a quick question for a friend with out bbs access, if his engine oil level is just under the maximum on a over night oil check, could this cause a oil burning problem as he seems to think since topping it up its smokes a bit, but only when pulling away from a start when he has been ticking over for a while, and not every time and no smoke at all on the move at any revs ..any ideas will be passed on with thanks ..

If the engine has high mileage sounds more like valve guide wear.

should of said 22000 miles full service history sorry..

Often hard to tell in winter if the smoke is the exhaust gas condensing or if it's really oil smoke. During winter I get some worrying-looking grey / white plumes from my exhaust but it doesn't use any oil or coolant ...

Only way to be sure is to get someone to watch from the back.