2011 Suzuki Grand Vitara - ticking noise and white smoke from exhaust on hard acceleration

Hi

I'm having an issue with my 2011 Auto Suzuki Grand Vitara (Engine 2.4L J24B, about 30,000kms). It went without a service for quite awhile (entirely my fault) and the oil was dark, thick and sludgy when it finally went in for a service. The mechanic flushed the oil multiple times to clear out the gunk and this was done again just recently and the oil seems good now.

The main issue that started happening before it went in for service was that I all of a sudden found that when I accelerate moderately hard (I'd say about 2500+ RPM), at the transition mainly from 2nd to 3rd gear (though not only these gears) I'd hear a loud ticking/clicking, kind of like the sound of a stick in the spokes of a wheel and I'd get a massive plume of white smoke billowing from the exhaust. The smoke is so thick that you can't see anything behind you. The ticking continues if I hold down the accelerator, if I let it go it stops, but if I press it on again the ticking still continues. I basically have to come to a stop before it settles down and stops ticking when I accelerate. When this is happening, more and more white smoke billows out when the accelerator is pressed. Once I come to a stop small amounts of smoke continue to come out of the exhaust and this only really seems to stop if I switch the engine off for 10 mins or more. I might be wrong, but it doesn't seem like the ticking is coming from the engine in front of me, but more like it's below or slightly behind where I'm sitting in the driver's seat.

I've found that I can drive my car without this problem ever occurring if I accelerate in a way that I don't go much over 2000 RPM.

The smoke doesn't smell sweet (so I'd say not burning coolant), it smells more like burning oil, but it doesn't appear to have a blue tinge to it which I've read burning oil usually does.

The initial few flushes of the oil seemed to improve the problem for a few days, but it reverted back after that and subsequent flushes have made no difference. The mechanic thinks that because of how bad the oil got, the scraper rings are not clearing all the oil off the pistons and so oil is getting in the combustion chamber and burning off. Myself and a slightly more "expert" friend are not convinced this is what's happening because I don't think it really explains why the smoke continuously comes out the exhaust (although in much smaller amounts) until the engine has been off for awhile and I don't think it at all addresses the ticking sound.

I want to take the car to another mechanic for a second opinion and fresh perspective, but I'd like to go with a bit more info/ideas on what the possible problem is. Given the ticking sound, when the problem occurs and that the smoke is white, we wondered if it might actually be burning transmission fluid and not oil, but not sure if this is just a red herring (not sure if it's even possible).

Can anyone give possible suggestions? Your help will be highly appreciated. Fingers crossed I won't just need a whole new engine.

Tim