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Is blowing smoke on start up always something serious ?

BowDown

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My truck has smoked on occasion. It is not a 5.7, I have the 6.4 in a 2500, so there are some differences. I have owned it for almost 6 years and have 170,000 miles on it. About 5-6 times over the years, when I started it (usually a cold start) it would put out blue smoke for a few seconds and then it would subside. Then it would not do it again for 6 months or a year.
This same truck will exhibit the "hemi tick" from time to time and it would just stop "ticking". I bought a stethoscope to try to nail down the location, but it quick "ticking" and has not done it recently. I don't remember the last time it smoked, probably about 8 months ago. The truck uses no oil and my oil pressure is about 32 at idle warm and mid-50s while driving.

I am thinking the smoking is perhaps an accumulation of oil from the crank vent, that gets sucked in under certain circumstances. This truck has been almost without issue; I hope the one I have ordered, will be the same.

Valve stem seals. My 2003 5.7 started doing that before I sold it if it sat for a long time or if I idled it for extended periods.
 

Scram1500

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Black smoke points to excess fuel, like an injector that leaks overnight or faulty warm up regulator. A sniff test would tell you right away
 

jdl440

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I started blowing smoke on startup Friday-allot of smoke. Is it always something serious or can it be someting out of adjustment ? I am calling the dealer tomorrow.
What did you end up doing about this?
 

yellowboy

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Nothing took it to the dealer and then took it back after 3000 miles they said it’s within specs burning a quart every 3 to 4 thousand getting rid of it as soon as truck prices come down no more Ram
 

HSKR R/T

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Nothing took it to the dealer and then took it back after 3000 miles they said it’s within specs burning a quart every 3 to 4 thousand
If it's only burning 1 at every 3-4k, then yeah, they will say it's in "spec". I've seen guys brining 1 qt every 1000 miles and be told it's within spec. had a buddy with a ZL1 Camaro that was burning 1qt every 500 miles. Anyone in their right mind knows that's excessive. Dealer told him it was within spec for a supercharged car, then red flagged his VIN in the system as voiding power train warranty so he couldn't even take it to a different dealer. And Chevy corporate basically told him to pound sand when he tried to escalate it. So he sold it and bought one of the 50th anniversary Camaros.
 

yellowboy

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I won’t sell it privately. I have a conscience. I will trade it in because I won’t do to somebody what Ram did to me.
 

HSKR R/T

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I won’t sell it privately. I have a conscience. I will trade it in because I won’t do to somebody what Ram did to me.
Well trading it in will mean it still ends up getting bought by someone else. At least private party you can explain what it's doing so they know, as opposed to another person getting sold a truck with an issue, and not being told. The dealer and Ram won't "fix" it when you trade it in. They will just clean it up, throw it in the shed car lot, and jack up the price from what you go on trade.
 

Malodave

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My 2008 Big Horn started smoking after the first Oil Change@ 3500 miles. Turns out they over filled it.

Malodave
 

6of36

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Nothing took it to the dealer and then took it back after 3000 miles they said it’s within specs burning a quart every 3 to 4 thousand getting rid of it as soon as truck prices come down no more Ram
With Cadillac northstar engines, it was considered normal to burn 3 quarts between oil changes when oil changes were still recommended at 3,000 miles. They had a low oil light, because they knew they burned so much the engine would blow from running out of oil between changes. You could take to any gm dealership for free oil fills.
 

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