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I fueled up at Costco 2 days ago with regular, 34 gallons. I noticed a slight miss/hesitation later that day and then noticed a slight difference when starting the engine. My truck has always run fine with no problems. When I washed it this morning, I noticed soot on the tailgate. Drove 20 miles to car show and there was more soot, cleaned it again and drove another 20 miles, on the way, filling tank with premium (8 gallons). More soot. Found out today that some Sam's clubs and Costcos were supplied from a terminal that had had diesel fuel put into the wrong tank. So far the Costco I filled up at was not listed as one of the locations getting the bad gasoline. Also, if I get on it a little, I can see black smoke coming out tailpipes. So far no check engine light.
Has anyone else experienced soot on tailgate? If so what was the problem/remedy? I don't know if I hoping it's gasoline with a little diesel or another problem. We leave in 3 weeks for a trip pulling our travel trailer. By the way, I have 35,950 miles on my truck. But, I do have an extended warranty.
HINT/TIP: Put your vehicle information (year, model, cab, trim, engine, wheelbase, _x4 drive, etc.) in your signature -OR- provide it in your posting(s).
*Telepathic or Carnac we're not.
When was the last time you checked / replaced the air filter?
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HINT/TIP: Put your vehicle information (year, model, cab, trim, engine, wheelbase, _x4 drive, etc.) in your signature -OR- provide it in your posting(s).
*Telepathic or Carnac we're not.
When was the last time you checked / replaced the air filter?
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Would help wouldn't it. Sorry about that. I'll have to work on a signature.
Air filter is good. Truck is '16, XLT, 3.5 eco, AEM filter no tunes, Raptor exhaust with catted oem down pipes and resonator delete x-pipe. Here's pics I just took. I know there has been many posts about ecos having sooty tailpipes but I have never had it on the tailgate.
You might have put contaminated gas in your truck and you're worried about soot on the tailgate? I would be more concerned about engine and fuel system damage.
You might have put contaminated gas in your truck and you're worried about soot on the tailgate? I would be more concerned about engine and fuel system damage.
I am trying to find out if there is another reason for the soot. After the fill-up, I wasn't sure if it was just my imagination that the truck was running differently. I know I shouldn't need spark plugs yet, but have read posts about some needing them sooner than expected. Then I heard on the news about Sam's club and Costcos diesel mix up. These locations are 40 miles or so from me, but who knows? And then I saw the soot on the tailgate. Others might think the truck is running great, but when you drive something every day you notice if something is not right and then your imagination runs wild.
So, I am asking if anyone else has experienced excessive soot.
If it feels oily, then you might want to get the tank drained and the fuel system flushed. the soot should be dry and powdery, if it isn't then there more than likely is some diesel in the fuel as it won't burn properly as it needs high compression, and doesn't burn from a spark, the end result is it goes through the system and spits out the tail pipe as unburnt oil.
DI spews a lot of soot. But in this case, with the pipe shooting to the side and down, I'd think it shouldn't get on the tailgate, but maybe the vortex around the truck does a little bit. I drove my new truck home 600+ miles, and it had very little. On other white cars, the rear looked basically black after the same trip, so definitely an improvement. What for sure can stain the tailgate is what the rear tires are treading over. That might be it.
I guess I left out a key piece of information. I have the Raptor exhaust exiting under the bumper. If the exhaust was on the side, I might never have noticed it. The tailpipes are sootier than normal. I've had this exhaust system since last November and until now never had soot on the tailgate, not even a little, just dust/road grime. I'll be calling my local Costco today to see if they got some of the bad gas. If it was straight diesel, it wouldn't run at all. It's just a slight difference in how it is running and the soot. Yesterday, I topped up with premium to further delete (if in fact it is diesel in the fuel) and to up the octane. Thanks for all responses and suggestions.
Usually I get a lot of road grime and black specks on the tailgate when driving on newly paved (asphalt) roads. PIA to get off when washing too. Driving a silver truck doesn't help either.
Soot on Tailgate
HINT/TIP: Put your vehicle information (year, model, cab, trim, engine, wheelbase, _x4 drive, etc.) in your signature -OR- provide it in your posting(s).
