White smoke from exhaust

White smoke is an indicator of moisture. All cars will show water vapor at start up as heating up drives moisture out of the exhaust system AND the combustion of fuel produces water vapor. Until things warm up, slight white "smoke" can be seen coming from the exhaust. If there is a lot of smoke, more than a normal car starting up, that could be radiator fluid leaking into the combustion chamber. Is the radiator fluid level going down? If it is, that it could be a gasket leaking.

Hi.
GO TO THIS LINK AND HAVE A READ UP ON THIS MATTER.
Read Those Smoke Signals

White smoke is condensation from a buildup of water from within the exhaust system - if it was blue smoke then it is burning oil ... let car sit for a few minutes and take the dipstick out - wipe it clean - then re-insert dipstick - take it back out and check level against gauge at bottom of dipstick if you think you may have overfilled the oil

Lots of white smoke is coolant & failed gaskets
(major repair)

Some white smoke on start up only, is a very bad
case of injector problems

The misfires can come from ten different reasons
or combinations of them

White smoke on start up can be lots of raw fuel

White Smoke any other time is a failed Head Gasket
& major repair

Check to see if your coolant goes down in the plastic
container overnight

Regarding 2001 audi a6 quattro 2.7t....i was driving to work the car was fine then white smoke starting coming from under the hood and tail pipe. i stopped veilce and alot of oil was dripping from front of car. I towed it home and i looked under the hood and there was oil from valve cover gasket. i let the car sit for a few days, had it running again for a good hour and no white smoke was coming out. I removed the valve cover and gaskets are all bad. i want to know can the valve cover gasket leak cause the white smoke to come from exhaust pipe?

The white smoke you are seeing is steam. From your description, sounds like you have coolent seeping into the combustion chamber, mixing with your fuel/air, and exiting out through your exhaust as steam. 1, blown head gasket. 2. cracked head or block, 3, warped head due to overheating. Most common is #1.

White smoke is most likely a blown head gasket or leaking valve seals allowing oil to leak into the cylinders

Hi,
is it a diesel or gas engine?
Usually excessive blue smoke on start up indicates oil is getting into the combustion chamber. It could be piston rings or valve seals.
Quick check, drive it within operating range and speed. Either use the rear view mirror or get someone to drive it and you follow in another vehicle. Accelerate, then take your foot of the accelerator. Blue smoke under acceleration indicates piston rings / pistons. Blue smoke on deceleration or the "over-run" indicates worn valve guides / seals.

White smoke can indicate coolant in the combustion chambers / leaking cyl head gskt, or incorrect fueling. If brake fluid gets into the combustion chamber it will generate a lot of white smoke from the exhaust. However, that would entail a leaking brake master cyl and a leaking brake booster.

Good luck.