmission fluid... its above the max mark by about 1/4" or so. Should I drain the transmission some? Also, the oil dipstick read about the same. Could this be causing the issues?

 

Ok, drained the oil about 5 qts and the white smoke WENT AWAY! WENT AWAY! it smells good and everything. I would recommend checking the oil level to those having this same problem. I followed the Owners Guide too and it was too much oil so check your sipstick each time you DIY or have another place do it. Drives much better and no white smoke!

 

How much oil did you add at the last oil change? An oil fill will be 14-15 quarts - and you have to remove the oil filter to drain that housing into the oil pan (before finishing the pan draining).

Sometimes, when the oil level rises unexplainably, it is due to an injector leaking diesel into the oil system.

 

I did four gals of delo, and thats when it started driving different. After I drained four - five quarts, it drives much better and there is no more white smoke and it smells fine. I also had the oil filter removed when drained out the oil.

The tow/haul is still flashing but it drives better. I'm going to try and get a diagnostics done at the dealership tomorrow. I'll update the results. Hopefully, this thread helps others as well.

 

what did your drained oil smell/look like? was it as viscous as it should be?

Like posted above...if you didnt put in too much at the oil change, the extra had to come from somewhere (fuel, or coolant).

 

Came out black and rich no strange odors.

 

I had the dealership run a electrical diagnostic on the truck. They said the transmission harness needs to be replaced. Is anyone familiar with this? I cant even find anything online. Thanks for your help.

 

I apologize for hijacking this thread but I had the same problem and I'm stuck trying to replace the transmission harness.....is there a special procedure to get it to come out? I turned it counterclockwise a bit then it dropped a little but that's all I can get it to do....is it supposed to be that hard to remove?

Thanks in advance.