Sometimes, about 1 out 10 to 20, 1997 5.9 diesel smokes thick black smoke in second gear, which is what I usually start out in. I have a 5 speed manuel. When I try to MAKE it smoke I cant do it. It just does it sometimes on its own. Any ideas what causes it? I think it may have something to do with letting the rpms drop to low when starting out in second gear. It sometimes drops down to 3 or 400 rpm. If I step on it hard it will throw out moderate gray smoke, but what I am talking about that sometimes happens is coal black and you cant see the car behind you when it does it.

If you lug them, most of them will smoke at least a little, even the new ones. The smoke stops when the turbo starts to spool up. Unless you're way BOMBed, then it could smoke all the time depending on the mods.

hell mine smokes evertime i leve from a stop and when i get on it at night and a cars behind me i can se it and it smokes alot. and after today it will be blowing out some smoke, my edge comp box is goin onhttp://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/HiHi.gif

I am not bombed at all! I have only taken the catalytic converter out of it. What this one is doing does not seem to natural at all, but like I say it only does it once in a while but when it does it is enough so as not to be able to see the car behind me in the drivers side mirror. It seems to do it only when I may have let the clutch out a little fast and lugged the motor starting off in 2nd gear. Maybe something is sticking in the p7100 pump or something. It seems to smoke a light grey smoke when I get on it at other times. If I am not stepping on it I dont see any smoke at all.

could it be a sticky wastegate problem? not enough boost being built for the amount of fuel getting delivered..... Had a 97 gmc that had that problem, did it one day real bad going up a 6% grade for two miles, cars wouldn't even try to get near me let alone pass four lanes east bound all backed off about a mile 'cause I had the whole valley filled with smoke. turned out the wastgate on that one was havin trouble. boy if I ever want to make smoke.....a cable actuator to that wastegate hmmmmmmm.....

could it be a sticky wastegate problem?





No I dont think that would be it. I messed with the star wheel some and got it to smoke a little less but far more than other similar diesels. I hope I am not hurting anything by letting it smoke.