When I first bought the truck it had a slight sweet diesel smell from the exhaust(I thought wow not to strong). Now with 1000 miles on it, the smell is strong diesel, ( like every other truck). Was the sweet smell just the break in? Or did the smell change because I changed out the muffler? Any ideas?

 

I've always wondered the same thing, somtimes its sweet, somtimes its really harsh. here lately its that nice sweet smell, and we have 40k on our truck. I would also like to know why the smell changes like that!

 

Seems that the hotter the engine is the weaker the smell. When its cold it really smells.

 

I love that smell. Someone should make diesel scented candles.

 

I was thinking about a diesel-scented air-freshener, shaped like a 7.3 engine, to hang around the rear view mirror of my gasser, similar to those little green Christmas trees.........

 

I totally agree...lol

 

Does the brand of diesel have any effect on what the exhaust smells like?

Some diesels have that Barbeque smell, while others have more of the traditional school-bus smell. Whats the trick? Is it the way the engine works or the fuel itself?

What about offroad diesel?

 

Offroad diesel...I believe is illegal for us to use.

Mark

 

I believe it really does depend upon the temp of the motor that playes upon the smell. When I start mine you talk about ruin the neighbors morning coffee break...lol I love it --my wife hates it. But when she is warmed up my truck doesnt smoke and the smell is kind of "sweet" as you call it. And uh yes its illegal to run offroad fuel but it has different smell than green fuel in caterpillar engines.

 

It used to be that off road diesel had a higher sulfer content in it do to the EPA rules but I think that as of last year the only difference is the addition of the red dye to the fuel to flag it as off road(no road tax paid). There is enough of this dye in there that one tankfull will take several tankfulls to purge it out. If caught with it in your truck you can be fined up to $25,000.00.

 

Ive got 200000 on mine an I bath in the Smell!!! Ted in Austin!!

 

I have the same thing going. Cold engine = smoke and stink, Engine at operating temp = clean exhaust and sweet smell. Even if the engine is a little warm on the gauge it doesnt matter, it has to be all the way up to operating temp before it is a truely happy and sweet smelling engine

 

I have read up on this a bit on the internet and the tech guys seem to all agree that upon start up your truck is burning a lot less of the fuel the diesel mechanic at sterling truck told me that the psd is at it's happiest aroung 600 degrees on egt's and burns the fuel most efficently the hotter it gets or the colder it gets from that temp the more wasteful it gets and that might be why the differance in smell hope that helps.