Is your MAF sensor dirty? I'd try cleaning it to start

 

Thanks for the tip. That is something I know how to do. Is it probable that the MAF would reset after restarting and then when letting out of the throttle go back to no power/smoke? Just trying to learn about this truck, thanks.

 

Have you checked all your intercooler and pressure side boost tubes and intake connections?

 

I looked them over, but not a thorough inspection by any means. What still throws me is it somehow resets when i shut the key off and runs fine until I let off the gas pedal, then have to pullover and restart, and the problem is gone until I let off the gas pedal again. Thanks for the tip, I will def pull them all off and clean them, as there is some oil seepage (light) around some. Thanks

 

BTW, I've been reading for hours on this site and all I can say is WOW, there are some very knowledgeable people here. I know it is just a matter of time before someone that has seen this before finds this thread. Also, my friends shop has towed the trailer some now, and it won't do it again. Could it really have been the fuel filter?

 

Honestly I don't think it was the fuel filter. Black smoke is a sign of too much fuel and not enough air. I thought about maybe an intercooler/boot leak but the fact that its an intermittent problem led me away from that. Do you use an oiled air filter?

 

Its good to find I am not alone in the fuel filter doubts. The air filter was the orig one. I thought the filter indicator was accurate way to watch the filter, but now I know it was not. LOL. Don't forget that removing the old filter and running w/o didn't solve the prob. Sorry guys for the crazy posts, but I feel in the middle with my friend who is trying to help, but I have alot of towing coming up and have to be sure I won't get stranded.
One other point, is the truck rarely sees high any hi way speeds and is never run hard. Towing the 15K trailer is the most work it has seen in maybe two years.

 

The MAF code you spoke of in your original post kind of made me wonder about the sensor. Turbo vane issues will present different codes altogether. Do you remember what the codes were exactly, as in the number (like P0---)? Your not alone, we are here to help. At least all the mechanical stuff is ok, the motors not blowing up or anything like that.

 

blkdmax, thanks for your help (and the others too). I don't remember the exact code, just he said it was a high air code? and figured running it w/o the filter set it. The other was a low turbo (speed?) that was old history he said. The only other problem ever with this truck since new was one time it started smoking profusly white smoke/low power on the innerstate, and I found an exit right in front of me and quickly cut over and stopped in a parking lot. I shut it off, looked it over and found nothing. So I fired it up and it has run great ever since (since november of 2010) Maybe that is the low code come from?

 

mine did that to me over the summer a new air filter and clean the MAF sensor really good fixed mine if that doesnt fix it i would try checking the intercooler pipe boots.

 

When you say did the same thing, do you mean it smoked bad/no power and then if you shut the key off and started it again it would be fine until you let off the throttle minutes (or seconds) later? thanks

 

i was towing my boat about 5500 lbs when i started up a steep hill it lost power black smoke started pourin out the exhaust and lost all boost. i thought i lost an intercooler boot pulled over and checked it all out looked fine started the truck back up ran fine for about a mile then it did it again. finally limped it to an auto parts store chacked the codes and had about 10 codes all of them about the MAF senor and low boost. the guy at auto zone recomended the cleaning the air filter and the MAF senor. that fixed mine and ran like a champ ever since that was about 10 months ago

 

I like the way that sounds! Maybe I will be so fortunate. What concerns me is mine did it even after I removed the old filter and drove it w/o one. But, it did go away after several key cycles and hasn't done it again. The only difference is I didn't clean the MAF yet. Maybe the key to sucess?

 

maybe without the filter it blew the dust off it? i would still clean it a can of MAF cleaner is just a couple of bucks and it will help rule that out if it does it again

 

Absolutley will clean it, it has to be dirty with as nasty as that oem air filter was.

 

This is kind of far fetched, but do you still have the cat on? It could be that its clogged or busted up and is causing a lot of exhaust backpressure. My brothers cat came apart somehow and the honeycomb structure inside turned sideways and all but blocked his exhaust in his gas truck.. Once again far fetched but another possibility

 

Thanks for the info. Truck is completely stock except for the superchips tune that I took off after the problem popped up (but it contined to have problem, so it wasn't the tow tune). After spending time on this board, thinking about "doing stuff" now. LOL

 

Went and picked the truck and the trailer up today. It ran/towed great (2.5hr drive). What they did was replace the air filter, fuel filter, and cleaned the MAF. Anyone have any insights on why the truck would produce the previous condition after letting off throttle and then going away after the key was shut off and truck restarted? And is it relative to any of the above replaced /cleaned parts? Does the MAF do a burnoff or something when shut off maybe that could have cleaned it to help it run better after restarting it?