6.0L is running wierd and smokin like a train

[2004FORD4X4]

My truck when it feels like it will start running really wierd. Sometimes the turbo will constantly spool up and down and I can hear the over flow valve release the extra pressure, while its doing that puffs of black smoke come out of the exhaust. Then sometimes it doesn't have power when I stomp the throttle, then 5-10 seconds later while still stomping the throttle the turbo spools up and then bam full power, I'll release the throttle and stomp on it again and the whole thing starts over again, no power 5-10 seconds......Then other times while cruising huge amounts of grey smoke come out the exhaust, if I accelerate normally it will do it. If I floor it it wont do it. Only grey smoke while light acceration or cruising, I mean so much grey smoke I cant see the traffic behind me. The dealer replaced the turbo, the EGR valve twice and it did it again 3 days ago, going back on 11/6, just need some info if somebody had any problems like mine and what the fix was. My truck is a 2004 F250 w/ the 03 motor. It didn't do the gray smoke thing untill the turbo and the 1st egr replacment.Thanks for the help, this is my 1st post here.

[Carssuck]

Does it do it only when it's cold outside or with a cold motor?
Thats how mine runs when it's too cold out for the weight of oil in the crank case. Something about the oil being too thick and the injectors can't keep up.
The other issue may be just the tune you are running in the truck (assuming you have a SCT) the hotter files seem to run worse when cold unless you have the cold weather fix.
I just drive easy till she's warm then all is fine.

I am sure Dougie will jump in and guide you in the right direction, he ain't steered me wrong yet.

[PSDPlayer]

Sounds like another egr valve. What is done to the truck? Whats on it? When the truck cranks up does it sound like it gets an extra kick in the ass when it starts? Does it have any oil leaking from the top of the trans bellhousing?

[2004FORD4X4]

When I 1st brought it to the dealer it was for the no power thing. They replaced the egr and the turbo. On my way home from the dealer it was doing the grey smoke thing and it never did that before. It took several days 4 it to do it again and showed the tech what it was doing and he said bad egr. They replaced the egr again and it ran great for a month or so and it started again a few days ago. It has a 6" lift w/ 37s and a Banks 4" exhaust from turbo back. It ran great when I installed the exhaust sys. Had it on it for almost 3 years so I know its not the exhaust sys. I did remove the catylitic converter and the dealer knows that. The 1st egr replacement caused the check engine light to come on cause it was internally shorted, could that have damaged the egr curcuit on the ECU side? Just a thought. Thanks for the help, just let me know if you need more info

[PSDPlayer]

The shorted circuit was the valve position. Its fed a 5 volt refference and the position of the valve alters the voltage back to the pcm. So if it was shorted, it would have shown the valve at one position all the time. Hence the check engine light. Check the connector on the EP sensor. It could also be biased leading to the percieved exhaust pressure to be off. There is a list of things that could be wrong and guessing isn't fixing. I don't understand complete turbo replacement. If it got a new VGT solenoid, did they replace the oil supply tube also?

[2004FORD4X4]

I take it to the dealer just for them to say "If its not doing it now, then basically it'll be a waste of your time dropping it off".But they did tell me when asked if anything Ford can do and they said yes. We'll see. Thanks for the help

[2004FORD4X4]

When the truck cranks up does it sound like it gets an extra kick in the ass when it starts?

Do you mean when it fires up it surges several rpm then idles to normal? Thats what mine does.

[PSDPlayer]

Check the ICP sensor if its blown out. It sounds like its biased and is altering injection pressure.

[2004FORD4X4]

Thanks for the info PSDPlayer, have 1 more ? Would red dyed diesel (the off road stuff) cause problems that I'm having? Just wondering cause the last time it acted up I had the red diesel in it, then I filled it up with reg. diesel just b 4 taking it to the dealer and I have put it in my tank a few times b 4 that. Would it cause other problems? Thanks 4 the help

[PSDPlayer]

It deppends how the Red was made. If it was super clean Green with low sulfer and was just dyed red, then it shouldn't have made a difference. But if it was low quality high sulfur stuff then it could have caused the problems. Lower quality fuels have a lower Cetane. When the cetane drops so does combustion efficiency. Which increases soot, which can contaminate the EGR and turbo.

[2004FORD4X4]

I don't know which type we use, but we do get it from Union 76 distributer if that helps. Thanks again for all the help, great website. I'll fill up only at the pumps to see if my problems go away.