So I have a 2006 6.0 with 170,000 miles. Everything is stock other than the blue spring upgrade and the coolant bypass filter.
So for the past week or so I noticed sometimes when I start it up, white smoke will blow out the exhaust, and then whenever I'm accelerating from a stop black smoke will come out. I also had little power from a dead stop until I got into higher rpm's and then it would run fine. Everything else on it would work fine, it would idle for an hour without missing a beat. I had a check engine light for an EGR valve, so I took it out and cleaned it, and nothing changed other than the check engine light going away. Then for a few days none of the symptoms happened; no white smoke and no black smoke.
Then one day I started it up and noticed a lot more white smoke came out than usual, so I turned it off and checked the coolant reservoir. It had a lot of pressure in it from either the previous night, or from being started up for 10 seconds. I noticed the coolant was a bit low, so I added about half a gallon of water. My commute to work is about an hour drive, and on the way I noticed my air conditioning cut out, and then shortly after my coolant temp gauge (Stock gauge) started climbing. I also noticed a vacuum like sound that seemed to match my RPM's. I pulled over, let it cool down, and then bought some water from the gas station to add to the coolant. It took 3 gallons to fill back up. I drove for the remaining 10 minutes and parked it. 20 minutes later I got back in to head to the gas station and when I started it up a bunch of white smoke came out the exhaust and within 10 minutes of driving the temps started rising again. Pulled over, and it took another 3 gallons of water to fill back up. I ended up putting atleast 8 gallons of water in the thing by the time I got home. (about 100 miles of driving).
Is it normal for coolant temps to rise up without oil temps following? My oil temp gauge seemed to stay at the normal mark, if not lower. When I pop the hood to add water it doesn't feel or smell hotter than usual when my coolant temps are up. I also have no check engine light. It doesn't blow black smoke anymore, just white on start up and nothing at higher rpms. Sometimes it idles fine, sometimes I can feel it missing. Sometimes when trying to start it it will turn over, start to fire, and then just stop. Other times it starts up normal. Sometimes there's a lot of white smoke on start up, sometimes none at all. Sometimes I can hear a higher pitch whistle than normal, and sometimes I don't. The symptoms seem to come and go but the only one staying is the one where I'm loosing coolant. I don't see any leaks. My coolant cap is about 3 months old (I replaced it when I bought the truck because I heard they're prone to going bad) and it seems to hold pressure very well. From reading other forums it could be a head gasket issue, or an EGR issue?
I have plans for head studs, egr delete, etc.. down the road, I'm just trying to gather money to do it all at once.
So for the past week or so I noticed sometimes when I start it up, white smoke will blow out the exhaust, and then whenever I'm accelerating from a stop black smoke will come out. I also had little power from a dead stop until I got into higher rpm's and then it would run fine. Everything else on it would work fine, it would idle for an hour without missing a beat. I had a check engine light for an EGR valve, so I took it out and cleaned it, and nothing changed other than the check engine light going away. Then for a few days none of the symptoms happened; no white smoke and no black smoke.
Then one day I started it up and noticed a lot more white smoke came out than usual, so I turned it off and checked the coolant reservoir. It had a lot of pressure in it from either the previous night, or from being started up for 10 seconds. I noticed the coolant was a bit low, so I added about half a gallon of water. My commute to work is about an hour drive, and on the way I noticed my air conditioning cut out, and then shortly after my coolant temp gauge (Stock gauge) started climbing. I also noticed a vacuum like sound that seemed to match my RPM's. I pulled over, let it cool down, and then bought some water from the gas station to add to the coolant. It took 3 gallons to fill back up. I drove for the remaining 10 minutes and parked it. 20 minutes later I got back in to head to the gas station and when I started it up a bunch of white smoke came out the exhaust and within 10 minutes of driving the temps started rising again. Pulled over, and it took another 3 gallons of water to fill back up. I ended up putting atleast 8 gallons of water in the thing by the time I got home. (about 100 miles of driving).
Is it normal for coolant temps to rise up without oil temps following? My oil temp gauge seemed to stay at the normal mark, if not lower. When I pop the hood to add water it doesn't feel or smell hotter than usual when my coolant temps are up. I also have no check engine light. It doesn't blow black smoke anymore, just white on start up and nothing at higher rpms. Sometimes it idles fine, sometimes I can feel it missing. Sometimes when trying to start it it will turn over, start to fire, and then just stop. Other times it starts up normal. Sometimes there's a lot of white smoke on start up, sometimes none at all. Sometimes I can hear a higher pitch whistle than normal, and sometimes I don't. The symptoms seem to come and go but the only one staying is the one where I'm loosing coolant. I don't see any leaks. My coolant cap is about 3 months old (I replaced it when I bought the truck because I heard they're prone to going bad) and it seems to hold pressure very well. From reading other forums it could be a head gasket issue, or an EGR issue?
I have plans for head studs, egr delete, etc.. down the road, I'm just trying to gather money to do it all at once.