99 Explorer smoking since changing plugs and fuel filter

Since changing plugs and fuel filter, my Explorer smokes when first started
in the morning for a couple minutes. Occasionally, it will run at a fast
idle before dropping down to normal idle speed. It may be a coincidence, but
I never noticed it before. It did have a rough idle a day and a smell of
exhaust after I brought it back from the mechanic(when plugs and fuel filter
were changed). That was a cylinder 3 problem according to the OBDII code.
Mechanic replaced spark plug wire which was causing an arc when the boot was
placed on the spark plug.

So to recap, these are the problems:
1) smoke when first started for a few minutes in the morning.
2) Fast idle(at times) when started.
3) rough idle and smell of exhaust(seems to have been corrected with
replacing spark plug wire).

All the above changes seem to have occurred after the plugs and fuel filter
were changed.

Any suggestions on what may be causing this. The smoke kinda looks like in
the winter time how a engine exhaust smokes before it warms up.

Thanks, Lance

Update to previous post.

It is 1999 Explorer XLS 4.0 with 106,000 miles. No major problems since I
bought at 50,000 miles. Just normal maintenance(oil changes, belts).
Replaced MAF sensor at about 75,000 miles.


"Lance" > wrote in message
...
> Since changing plugs and fuel filter, my Explorer smokes when first
> started in the morning for a couple minutes. Occasionally, it will run at
> a fast idle before dropping down to normal idle speed. It may be a
> coincidence, but I never noticed it before. It did have a rough idle a
> day and a smell of exhaust after I brought it back from the mechanic(when
> plugs and fuel filter were changed). That was a cylinder 3 problem
> according to the OBDII code. Mechanic replaced spark plug wire which was
> causing an arc when the boot was placed on the spark plug.
>
> So to recap, these are the problems:
> 1) smoke when first started for a few minutes in the morning.
> 2) Fast idle(at times) when started.
> 3) rough idle and smell of exhaust(seems to have been corrected with
> replacing spark plug wire).
>
> All the above changes seem to have occurred after the plugs and fuel
> filter were changed.
>
> Any suggestions on what may be causing this. The smoke kinda looks like
> in the winter time how a engine exhaust smokes before it warms up.
>
> Thanks, Lance
>

did you check the plug gap's

No,
Since the mechanic was the one that placed them in the engine, I did not
check his work. I should have. When I last took it in for a coolant flush,
I explained what has been happening since they worked on it last. That
afternoon, I got it back and all problems seem to be corrected.

Still keeping an eye open for any smoke from the exhaust though.

"jimmyh" > wrote in message
lkaboutautos.com...
> did you check the plug gap's
>