Running fine, then blew lots of white smoke that smelled like diesel, cut off and won't start again. Dee

Mate I use to drive a freightliner and it cut out on me one day, I eventually got it started but cut out again after about 5 minutes, I rang a mechanic to come out and he found a heat sensor wire came off the radiator and that caused the motor to cut out... Hope I haven't wasted your time.......

Sounds like a fuel cut out switch!

have you looked into the injectors, or injector balance? glow plugs just preheat the cylinders before you start turning the engine over. if the injectors are dumping too much fuel it will run rich and blow black smoke, lean it will dump white smoke, same as if it has an internal coolant leak, but smell different. Ford has had problems with EGR systems on some of their diesels, being an older truck how many miles is on it? and the front fuel tank could have a bad fuel pump, pretty common for them to do what you have described. Also might want to have the timing looked at on it! It ignites off of pressure, and if the timing is off it will adversely affect the ignition of the fuel which will make for hard starts, and poor running. there is a lot that needs to be looked at to figure this one out! could be quite a few different things. Good luck!

White SWEET smelling smoke, or white OILY smelling smoke? If it's white thick SWEET smelling smoke, you have a blown head gasket - that's the smell of antifreeze burning in the engine, which it should NEVER do. If it's white OILY smelling smoke (smells a lot like diesel), then you're getting too much fuel into the cylinders.

If it's sweet-smelling smoke (antifreeze), pull the oil dipstick & check the oil level. If the oil level is HIGH and the oil looks like a mocha milkshake, that's absolutely conclusive - that's what happens when antifreeze gets into your oil, and it's nasty corrosive to engine parts.

I'm not at all surprised that the oil light is on if it won't start - you won't get much oil pressure until the engine is running.

Black smoke is excess carbon, blue smoke is oil burning, white smoke is water/steam. Is your coolant level ok?

you possibly blew a head gasket

The white smoke usually means there is water in the fuel. The fuel filters are made to swell and you may have a separater that needs draining.

You will probably go through several filters if you do not have a separater. You may be able to add an additive to get the water to dry out.

When you change the fuel filter be sure to prime it with fresh fuel.

Bradley,
You have stated two problems. Coming to second first. Smell of burning rubber. in the car rubber is only at two places where it can burn, The tyres, unlikely as you have not commented upon your driving habits. Some people like to rev the engine so much before take off that the tyres go burning for the first few hundred meters. And then there is rubber on the wires and cables. You have to check the wires for any heat while the engine is running.
Coming to the first now. White smoke is generally of unburnt fiel and not oil. Oil alwayd give black smoke and that is the indication you get when the exhaust is giving black smoke. That means that the engine is consuming oil. if it is white then that indicates that the engine is cold and burning more gas/diesel. Is your a diesel vehicle?? But as you say it from under the hood. And that too behind the engine block. May be that the gasket is leaking from somewhere. If you could check the engine oil level for a few days early in the morning before starting the engine. If the level drops and the exhaust tail pipe does not blacken your finger when you rub it in it would mean that the oil is being burnt. Now what I suggest is that with the engine running and hand brakes on, go under the car with hood open and try to locate the source of the smoke. I am sure you would be able to locate it.
Then we talk again.

white smoke is water ,suspect head gasket but it could be inlet manifold gasket as well if water heated ,it could also be brake fluid via servo unit ,but diesels have a vacumn pump so if its diesel ignore that one .

Well, you have to let diesels warm up before you drive them so the engine gets warm and it may not sound right at first because if its not warm the compression gets off and doesnt fire right. If you try to give it too much gas before its warm, extra diesel will get in the cylinders and misfire. Then when it does fire, there is a lot of extra fuel in it so that causes the smoke and smell. You should always let it warm up for a bit before driving when you havent driven it for a while.