My car CAN'T be burning THAT much oil... CAN IT?!

[cjman15]

OK, so my Check Oil Light came on about three days ago. I check tha oil, seems to read about normal... maybe even a little bit over. So today I head to work (around 8 mile drive) and it comes on in tha morning. I figure I will check it on my way home if it still comes on when I got off. Sure enough, it came on right away when I started it up, then I headed for home. I get home, pop tha hood, pull tha dipstick... and it's barely reading ANY oil at all! Like just the tip was showing anything... WTF?! It goes from full to down that much in like two days? I know my car is burning oil, but not that much! It leaks a couple drops on tha floor as it sits over night... where's it all going? You think it leaks out while I'm driving or something? Seems like a dumb question, but I'm just frustrated with this oil thing.

Oh yeah, and the whole time over tha past few days... my oil pressure has stayed consistant... if that means anything.

Thanks guy,
-- CJ

 

[cjman15]

I drove down to a gas station and I could notice my car starting to tick enough to hear it sitting at idle at tha station. So I put in two quarts of 10w30 and now it's ready way way over tha full line... Now I'm guessing I have to drain out a good bit... what damage could it cause having it over tha full line... I'm guessin' it will burn off quick enough anyhow, ha

 

[PonyBoy90]

I know that having to much oil will lower your hp as more of the crank goes through the oil and this slows things down. I think you may get oil in the crank case which is shouldn't.

 

[88 Fox GT]

I am having the same problem. I KNOW my engine burns a little oil. But, it never smokes unless you floor it at like 4000 RPMS and up. Then I get a little blue smoke. But, I have put 9 quarts of oil in it in 2500 miles. I put 5 in for the oil change. Few days later, my oil light comes on and I put another quart in. This puts me at just a litte over full. Few days later, oil light again. Dipstick reads barely anything but oil pressure is always normal. The check oil light comes on like every 4 days. It's terrible.

 

[cjman15]

Yeah, my pressure is always constant... pulses with the engine rev and everything. I get some heavy smoke sometimes when I'm going down a hill and decelerating in third tachin' around 2k-2.5k or under WOT sometimes, but not that much. I guess it's just something I gotta deal with til I get it rebuilt or buy a new crate motor... 170k miles are soon to turn over......

 

[Michael Yount]

"But, I have put 9 quarts of oil in it in 2500 miles."


DING, DING, DING, DING!!!! Ladies and gentlemen - we have a winner!!!

Well - it ain't rocket science. It's either leaking it or burning it. If it's leaking, no way to tell how much it's burning. To nail that down you'll need to be sure it's not leaking any. If it's not leaking, and you're using that much you've got major engine issues that will likely require an overhaul to solve.

cjman - sounds like you might have some sort of malfunction with your oil level sensor.

 

[89rdgt]

damn i thought mine was bad 1qt ever 1k. But i bet you dont have a cool little knocking noise to go along with that do you....
So does that make me the winner?

 

[SAYNOTORICE]

i was having same problem...but luckily i knew where the leak was coming from...i would check over the engine thoroughly but two places to inspect closely are...1)rear main seal 2.) intake seal...the intake seal is tricky cause it may not be too obvious it is leaking, check for small pools of oil around distrbutor, also if its the rear part of the intake it may seem like main seal...just double check...you probably have a case of both burning oil and a leak

 

[88stangmangt]

5.0's only run good when there burning oil.....and the rear main seal are the #1 loser for oil leaks...chances are both of you arnt burning it if you dont see a trail of blue smoke following you..climb under the car and see where it is all going....also make sure you are on level ground when checking the oil.

 

[Michael Yount]

Back of the valve covers is VERY common as well - and people often mistake it for rear main because it drips off the bottom of the bell housing (along with other places). Many rear mains are replaced only to leak just as badly afterwards because the real culprit was a clogged pcv screen/valve which was increasing crankcase pressure FORCING oil out where ever it could get out - often the front and rear seals.

No - you don't win a prize for the knocking sound and oil consumption. But blow it up big time when the knock lets go - and post a picture of the broken pieces - now that'll make you a winner.

 

[Michael Yount]

And for what it's worth - with about 72K on the motor in mine - it's bone dry on the outside, and doesn't use a drop between changes. They're not required to leak or burn oil.

 

[cjman15]

Would 20w50 help to not burn so much if it is burning it?

 

[88stangmangt]

good god might as well use pancake syrup..... i wouldnt go any higher than 15-40 and that is even a diesel oil. All my fords ran great even if they smoked.....and micheal yount is dead on about the pcv system. is all goes back to good up-keep......

 

[Michael Yount]

20w50 might help - ok to try it in the summer; but it's too heavy for cold winter starts.

 

[8950HO]

Many rear mains are replaced only to leak just as badly afterwards because the real culprit was a clogged pcv screen/valve which was increasing crankcase pressure FORCING oil out where ever it could get out - often the front and rear seals.

Excellent point,everybody should read this.

 

[Michael Yount]

Anyone who's ever owned a Volvo with an OHC engine knows all about clogged pcv/flame-traps and resulting oil leaks.

 

[HISSIN50]

Where is the unofficial supporter of 20W-50 (Crazy Pete)?

Michael is right - in the old days guys would run SAE 30 weight in motors that burned some oil. These days 20W-50 works pretty well. I have done it in the summer, not for consumption reasons, but for pressure and temp issues (10W-30 is like vegetable oil here when it is 110*F outside and the motor is over 200*).

Good luck with it.

 

[Michael Yount]

It's really enlightening to have an oil temp gauge - as the oil temps climb with ambient, in mine you can see the pressure drop. I generally match viscosity to ambient temps running 5w-30 in the winter time; and 10w40 in the summer. I'm about to switch the Volvo to the same oil I run in my wife's Bimmer - synthetic Shell Rotella T (diesel spec) in the 5w-40 weight. That way I can run the same oil year round, and in both cars.

 

[89white50]

because the real culprit was a clogged pcv screen/valve which was increasing crankcase pressure FORCING oil out where ever it could get out - often the front and rear seals.

Last summer, im sure the pcv system started the whole mess, the back intake gasket was leaking. Bro-inlaws a master ford mechanic, so he knew what it was right away. But yes it drips down the bellhousing and tranny, and also it would drip onto my cats and burn oil that way. I changed all the gaskets, main/rod bearings, front rear seals...everything. Now, about 6k later im back to smelling burning. Mostly is the valve seals...hard engine breaking(getting hard on it then let completely off in the same gear), gives me a small amount of smoke. Im sure some is the rings with 120+k on those, but dont think its much. I go through a quart about every 1k. Hence, instead of doing an HCI this summer, im buyijng a sportsman block, and building a 347 stroker with my bro-inlaw. Wont be done till next summer, but much less of a PITA. and more ponies

 

[HISSIN50]

It's really enlightening to have an oil temp gauge - as the oil temps climb with ambient, in mine you can see the pressure drop.

Very wise and true. (You know, i bugged you about oil coolers over a year ago and I still have not done it. I just keep running M1 15W-50 in the summer). One of these days.