Smoke on startup

Bayoutalker · Oct 11, 2017

2017 Ram 2500, 6.4 hemi, 7800 mi

After driving about 10 miles at highway speeds I stopped at the gym for about 2 hours. When I started the engine I got a large puff of white smoke that lasted about 1 sec and cleared out. The truck is not displaying any issues other than that. I have seen it do it in the morning after starting and idling about a half mile and then sitting for an hour or so also.

There is no smoke visible when punching it on the highway.

Is this common?

Cliff

Demon-HeMi · Oct 11, 2017

Bayoutalker said:
2017 Ram 2500, 6.4 hemi, 7800 mi

After driving about 10 miles at highway speeds I stopped at the gym for about 2 hours. When I started the engine I got a large puff of white smoke that lasted about 1 sec and cleared out. The truck is not displaying any issues other than that. I have seen it do it in the morning after starting and idling about a half mile and then sitting for an hour or so also.

There is no smoke visible when punching it on the highway.

Is this common?

Cliff

yeah, every once in a while the hemi will puff on startup, 3 of my dads have done it, my 14 did it and even my 13 3.6l has done it once, im not sure what it is but these 4th gens will do it on occasion, nothing to fear

Sandbox · Oct 12, 2017

I've noticed it on mine twice about a month and a half ago. A few weeks ago I started running 89 as its the middle of Marching Band season and I'm constantly pulling the band trailer. I wanted to see if it made a difference. I haven't been able to catch it smoking on start up since I've been running 89 and I swear the truck runs better.

Demon-HeMi · Oct 12, 2017

Sandbox said:
I've noticed it on mine twice about a month and a half ago. A few weeks ago I started running 89 as its the middle of Marching Band season and I'm constantly pulling the band trailer. I wanted to see if it made a difference. I haven't been able to catch it smoking on start up since I've been running 89 and I swear the truck runs better.

with a hemi you are supposed to run Med grade gas or better

Sandbox · Oct 12, 2017

Demon-HeMi said:
with a hemi you are supposed to run Med grade gas or better

I know, there is a whole other thread about this and my manual states "89 Recommended, 87 Acceptable". I switched back and forth initially and couldn't tell a difference and ended up staying with 87. I'll more than likely stick with 89 from here on out.

Bayoutalker · Oct 12, 2017

Demon-HeMi said:
with a hemi you are supposed to run Med grade gas or better

The manual says 87 is acceptable, 89 recommended. The station I normally use does not have 89 so it gets 87.

Cliff

Demon-HeMi · Oct 12, 2017

Sandbox said:
I know, there is a whole other thread about this and my manual states "89 Recommended, 87 Acceptable". I switched back and forth initially and couldn't tell a difference and ended up staying with 87. I'll more than likely stick with 89 from here on out.

87 will cause more of a buildup in the throttle body making the throttle control stick, been down that road, me and my dad both bought hemi trucks at the same time and he ran 87 until he had that exact issue, it will run but it runs its cleanest with 89

smurfs_of_war · Oct 12, 2017

Mine does it too. I actually can predict when it will. All 3 hemis I have owned have done this.

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DannyMK2 · Oct 12, 2017

mine has done it once or twice. every hemi i've had has done it at one time or another. i wouldnt worry about it.

Bayoutalker · Oct 12, 2017

Thanks for the replies. I was hoping it was nothing. Maybe I'll try a tank of 89 now and again and see how that works.

Cliff

ronheater70 · Oct 12, 2017

Yup, it is somewhat normal.. Mine has done it probably 3-4 times in 7K miles.

It's always fun when it does it at the campground with your buddies and your new truck smokes like a 20 yr old vehicle with 200K on it at startup..

Ramnewbie · Oct 12, 2017

I run premium, either 91 or 93 in mine and it has puffed a couple of times on cold starts. I just assumed it was the rich mixture on initial cold starts. Don't know why but seems like it is more prevolent with shell than bp. Maybe just the fuel additives.

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odinjunior · Nov 12, 2018

I noticed the smoke yesterday for the first time. 2017, 6.4 with 6K miles. I ran 89 for the first dozen fill ups then switched to 87. At 12.5 MPG the savings is significant and I can tell no difference in the way it runs....

SuperBeeMike · Nov 13, 2018

I have been running 91 octane with my 6.4 pretty much its entire life, at 9500 miles. Mine will still puff a little bit of blue smoke when I start it every now and then. It's not fuel related, it's oil related. I've seen this in all of the Hemi's I've owned over the years and it has never been a problem for me, except when my buddies make fun of it. Nothing like a new Hemi putting on a smoke show for my Chevy buddies. Even my wife's 392 Challenger will show off its smoking ability like a punk kid who vapes.

