Here's the scenario.. truck is 06 fx4 5.4L with 73000kms. just before christmas I did new plugs(champions-was it a mistake?), air filter, oil filter, 5w-20sythetic, fuel filter and she fired up no problem and drove it over the holidays probably putting around 1200km-2000kms. Never had any problems then last week I woke up in the morning turned on the truck and it had a rough idle, but went away very shortly with no issues until yesterday. I started it up drove down the road and lost all power. Tried to crank it over, but wouldn't run. Towed to my house had my battery checked and it's toast so, picked up a new interstate battery and put it in the truck, but it won't keep running and now puking white smoke out the exhaust. I have owned this truck since 30000kms and I'm second owner. Never had any problems with it before of any sort. If anyone can possibly point me in the right direction. No, engine lights of any sorts or check guages at all through out this whole time. Is it possible by coincidence I have bad gas? I'm gonna look into an OBD reader tomorrow. I don't know and it's stressing me out...

Thanks guys

 

White smoke usually indicates a coolant leak into the cylinder.

Pull the dipstick to see if your oil looks like a milkshake (water in the oil). If the exhaust has a sweet aroma it could be coolant.

Once it is warmed up if the radiator hose is extra hard it could be a head gasket (excess pressure from the engine).

If it is white smoke just at start up it could just be condensation in the exhaust. It may have been like that all along and you never noticed it because you didn't have any "issues".

Good luck

 

I've tried some non-stock plugs and went back to the stock ones. I thought I would give the non-stock plugs one more try and went to E3s this time. You can't believe how great they are. Take those Champions out. They work great in older motors but not mod motors.

 

The e3's ended up with rough idles after a few thousand miles. A bunch of members ended up going back to the tried and true sp-515's

 

Thanks for the suggestions. I'm gonna pull the plugs and inspect them along with the cop's. I'm gonna hope I didn't waste a small fortune on these champion plugs.

 

Where do you live? White smoke when its cold is normal just condensation.. Your saying KM's so your Canada its cold.. I wouldn't be surprised if them champions are giving up already you wouldn't be the first thats happened to. I would wonder about your alternator. Battery going bad could be from it not getting charged right..

 

FWIW I run E85 only and I run richer. Stoic is like 9.23 and warm up is richer than normal. I have nothing but praise for them. I ran them on gasoline when they were new only before switching to E85. I guess I'm a lucky one then?

 

My neighbor had pretty much the same issue you are having just a few days ago. He changed the battery but the truck would still not run very well and even had an intermitten no start problem. I looked at it and determined that his alternator was not charging the battery so the ECM was not getting 12 volts minimum. I changed the alternator and his truck is running great now. Low voltage to the ECM will cause all sorts of drivabilty concerns. A sticking fuel injector can also cause white smoke on startup and other problems and cold temps cause it as well. Have the alternator output load tested.

 

I haven't done a load test on the alternator... I will do that first to make sure it works. I haven't been able to work on it because of the rain here today and possibility of snow tomorrow... I'd rather have snow than rain, at least it's tolerable.

Thanks again for the help and I'll keep everyone updated.

 

Just went outside and plugged the OBD reader in and for some reason it won't stop monitoring on "C" Flashing along with EV, beside it and below both O, OH also flashing. How long should I wait for? or am I missing something.... thought I did exactly what the book said.

 

My little one works like this, -key on, plug it in then -

https://picasaweb.google.com/jbrew39...69944717625362

 

Wait a minute, I think you may need a CAN compliant scanner. Maybe that's what the "C" means ?? Not sure since yours in an 06. Someone will know .

 

C is for the Catalyst Monitor, but I don't know why it won't finish cycling

 

Right, that's all your monitors, -Evap, O2, etc..

 

Is the reader CAN compliant? A reader for 97-03 'only' won't work on a later CAN system.
Testing the alternator requies no more than a voltmeter.
Upon starting, the voltage should be in the 15.5 range then taper down as the battery charge recovers. If not there is an issue with the alternator.
Get these things ironed out, then see what you have.
I had to find you first, from the 97-03 forum.
Good luck.