I have a 97 F250 7.3 power stroke I recently just bought. When I start it, it blows out alot of white smoke for 5-10 minutes after starting. I've replaced the PCM, it cut the smoking down a little and if you rev the truck up it will shoot most of it out with in a few minutes. It also smells like straight fuel, is there anything I could try?

 

well, it is an old diesel truck, there'll always be some smoke when cold :-)

sounds like dead glow plugs to me. my first powerstroke (the red one in my sig) smoked like a freight train when it first started ...if it started in the real cold weather. a new set of glowplugs and it started first time everytime in subzero temps and smoke was way down.

could be other things, but if its a new truck to you, GP's are a good thing to check anyway. you can ohm them out at the valve cover connectors. i believe they should all read 1.5 ohms to ground and are the outermost pins on each connector. there's quite a few threads on this though, so a quick search should get you on the right track.

good luck and welcome to FTE!

 

I appreciate the help! I will take a look at them

 

Welcome to fte. JP's got you on the right track. The gp's should read about 1.0 each. You can test the gpr too, it should have less than .3volt drop between the two big posts with the key on.

 

Thanks for the welcome, glad to be here. I'll get them tested right away and would it be the glow plugs even if its a hundred degrees out and still smokes?

 

Does it do it every time you start it? Have you replaced the fuel filter since you got it or looked in there? Put it in neutral/park and do a free rev to about 3k and see if it stumbles.

 

Yes every time I start it and it has a new fuel pump on it. It revs just fine, never breaks or anything, that's why I'm so lost on it

 

Every time you start it ?
Or just on cold starts ?

 

If by cold starts you mean starting it after hours of sitting and the engine not warm or anything then yes

 

Yes
So after the engine is warm/hot it doesn't smoke again till the engine is cold again ?

 

Yeah, it will blow out pure white smoke for 5-10 min and then nothing until I let it sit for a few hours

 

Double post

 

White smoke is cold unburnt fuel
I'd start with the gp system.

Are you sure it white ? No blue tint to it ?

This was mine. Did the same as your bit difference color smoke
Mike was injectors


Then after new to me stageI's and some othe goddies

 

Yeah it's pure white and alot thicker then yours, it will smoke you out quick if your standing by it! Me and my mechanic will go over the GP system this weekend and see what we find

 

Likely glowplugs. Mine are going out from having my truck COLDDDDDDDD starting every single day for 6 months in Colorado after getting off work (12-14 hour shifts). But they were likely going out before that.

If I cycle my plugs 2 or 3 times on a cold start, no smoke at all.