GEN 2 Intermittent Smoke After Idle

[HighwaySentinel]

Idling builds up a ton of moisture in the exhaust. As it boils off it creates steam. Since the exhaust has carbon residue within the pipes, the water turns dark and creates a gray smoke that has a carbon odor.

I can get on board with that. But, if the truck can idle for 30 or more minutes at a time with no smoke/steam whatsoever for the first 10-15 thousand miles of its life, why would it suddenly start doing it...every single time?

 

[T_Squared]

Oh and

Have you noticed that you have to add oil in between changes? Also what are your current OCI? Is it a used truck or you had since new?

Oh and I forgot to mention I'm the second owner. I got it at 61k miles and it's got 78k on it now.

 

[T_Squared]

Idling builds up a ton of moisture in the exhaust. As it boils off it creates steam. Since the exhaust has carbon residue within the pipes, the water turns dark and creates a gray smoke that has a carbon odor.

I was really hoping this would be the cause. It has idled the same amount of time several times since then and it hasn't done it at all in the colder winter months. So maybe if environmental conditions are right for it to happen, it makes the condensation worse. I'm in Mississippi and it can be hellishly humid mid-spring through early fall.

I guess I feel a little better now. Not so paranoid. But I will keep checking oil levels to see if it's losing any and check the piping this weekend when I have a few spare hours.

 

[CleverGirl_]

builds up a ton of moisture in the exhaust. As it boils off it creates steam. Since the exhaust has carbon residue within the pipes, the water turns dark and creates a gray smoke that has a carbon odor.

 

[FordTechOne]

I can get on board with that. But, if the truck can idle for 30 or more minutes at a time with no smoke/steam whatsoever for the first 10-15 thousand miles of its life, why would it suddenly start doing it...every single time?

I haven’t heard of anyone documenting that. All the ones I’ve seen have been water boiling off regardless of mileage.

 

[350Industrial]

The moisture/steam diagnoses seems correct to me