Smoke at cold Start up
 

Okay, this is weird. I own a 93 Mazda Miata, it saddens me but it has almost 200K on it, however when I got it, it wasn't in bad shape (car was cheap but in good condition, now I'm working on it) I knew the car would give me problems, but I just fell in love with it and still do. Surprisingly the only thing that the car requires very soon is shocks and struts, plus belts, but something bothers me to no extent and that is the inability to get rid of the cold smokey start up. Tried the valve cover gaskets and valve stem seals... but it still does it. I know I shouldn't blow so much cash in this motor, and should get a new one, but funds aren't on my side right now to find a way to transport the new motor, I work so I need a car, Its running fine, and have considered ignoring it... but my neighbor already came running thinking my house was on fire... yeah... I laughed too... anyway any suggestions? Other than lighting the car on fire... I like that car and plan on a full restoration. I have a feeling its the piston rings but I b lost.

Oh... it didnt do this before, I gave it a tune up, basic just oil and filter, washed and cleaned the filter, replaced P.C.V. and spark plugs and I discovered the spark plug in cylinder # 4 to contain oil, and it wasn't milky oil, it was then I replaced the valve stem seals, but it seems aarent the issue still subsides. WTF?

****SPOOKYFISH****
good point, smoke color is white, smell is of burnt oil, lasts about one to five minutes, only on cold starts, never on full throttle or lift. ^_^

Smoke color? Smell? How long? Warm start also? During driving? During full throttle? During lift?

smoke color is white, smell is of burnt oil, lasts about one to five minutes, only on cold starts, never on full throttle or lift.

You need to get the oil out of the region below the valve cover where the sparkplugs are. If the valve cover gasket still leaks, that must be corrected. I'm sure there's a write-up in the miata.net garage section on how to do a valve cover gasket the right way. Once you get that fixed, you gotta get the oil out and get that area down in there clean.

I accidentally got water down in mine. I just got a Windex spray thingy for cleaning glass, took the pump out and it has a 1' long straw. Stuck that down in there and pumped the water out. In your case, use a rag and then water w/ soap, pump, rag again, etc till it's clean. Then new plug wires and plugs.

you think that ll do eet?

No, I wrote all that just to fuck with you.

Well done sir!

First, do a compression check, if your copmression is good, then it's either your valve stem seals, or your vlave guides.
If compression is bad, the prior two won't mean shit as your rings are shot and you need a rebuild anyways.
Good luck

Which you can use as an excuse to save and get a new motor ;)

If it didn't smoke before you messed with it, then I'd go back through and check everything you messed with first.

You say "the spark plug in cylinder # 4 to contain oil". Does that mean there was oil in the cylinder, or in the plug well?