2000 protege 1.6 auto help

[firesidegizzy]

I have a 2000 mazda protege 1.6 auto. One day I can go out and it will start right up and run for a day or two then then nothing for a day or two. I have replaced the fuel pump and thought it fixed the problem. Then it would't start again. it just cranked and cranked and cranked. I replaced the computer the plugs/wires. It fired up and ran beautifully. I drove it one day then let it sit for about a week. Then tried to restart it. Just the cranking again. I took out the plugs burnt them off with a lighter and let the engine "air out" for a bit, put the plugs back in and it fired up. On a short test drive got white-ish smoke for a minute then normal driving/ idling. now it has been sitting for another week and went out to start it and am just getting cranking again. If i clean our the plugs and let it "breath" is the the fuel o-rings, piston rings, or some other sensor I should be looking at? Once she starts up it runs great. It's just the getting it started part that is so confusing. HELP?

[Crzyroberts]

My 99 1.6 did the same thing. Wouldn't start sometimes, but when it did start it ran great. It did this several dozen times before I got a check engine light. Scanner gave a cam position sensor fault. Replaced cam position sensor a year ago-no problems since. It did take a couple months before the check engine light gave a fault code. After changing the sensor I tried the old one again, worked fine for a week then another no start. Put new one back on last September, no problems since