Diesl Fuel

[seatboard]

Due to "STUFF HAPPENING" DW and I have not been able to travel in our Diesel MH for over three years. I start and run the engine every two weeks or so and drive it for about 70 miles every month. When I started the engine a few days ago, Grandson said there was White smoke comming from the tail pipe for 15 seconds or so. He is a diesel Nut, and he also said that was a sign of bad fuel injectors. In the same sentense, he said it could be because the fuel had been there for all those years and was maybe getting sorta thick. Can any one helpe here? I believe it is because the MH has been sitting for three plus years.:h

[phenrichs]

Not sure how much fuel your rig will hold. I would put no less than 30 gallons on and then get yourself a bottle of PowerService Diesel Kleen, grey bottle. Add according to the directions on the bottle. And then go for a drive of no less than 100 miles. It would be good to have a good long stretch of interstate in there and some hills if possible so you can exercise the machine. Things likes seals can dry up and other things when not heated properly can deteriorate. If you are running the engine periodically it needs to be run long enough to come up all the way to normal operating temperature for at least 5 minutes. In a diesel this can mean 20+ minutes at idle.

[seatboard]

I plan to use some injector cleaner in the tank and take a spin. Thanks for all the input.

[tandkj]

Queens Carriage wrote:
Have you been using fuel stable for diesel engines? If not you should be. just sayin

I agree, put something in the fuel to keep it stable. I use stable if sitting 6 months while workamping.

[Queens_Carriage]

Have you been using fuel stable for diesel engines? If not you should be. just sayin

[wny_pat1]

Sometimes diesel engines emit a white smoke while starting. The white smoke is due to unburnt fuel caused by improper heating. White exhaust can mean a number of thing ranging from, incorrect ignition timing compression problems, blown head gasket, poorly sealed piston rings, leaky valves, cracked head, cracked block, injector is stuck or not working, clogged air filter, defective waste gate such as an actuator, vacuum line etc, poor fuel quality, or low coolant temperature. I'd start with the simple stuff like the air filter if it hasn't been changed in a long time. Lots of guys continue to run big class 8 rigs when they are that way, figuring that they will eventually have to fix it anyway when something goes wrong. When it finally messed up they put it into a shop and get if fixed, chauking it up to down time. For us, that usually ends up ruining a trip, as we can't just hop into a spare rig and keep going.

[mpfireman]

Put some injector cleaner in the tank, and go for a spin. Could be nothing more than moisture in the exhaust system.

[ScottG]

I think it could be a lot of things. I even had a sensor on another diesel that would cause that.
Unless it keeps doing it, I wouldn't worry about it.

[robatthelake]

Could also mean nothing serious. I have seen a trace of white smoke due to moisture in the exhaust pipe.