Seriously need advice burning engine on new truck
 

I have had 2 7.3l PSD in the last year. I got fed up fixing them and sold the last one and bought a 04 3500 laramie cummins about 3 weeks ago because I was done with wrenchin and praying for cold starts in the morning before I went to work and need a work truck to feed the family. I noticed a burnt rubberish smell coming from engine bay the next day. Under medium throttle blows mild smoke but its not black. Sales rep said its the shiny armerol they put on the engines at the lot to make them look good and it will burn off and smoke is normal. A week and a half goes by and smell doesnt go away. Noticed when I came home at night my headlights were still on and i was checking the mail and saw faint smoke coming from hood toward windshield. Took truck to dealer. They said they smelled the burnt smell but could not find anything wrong with the truck. They degreased the engine and all the shiny slime off and said it is better and the rest should burn off. So 2 weeks later (today) its still stinkin, blowin white smoke under medium acceleration and I am freakin out. I can't deal with more broken down fixing truck drama. I have missed to much work and its just scary. I have ben towing a dump trailer with 3-11 thousand pounds in it. I am not in the position to fix major problems financially the last 2 trucks ate me alive money wise. I have had the most horrible luck with trucks and Im just lost. This dealer doesnt want to handle this problem. I am not a seasoned diesel expert. I have to post a pic of this but in the glove box i found a "plug with a light for a signal" that as some sort of duck logo on it. Maybe its a programer? The truck does book and feels like it has a lot of torque. 4;10 gears. Maybe its chipped? How do I tell because if it is I want it back to stock. Maybe the stock cat is backed up? There is not one leak and the truck is super clean. It has no problem starting and has no driving problems, tranny is super smooth and carfax is clean one owner. 136000 miles. I have only a 1 year powertrain warranty that only covers internals and it was sold as is so I dont have a leg to stand on for the dealer to fix anything. I dont know if the burning belt smell is related to the smoke. I know it could be a lot of things I have done my research. Head gasket, injectors, turbo etc... What should I check for and how? I would be out of pocket for anything done by the dealer or a shop so whats priority here? Injector test? Boost test? turbo check? PLEASE lead me in the right direction so i dont get raped by a shop to find the problem.:argh:

Its really hard to diagnoise an issue like this without being their personally. White smoke can be fuel or coolant related I would ask you to smell your exhaust and see if its smells like coolant or fuel.

The burning smell can be electrical or a belt or something like that?

If it had a programmer you would either see it or who ever had it had a programmer such as a smarty that you connect into the DCL connector under the dash and reprogrammed the ECM, and PCM for timing and fuel. But common rail have good power and torque unlike the PSD. Also Cummins reach peak torque and Horsepower at lower RPMS than the powerstrokes.

The dealer checked all the belts hoses etc and so have I. The engine is seemingly perfect. Best way to discribe smell is when your vacum cleaner belt gets stuck and burns up.

Hmm I had a ranch truck like that and it turned out to be an electrical harness. I dont know if you will be able to do this But leave the truck off and turn the headlights, fans and radio on. See if you can smell it again with the tuck off, if you can then we can narrow it down to electrical. If you cant do it because your worried about draining you BATTS that ok but maybe its worth a shot.

10/4 worth a shot but I have a feeling its not, if it is whats up with the white smoke

The white smoke can be from a simple dirty fuel filter to an injector or a coolant leak into the cylinders. I cant see why you would have an coolant leak already at 136K but injectors can have issues on these truck because of the High pressure the common rails produce. But if it was injectors it should produce white smoke all the time. I would check your fuel filter, and fuel pressure to you High pressure fuel pump. If the lift pump is weak it too can also cause white smoke, and same for the high pressure fuel pump that feeds the injectors.

How woud I find out if it is an injector or coolant leak?

Have a coolant pressure test done, and the easiest way to test an injector is with a good scanner that you can cut injectors out with. But I would just take the 5 minutes to pull your fuel filter and check it and see if its clean or dirty. If the filter element is not white, or yellow and is more dark then you have a dirty filter. These truck have a really easy filter change its just a cannister filter like the 6.0L PSD's. The fuel filter is located on the driver side engine almost under the windshield. it has a spin off cap.

Is the oil level rising? Does the dip stick smell like diesel? Is the white smoke coming from the tail pipe or under the hood or both?

INFIDEL(me too)---Are you sure you are not smelling the crank case vent from under the engine?-??????????????????????
-My 04 sure stinks at times from the draft tube(CCV) .
The white smoke hopefully as previously posted is due to a dirty fuel filtet(I HOPE) and not a more serious problem.
Do NOT trust what a stealership says.
Best of luck(And we all need that) to you.:tu:

How would I know it t be the crank case vent? Just sticky nose under there? Its a very noticeable smell.

Hmm, Im not 100 percent sure where the blow by hose is either up front of the engine or on the driver side. but Ive never had blow by smell like burnt rubber, Mine smells like burnt oil everytime I change the oil..

