95 Ford Escort white smoke

Tiny
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  • 1995 FORD ESCORT
1995 ford escort with 180,000. Recently I put in a o2 sensor to fix a rough idle problem, the car dies right after I start it, but now, I have white smoke coming out of the back. Can the blown head gasket make the car idle rough and die? Or is it the new o2 sensor, mixing the gas and getting the fuel through the system
Monday, December 4th, 2006 AT 4:51 PM

17 Replies

Tiny
BRUCE HUNT
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The white smoke is an indication of water being burned. Since an internal combustion engine is not designed to burn water this causes the car to burn poorly and thus run rough. Bad head gasket can cause the can to run poorly and the O2 sensor is now getting a component of the exhaust that it is not prepared to handle --- water.
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Monday, December 4th, 2006 AT 5:08 PM
Tiny
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I failed to mention, when I took off the old o2 sensor, the tip of it had a white gritty residue, is this from a internal antifreeze leak, and can this cause my problems with the engine dieing and idling rough, and the blown head gasket? :
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Monday, December 4th, 2006 AT 5:48 PM
Tiny
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Why then would my check engine light come on and off, would the blown head gasket cause a sensor tho make the check engine light go on?
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Monday, December 4th, 2006 AT 6:20 PM
Tiny
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I agree with Bruce, a failed head gasket will cause water to get into the combustion chamber which is causing the smoke. This in turn, is probably causing the o2 sensor to trip which is turning your check engine light on.
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Monday, December 4th, 2006 AT 8:41 PM
Tiny
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Catch_15 picked up on what I was saying and I apologize if I didn't make it clear. Putting other particulates through the exhaust will affect O2 sensors. The O2 sensor is not expecting the antifreeze/water in that volume. The deposits I would venture are residue from that. As for causing the car to die, that I would venture is related to the amount of water you are loosing. At higher rpm the engine will run rough but up to a point it muttles through the water and keeps going. There will be a loss of power associated. At idle where the engine is running slower it is possible that it causes the car to die. You need to overcome the head gasket problem first.
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Monday, December 4th, 2006 AT 8:49 PM
Tiny
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I went out and bought the gasket, but the check engine light was on before I put in the new o2 sensor, I dunno, ill be changing the gasket tommorow, ill let you know
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Monday, December 4th, 2006 AT 8:49 PM
Tiny
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So you mean when I replace the gasket, I may still have a idle problem?
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Monday, December 4th, 2006 AT 8:51 PM
Tiny
BRUCE HUNT
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You may but I doubt it. I would say that once you have a wihite cloud coming from the exhaust you have a serious amount of water in the system. Everything is taxed to make the system keep running. Plugs, etc. I think everything should return to normal.
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Monday, December 4th, 2006 AT 8:54 PM
Tiny
1BIGG1
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Whenever taking your head off its always a good idea if ytouve got the extra cash to have a valve job done plus have the head magnafluxed to check for possible cracks in heads. You dont wanna take one step foward and 3 steps back.
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Monday, December 4th, 2006 AT 9:03 PM
Tiny
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Ok, well it turns out that the white smoke was caused by the new o2 sensor, burning all of what my catalitic converter had endured from the old o2 sensor, running rich or sumthin', so, no more white smoke, but I still have the same problem.

Back to the drawing board, I went ahead and went to pick and pull and got a used mass air flow sensor and idle air control valve. Its worth a shot. My 2 questions are:

1) is there anything I need to do to the engine now that I got the 2 parts on them (depending on if they are 2 good used IAC Valve and MAS.) Like timing.

2) how in the hell do you take off the egr?
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Thursday, December 7th, 2006 AT 1:47 AM
Tiny
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Thank god it wasn't my head gasket, but what in the hell is wrong with this car? Could it be my egr?
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Thursday, December 7th, 2006 AT 2:03 AM
Tiny
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Your original and current problem. Can you clarify the symptoms as they exist now? I am assuming that the start it up and it dies is the issue? Does it ever stay running?
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Thursday, December 7th, 2006 AT 7:45 AM
Tiny
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Here is the problem I have with it as of this morning:

i start it up, and it just dies, it stays running for 10 seconds, then shuts off. Here is what I have done:

1)changed the air filter
2)changed the fuel filter)
3)changed the fuel pump
4)changed the o2 sensor)
5)changed out with a used MAS
6)changed out with a used IAC (both from pick n pull)

what else is there left to change? And do I need to do something to the car such as timing now that I put on the MAS and the IAC? And could it be my egr?
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Thursday, December 7th, 2006 AT 1:24 PM
Tiny
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Timing would not cause the dieing of the engine. No codes coming from the computer so it isn't bad enough to trip a sensor. If fuel pressure is there consistently and the fuel is being delivered consistently, how about the spark being consistent. What is the code reading from CEL?
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Thursday, December 7th, 2006 AT 1:53 PM
Tiny
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I have no idea what you just said. Would bad spark plug wires cause the car to idle rough and jsut die?
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Thursday, December 7th, 2006 AT 1:56 PM
Tiny
BRUCE HUNT
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Timing would not cause the dieing of the engine. If fuel pressure is there consistently and the fuel is being delivered consistently, how about the spark being consistent. What is the code reading from CEL?

Plug wires can cause a rough idle but I would figure it to be consistant and not die unless the idle is too low and the fuel supply not correct. Have you tested the cam sensor and crank sensor?
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Thursday, December 7th, 2006 AT 3:39 PM
Tiny
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I can test them using a simple test light?
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Thursday, December 7th, 2006 AT 4:47 PM

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