Ford Escort white smoke

this

and the

Sure it's not just steam, from condensed water in the exhaust pipes? Mike.

This is loads of white smoke, not just a puff.

No obvious signs of head gasket failure either.

sPoNiX

There is no way a fuelling or igntion fault can cause white smoke.

The only way is an exhaust system filled with water from lots of short journeys or normal condensation on cold start in cold weather, OR a failed headgasket / cracked head / block thats allowing coolant into the combustion chambers. As you say its not using coolant then it must be the former.

Tim..

Far too much smoke for condensation.

A friend mentioned that a PCM/Oxygen sensor fault can give white smoke (Possibly unburnt fuel?)

sPoNiX

I used to have the same problem on my Sierra EFI. It was cured by changing the valve stem seals. Not a too big a job either.

Ian

NOSPAM.

of short

weather, OR a failed

the combustion

the former.

You say it clears. How long does it take to clear? IME it can take a long time before the whole exhaust system gets hot enough to evaporate all the moisture in it. I agree with Tim, if you're not losing water, condensation is the only logical assumption that can be made.

white smoke

Which corrects itself after running for a short time? Mike.

Just as an update...I checked the Oxygen sensor (HEGO) and found that it had been 'disconnected'.

However, it had been 'disconnected' by someone wedging a piece of square plastic tube between the two connectors.

I'm assuming that the previous owner did this for some reason to make it look like the sensor was still connected when it wasn't..

What effect would deliberately disconnecting the sensor have? Why would someone do this? Why would someone make it look like it was connected? Would an MOT tester check for a disconnected sensor?

sPoNiX

It will cause the ECU to run in a default mode and not in closed loop mode. This means that it will not be adjusting the fuel mixture for the conditions, and instead running the car slightly rich, just like a carburettor. The sensor tells the ECU the oxygen level in the exhaust which is importnat if the catalytic convertor is to work properly. Disconnecting the senore will cause the fuel consumption to increase, and increase the quantity of unburnt fuel passing through the exhaust and cat to the atmosphere.

No idea. Seems a very starnge thing to do.

No. They check the emissions, but these may be within the limit anyway.

In any case I don't think this has anything to dow ith your smoking problem. It's either condensation as others have said, or it sounds similar to what happens if you accidentally put a bit of diesel into a petrol car...

If say, unburnt fuel did give rise to alot of white smoke, or any other colour of smoke for that matter you would have running problems along with the smoke. You say the engine runs fine, there fore we can dismiss a fuelling / ignition fault.

Its condensation.

Tim..

It has passed two or three MOTs while we have had it.

A further update: Have checked the Ford Technical bulletins and there is indeed a similar fault mentioned...dodgy connections between to either the HEGO and/or the ECU.

sPoNiX

Well it realy doesn't look like it can be anything else. Are you sure it's not ticking over too fast? That would produce more steam than usual. For what it's worth, I often see oldish cars with huge plumes of steam coming from the exhaust at this time of year. If there are no other symptoms then it really can be nothing else.

I don't think this would cause smoke, certainly not white. Unburnt fuel guves black smoke, so you can forget that idea!

Gah, 2L Ecotec Cavalier, get best part of the 8 miles to work before the exhaust finally clears. Thought it was a problem at first, but it seems to be well known with this engine/car. I'm sure the suspension rises as the mass of water evaporates.

Its also common with the mk1 2 litre and 2.5 litre mondeo- with the dual exhaust back box- there is so much exhaust on these it takes ages for them to heat up and all the water to evaporate from the silencers..

Tim..