6.5 Turbo diesel/No power

**MidwestChevyKid** · 07-30-2012, 09:27 PM

So here I am with this new ride I just bought. Thought it was going to be a good hauling truck but this thing can barely make it up a hill without a trailer.

I have narrowed it down to a few things that I think could be the problem (Note that I have barely any diesel experience)

1. Blown Head Gasket
2. Water pump went out
3. Something to do with the tranny maybe?

On a side note, this thing rolls coal like crazy, if your foot is on the accelerator your getting black smoke. So if that could be a side effect of the problem it would make since

**Chriscon7** · 07-30-2012, 09:56 PM

Shouldn't be blowing an black smoke at all, or very very little. Im not huge on diesel know how, but sounds like a turbo issue

**skylark** · 07-30-2012, 10:39 PM

It sound like a vacuum issue with the wastegate. Here is how we diagnosed ours. We unplugged the lines at the solenoid (above the drivers valve cover, it has a green dot on it) and checked for vacuum. One line had 24 inches of vacuum at idle we then connected the two lines together and checked at the wastegate, 24 there. The next step was with the engine off. We moved the wastegate by hand and stuck my finger over the vacuum port on the wastegate and released my hand holding the wastegate, it didn't move. I then released my finger from the vacuum port and watched the actuator move. What this told me is that the solenoid wasn't working properly. We still had 13 inches of vacuum at the wastegate when done but the system is working properly now. I shoot a blast of WD-40 into the vacuum line at the wastegate every oil change to help keep the solenoid from rusting inside. It will run hot if you are dumping fuel and not producing boost.

**DarkCharisma** · 07-30-2012, 10:51 PM

Black smoke means too much fuel and not enough air. Start by checking the air side of things. Clean air filter, verify you have no air leaks such as a blown intercooler elbow, bad wastegate, crumbled lines, etc. Diesels shouldn't smoke under the right conditions. Start there.

**MidwestChevyKid** · 07-30-2012, 11:41 PM

There is also oil all over the under belly of the truck. Just found that out

**BurbanAZ** · 08-01-2012, 11:17 PM

black smoke and no power usually means no or low boost. Do u still have the vacuum actuated wastegate? if u do the little standard test is see if u can more the plunger for the waste gate when the truck is off (you should be able to) then try and move it with the truck running (you shouldnt be able to or it should be very very hard to do). Black smoke is just unburned fuel so its way rich and that vacuum system for the wastegate is a common thing to go out on these trucks. I have a turbo master on mine which is basically just a mechanical spring actuator for my wastegate from heathdiesel.com If you ur vacuum system is bad id recommend getting the turbo master instead of messing with fixing the vacuum system. Also like skylark said black smoke means higher EG, not good.