Oil question again

coxmattycox · 2 Jun 2009 at 15:22

Hi guys

I've posted about my 51 Fiesta eating oil very quickly, I got it changed to a different oil as the one in it before wasnt ideal.

I have done 1000, yes just 1000 miles and the dipstick is already on the needs filling stage. I did check the levels after it got changed and they were fine.

I'm sure this must mean something is wrong, there never seems to be any leaks anywere.

Anyone got any ideas before it looks like it has to go to a garage :-(

Malt_Vinegar · 2 Jun 2009 at 15:36

If it is not leaking it, it could be burning it, which is usually worse.

You getting any smoke when you boot it?

coxmattycox · 2 Jun 2009 at 16:23

Never had any smoke.

Dogbreath · 2 Jun 2009 at 17:34

Malt_Vinegar said:
If it is not leaking it, it could be burning it

If it's not leaking, then it's either burning it or someone is stealing it. There are no other choices really.

Difference from min to max is probably around a litre or possibly less. You may find that 1000 miles/litre is in spec, it certainly is for many modern cars.

coxmattycox · 2 Jun 2009 at 22:37

Right, so if it takes 4 litres fully, and min to max is a litre it still has quite a bit in it then?

Is there anything you can do to sort this *burning*?

Thanks

Overlag · 2 Jun 2009 at 22:52

Dogbreath said:
If it's not leaking, then it's either burning it or someone is stealing it. There are no other choices really.

Difference from min to max is probably around a litre or possibly less. You may find that 1000 miles/litre is in spec, it certainly is for many modern cars.

1000 miles/litre on many modern cars? so in other words i cant do more than 4700miles before running out of oil and needing another service?

utter tosh really Maybe for a 20year old banger with old seals, but a modern car will not burn that much oil unless its broken (or a super car maybe?)

after 7000miles my oil level didnt change more than 1mm on the dipstick, that included 100miles around snetteron

mejinks · 3 Jun 2009 at 00:03

Overlag said:
1000 miles/litre on many modern cars? so in other words i cant do more than 4700miles before running out of oil and needing another service?

utter tosh really Maybe for a 20year old banger with old seals, but a modern car will not burn that much oil unless its broken (or a super car maybe?)

after 7000miles my oil level didnt change more than 1mm on the dipstick, that included 100miles around snetteron

Hang on, he is right about it being in spec for a number of cars, BMW is one for example.

[TW]Fox · 3 Jun 2009 at 00:04

mejinks said:
Hang on, he is right about it being in spec for a number of cars, BMW is one for example.

This is an arse covering excercise though, few modern cars actually DO use 1 litre per 1000 miles by design.

( |-| |2 ][ $ · 3 Jun 2009 at 00:06

Overlag said:
1000 miles/litre on many modern cars? so in other words i cant do more than 4700miles before running out of oil and needing another service?

utter tosh really Maybe for a 20year old banger with old seals, but a modern car will not burn that much oil unless its broken (or a super car maybe?)

after 7000miles my oil level didnt change more than 1mm on the dipstick, that included 100miles around snetteron

My car doesn't use any oil at all but as has been said some cars do use 1 litre but 1000miles and it's a given normally that you top it up not have a full service every time you need more oil.

BigglesPiP · 3 Jun 2009 at 00:51

Give it a new filter, make sure the intake isn't blocked in any way (think about the bonnet being down too). If it is really low manifold pressure sucking it out the breather you risk damage to the big end due to over-compression.

Does it puff on the over-run (get someone to follow you), this could indicate that oil is being sucked down the valve guides. Or past the piston rings, the latter of which can cause a constantly oily exhaust too.

Is their oil floating in the top of the radiator/expansion tank, we all know what this would suggest.

Also, what was not ideal about the previous oil, if its within sensible values for the motor, and it works on it, why risk trying another grade?

Dogbreath · 3 Jun 2009 at 08:41

Overlag said:
utter tosh really Maybe for a 20year old banger with old seals, but a modern car will not burn that much oil unless its broken (or a super car maybe?)

