Hello All,

I have been on here for a while, I just don't post much. I have done plenty of searching on the white smoke at idle, which is what brought me back here after a long break. I drive my truck 800+ miles a week and about 2 weeks ago it started smoking and seems to have gotten somewhat worse. My symptoms seem pretty typical to the other guys that have had them replaced under the extended factory warranty. My symptoms are as follows: smokes at idle, but not at every stop (sometime a little puff and sometimes quite a bit), and the exhaust smells extremely strong (not like a typical diesel), and it does not smoke at all under acceleration (even heavy acceleration). I called the dealer this past week to explain what was going on and he said that if I bring it it is would normally be $78.88 to look at it. If they find it to be the injectors are at fault, then its free, but if it turns out to be something else then I get charged the $78.88 for the "examination". He said it would take several hours to perform this exam. Of course I have this sickening feeling that, no big surprise, they probably won't find it to be the injectors, but something else, very expensive that they will offer to repair. Does this sound like the typical treatment everyone is receiving?

Also, I have to drive my truck for work (but I don't pull anything, just drive a whole lot). If this potential injector issue going to get progressively worse and eventually screw my engine over?

Thank you all for your assistance,

Daniel

I copied my post from another thread which is below. I got lucky I think with the check engine light finally coming so the dealer had something to go off of. I was going to have to pay 125.00 for diagnostics if it did not turn out to be a warranty covered issue. Turns out it was so all is good.


I did not read through the whole thread so forgive me if someone else already mentioned this. My truck would soot at idle after I had run it then stopped it and the started it back up again. I remember I first noticed this after I ahd driven home from work and srtopped to pick up my son. I got back in the truck and started it and at the first stop light I came to I saw diesel fumes from the exhuast blowing past me. By the time I got home it was no longer sooting. I drove it liek this for a while not thinking much of it until one day I got check engine light. I tiook it to the dealer and the code was for a bad "glow plug" They replaced it and then the truck threw another code for the injectors. I had three bad injectors which they happily replaced. The only complaint I have is that they did not replace all eight. I do not know if they would have done anything without the Check engine light coming on though.

Mike

Anyone else have input? Particularly on any longterm effects?

Thanks.

Keep on driving. if you start to get fuel in your oil stop.

NO, Do not keep driving it!!! The reason for the smoke at idle is probably because an injector nozzle is hung up a little dumping in extra fuel. The white smoke you see at idle is that unburnt fuel. The strong diesel smell from the exhaust is also another reason why i believe one is hung up a little. If it was me i would take it to the dealer. Sound to me like a classic bad injector. It will not take hours to diagnois, maybe 30 min tops with a Tech II.

The reason i say to not keep driving is because if for some reason the injector starts to really hang up and you are pulling a trailer or on the highway that injector can dump enough fuel to cause serious damage to that piston. Take it to the dealer, pay the $80 bucks and go from there. I would put $100 down on a bad injector. I may also suggest that you put in a litre or two of diesel fuel right into the crank case, then take it in.. :) Might sound stupied but as soon as they see diesel fuel inside that crankcase they are going to replace those injectors for sure.

NO, Do not keep driving it!!! The reason for the smoke at idle is probably because an injector nozzle is hung up a little dumping in extra fuel. The white smoke you see at idle is that unburnt fuel. The strong diesel smell from the exhaust is also another reason why i believe one is hung up a little. If it was me i would take it to the dealer. Sound to me like a classic bad injector. It will not take hours to diagnois, maybe 30 min tops with a Tech II.

The reason i say to not keep driving is because if for some reason the injector starts to really hang up and you are pulling a trailer or on the highway that injector can dump enough fuel to cause serious damage to that piston. Take it to the dealer, pay the $80 bucks and go from there. I would put $100 down on a bad injector. I may also suggest that you put in a litre or two of diesel fuel right into the crank case, then take it in.. :) Might sound stupied but as soon as they see diesel fuel inside that crankcase they are going to replace those injectors for sure.

I do have some fresh diesel sitting in a 5-gallon jug, so just about a liter or two is enough to make them replace them, but is that going to be detrimental to the engine itself? I fly out of town this week for work, so hopefully I can get it in next weekend when I return. Thanks for your input.

First off, dumping fuel into the crankcase is fraud, and second, they will figure that out. Under the special policy if they do not measure excessive return rates, the policy is not in play. The procedure that the dealer has to go through is very specific.

Remember that the injectors fail in two ways. One is a cracked housing that will dump fuel in the crank case. Usually no question when this is happening as your oil pressure drops and the level rises quickly. If that is happening, stop driving it. :mad:

The second way they fail is ball seat errosion. (That is how mine failed). when that happens, it can't build enough rail pressure to start, and is returning to much fuel to the tank. You can keep driving it, but you may not be able to restart it if you shut it off. :eek:

The policy will not cover an injector stuck open. I don't understand why, but it is not covered. If that happens, lots of black smoke, and yes it will grenade a piston if you keep driving it.

