White exhaust smoke

[Pondrosa]

New L4060 12hrs. Had #2 with some Lucas anti gel in tank. No smoke from exhaust.

Particulate filter at 32%.

Hasn't had first regen yet.

Added 5 gallons #1 today, shortly afterwards started putting out lots of white smoke.

10 degrees out today here in northern North Dakota.

Ideas?

Tom

 

[B737]

There are periods where my LX3310 will blow out a fair amount of white smoke, it looks more like a haze, not smoke, it will do this for 5-10 minutes, it seems random. It usually happens when the machine is getting close to doing a regen, within 2 hours or so. I can't make heads or tails of it either but the machine runs awesome so I just keep using it as normal.

You are at 12 hours, so you are getting pretty close to your first regen (around 15). im not sure why these machines do this. Its like a very thin haze. I also use an additive (standyne)

 

[Pondrosa]

There are periods where my LX3310 will blow out a fair amount of white smoke, it looks more like a haze, not smoke, it will do this for 5-10 minutes, it seems random. It usually happens when the machine is getting close to doing a regen, within 2 hours or so. I can't make heads or tails of it either but the machine runs awesome so I just keep using it as normal.

You are at 12 hours, so you are getting pretty close to your first regen (around 15). im not sure why these machines do this. Its like a very thin haze. I also use an additive (standyne)

Thank you for the reply. I had seen a video on YouTube that said that it could be a stuck open fuel injector which would end up basically destroying the pistons so I got a little worried.

I'll talk to the salesman after the holidays and see what he says I was wondering if for some reason it was due to me adding the number one diesel and that just didn't seem to make any sense.

Happy Thanksgiving to all

 

[Tx Jim]

At lower ambient temps(10°f) your tractor can emit white smoke until engine gets to operating temp. I seriously doubt an engine with "12 hrs of use" has a stuck injector. If injector is stuck it & engine would be repaired under the tractors warranty

 

[B737]

I will add the few times I’ve seen the white smoke haze was just as the machine was getting to work (after being warmed up from cold start). The outside temp was chilly high 30’s to 40°. And once it cleared, it never came back during that session.

 

[Mlarv]

If it is like a regular engine, it gets hot during running. Then it cools off after use, moisture builds up in the exhaust. When you start it up the exhaust gets hot starting to steam off the moisture. When it is colder moisture builds up faster. This is just me SWAGing an answer.

 

[GeoHorn]

I can’t help but take interest at the situation…where you guys with modern controlled-emissions tractors that “smoke” all kinds of colors…. and my 1996 straight diesel only starts right-up and reliably goes to work with none of that modern smoky stuff blowin’ out the exhaust.
I wonder if I’m missin’ out of sumpin‘…. (Sorry…couldn’t resist…).

 

[dfixit1]

L4240 Mine does it on a cold start below 46* for about 10+ seconds. I’ve showed the video to the service manager at our local Kubota and he says it’s normal for my I-tier4 without a particulate filter and catalytic because emissions are set when hot.
Not believing the answer I asked a mobile tractor mechanic and he a said it’s normal and also added about 1/2, or 50% of them do it. BTW he worked at the Kubota dealer that his brother owns for many years.
in my case it’s over-fueled on a cold start. White smoke.
The newer L series with the filter have a computer controlled ECM which I assumed would be better at reducing the over-fueling condition.

 

[jimh406]

I would call my dealer. In most newer pickup diesels, white smoke is a bad thing. Worse case, you have a short phone call to verify everything is ok.

 

[Fordtech86]

Think Mlarv nailed it…

And like Geo, rarely a puff of smoke out of mine when it does its because Im asking more then I should from it

 

[Snowman7]

I will add the few times I’ve seen the white smoke haze was just as the machine was getting to work (after being warmed up from cold start). The outside temp was chilly high 30’s to 40°. And once it cleared, it never came back during that session.

My Lx does the same thing, smokes for a few minutes during warm up about 5-8 minutes after starting. On a separate note, my goodness does this thing throw snow!

 

[B737]

I agree snowman, now that ive been paying attention since this thread, I edited my intial post. Like other folks mentioned above, it happens during the first few minutes once its put under load initially, then it clears right up. We're all so used to seeing black smoke come out of diesels.

 

[Blue316]

I’m curious if this problem was resolved? I am not an engineer but my guess would be that just too much #1 was added. The viscosity of #1 is much lower and would behave very differently than #2, in particular in a common rail engine where the pump pressure is so high. I would bet at the high pressure of the CRD it actually vaporizes instead of atomizing.
So just mixing in a substantial amount of #2 would fix the problem.

 

[Captain13]

A cold start can usually produce white smoke, especially in colder weather. On startup, the un burned fuel will produce white smoke until the cylinder temperature comes up. Now if the engine is hot, white smoke may indicate a problem.

 

[B737]

no smoke during cold starts. but yes its just the nature of this engine. cool / cold ambient temps, once its put under first load of the day for about a minute or two.

 

[Henro]

I started my old excavator a couple days ago when it was cold and saw a bit of white smoke that I never saw before in warmer temperatures.

Sounds like this is nothing to worry about. The engine started immediately without any delay.

But I have a question about the possibility of a stuck injector.

IF there were a stuck injector on a diesel, would not the smoke be dark rather than light?

I would have thought that excessive fuel would turn the exhaust black...

 

[Captain13]

Excessive fuel in a hot engine will cause black smoke. Thing like a stuck injector, overfueling, and even valve and ring issues. the Black smoke is diesel particulates from overfueling. White smoke (caused by diesel fuel, not coolant) is just fuel that hasn’t reached it’s ignition point usually from the cold cylinder on startup. There is no black, because nothing has been burned. It’s just hot fuel that has not ignited. Just like dripping oil on a hot manifold…..it will give you white or grey smoke unless it ignites.

 

[Dennis.D]

Is North Dakota weather that much different than Maine? On a 10 degree day everything has white smoke until fully warmed up and all the moisture is burned out of the exhaust.

 

[eipo]

In very cold temps, diesels will blow visible moisture just like gas engines.

 

[jyoutz]

I can’t help but take interest at the situation…where you guys with modern controlled-emissions tractors that “smoke” all kinds of colors…. and my 1996 straight diesel only starts right-up and reliably goes to work with none of that modern smoky stuff blowin’ out the exhaust.
I wonder if I’m missin’ out of sumpin‘…. (Sorry…couldn’t resist…).

Your old oil burner just belches black smoke and fumes continuously.