I will tell you what I have noticed on mine at 18K. The thing smokes whenever the throttle isnt hammered hard for 10 minutes or more. Even cruising down the interstate at 75MPH it will billow black after 10 miles of easy driving. My truck has seen plenty of intown miles but 2/3 rds of them are interstate with atleast 4k miles towing a moderate load. This truck has seen power service since the second tank of fuel. My conclusion is keep the RPM up and blow the carbon out on a regular basis. If you have the ability to do it "load it down". These are HD motors and are designed to be just that. Not a car engine. Don't think that I am siding with DC but it is a reality that these are trucks and designed to work. If they didnt have the ability to blow black people would complain about the lack of power. I think the bigger problem is that the 24V head is designed to run cooler. Cooler combustion chambers equals clogged injectors. The people who tow love this feature and lets face it. These motors and trucks are designed for them.

 

There are 4 03-05 CTD's around me that my friends own. None if them have any problems but all of them tow heavy loads almost every day. My truck being well broke in at 156k will start smokeing white when on long road trips with the cruise on. I can see it in my rear view mirror. it will start as a haze and before i know it its a steady cloud, all I have to do is beat it around for a few miles and it clears up for the next hour or so.
DM01

 

Well heres my story.I thought I drove mine fairly hard.Then the other day towing my horse trailer with one mare in it(about 7k or so) I came down a interstate ramp.Stood on it which is rare for me towing.In 4th gear shifted to 5th still on it floored and all of a sudden it felt like minor missing.Looked in pass mirror and it was blowing black smoke fairly heavy and felt like minor missing, black puffs were shooting out then it cleared up! Slowed down and tired it again.No smoke,no stuttering etc.Got off interstate and next stop it was running smoother and seem quieter.Carbon?? I guess.My other two previous trucks never did that stuff.Maybe minor smoke but NEVER this stutter,skip thing.

 

I knew a guy who owned a DMAX and he thought the stock TQ was 700 and something. This was an 03 and I told him he was mistaken that Dodge had the highest that year at 555 and the DMAX was the lowest.

Morale of the story people don't know what the hell they own/talking about...

I have had mine less than 2 years (November makes 2) and I have somewhere in the mid 40,000 mile range on mine. I have at times idled my truck for literally hours in the winter while talking to hunting budies. I have driven tractor trailers and idled them all night when sleeping. I drove tow trucks (ford) for years and never a problem idling these while sleeping in them or whatever. I really don't tow anything with mine it is more of a commuter. Very rarely I will put a load of dirt or mulch in it for my yard but that is about it. If these things are having injector problems sounds to me like a design flaw or something. Are the 05+ different than my 03?

 

There has been talk that Chevy uses the same injectors and common rail set up in the duramax. Does anyone know if the injector tips are the same for dodge and chevy? Also what would be the reason to put an aftermarket tip on? More fuel? better mix? more control over fuel delivery?

 

My view point on this issue is that D.C. or the fuel manufactures have a problem.Not to much IDLE TIME.Eaither poor fuel quaility or engine MANAGEMENT issue.Went through SAME thing in mid 70s to mid 80s on auto's with EFI and Bosche injection system.Turned out MORE fuel quality then anything on gas burners.Or maybe even injector design.BUT eaither way its a D.C.PROBLEM.No one should have to worry about HOW they drive or the DISTANCE they drive etc.Maybe in a super excotic high rpm sports car but NOT a diesel truck.

 

Well said hound dog. DC will have to learn to design vehicles around their customers. Not force the customers around DC's designs.

Mine goes back to the shop when the truck hits 20,000 miles. I have about 700 miles to go!

I have been running PowerKleen for about 4 tanks. No improvement to white smoke at start up.

Honestly I am thinking the white smoke may be a result of the reflash performed for increased fuel economy, overhead MPG accuracy, and strangely enough prevent white smoke!

 

I believe the only reason would be to get more fuel through EDM process or extrude honing.

They do use the same injector, but there are differences due to the different cylinder bore size and subsequent bowl shape.

 

Yes, well said hound dog. I would never accept excessive idling as a reason to void my warranty or deny warranty service. I'd be threatening litigation before accepting that.

Papa Perk. I bet your problem is more injector related than calibration related.

 

BigBlock...do you think it is just a coincidence that it started smoking after the reflash? I know you have some inside info. Are you aware of many issues with the injectors?

I'm taking it to a different dealer and will speak with the tech. He is pretty good I think. Hopefully he will be able to fix the issue.

 

I'm a little confuse as to why you would buy a 3/4 or 1 ton truck and never pull a trailer or "work the truck" so to speak. Why drive a truck that rides like a lumber wagon (like mine) if you ain't gonna hook it up to something beside pulling your brothers saturn out of a ditch? Just struck me funny. Sorry, bad joke.......

 

Lots of folkes own these but only work them a time or two a year.(vacation etc)They and their wives etc may still have a need to drive them everday for transportation also.Just cause its a 2500 or 3500 its still someones choice to work it,pull with it or they just LIKE bigger diesel trucks to get grocerys! I don't drive this truck everday but the one before this I drove daily which also meant the the mile up the road and back for smokes at 3am.which I did often.It might have smoke some after a NUMBER of trips and other short ones when I really GOT ON IT after but it never studdered or felt like a gasser with bad plug wires or blew out big black PUFFS like mine did the other day.Bet a 3500 CHVEY DUALLY with a 8.1 dosent!

 

"I'm a little confuse as to why you would buy a 3/4 or 1 ton truck and never pull a trailer or "work the truck" so to speak. Why drive a truck that rides like a lumber wagon (like mine) if you ain't gonna hook it up to something beside pulling your brothers saturn out of a ditch? Just struck me funny. Sorry, bad joke......."

I don't tow anything, don't plan on towing anything, as I was looking for a vehicle to replace having to drive two cars when we went places. I noticed that minivans and almost all SUVs didn't have much cargo room when the three row seating was used, so I looked at getting a four door diesel pickup and putting a canopy on it. It had to be a diesel for better mileage, and if I got a diesel I wanted a Cummins, if I got a pickup it had to have four doors, so a 2003 Dodge was the no brainer vehicle. I get as good of mileage in town as 50% of the vehicles on the EPA mileage list, which includes lots of minivans and SUVS, as well as lots of sporty cars. I paid a lot less than what most seem to paying for a SUV (which these days are just really expensive station wagons that roll much easier and depreciate like a rock) or a lot of minivans, as I wanted a base model loss leader, and finally managed to find one. The truck will last longer than anything else that I could have bought, and is much more useful for hauling a variety of stuff, including a large dog.

I was worried that the family wouldn't like riding a truck, but they demand that we take it on trips as it is so much more comfortable than either Taurus. I've figured out that they like the space, which makes sense as that's what you pay for when you do 1st class or business on aircraft; leather seats, butt warmers, DVD palyers, vanity mirrors and other hogwash don't make for more comfort. Visiting a friend this last summer who had a BMW wagon, the wife and kids like riding in it, but when we were back on the road I asked them if they'd prefer it on trips and they said no, the truck was more comfortable.

That's why some people have trucks and don't tow anything.

 

Lots of truckers,ranchers,chicken growers etc.drive 3/4 diesel trucks and other then a bag of feed never really work them.Lots of THEIR stuff is delivered,hauled for them etc.If ONLY folkes who work them drove them its kinda like the city fellow driving a Special edition Vette or Viper etc.are THEY going to drive THOSE the way there designed?

 

Wow! That was a heck of an answer! Didn't mean to clog your injectors!