I've put some thought into why they do it, just haven't taken the time to experiment with solutions. I think the PCV system on the Hemi collects oil, then purges oil back into the intake manifold. I have seen some billet PCV catch cans used that will collect this excess oil and store it in a reservoir, to be discarded when you service the car. I've been meaning to buy one to test, but just haven't got around to it. I'm thinking something like this but for a 6.4...

https://www.custombilletstore.net/product_p/20014.htm

I would like to know if anyone has one of those catch can PCV systems but still has smoke on start up.

Bayoutalker · Nov 13, 2018

An update on mine. I now have 21,000 miles on it running 87 and I haven't seen the smoke in a while now. It's getting colder now so it may come back but for now it's definitely better. Maybe it has something to do with break-in.

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wyo2track · Nov 13, 2018

I'm not buying the break-in thoughts. Its a product of the design. Mine has blown blue smoke intermittently on start-up since new. Now have 48k on it near 4.5 years old. My dipstick shows I'm probably down 1/2 quart in 3600 miles since I changed my oil. Last couple weeks I've seen it happen at least 10 times. Probably reasonable...but its still to new. Took it to the service center and they couldn't replicate it of course. Day after I got it back it did it. Went 4-5 days nothing then saw it twice in a day. Finally got it on video the other day. I took it back to the service center yesterday to have recalls number 6, 7, 8, & 9 completed on it as well as have them look for blue smoke again. Recalls are free...but I'm getting a little recall saturated. Stay the course right...? They gave me a 2017 CTD 2500 to drive as a loaner.....lucky me! The CTD tailpipe with 10k on it is spotless compared to my 6.4 hemi's. It smokes more than the CTD....lol. The power on the hills heading home last night is so smooooth and there is no drop in speed on 6% grades. Steering feel is heavy, but man that CTD power is nice!

Bayoutalker · Nov 13, 2018

wyo2track said:
I'm not buying the break-in thoughts. Its a product of the design. Mine has blown blue smoke intermittently on start-up since new. Now have 48k on it near 4.5 years old. My dipstick shows I'm probably down 1/2 quart in 3600 miles since I changed my oil. Last couple weeks I've seen it happen at least 10 times. Probably reasonable...but its still to new. Took it to the service center and they couldn't replicate it of course. Day after I got it back it did it. Went 4-5 days nothing then saw it twice in a day. Finally got it on video the other day. I took it back to the service center yesterday to have recalls number 6, 7, 8, & 9 completed on it as well as have them look for blue smoke again. Recalls are free...but I'm getting a little recall saturated. Stay the course right...? They gave me a 2017 CTD 2500 to drive as a loaner.....lucky me! The CTD tailpipe with 10k on it is spotless compared to my 6.4 hemi's. It smokes more than the CTD....lol. The power on the hills heading home last night is so smooooth and there is no drop in speed on 6% grades. Steering feel is heavy, but man that CTD power is nice!

What you are describing is not the same as I am seeing. Mine was white smoke only for a few seconds after startup and very intermittently. The tailpipe is not abnormally dirty either. Sounds like you have a different issue.

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wgreggking · Nov 14, 2018

Mine too, when cold, parking on a hill, but not always. Ran 89 and 87 91, 25K miles now, doesn't seem to have a correlation. Happens maybe twice a month. I use the lucas fuel additive injector/ top end cleaner, once and a while. Have a 4.6 mustang that gets carbon buildup,cured that, and by boat too.

RoadRamblerNJ · Nov 14, 2018

OP saw White puff lasting 1 second.
Others saw White puffs too.

Some saw Blue puffs.

White puff that disappears very fast is not smoke, it's Steam. Anybody that's ever seen an engine with a blown head gasket can tell you that.

Blue puffs/clouds that linger is Oil Smoke. Very different cause than White steam. Usually worn valve guides allowing oil to enter the cylinder. You start it up and all that oil burns Blue smoke that lingers and drifts from one campsite to another.

Maybe we should split the thread. Blue engine oil smoke guys on one side and all the White guys over here.

Oooooo, that didn't come out right.

PS: My '17 Tradesman, 6.4, 4x4, has 18k on it now and I have never seen any smoke or steam at start-up other than normal dribble of steam from exhaust heating up and burning off the condensation that formed since the last shut-down.

Bayoutalker · Nov 14, 2018

Mine is not steam, it's smoke. I suspect it is excess fuel puddling. It only puffs for a second and then goes away. The smoke drifts away and doesn't evaporate like steam.

Mine usually occurs after a cold startup and a short idle then shutdown. The smoke happens after sitting for 30 minutes or so and restart. Now that I have some miles on it I haven't noticed it lately.

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Smoke on startup

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