I recently had the Blue Spring installed on my 04 X. After having it installed I still noticed a lot of hesistation on take off, and after a few seconds of trying to take off it kicks out a large cloud of black smoke and away she goes. The problem is very noticed when at the bottoms of hills it seems powerless and makes a wierd noise from the drive side of the engine bay, until I press the pedal enough to make it downshift then comes the large cloud of black smoke and she climbs up. All I know is I'm getting worse fuel economy then I should get and something just doesn't feel right when driving the X. The truck doesn't feel like it missing at all so I don't think it would be injectors especially as They are all brand new and less than 6 months old. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

 

You need to check the ficm voltage, it shouldn't be under 48 volts, your turbo could be sticking. There is a unison ring inside the turbo that can get stuck if you don't exercise your truck/turbo

 

If the FICM is low on voltage shouldn't the truck run rough? Because right now mine is not running rough. Or would the truck run rough because the injectors failed due to low FICM voltage? Also where do I check the voltage?
Could the Fuel filters be asource of the problem? I am asking not to question your reply but to find multiple inexpensive things that could be the issue before shelling out the big money for the FICM...Thanks for replying I appreciate your help!

 

The recommended fuel filter change in 15k or less, you could replace them first. Check your air filter, most stock ficm fail at some time. Use the search function to find checking the ficm voltage. You need a digital gauge that plugs into your on board diagnostics port.

 

Thanks for the help!

 

Did you remove any of the induction plumbing when you did the blue spring mod? Are you sure the hoses are all snug, and in good condition. It sounds like you have an air problem, not fuel.

 

Yes I did remove the induction pipe to access the fuel pressure regulator. I will have to go back and check that again. I checked and re-checked all the hoses but not the intercooler pipe. Just for my own knowledge what about the symptoms to the problem would lead you to believe to much air to fuel? The 6.0 is still very new to me so learning from listening to people more knowledgeable than myself is what I need most

 

I am wondering if any can tell me about servicing the turbo? I talked to a couple of places today and they told me it sounds like my turbo is sticking, and its probably not a fuel delivery problem. Does anyone have any clue how to service the EGR valve and the turbo? Thanks for the help!

 

So all the piping was good and snug? The TQ required on the clamps is less than 10ft/lbs IIRC. Over tightening them will lead to them breaking while you're on the road. You also have to check very carefully for cuts or tears in the boots. My lower cold side boot had a tear that I couldn't see until I pulled it off. A very small amount of oil coming from the leak is what made me look and find it.



The EGR valve cleaning is pretty easy, but just cleaning it doesn't always work. Oftentimes replacement is the only real fix. Cleaning a turbo isn't terribly difficult either, as long as there is no damage to hard parts. You won't know that until it's pulled apart. You can find detailed info for both procedures in the 6.0l Tech Folder.

If you've never opened a turbo up, you might be better off getting one that's already been reconditioned. They can be had for as little as $500. Then all you have to do is swap your old, for the new. That itself is a decent task for a first timer. You have to get everything lined up just right(turbo/Y-pipe/up pipes, etc) for it all to work correctly.

The fact that you were having to push so hard to get things going, and there was more black smoke than normal is what made me think an air problem. Injectors can fail/leak, but when that happens you'll get a huge amount of smoke whenever you even touch the throttle(if you ever see that, and it starts knocking, shut it down). If you had a boost gauge you'd see the smoke cleared, and the truck started moving as boost came in.

To help narrow down the problem, you can try unplugging the EGR valve(with engine off) to see if the symptom persists while you're running. Also check that your MAP hose is connected correctly. It's a small hose from the top of the PS intake manifold, to the sensor mounted over the HVAC blower housing at the rear of the engine bay.





Check to make sure the MAF/IAT2 connection behind the air filter is good, and the filter minder was put back in. Next is pulling and cleaning the EGR valve. After that I would go for the turbo, and lastly EGR valve replacement.

The best way to diagnose the problem is to have yourself, or a pro tech, watch both EGR and turbo commanded positions vs actual while driving. This is done with a laptop and the appropriate software. If something is sticking, that'll show it.

 

Since you're still new to the 6.0l, check out the 6.0l Bible. Tons of useful information. Come on down to the 6.0l forum and talk to the guys there. They are the best you'll find on the web for these motors.

 

Awesome information thanks so much I will repost when I find the problem! Thanks for steering me in the right direction.

 

Thanks a lot for the suggestions! I unplugged the EGR valve right after reading your last post. The morning I instantly noticed a massive difference in the way the truck drove. Now I just have to delete that no good piece of ! Thanks again for the help!

 

Well, that's a good sign. Before you delete it, drive it for a while with it unplugged to make sure the problem is gone. Sometimes unplugging will affect computer operation, and a turbo problem can still be present.

EGR valves aren't as bad as most people say. Most trucks run better with the whole system in place. I'm just sayin.