Burning oil

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Jan 25, 2014 | 12:29 AM

internatonal_guy

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Burning oil

Ok so I've noticed my oil pressure needle has been jumping from normal to dead empty (especially while accelerating harder and braking). I also noticed tonight that I had thick white-ish smoke in everyone's headlights behind me. I'm 95% sure it's guzzling oil but I am curious as to where to go from here.

Jan 25, 2014 | 04:18 AM

fhafer

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From: Holland, VA

I don't know what truck you have because your garage is empty and you don't mention it in your post, but I'd check the CDR for proper operation first. I assume it's smoking when fully warmed up? If your CDR is stuck open it will act like a road draft tube dumping straight into you intake manifold.

If the CDR is good I'd be inclined to run a compression check next.

Jan 25, 2014 | 04:30 AM

internatonal_guy

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I updated my garage on the FTE iPhone app so go figure on it not showing up lol. It's a 7.3 idi 1993 (non-turbo). And could you expand a bit more on what that is? I'm not familiar. Thank you for the quick reply though. And yes smoking at start and fully warmed up and everywhere in-between.

Jan 25, 2014 | 05:42 AM

Ford F834

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White foul smelling smoke is from unburned fuel. This could be an injector pump or fuel injector issue. The oil pressure gage jumping around is most likely a failing sending unit, provided you are talking about the factory gage. If you are loosing large amounts of oil and there are no obvious leaks, then a common culprit is a clogged CDR valve, (crank case depression regulator). It is the little round tin can at the back of the engine behind the intake. It can be cleaned by soaking it in gasoline and swishing it around, but don't get rough with it or use compressed air. There is a membrane inside that can rupture. This is a dealer only part and not all that cheap. But first articulate the details of your problem, it sounds more like you have a fuel problem by the mention of white smoke. If it is white and sweet smelling that is coolant, indicative of head gasket or cavitation. Give more details and we can help you better.

Jan 25, 2014 | 09:03 AM

Chevy_Eater

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From the FAQ:

Here is a good thread on the CDR with pics: What is a CDR?

Jan 25, 2014 | 10:29 AM

internatonal_guy

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Chevy_eater, that was a really useful article. I will definitely use that

Jan 25, 2014 | 10:34 AM

internatonal_guy

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Ford F834, apologies, I'm relatively new to the diesel world so I don't know what problems to look for. The exhaust definitely does not smell sweet though--smells like raw diesel. And also, remember, it's running a lot louder than normal which made me think oil but I may be completely wrong. To anyone and everyone: update (now that I could look around in the daylight) the top of my engine is wet where the glow plugs are and it is most definitely diesel.

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Jan 25, 2014 | 10:12 PM

Ford F834

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From: Northern Arizona

The wetness around the glow plugs would be from leaking return lines and return rail O-rings. Put in a return line kit, a common maintenance item with these engines. The smoke and change in sound is probably Injection pump timing, probably due to wear. As the IP wears out and the springs in the injectors weaken, the pop pressure changes which alters the timing of the injection event. The IP and injectors have around 100K life expectancy for optimal performance. If they are old, consider that it may be time for replacement. But first things first. Fix the return rail leaks. If fuel is getting out, then air is getting in. This will cause hard starts, surging, running rough, smoke and general fuel system irregularities. Start with that repair then check back to diagnose other possible issues once that is taken care of.