White Smoke?

[RedRover13]

I am a new member to this forum. I recently purchased a 2002 F350 crew cab. I just got white smoke when I start the vehicle and when I start to drive it it goes away. Seems to only be when I do a cold start on it. Any ideas what could be the matter with it?

[AgTires4295]

Hey RedRover

White smoke on a cold start is generally acceptable and normal in most cases. It depends on how much white smoke you're seeing. Is it a cloud that fogs up the driveway and lingers or white smoke that dissipates a few feet away from the truck?

Your glow plugs could be fowled, you may have a sticking injector or (more commonly) you need a new glow plug relay.

When fuel is dumped into a cold cylinder and it's not receiving complete combustion during compression, by the time it's expelled out of the exhaust, it will be white (some will also have seen some black mixed with the white on initial start).

Feel free to use the "Google Custom Search" located in the website toolbar. Many of these threads are commonly posted and equally answered

[RedRover13]

AgTires,

It has been a cloud that kind of lingers I guess. I just know that when I drive it it goes away. But if I idle it will start smoking again. But it only happens when its not warmed up. Once it is warm it will not smoke.

[Gallegos276]

Mine was glow plugs bad and glow plug relay I spent $90 for them to tell me got them both at orally auto parts for under $150 took six hours to change not knowing what I was doing good you tube video on it just type in 7.3 glow plug install. All white smoke is gone truck starts awesome

[RedRover13]

Gallegos,

Mine doesn't have trouble starting. But like I said it has white smoke till it is warm then no white smoke. I guess I will start with the glow plugs and then go from there.

[taskforcefreddy]

It's because it's a diesel. It's normal man. Wait til summer when things warm up. Can almost gaurantee that when the weather's warm, it will not do this.

[RedRover13]

It is my first diesel so I am new to this. Thanks man. I just don't want it to have an huge expensive problem. You know what I mean. So you are telling me to wait and see how all of this plays out?

[Gallegos276]

It's your glow plugs it's $80 y mask a problem and say there isn't one Until one day you go to start your truck and it's too cold and it won't start.on top of that to me it's kinda embarrassing pumping a full cloud of smoke when not in the throttle. Go to orally buy only motorcraft did research most of rest are junk some are fine but y risk it. If you have some type of mechanical skills you should be able to do it

[taskforcefreddy]

^^ Because there might not be a problem. That's why. There's usually other indicators when glow plugs are going out, i.e. rough starts. All that being said, you can have brand new glow plugs and still have white smoke at start up. If his glow plugs were indeed bad, chances are his starts would be rough, just like how your truck was starting. So why waste money and 'fix' something when there's nothing wrong?


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[Gallegos276]

White smoke indicates the fuel is not being heated to the right temp. If glow plugs were working it would be black not white. That's why when the cylinders heat up it clears. If there wasn't a problem then he would be in here asking to fix it.

What temp is it outside if its above 45 degrees your truck should start no matter what. What region are you in?