Hey guys, I'm hoping for some trouble shooting ideas before I have to take my rig in for what can only be bad news. Started up my 04 F250 diesel and it looked like my exhaust pipe was a fog machine. Got down the road a little way (still smoking) and, after googling white smoke furiously, I pulled over and checked the dipstick and sure enough - white smoke was coming out. But the truck drove just fine, and there's nothing that could have caused it - no recent engine mods/work or heavy duty use. And, the real kicker is I have quite a bit of aftermarket parts to prevent just this. Fass titanium fuel pump/filters, bulletproof oil cooling system, banks air.. I think that is it. I've been debating finishing it up and doing an EGR delete and putting in a sinister coolant system. But this just blew me out of the water. There's no way it could be something simple? Or, something I can check on my own to diagnose it? I'm totally strapped for cash but I do have an account through my business that I can buy pretty much anything I could need to fix it. I'm assuming it's the injectors. I don't have a lot of mechanical knowledge but I learn quick and have a lot of time. Like I said, I'm assuming it's the injectors and I guess I will take it in this week but I'd be curious if anyone has any ideas, suggestions - anything that might help me to at least get a handle on the problem. One thing that I noticed over the past month or so is that the fass fuel filter pump and separater has been making noises like it's struggling - to the point that I changed the filters. But it's still noisy. And the fuel pump in the engine compartment is making all kinds of a racket. I don't know... HELP!

 

Describe the smoke. Is it steady or is it pumped out in a rythym? What does it smell like, raw fuel or sweet like antifreeze? You said the fuel pump in the engine bay is making noise but there is no fuel pump there so not sure what you're talking about there.
Typically it sounds like you may have an injector stuck open or a cracked EGR cooler but with the info provided I can't make that call.
If it's sweet smelling or at least does NOT smell like fuel, park the truck facing down hill. Then the next morning pull the EGR valve and see if it's all wet with coolant. If it is wet the your EGR cooler is cracked.
Post a better description of that smoke.

 

What does the smoke smell like, raw diesel or coolant?

 

Yeah, sorry - I almost posted a picture because it's so massive. It's much more like vapor and I meant to say that it does have a sweet smell of antifreeze. As far as how it comes out, it's just like puffy and rolling - that's why I compared it to a fog machine. I was sitting in my truck while I let it run for a few minutes and was looking down at my phone and a neighbor knocks on my window and points - I looked behind my truck and the cudelsac was literally filling with the fog. I hope that answers your question.. I watched a YouTube video about cleaning the EGR and it looks like it would be simple enough to just pop it open and see what's inside without having to find a hill and wait all night. Would that work? But, yeah, it's sweetish (not like diesel smoke) and more vaporish like fog. What do you think? I really appreciate your quick response!

 

Oh yeah, I should have mentioned that we had the injectors and FICM done in August (not even a year ago) at a dealership. All our trucks used to get worked on in house. And that turned into an absolute nightmare. The drivers side immediately started leaking - it was obvious that they stripped them. So, no recourse, and I've been dealing with steady leaking injectors.

 

When you pull the dip stick was the fog under pressure. I had a turbo bearing seal go bad and smoke like crazy.

 

The diagram for the Fass system shows an "engine pump" and the end of the line before the fuel enters the engine. It's mounted right under the compressor for the air assist and with all the noise lately I thought it was the compressor but I checked it and it's the engine pump.

 

Yeah, it was (under pressure) and I've been wondering if something is up with the turbo. When I have to gun it going over the mountains the turbo doesn’t sound like my last truck. Would a bad turbo cause white fog like that?

 

Do you think I should try to pull the egr out? I just went and looked and it DOESN'T look nearly as easy as the video. It's partially under the big Banks Ram air pipe.

 

Pulling the EGR is easiest to check especially if it's smoking that bad. Do you notice it using coolant from the resevoir level decreasing?
lf you suspect turbo seals then you can undo the exhaust pipe at the turbo downpipe clamp and look for oil inside the exhaust pipe.

 

The coolant may have gone down a little but nothing extreme or particularly noticeable.

If I do get the EGR out, what should I look for? Other than being dirty and clogged? Can it be broken or so fouled that it's not functioning which is causing the fog?
Oh yeah, what do you think about the fact that the engine sounds fine? And drives fine? When I was Googleing possible causes, in a few different places people said that when they had white smoke it was usually accompanied by noise, shaking - just obvious indications of something major in the engine.
Do you think that it's worth exploring and getting into myself? If I can avoid the shop, it would be a lifesaver. I'm basically screwed if it's something major - the truck will be parked.
Also, and I realize you guys aren't here and are just going off my descriptions, etc., but since it really seems to be running fine, do you think that a couple trips to the autoparts store will be okay? I read in quite a few places where people in similar situations were seeking advice and were all told to park the truck. Except they were experiencing noticeable engine and performance problems.

 

That's why I suggested park it down hill and let it sit. By doing this it allows the suspected leaky EGR cooler to leak coolant to the valve. Then over time the coolant will pool and cover the EGR valve so when you pull it you can confirm the leak.
So pull the EGR. If it's wet, suspect bad EGR cooler. Look on youtube to see what's involved to either replace it or install an eliminator kit.
It's up to you if you can handle it or not. In the mean time NO I would not drive the truck. By doing so you are taking a huge risk at blowing a headgasket because you're pumping water into the intake.

 

Okay. I really appreciate your help. I'm sure I'll post an update - one way or another. Thanks.

 

[QUOTE=87crewdually;16203253]
Describe the smoke. Is it steady or is it pumped out in a rythym? What does it smell like, raw fuel or sweet like antifreeze? You said the fuel pump in the engine bay is making noise but there is no fuel pump there so not sure what you're talking about there.


Hey 87, your comment about the fuel pump got me to thinking and, yeah it's not in the engine bay (never was) and the Fass system bypasses it. So I'm trying to figure out what the hell it is and why it's making noise. When I turn the key (to on - not start) I can hear the Fass pump running (it's mounted on the frame, drivers side, between the cab and bed) and I can hear something running in the engine bay. I tried to check it awhile back (it wasn't as loud but I was wondering what it was) and the noise seemed to be coming from the compressor for the air assist. I don't really know anything about what all was done to this truck (as you can probably tell) or, more importantly, how it was done. It was a fleet truck from a company I worked at and I bought it about 6 months ago. I got a great deal especially because I knew it had been maintained and driven easy - it was the owners personal truck. And, I knew it had a lot of aftermarket work done. So, I thought maybe the compressor kicked on for a few minutes to adjust for any air loss. But, now I can see that there's something mounted under the compressor. It has to have something to do with the fuel system or ignition. It only runs for a little while before I start the truck. It sounds like the Fass system kicks on at the same time - that's why I thought it was the fuel pump. I figured that the Fass was pumping clean fuel to the fuel pump and it was all just part of the truck priming. Ugh. This is getting long.. Let me know if you have any ideas. I'm going to see what I can figure out. One thing I don't understand is that the Fass system diagram shows it's fuel line ending at the engine pump?

 

Well here's a picture of my egr. From what I can find online, it's not to dirty or broken and I should be able to clean it. Also some pictures of where I pulled it out and the manifold and intake. There's a little oil in both. Is that a clear indication of anything?