Grand jeep cherokee 1997 white smoke /tail pipe

Two choice:
1. Inspect the Head Gasket; Cause: head gasket leaking coolant into cylinders
2. inspect the Engine; Cause: Cracked block leaking coolant into cylinders.

Coolant is not a flammable liquid, therefore a lot of coolant in cylinder creates starting problem. You should check your engine and the coolant system for this issue.

The first thing you can do is check the oil dipstick - you're looking for a milky brown color as opposed to a dark brown (normal) color for oil - unless you've recently had an oil change - then it will be like honey. If you don't see any discoloration - I would then look around the the bottom of the area where the valve covers are located - the valve covers sit atop the heads and if you have a "blown" head gasket - you may see evidence of water/coolant seepage. You can also take the vehicle to a mechanic, who can do a simple test using air pressure to isolate a potential gasket issue.

Good luck (remember rated this post).

It is most likely your head gasket. Check for antifreeze in your oil and oil in your antifreeze. Or it could also be your intake gasket. Whatever you do. DO NOT put any kind of products like that into your motor. Those are strictly last resort options. Take the Jeep to a garage for an estimate and repairs. Only add those products if you are planning on changing the whole motor out for a new one!