Engine oil consumption is a problem nobody wants. Most new engines today use less than half a quart of oil in 3,000 to 5,000 miles. Some use almost no oil. But as the miles accumulate, wear and oil consumption naturally go up. Using a quart of oil every 1,000 to 1,500 miles is not unusual for a high mileage engine. The amount of oil used is still acceptable, but by the time it reaches a quart of more in 500 miles its using a LOT of oil. Blue smoke in the exhaust is a classic sign that an engine is burning too much oil. Should you be concerned? It depends on your budget, the value of your vehicle, if you can afford to rebuild or replace the engine, and whether the oil consumption is causing other problems. An engine that burns oil will usually foul the spark plugs. That, in turn will cause ignition misfire, higher emissions and likely damage the catalytic converter. Also, an engine that is burning oil usually wont pass an emissions test because of elevated hydrocarbon (HC) emissions. High 0il consumption due to burning will also sho9rten the service life of the oxygen sensors and catalytic converter, even with todays low zinc-phosphorus motor oils. Phosphorus will contaminate these parts and cause the O2 sensors and/or converter to fail. If an engine is using oil because of leaks (valve cover gaskets, oil pan gasket, crankshaft end seals, etc.), the problem can be fixed by simply replacing the leaky gaskets. But if the oil consumption is internal, major engine repairs may be required to fix the problem. CAUSES OF HIGH OIL CONSUMPTION Oil consumption depends primarily on two things: the valve guides and piston rings. If the valve guides are worn, or if theres too much clearance between the valve stems and guides, or if the valve guide seals are worn, cracked, missing, broken or improperly installed, the engine will suck oil down the guides and into the cylinders. The engine may still have good compression, but will use a lot of oil. any problem call arandas auto service 704-449-3896
Posted on: Tue, 29 Oct 2013 14:55:46 +0000
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