


Symptoms of a Bad PowerStroke Injector

by Alexander Poirier

The PowerStroke fuel injection system is designed for diesel burning vehicles. It uses a combination of the hydraulic injectors of old diesel engines and the electric injection system of gasoline engines to provide diesel vehicles with a reliable means of fuel injection. The PowerStroke fuel injector is not without flaws; there are several ways to tell if your PowerStroke injector is in need of adjustment.

White Smoke

Smoke is the easiest way to tell what is wrong with a PowerStroke fuel injector. White smoke is normal on startup, but excessive white smoke could mean a loose injector or low compression.

Black Smoke

Black smoke is normal on hard accelerations, but excessive black smoke means the fuel-to-air ratio is too high. Black smoke can also be attributed to restricted intake or exhaust, or a leak in the intake hose.

Blue Smoke

Blue smoke is normal when the engine is cold, but excessive blue smoke means the air-to-fuel ratio is too high. Blue smoke can also result from contaminated fuel or a plugged injector.

No Start/Hard Start

If the truck struggles when starting or does not start at all, it could be a sign of a bad injector. If this happens during cold starts only, it is most likely due to a loose or faulty glow plug. If this occurs during hot starts as well, it could be due to a multitude of issues, including a faulty oil pump, leaking injector o-ring or a computer malfunction.

Rough Idle/Loss of Power

A rough idle and/or loss of power while accelerating is generally associated with thick or incorrect oil, but it may also be related to deteriorated injector o-rings.

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