Oil consumption?

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Old 08-18-2009 | 02:09 AM
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kenaye's Avatar
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From: Ft. Lewis still rockin' Hawaii
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Oil consumption?

Just had a question about what the normal oil consuption should be between oil changes. Right now it seems like i have to add about a quart between changes. Just wondering if this is normal or if something might be wrong?
Old 08-18-2009 | 04:19 AM
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Found this for you...

ENGINE OIL CONSUMPTION

It is normal that an engine should consume some engine oil during normal engine operation. The causes of oil consumption in a normal engine are as follows.

Oil is used to lubricate pistons, piston rings and cylinders. A thin film of oil is left on the cylinder wall when a piston moves downwards in the cylinder. High negative pressure generated when the vehicle is decelerating sucks some of this oil into the combustion chamber. This oil as well as some part of the oil film left on the cylinder wall is burned by the high temperature combustion gasses during the combustion process. Oil is also used to lubricate the stems of the intake valves. Some of this oil is sucked into the combustion chamber together with the intake air and is burned along with the fuel. High temperature exhaust gases also burn the oil used to lubricate the exhaust valve stems.
The amount of engine oil consumed depends on the viscosity of the oil, the quality of the oil and the conditions the vehicle is driven under. More oil is consumed under such driven conditions as high speeds and frequent acceleration and deceleration. A new engine consumes more oil, since its pistons, piston rings and cylinder walls have not become conditioned. When judging the amount of oil consumption, note the oil may become diluted and make it difficult to judge the true level accurately.
As an example, if a vehicle is used for repeated short trips, and consumes a normal amount of oil, the dipstick may not show any drop in the oil level at all, even after 1000 km (600 miles) or more. This is beacuse the oil is gradually becoming diluted with fuel or moisture, making it appear that the oil level has not changed. The diluting ingredients evaporate out when the vehicle is then driven at high speeds, as on an expressway, making it appear that oil is excessively consumed after driving at high speeds.

IMPORTANCE OF CHECKING THE ENGINE OIL LEVEL

One of the most important points in proper vehicle maintenance is to keep the engine oil at the optimum level so that oil function will not be impaired. Therefore, it is essential that the oil level be checked regularly. It's recommended that the oil level be checked every time you refuel the vehicle.

NOTICE:
Failure to check the oil level regularly could lead to serious engine troubles due to insufficient oil.

Last edited by Keainakoa; 08-18-2009 at 04:21 AM.
Old 08-18-2009 | 05:24 PM
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I lose about a half-quart to quarter-quart every fill-up cycle. Pretty normal.
Old 08-18-2009 | 08:54 PM
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Don't forget to replace the metal o-ring on the oil filter ATLEAST every other oil filter change at minimum. This could result in increased consumption as well.
Old 08-18-2009 | 11:44 PM
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From: Ft. Lewis still rockin' Hawaii
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Thanks for the info on the oil being burned off, i had a vague idea of it but that clears things up much more. The thing is that i was wondering if the oil my engine is consuming is more than normal compared to members? Just wanted to get an idea of where my car sits and if i should be worried or not. This is my first turbo car so im still kinda new to how having a turbo works and affects the engine compared to n/a cars. My honda i could put oil in and and at 3,000 miles barely burned off any oil at all.
Old 08-19-2009 | 01:01 PM
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This is one of the reasons why a lot of people get catch cans...especially for racing purposes.

For race prepped engines it has to do with the clearances of the cylinders and how oil can get through when the car isn't warmed up...or something like that.
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