You might try running some 2 cycle oil in the next couple of tanks of fuel. Some guys have posted that it clears up this symptom. If not, then I would gladly pay the dealer to run the injector diagnosis with the tech 2. The return rate test is a mechinical test that involves actually measuring the return rate.

Good luck!

Your truck sounds like mine did. I had a 2004 with about the same miles on it. Same symptoms. Brought it in and paid the $100 to get it checked out. Only response I got back from the dealer was that the injectors were not far enough gone to meet the requirements of the special policy. I did see one that was far enough gone and it really smoked. You shouldn't hurt anything by putting some diesel in the crank as long as you don't run it very much with it in there. Saying its fraud is crap in my book. There are 2 types of injectors in the lb7's, injectors that are bad and injectors that are going bad! I traded mine off and got rid of my problem. Bringing it in and having them swap the injectos out may not solve the problem. They may put one in that is in woorse condition. GM should be dropping the price on the injectors to help resolve the issue. If somebody doesn't come up with an injector or system to make it easier to swap them out the lb7's are not going to be worth much money down the road. I would have kept mine if there was something to put in it that for sure would have fixed the problem.

Saying its fraud is crap in my book.

Fraud is fraud no matter how you look at it.

Fraud is fraud no matter how you look at it.

I understand fraud is fraud, but I am more than certain that it would not be the first time the dealership has had any experience with that. They don't call it a stealership just for giggles.

I am going to take it next weekend, just to see what they say. I will post whatever their response is. I am going to forgo the diesel in the crank method for this first visit.

I've known a couple of guy's that have put a litre or two of diesel in the crankcase to get warranty. I don't really find it a big deal even if some consider it fraud. I haven't done it myself nor would i consider because my warranty is out and i can change them myself.

If an injector is failing but GM won't warranty it because it's "not far enough gone" as winter200 said i think that’s BS. If you storm in there and tell them it's smoking at idle and there is fuel in my crankcase there is no way they are going to deny you warranty.

I can't believe some of you think it's okay to dump fuel into the crank case in order to get a new set of injectors. That's like keying your own car and saying it was vandalized so the insurance will get you a new paint job. It's CLEARLY fraud. :Nonono:

And for GM to say that they won't replace injectors because they are "not far gone enough" makes perfect sense. They have to set standards and be completely objective about the rules when it comes to replacing parts. If the rates are within the acceptible tolerances, it is in "good working condition". If not, they get replaced. Simple! You don't try to get a new engine for your car under warranty because the bearings don't look like new although they fall within the tolerances and engine works fine, do you? Same with injectors.

Hello All,

I have been on here for a while, I just don't post much. I have done plenty of searching on the white smoke at idle, which is what brought me back here after a long break. I drive my truck 800+ miles a week and about 2 weeks ago it started smoking and seems to have gotten somewhat worse. My symptoms seem pretty typical to the other guys that have had them replaced under the extended factory warranty. My symptoms are as follows: smokes at idle, but not at every stop (sometime a little puff and sometimes quite a bit), and the exhaust smells extremely strong (not like a typical diesel), and it does not smoke at all under acceleration (even heavy acceleration). I called the dealer this past week to explain what was going on and he said that if I bring it it is would normally be $78.88 to look at it. If they find it to be the injectors are at fault, then its free, but if it turns out to be something else then I get charged the $78.88 for the "examination". He said it would take several hours to perform this exam. Of course I have this sickening feeling that, no big surprise, they probably won't find it to be the injectors, but something else, very expensive that they will offer to repair. Does this sound like the typical treatment everyone is receiving?

Also, I have to drive my truck for work (but I don't pull anything, just drive a whole lot). If this potential injector issue going to get progressively worse and eventually screw my engine over?

Thank you all for your assistance,

Daniel

I finally took my truck to the dealer on Saturday afternoon to drop it off before I went out of town for work this week. The dealer called me this morning to tell me they found all 8 injectors at fault and they were replacing all 8 injectors under the special policy. The truck is currently at Cox Chevrolet in Bradenton, FL. I would recommend anyone in the SW Florida vicinity to take your truck there if you are not have any luck. This was the first place I took it because it is right down the street from my house and they are replacing all 8 without a problem. I might add that they wanted to charge for the oil change, which is probably supposed to be free, but I told them to hold off and I would do it myself this weekend when I got back in town. I could have complained about the money they were gonna charge to change it, but it really isn't work it since they saved me $4K out of pocket. At that rate, I can swing for my own oil change, lol. I will let you know how it runs once I get it back this weekend.

Daniel.