Oil Consumption

[Wolfie_85]

I just took my Explorer on a road trip, around 300 miles each way, and noticed I was burning some oil. A lot. About 4 quarts. She has about 172,000 miles.

I know, probably needs rings, but runs pretty good. No roughness, still has power. I use Castrol High Mileage 5W-30.

How much oil do you guys use? Just curious. (And if you can think of something besides rings, lemme know!)

 

[FR-425]

Must look like a mosquito fogger go'n down the road!

 

[Wolfie_85]

That's the odd part! It doesn't! I only get a little puff when I start it cold, or when I'm standing still and I stomp on it (and it's still a puff, it's clear after the puff).

 

[Wolfie_85]

Random thought: I wonder if the bolts for the lower intake manifold were properly tightened...this oil consumption issue wasn't present before she blew a head gasket and it was replaced.

Not going to be happy if that's the case. That was quite a lot to pay to have someone not pay attention to torque specs.

 

[FR-425]

If it's not go'n out the tail pipe and "puff" vs. "fogger" means it's go'n somewhere else, out on the ground or into the coolant.. ... ..

4 quarts of oil in 600 miles would be visibly smoking badly.

 

[Number4]

my 94 lost a quart every oil change.
No evidence on the ground, plenty of crud around the engine.

Having removed the engine, I'd say the rear main and valve covers were probably the culprits. Transmission is caked in oil.

 

[Wolfie_85]

If it's going on the ground, it's only doing it that badly while driving. The coolant is clean.

 

[FR-425]

If it smokes in the morning then clears up it's not rings, but rather valve guides/stem seals.

Busted ring/s would smoke continuous under all driving conditions.

 

[FR-425]

If it's going on the ground, it's only doing it that badly while driving. The coolant is clean.

It's possible.

The oil galley plugs in the back of the heads may be leaking (more severely at higher pressures while at cruise speed.)

Or the rear main which can do the same thing: drip drip at idle, stops while parked, but a gusher when cruising.

Plus valve covers and all the rest at the same time can add up.

 

[FR-425]

One I've seen personally is the front main seal was leaking badly going down the road but the fan and air flow was blowing the oil clean off the engine onto the ground. You could not tell by looking at it that the front seal was leaking. GoPro to the rescue. Owner put a camera under the car and found the prob after frustrating a whole bunch of mechanics.

 

[FR-425]

And there's a guy on here that found a hole rusted through his valve cover. The oil level only got high enough to pour out the hole when driving.

 

[Wolfie_85]

My valve covers don't seem to have any holes or leaks. Rear main seal is a strong possibility. But I still find it odd that it never happened until the heads were removed and put back on. So I shall check that, too.

Checking for something that isn't happening unless it's driving is gonna be a blast.

 

[vq5speed]

The engine only holds 4 quarts that can't be right. Are you sure it was 4 quarts empty after driving 600 miles I would think after 3 quarts low your engine would started knocking badly. You got a bad leak if it was not smoking down the road. You say you noticed you were burning some oil. What told you you were burning oil?

 

[FR-425]

Well, um, steam clean the engine real good, drive it for a bit and should be easy to trace it down.

 

[Wolfie_85]

I mean over the trip. I check every so often when I stop, and I had a 5 quart container with me. It used 2 quarts each way.

 

[vq5speed]

I think your leaking some but you could be burning some too. If its just a small amount burning through the engine its hard to see that during the day at highway speeds. Only at night with a cars headlight behind you you could see a small haze of smoke behind you. I would check your PCV pull the hose end off to the manifold see if it looks oily in the hose

 

[Wolfie_85]

Oh, and I say I was burning some oil, because from what I've seen, nothing is leaking that badly. Maybe while I'm driving, but if I park it for a day, the oil level doesn't change. Like I said, I have my suspicions, though they don't rule out something else.

 

[vq5speed]

Well it wouldn't leak while it sits once the engine shuts off the oil level settles below the pan gasket and surely below any seals. So how could it leak unless its coming out the drain plug. Its the oil that leaked while driving that is still running down the pan after the engine shuts off that leaked oil will eventually hit the ground.

 

[Wolfie_85]

Yes, but if it's that severe, wouldn't there be something besides just a few drops in the spot you parked it? I mean, I expect to see more oil somewhere on the vehicle or under it. I don't notice any more than I did a year ago. But a year ago, I wasn't losing this much oil. Any other car I had with a leak that bad left a puddle if you parked it and left it for a bit, which is what made me think I was burning oil more than usual.

Not saying it's not a leak, but I was just going off what I observed. I feel like borrowing a gopro.

 

[rodb]

Must look like a mosquito fogger go'n down the road!

Good one!