oxfordtruck

1999 F150 which has white smoke when starting, this just happened suddenly. The truck has 248,000 miles. Any ideas

Triton v8

It could be a blown head gasket leaking water into the exhaust. If it's a blue-ish colored smoke than it would be oil but if it's white than it's prolly water.

transmaster

Indeed a blown head gasket.

Just call me Sean

iTrader: (1)

I have a hard time telling the difference between white or blue smoke, it's such a slight difference. Look at your spark plugs and if you find 1 or 2 noticeably different than the rest it would be the head gasket or cracked head. What they look like depends on how long you have been driving it like that. On mine the cylinder that was getting the water in it had a cleaner looking spark plug than the rest, almost like it was washed off. If it's been a while like that then it would have glycol deposits, I think white powdery looking.

Good old Bill

Agree with Sean, lets go one step further. Remove all spark plugs, pressurize the radiator, crank the engine over and watch for water out the plug hole. If water is present, pull head and also check for cracks between both valve ports.

Fast Hampster

There is another way to check - remove engine OIL cap and look at it's bottom. If you have a cylinder head gasket damage most probably that water comes not only into a cylinder but into oil system also. If it is so, you'll see come sort of white emultion on the bottom of cap.

PS - may be the car is ok and that white smoke is a water condensed in the exhaust?

transmaster

Good point Fast Hampster. This light colored goo is a sure sign of too much water in the oil, and the spinning crank is making salad dressing.

Frenchy

Check also the level on the coolant reservoir, if it diminishes too quick, then there's a leak either at the headgasket, or a crack at the cylinder head

mudpie

248,000 miles wow, on start up , smoke could be valve guide seals and even rings.
head gasket, i think would continue to leak after start up.
i have change valve guide seals with the heads still on the truck, pressurize cylinder with air and take off valve springs,swap out seals and reverse! easy!
rings on the other hand, u know the drill!
i would doubt head gasket leak, if she runs good and only does this on start up, and coolant level dosent change,not a head gasket.
i rember when i was a little mud puddle, my dads galaxy had blocked oil return holes in the head, sludged up!, made that thing smoke like crazy, caused oil to build on topp of valves and get pushed/sucked through seals, pull valve cover and check.
good luck
mud pie