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Heavy Black Smoke When Accelerating

One of our ambulances, a 2004 F-350 has has developed a problem of shooting out black smoke when excellerating after coasting downhill and then accelerating.

The engine sputters but doesn't appear to loose RPMs.

Anyone out there experienced the same thing and has a solution?
 

d-kuzmen

Master Ford Tech
2,109
79
Connecticut
The egr valve is probably hanging open causing the lack or power and smoke. I do work on alot of ambulances, we have an account with a ambulance builder, this is a common problem from all the idle time these things usually get. Where are you from?
 
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Hey everyone. I am located 8 miles east of Lynchburg, VA in a small comunity called Concord. Not pronounced like the one in Mass.

I forgot to mention it is 6.0 diesel with less than 40,000 miles.

It was built by Osage located in Linn,Missouri
 

6L PWR

Kansas Chapter member
Hey everyone. I am located 8 miles east of Lynchburg, VA in a small comunity called Concord. Not pronounced like the one in Mass.

I forgot to mention it is 6.0 diesel with less than 40,000 miles.

It was built by Osage located in Linn,Missouri
Funny, I'm about 50 miles from Linn Missouri. :) I don't drive an ambulance, but I do have a 6.0 F-250. My smokes a ton while accelerating, but it might be do to the race program. :) D-Kuzmen has it nailed for you I bet though.
 
Could the fact the radiator reservoir fluid keeps being blown out be related to this problem?

I have replaced the reservoir cap but I continue to find evidence of the antifreeze being sprayed all over the outside of the reservoir. I never see an actual wet leak. It is always dried white on everything.
 

d-kuzmen

Master Ford Tech
2,109
79
Connecticut
Could the fact the radiator reservoir fluid keeps being blown out be related to this problem?

I have replaced the reservoir cap but I continue to find evidence of the antifreeze being sprayed all over the outside of the reservoir. I never see an actual wet leak. It is always dried white on everything.

How full do you make the bottle when you top it off? It should not be any higher than the min mark on the bottle. If you keep having this problem you could be looking at a few different concerns, one beeing a bad egr and oil cooler, also a possibility is blown headgaskets. If you continue to blow coolant out of the bottle with the level (cold) at min, then you have a bigger problem then just blowing black smoke. I recomend getting it to a dealer with a good diesel tech.
 
On another website they mentioned a EGR cleaning/flushing system used by some dealers. Has anyone had their EGR cleaned this way?
 
d-kuzmen,

We have been keeping the fluid at the Min and it helped cut back on the amount of blowout. I think sometimes operators have added a little more and this may be causing the problem. We havn't been losing as much since be began keeping it at the min mark. Back when we keep it at the Max mark we had an excessive blow out.

I am not sure we have a Ford dealer that has a good diesel tech.
 

d-kuzmen

Master Ford Tech
2,109
79
Connecticut
On another website they mentioned a EGR cleaning/flushing system used by some dealers. Has anyone had their EGR cleaned this way?

We do not recomend cleaning the egr valve Ford used to have us do it but it didn't work out well so now we just replace them.
 

d-kuzmen

Master Ford Tech
2,109
79
Connecticut
d-kuzmen,

We have been keeping the fluid at the Min and it helped cut back on the amount of blowout. I think sometimes operators have added a little more and this may be causing the problem. We havn't been losing as much since be began keeping it at the min mark. Back when we keep it at the Max mark we had an excessive blow out.

I am not sure we have a Ford dealer that has a good diesel tech.

If your still blowing coolant out when it's set at the min mark i'd be concerned that there is a problem and the cooling system is being over presserurized causing it to blow out. Something like I mentioned before, headgaskets or egr cooler. You can bring it up to see me in Connecticut, I work on ambulances from all over my state and surrounding states as well.
 
Thanks for all of your help.

I have purchased a new EGR valve from the local FORD dealer and will have the mechanic we use follow your recomendations, Dave.

I will let you know how it works out.

P.S. Dave, I would like to have you take a look at this vehicle, but I don't think I can convience our treasurer it is necessary to take it to Conn.

I have placed pictures of our fleet in the gallery.
 

d-kuzmen

Master Ford Tech
2,109
79
Connecticut
Thanks for all of your help.

I have purchased a new EGR valve from the local FORD dealer and will have the mechanic we use follow your recomendations, Dave.

I will let you know how it works out.

P.S. Dave, I would like to have you take a look at this vehicle, but I don't think I can convience our treasurer it is necessary to take it to Conn.

I have placed pictures of our fleet in the gallery.


Let us know. Yeah I hear you that is a quite a haul for you. If you can't find anyone to or that can fix it down there your welcome to come up.
 
It's time to update this post. Blew the Turbo hose off again. This time it snaped the hose clamp. Not at the conection but in the middle of the band. Also still blowing coolant everywhere. Even when there is only a skim in the bottom of the bottle. Now the dealer is trying to say the 6 year 120,000 extended waranty required by class action is out of date by a month. This is a problem we have had for several years several ford dealers have worked on this ambulance. Around here Ford is good at stalling on major waranty repairs waiting for the waranty to run out. They do bits and pieces reapirs knowing it isn't what really needs to be performed. I don't think Ford has any good diesel mechanics in Virginia. I realize this should be in the Superduty section, but since I started it here last year and had good results I have left it here.
 

godblessmud

CHECKERS OR WRECKERS
1,596
63
Moscow, ID
Im assuming your talking about the turbo oil line? If you are getting over pressurization of both the oil and coolant i would lean toward a gasket issue. When you drain the oil does it appear milky? Sounds alot like someone overfilled the oil and the overpressure caused blowby and possibly damaged your headgasket or rings.
 
Oil is OK, It has been changed several times since the excessive pressure in the coolant began. There has been no change in color of the oil. There has been no overpressurization of the oil observed.
 

godblessmud

CHECKERS OR WRECKERS
1,596
63
Moscow, ID
I dont suppose the wastegate module has fallen off has it? That would explain your lack of power, black smoke and stumbling on acceleration. Just had this happen with a 96 powerstroke a friend bought, he was wondering why it wasnt building boost and rolling solid coal..no boost = overfuel
 

blacksnapon

Moderator
Staff member
It's time to update this post. Blew the Turbo hose off again. This time it snaped the hose clamp. Not at the conection but in the middle of the band. Also still blowing coolant everywhere. Even when there is only a skim in the bottom of the bottle. Now the dealer is trying to say the 6 year 120,000 extended waranty required by class action is out of date by a month. This is a problem we have had for several years several ford dealers have worked on this ambulance. Around here Ford is good at stalling on major waranty repairs waiting for the waranty to run out. They do bits and pieces reapirs knowing it isn't what really needs to be performed. I don't think Ford has any good diesel mechanics in Virginia. I realize this should be in the Superduty section, but since I started it here last year and had good results I have left it here.
Sounds like the unison ring and/or the vanes are sticking in your turbo. That'll cause the hose problems and greatly contribute to overboosting, and headgasket issues. Remember, the 6.0 doesn't have a wastegate. You need to get someone to remove the turbo and clean/replace it.
 

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