So the truck starts a bit sluggish when it is below 30 overnight, and
when it is idling, it emits a stedy cloud of what appears to be blue
smoke, but does not smell like oil burning. When I wait a couple
minutes and hit the high idle it is a steady stream of smoke with a
blusish tint. Truck has never used a drop of oil in its life though.
Mileage is still pretty good and it runs pretty well.

Sounds like unburnt fuel.. Could be a problem with the GlowPlug/Intake heater system. ?? Does the smoking stop once the engine reaches operating temp?

mine doe the same thing for about the first 2-3 minutes it runs if its like 25 or below when it gets started up. normal as far as i'm concerned.





i remeber back 12 years ago when i drove a dump truck for a living, you ought to see the cloud of blue smoke a semi, or dump truck pours out on a 25 degree or colder morning!

Mine stops smoking white after the first couple seconds and the idel goes from noisy to quite and normal in 20 or so with water temps(acording to the attitude) in the 20's and air temps(according to me freezing my ass off and the temp in the mirror) in the teens.


BTW I change to a semisynthetic oil in the winter for its better flowing capabilities. Easier to start.......


Also always try to plug it in......


At least thats what I remember from last year.....anybody else's truck smoke at idel for a few minutes when its cold? Edited by: ratlover

The majority of it goes away whenit starts to warmup..I think unburnt
fuel has a blusish tint..if anyone has ever played with model diesel
engines that run a kerosense/castor oil based fuel int hem..it smells
exactly like that.

I've had the same experience in really cold weather on a first start (temps about 5 above New Years a couple of years ago). I think it's normal until the engine heats up and starts burning all the fuel.

i had the same thing this weekend while hunting. temps were in the teens starting the truck in the morning, every morning. the exhaust left a 2 foot log stain in the snow that looked like a very light coating of raw fuel. this happens all the time for me in cold temps for the first start. once warmed, it goes away and does not smoke the rest of the day

Thanks guys..I feel better :)

If it was running rough just after start up, it would be the fuel
heater/intake heater. Cold diesel smoking is a typical
thing. Or if temp drops. If really cold they will smoke
while driving on the highway. My experience.

Sounds pretty normal. Mine does it when real cold (20's). I always wait
to hit the high idle till it warms up a bit. If I could run it at
1100rpm's I wouldn't mind but the 1300 is a little too much for me when
it's cold.



I usualy start my truck, go back in and put my work gear on and drive
to the barn. (takes about a minute or 2) Then I will start the high
idle. By then it's running a little smoother.

I noticed the same thing this morning, 35 degrees here, smoke quickly dissipated after a few seconds. My oil is pretty black after 2000 miles so I may go to synthetic but I have a feeling it's not oil burn, more of a white smoke.

Hate to disagree, and not inject a positive note, but I have never had signs of white or blue smoke, even in temperatures of -40F (jan. 10 2003), so I would have to say its not the norm.

good luck

Ditto what letsgo said. Later! Frank

Letsgo, are you usually plugged in at those temps?

Mine smokes alot when cold my 02auto never did but this 04zf dose, my buddys zf dose also i think 6spds do it worse

Hate to disagree, and not inject a positive note, but I have never had signs of white or blue smoke, even in temperatures of -40F (jan. 10 2003), so I would have to say its not the norm.

good luck Are you sure that was a true -40F? Windchill readings are irrelevent. Windchill temparature only effects living creatures or other heat sources dependant apon insulation values.

If you were in a true -40 no windchill factored in, I would bet that thing barely cranked. It probally sputtered and stammered for a few minutes. Blowing white,blue and black smoke.

When it is that cold there is just too much piston to bore clearance. Plus fuel that is only half burnt.

My truck starts to become noticable around 30F and below. Get around 0 and she really acts up. Anything below 0 and I make sure I have her plugged in. Although I have started it at -7F with no heater plugged in. I was at 8500 feet elevation to boot. Talk about smoke for a minute or so.

The truth!!!!!

I wasn,t pluged in.

I picked the trailer up in -35F, stopped over night, 50miles north of Toronto, the temp. dropped to -40F, started out at 6:00am. and no heaters used. And no smoke. I might add that my windshield washer fluid in the lines were frozen FOR 1 1/2 DAYS untill I reached SC.

if I can plug in I do, but most times it's always a cold start.

Even Mountain climbing in the west, there has never been any sign of smoke while towing.

So any smoke coming out of the exhaust, to me is not normal, even if it is a diesel

Before I bought the Duramax, I saw and thought every diesel smoked and stunk, but that opinion has changed. Maybe I have the perfect truck????

good luck

I think we are just about startup smoking. Are you looking at the tailpipe, or in the mirror?

I believe you. -40 is cold isn't it? I was ice fishing one time in some -40 winchill weather. The chewin tobacy spit would freeze before it even got off your chin.):h

Do you run a fuel additve? That helps.

Everyone of the diesels on our lot (including mine) smoke at start-up when it's cold. It usually goes away within a few minutes depending on how cold it is.