Greetings to everyone here, this is my first time posting on a forum, but here goes! I bought a 2005 2500, 610/325, 6 speed with 160k on the clock. No mods, other than a K&N intake that I replaced the filter on with an Amsoil/Donaldson nanofiber. After buying the truck and pulling my 16-foot bumper-pull landscape trailer, I began to think it doesn't have as much power as it should. I usually start off in 2nd, and I noticed when I really press the throttle it puffs a little black smoke, but I don't really hear the engine "try." It just doesn't grunt and go like one would expect an engine of this caliber to do. It runs smoothly, gets anywhere from 12-15mpg not pulling. It does have an issue with starting when it is cold sometimes, when it is not plugged in. I will turn the key on, cycle the glow plugs a few times, and still it will take 20-30 seconds of cranking to get it to start. It does seem to turn over a little slower than some of the other trucks I've heard, so this might be a battery issue.

Now when I get the turbo spooled up, it accelerates okay, but one issue I notice is that the throttle still just isn't responsive even at highway speeds. I press the throttle slightly, hear the turbo begin to spool faster, but it takes it a few seconds to begin to accelerate. Is this normal?

It's tough to explain, but I regularly have to floor it and give it a few seconds before I can pass someone. Now pulling a trailer, I usually don't have enough power to pass someone, even with my 16-foot landscape trailer.

It doesn't smoke much at all, just on low end, or on high end, from 2500-3000rpm. Upwards at that rpm, it puffs some grey smoke, more sometimes than others, pulling a trailer or not.

Am I wrong to expect more from a stock engine? Like expecting it to at least begin to pull immediately when I press the pedal? It doesn't run rough or anything, just seems like it isn't fueling as much as it should. Any ideas would be appreciated!

I have replaced fuel filter, and ran BG 244 through it, and a tank of PowerService super kleen.

2005 Cummins 610/325 per engine label
6speed manual trans, quad cab short bed 4x4

 

Fill out your signature please.

How's your transmission? A failing torque converter could do most of this.

 

Ford,
may have to take it to a mech.
I have a 2005, same motor, with auto, 52K miles.

It runs very strong, would try to pull the world, if you could make the hook up.
on the road at 65 mph it gets 20-21 mpg,
reg 4" mopar air filter, mopar fuel filter,

starts great,
how old are your batteries? I just installed new duralast batteries on my truck, about 100 cca ea more than orginal.

i do run stanadyne or schaeffee oil in the tank from time to time

let us know what you find wrong,
you should have a strong running truck.

 

Ah HA! A manual. Okay, that eliminates TC problems.

No intake leaks? Cracked tube after the intercooler? Loose clamp? Waste gate not operating properly? Do you have a boost gauge?

 

Early on, while towing a 19K 5th wheel, I lost the intercooler going up a hill...the truck acted like you are describing....smoke, no guts, no speed. Dodge replaced the poorly designed factory original under warranty. Your fuel mileage is not in line with what I have experienced....normally 18-20 MPG.

Regards
Gemstone

 

If you havent done it yet change your fuel filter also it could be pretty plugged, how heavy is your trailer also, if its under 10k pounds it should pull it no problem.

 

Hey guys, thanks for the replies! I'm still looking for any insight I can possibly get here.

I did change the fuel filter and it was pretty black, but I hear that is normal? I know on our John Deeres they never look black when they come out, and we are running dyed fuel out of dirty farm barrels. While changing the fuel filter, I went ahead and unhooked both batteries, and turned the key on and off a few times to drain the ECM.

I left the batteries unhooked for appx. 30 minutes, and hooked them back up. I turned the key on and cycled the lift pump 4 times, and tried to start. No start. I went ahead and ran the lift pump appx. 10-15 times more, and truck started just fine. No misses, smoke, etc.

After this, I noticed the truck had its familiar diesel "crackle" when I throttled up, and throttle response was back up to where I believe it should be. Acceleration was great, and I felt like I could start pulling things again.

Over the course of the next week, the truck ran great, until a trip to Denver, where I noticed the power from a dead stop wasn't so great again, slow acceleration, lack of immediate throttle response when at highway speeds.

I also noticed that it started pouring hazy gray smoke. Not thick smoke, and it is sort of hard to notice in the daylight, but at night I can see huge plumes of bluish-gray haze pouring out of the tailpipe.

This is at full throttle, above 2000 rpm.

Beginning to be a real frustration to me, my landscape trailer weighs 1800 lbs, and I normally only put a 600lb Walker mower on it, and a pile of grass. I am constantly having to floor it to accelerate with the flow of traffic.

Today I plan on cleaning the MAP sensor and the IAT, will see if this helps?

Once again, I have scanned it with my scan tool, and no codes!

Thanks for the help

 

How does your exhaust smell??? Have you looked at your blowby tube???

 

Have you used any fuel additives like Howes or Power Service? Also when was the last time you worked the engine hard enough (like hooking to a 4-6,000 load)for several hours to really get the EGT up to clean out the carbon in the combustion chamber and off your injector tips?

 

Hey and thanks again for taking the time to read about my truck problems, still no progress.

Very little blowby, just enough out of the tube to see a very slight fog coming out of the tube, usually only when the engine is warm. The first thing I did when I realized that my truck is incredibly sluggish is hook it up to my trailer, which again, is only 1800lbs or so and go up and down a 10 mile stretch of very hilly blacktop road outside of town. It is far enough out of town where I could see how fast I could get it and keep it floored. I first burned a quarter tank or so with one bottle of BG 244. No change. The next time I was able to hook up to my trailer and romp on it for a while was when I added an entire bottle of silver bottle Power Service. The thing is, I can't get it above 70mph most of the time with it floored, and just a slight amount of gray smoke.

So to sum it up, it acts like it is pulling thousands more pounds than it really is. Re-iterating, floored, 1800lb trailer, letting it rev to about 2700rpm each time I shift, max speed 70mph. More if I'm going downhill. Very little smoke, even at full throttle. When I do see smoke, it is gray.

I did pull the MAP sensor, and it had just a slightly oily film. Cleaned it with carb choke cleaner, no change in how the truck runs.

I'm averaging about 12mpg on each fill-up, 15 max on the highway. I'm thinking it's just about time to take it in to Elite Diesel here in Johnstown, CO. They work on our Cat diesels on the farm when we have trouble with them.

This is the most confusing problem I have ever had with a diesel engine! It doesn't run rough, no trouble codes, no excessive smoke, just crappy power!

Frustrating to see other guys pulling TEN TIMES what I usually do with ease!

 

if you had gauges you'd have a better chance at diagnosing it, I'd suspect a boost leak.... but you mentioned hard starting which points to injectors.
again gauges would help.....

 

You got any updates my truck is doing the same but the rough idle goes away and comes back.

 

"MAP sensor, and it had just a slightly oily film. Cleaned it with carb choke cleaner"

IIRC you should NOT clean the MAP and other sensors with any type of Carb cleaner doing so will screw them up.

 

I remember reading something about the intercooler housing splitting apart because of the cheap plastic that is part of the housing.

 

early 05 build dates had the plastic intercoolers. my bd is 06/05 and i have a metal one. my guess is either the intercooler and or boots(i.e boost leak) or your fuel pump is shot.