White smoke started coming out of exaust after a 20 sae oil change. rechanged oil with 40 sae and cleaned spark plugs, stopped smoking for about an hour and started smoking again weting the sparkplugs so that it will not start. 2000 windstar 3.8 engine.

Does the squeal change when you rev the engine? That would usually suggest the alternator drive belt is loose or old.
Are you sure the smoke is white? The colour gives a good clue to the problem.
If oil was getting into the engine the exhaust smoke would have a blue tint to it. White smoke suggests coolant is getting into the cylinders. With the engine Off check the coolant reservoir for oil on the surface layer. Also check the oil filler hole. Is there a "mayonnaise" like substance there. These signs suggest there is a problem with the head gasket.

blown head gasket --cracked head --or damaged engine block blue smoke is oil being burnt and the milky gunk is coolant/water mixing in with the oil

White smoke comes from water, blue from burning oil and black from too rich a fuel mixture. If the engine was running before the oil change occurred then perhaps you put in far too much oil. This can force oil past seals and into the combustion chamber resulting in thick smoke. Carefully check the oil level on the dip stick for the correct fill level. If there is too much you must remove the overfill. If oil has entered the combustion chamber the plugs may be fouled. Pull one out and examine it. If it is not gray and clean you must clean them all before the spark will jump the gap and the engine can run. If the engine did not run before there is a great chance , based on white smoke, that water is entering the combustion chamber.

It sounds like you need a good mechanic to fix your oil leaks. It's probably the valve cover gasket leaking oil on the cylinder head and it's running down on the hot exhaust manifold.

Old spark plugs were likely fouled with oil and not burning fuel (and oil) completely so minimal smoke before change out. New plugs are clean and burning everything in cylinders well including oil (therefore more smoke). If smoke from exhaust is blue, then engine oil is getting into cylinders either through worn out piston rings, or a leaking gasket. If black smoke, then this is a sign of too much fuel getting into cylinders and not all the fuel is getting burnt during combustion (a fuel system problem).

blue smoke is oil
black smoke is fuel
white smoke is coolant
sounds like head gasket if you are lucky
head cracked if not lucky

Smoke oil? For what your thinking that is oil? Smoke coming from the tailpipe is not good news, but does not necessarily mean the engine needs rebuilding. First, you need to determine what color of smoke is coming from the tailpipe
* White smoke is caused by water and or antifreeze entering the cylinder, and the engine trying to burn it with the fuel. The white smoke is steam. There are special gaskets (head gaskets are the primary gaskets) that keep the antifreeze from entering the cylinder area.
* Blue smoke is caused by engine oil entering the cylinder area and being burned along with the fuel air mixture. As with the white smoke, just a small drop of oil leaking into the cylinder can produce blue smoke out the tailpipe.
* Black smoke is caused by excess fuel that has entered the cylinder area and cannot be burned completely. Another term for excess fuel is "running rich." Poor fuel mileage is also a common complaint when black smoke comes out of the tailpipe. Black smoke out the tailpipe is the least cause for alarm.


If you confirm us that is oil smoke, check and keep in mind that the car has many seals, gaskets, and O-rings that are designed to keep the engine oil from entering the cylinder, and one of them has failed. If too much oil leaks into the cylinder and fouls the spark plug, it will cause a misfire (engine miss) in that cylinder, and the spark plug will have to be replaced or cleaned of the oil. Using thicker weight engine oil or an oil additive designed to reduce oil leaks might help reduce the amount of oil leaking into the cylinder.

Keep us updated.

This is not good. White smoke is usually coolant, but the deposits on the plugs indicates oil related issue. Major exploritory surgery is in your future.

Start with a leak down test, and based on the results of that, your next step will be more clear.

Sorry for the bad news, but you already knew that, with the smoke report.

It sounds like the engine is over full with oil, the reason it is smoking is because oil is being pushed past the seals into the exhaust. If it is over full you will need to lower it to the proper level and then drive the stuffing out of it to burn off all the oil in the exhaust. Have see that several times at the shop.

This problem is common but often over looked. Moisture vapor is a grayish white color but it dissipates very quickly. Smoke that is grayish white is caused specifically from burning oil. The problem you have is a small seal called a valve seal. It is very common in cars that sit a fair amount of the time. The seal gradually starts to leak and allow tiny drops of oil to drip into the combustion chamber. When the engine is started then it smokes until the oil is burned. Due to the amount of time that your car smokes after start tells me that the leak is very small. That is why there is no oil consumption. This is not going to harm the car unless it becomes very bad and then the only thing that would happen is more smoke and fouled plugs. You can start using a heavier weight oil and add an oil treatment to the oil when you have it changed. This may evin stop it all together. Hope this answered your question. Please rate this solution if you think it has helped. Good luck and thanks cj2176.