Ok dudes here we go. I found the location of where the smell is coming from!!!I pulled up tonight and decided to open the hood with a flashlight and see if I can see smoke in the bright light. Chased the smoke trail coming from the crankcase breather tube I assume is what it is?. It is on drivers side next to engine block and points straight down. WTF is it and why is it stinking? It is blowing smoke. I am going to the dealer tomorrow to show them some video I took and pics. Guys please tell me what it might be so I am armed and dont get railed by them. I am hoping they fix it since they sold i to me this way but who knows. They will prob give it some BS excuse so they dont have to fix anything. I hope ther is no long term damage done here too..... Super bummed right now

Slow down a bit my friend.... Having some smoke is normal from the crank case breather. If you insist on going to the dealer first ask them what kind of oil did they put it and next any additives? My truck everytime I change the oil it smells like burnt oil for 500 miles.

BUT if its excessive, if you breather tube also seems to be you other exhaust you may have an issue.

Take the oik fill cap off and just lay it on the hole. Does it jump around? Can you see or feel pressure coming from the hole? If so you more than likely have broken rings! It will cause the smoke too but a bad injector will cause white smoke also! I hope you have warranty on it! Cost is about 6 grand to fix!

What Ranchhand said- after all it is a VENT tube
Excessive blowby is another story.
source of white smoke is a different issue

I took the truck to the dealer today. I showed them the video I took last night of the breather tube smoking and the smoke under the truck. It was showing prominent at night wit my maglight enhancing he smoke. They grab the lead diesel mechanic and the service manager to watch the vid. They acknowledged and said to leave it with them on Tue next week. I did the oil cap test in front of them. Twas hopping around a little bit. There was white smoke puffing out. I did buy a powertrain warrantyfor one year. It only covers the insane of motor and transmission. I just wanted a reliable truck I'm super bummed now this truck will be molested and god knows what else it needs now.

I get a gold star! Don't be bummed but do get those cool add on parts like head studs! A cam and valve springs for sure and Maybe a turbo and ask if they will install them when they put the motor back together!!! Work a deal with the mechanic on the side if they say NO WAY!
Have the injectors tested for sure! Rear freeze plug block off plate would be good too!
They may opt for a crate motor in that case ask if they will sell you the core! I'll buy it!

I think he just wants a good reliable work truck.. But see what the dealer will do, if you got a powertrain warranty I would think it would cover engine issues also. the realy only issue on those year of cummins is the position of the piston rings they are prone to break or premature wear.

If you want the cool add on's expect a longer down time. Personally they are neccesary unless you want your truck to haul ass and break more often and want to do a Tractor Trailers job with a light duty truck... Keep us posted and we will help you the best of our abilites.

Thank you so much for all your advise. I think that I wouldnt have been able to find the issue unless you pointed out the breather tube. My 3500 is my bread and butter. I want it as reliable as possible and would love it to get a million miles. Its a Laramie and is just a dream truck for me. The only mods i would ever do are ones that would make it more reliable and get better MPG. I dont haul ass or tow anything above 14 thousand pounds so I dont need the power to go up much. And 14 is rare thats a dump trailer loaded at the end of a project. I live in LA so theres lots of commuting. I dont want to blow crazy black smoke or get stacks, not that theres anything wrong with that. I will be putting on air bags and new heavy duty shocks, and possibly a 2" spacer lift on the front so I dont scrape on steep driveways and crap on job sites which I have already. The front of these 2wds are really low for some reason. I dont need 4wd I live in LA and the limited slip and 4:10 is more then adequate. I picked up 3 scoops of sand and 50/50 mix (concrete) and had to put it in the bed because the dump trailer was full and i was bottoming out in th rear so I def need to beef up the rear and whole suspensio. Thats a sq yard and a half so aprox 3500 pds in the bed. I work my trucks hard lol. BTW this is my daily driver. I will be getting a headache rack and will be mounting aux lights on the rear and a couple in the front. I could use them on those long days that go into the night so i might need to beef up the elec as well.

Your truck will handle about four to six flood lights depends on the wattage you get.. I meant to say that the cool ad ons are uneccessary but once you get things squared away a good air filter and fuel filters will go along ways... and you proably need some good seat covers...

If you want good mileage a programmer is a must also!

Definitely seat covers. Some quality sheep covers are coming and some weathertech floormats. Just found out when I tried to put in a cd that its broken so now a new stereo. Might as well replace the crap speakers with some nice ones and a small amp. Priority is suspension and headache rack w lights and side boxes after this cap is fixed.

I have the dealer taking it in on tues. I'm gonna take it to an independent shop Monday to have the coolant pressure test and compression test so I'm armed w documented info if the try and weasel out of this. I could hire a lawyer and have them buy the truck back. I bought it from a dodge dealership and they told me when I bought it the smell was the armerol and I have that in writting so I have some pull. I'm hesitant to keep it now it should not have burnt rings at 136k and has been dealer maintained on scheduled maintance maintance. So should I go that route and get rid of It or keep it if they fix it if its the worst case scenario and rings are fried or have them fix it?

Have them fix it! Then you have a fresh motor!! Just be sure to test the injectors while they are out!

