'04 Freightliner, Detroit Diesel problem blowing white smoke

**Gusarski** · 07.23.2009

I have a 2004 Freightliner Century Class with a Detroit Diesel motor in it. There is a problem with the truck blowing white smoke out.

When it starts up, it works fine and everything... after you drive it and stop somewhere, it blows out white smoke at idle for about 2-3 minutes. Every 1000 miles or so, there is very little antifreeze missing. I've had the truck taken to Freightliner dozens of times and spent thousands of dollars on a new turbo and a rehaul on the motor and still have not solved this problem. They say that there is something wrong with the EGR and everytime they fix it and say it'll be fine, it does the same thing again.

Does anyone have any clue what it could be?

Thanks in advance.

**Heavyd** · 07.23.2009

EGR cooler leaking anitfreeze into the exhaust stream.

**Gusarski** · 07.23.2009

I see. Do you think that this can cause any damage to the truck or can it be driven without a problem?

I had this fixed at the Freightliner dealer and they changed the EGR cooler, but now after I got the truck back, it still leaks. They told me that there still might be antifreeze left in the stream and it could still be smoking from that. Do you think this could be true? Do you think it could be caused by some head gaskets leaking?

**112racing** · 07.23.2009

do an oil sample because white smoke usually means anti freeze

**Heavyd** · 07.23.2009

There could still be some antifreeze in the muffler, but after all this time it would have been burnt away by now. If you rebuilt the engine and you still have the same problem, did you get a new head? If you reused the original head and just changed the head gasket it is possible there is a tiny crack in the head that expands when hot and allows coolant into the combustion chamber. Very hard to diagnose this though. Yes, try and oil sample too!

**Peanut Butter** · 07.23.2009

Check the brass rings where the injectors fit into the head, if one of them is cracked it will suck antifreeze into the engine right along with the fuel from the injector, i drove a truck that done that and the injector wound up going bad pouring fuel into the engine, got real bad fuel mileage then. after brass ring and new injector it ran like a top.

**Heavyd** · 07.24.2009

One of the worst things you can do is an inframe and reuse the original head.

**rakesh** · 11.30.2009

i have 06 columbia detroit motor and i got problem of egr in colarado freightline did job but after that i never got same engine power back even changed turbo 515 motor work like 415 even i spend money but now i dont even detrit did work on it still not good power but i have good diesal average

**frankyl19** · 03.04.2011

I have a 06 Freightliner Classic Xl with a CAT and i'm getting 4.8 MPG.

I Want to trade it in for an 06 Freightliner Century mid roof sleeper with 14L detroit 455hp, 10spd, 3.58 rears, and lp22.
I do 65mph and is in flat terrain all the time, How many MPG could i AVG?

**Ghostryder09** · 05.23.2011

The egr cooler could still be failing. On the driver side of the motor there is a 5" or so rubber tube it is for the air cooler and runs to the intake, take the end off closest to the intake when you look inside of the end that the hose connects to it should be wet with coolant. There is a small tube connected to it that runs from the egr cooler. Rev the engine a few times and use should see coolant coming from the tube. Could possibly be a head gasket leak, to check it bump your idle up to 1grand and put the overflow tube from the coolant tank in a glass of water. If you see bubbles coming out of the tube you have a bad head gasket. Hope this helps.