So heres the news. Took it to Big Power Diesel in Lancaster. Super cool owner and specializes in Cummins. He determined the engine rings are fried and motor is blown. Took it to dealer. They found cylinder #1 is fried. Needs new long block. I am going to request head be taken to a shop and checked also before reassembly. Im waiting for the warranty company to clear this. The dealership sold me a blown motor though so well see. Any advise? Would the turbo, intercooler or anything else be affected by this diagnosis that I should look for.

No the intercooler shouldent have any problems. And check the turbo for any play easy and simple. If they give you a long block you pretty much have a fresh motor, new crank, rods, bearing, pistons youll be set :c: hopefully they do that for you, sucks that they sold you a fired motor. I guess the worst fear of the issue was the issue. See what they are going to do about the injectors and crossover tubes and make sure they are good and that if they reuse the injectors that they replace the crossover tubes... Otherwise they may cause a pit on the side of the injector and you will loose fuel pressure to that injector and it cause hard starts, and poor performance.

BAD NEWS. Warranty company wouldn't cover the engine and dealer fought them. MOtor alone was 12000 plus labor and misc 15k repair. Dealer was liable so they just refunded me my money from my down payment yesterday. prob auction it off to some poor sucker. All that drama and headache for nothing. I am thinking a gasser Ford V10 is the way to go for as much as I tow with the lesser maintance after the last 3 diesels i have had nothing but drama. Ford V10 4x4 costs $11-13k lowish mileage. $16-20 k diesel high mileage. Its basically 5 thousand more for a diesel and I dont tow everyday. Rare i tow over 10k. I have learned through all this that no motor is bullet proof. All engines are reliable or not based off of what oil and fluids were being used, maintaince done, how often, how driven and what weight it stowed. You never know buying a used truck so its a crap shoot. I dunno now WTF to do haha. I just hate car dealerships and buying cars in general they are all vultures and make me wanna punch the salesmen :)

Sorry to learn that the dealership would not honor the warranty.
Extended warranties are usually BS.
Dealerships and salespeople are usually LIARS.
There are no doubt excepions to that but I have yet to meet one.
Best of luck to you in your search for a vehicle-hope you find a good one and I hope it will be a Cummins....................

Well be carefull reason low milage V10s are cheap is because they how a smaller service life. Im sorry for all the BS but if you ever turn and go back to DIESEL by all means get ahold of us, and find a good reliable mechanic to go take it too before you go thru another headache like this.

Fuel alone should change your mind! 10MPG empty! Find another truck most are not like that even with 200k!

I think im just pissed off more then anything. I just want to focus on work not this bullshit. The dealer really treated me like 2nd class. I am tired of fixing trucks every weekend or abouts. Been like this for over a year. Hopefully I will put this behind me soon and buy something reliable. Found a couple I liked within a few hours of me

04 Cummins
Cars for Sale: 2004 Dodge Ram 2500 Truck 4x4 Quad Cab in Corona, CA 92880: Truck Details - 338388012 - AutoTrader.com

02 V10
Cars for Sale: 2002 Ford F250 4x4 Crew Cab Super Duty in North Hills, CA 91343: Truck Details - 338299423 - AutoTrader.com

06 Cummins
Cars for Sale: 2006 Dodge Ram 2500 Truck 2WD Quad Cab in Riverside, CA 92504: Truck Details - 339282714 - AutoTrader.com

03 Cummins
Cars for Sale: 2003 Dodge Ram 3500 Truck SLT in Buellton, CA 93427: Truck Details - 337773447 - AutoTrader.com

Havent considered a DMax LBZ or 7.3L Powerstroke
Opinions?

Take 10 minutes. Pull the valve cover. Blow out the vent that is in the cover. Blow out the blow by tube after you spray some brake cleaner in it. The Cummins build so much pressure inside the valve cover especially when towing. Any restriction will vaporize the debris in the vent and smoke slightly. This is an easy fix. Screw the Dodge dealer.

Rings were fried. Cylinder one lost 90%.

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Bought an 00 f250 v10 4x4 lb one owner no accidents cherry for half the price of a diesel. Makes more sense financially for me right now. In my price range all the diesel were beat up and high mileage 2-300k can't risk it anymore. Will do for now till I buy a brand new cummins late:hellox:r on in life when things are up. U guys really helped a lot appreciate it sincerely.

You will like the Ford, 00 is a nice truck-V10 is great engine, just a little thirsty fuel wise.

I wouldnt give up on the Cummins just yet. Problems like yours are not common. I was a diesel mechanic at Dodge for 15 years. Typically the problems that happened to your truck aka burned up piston and rings were due to 1 thing. The use of a quality oil filter. Here is the skinny on the oil filter. The Cummins motor uses "J jets" that spray a stream of oil on the bottom side of the piston. This is a very small port. We found that trucks that used Fram filters were prone to plugging these jets. The filter material would degrade and plug up the tiny ports in the J jets stopping the cooling of the cylinder. Make sure you only use a quality filter. I have a 2nd gen 24 valve myself and only use Mopar or Fleetguard filters. (Fleetguard makes the Cummins filter for Mopar).