Utter double tosh really. Some modern cars WILL burn that much oil, e.g. some Vauxhalls, and several manufacturers have that as a spec (which is what I said). Looking around the spec for the Zetec SE appears to be 0.5l/1000km, or just over 0.8l/1000 miles, so the op's may be a little over spec.

High oil consumption isn't exactly unknown on earlier Zetec SE engines, but there are no cheap fixes unfortunately. It's not a very DIY friendly engine due to it's construction, so a good s/h or recon short engine is probably the way to go.

Matt82 · 3 Jun 2009 at 08:53

Dogbreath said:
Utter double tosh really. Some modern cars WILL burn that much oil, e.g. some Vauxhalls, and several manufacturers have that as a spec (which is what I said). Looking around the spec for the Zetec SE appears to be 0.5l/1000km, or just over 0.8l/1000 miles, so the op's may be a little over spec.

High oil consumption isn't exactly unknown on earlier Zetec SE engines, but there are no cheap fixes unfortunately. It's not a very DIY friendly engine due to it's construction, so a good s/h or recon short engine is probably the way to go.

manufactuer's figures are always a bit optimistic in this sense so that people dont moan. my old golf was supposed to be expected to drink 750-1000cm^ per 1000 miles when it was new. it went through that much when it was leaking like a seive.

200k miles later and it doesnt even drink half that

my gf has a fester mk6 1.4 petrol. hers will drink the same amount of oil as mine but over 7 times the mileage

i shouldnt have to change my oil as often though cos its always being "refreshed" :cool:

Overlag · 3 Jun 2009 at 10:35

Dogbreath said:
Utter double tosh really. Some modern cars WILL burn that much oil, e.g. some Vauxhalls, and several manufacturers have that as a spec (which is what I said). Looking around the spec for the Zetec SE appears to be 0.5l/1000km, or just over 0.8l/1000 miles, so the op's may be a little over spec.

High oil consumption isn't exactly unknown on earlier Zetec SE engines, but there are no cheap fixes unfortunately. It's not a very DIY friendly engine due to it's construction, so a good s/h or recon short engine is probably the way to go.

as explained by fox, its just to cover the manufactures backside. No healthy modern engine should leak/burn that much. If they say "its within normal limits" they dont have to fix it and you just have to buy loads of oil every week.

coxmattycox · 7 Jun 2009 at 23:00

Regarding the oil, it use to use a lot of oil, so decided when it needed to be topped up again to change it to the recomended type, as it had another type before. Had a new filter at the same time.

Can you just confirm what over-run is? Sorry im not very mechanically minded.

I will check your ideas biggles,

Thanks for all your input.

Clarkey · 7 Jun 2009 at 23:13

over-run is the condition where you are moving in gear with foot totally off the accel pedal and the engine is slowing down.

Anyway, this is a Fiesta so the best course of action would be to just sell it and buy one which doesn't burn oil.

BigglesPiP · 7 Jun 2009 at 23:20

Clarkey said:
Anyway, this is a Fiesta so the best course of action would be to just sell it and buy one which doesn't burn oil.

LOL!

There will just be a large group of people selling and buying Fiestas to each other for no good reason, it'll be like antique dealing.

Hxc · 7 Jun 2009 at 23:56

I had horrid oil consumption on the Mini and it ended up being a bent valve allowing oil through. Puffed out a big cloud of smoke every time you started it up, but was perfectly clean after that....

Dogbreath · 8 Jun 2009 at 09:11

Overlag said:
as explained by fox, its just to cover the manufactures backside. No healthy modern engine should leak/burn that much.

Sorry but you are incorrect, some "healthy" (as determined by manufacturer) engines do consume that much. Obviously no healthy engine should leak any oil whatsoever, manufacturers don't normaly have a leak specification...

Dup · 8 Jun 2009 at 09:19

Overlag said:
utter tosh really Maybe for a 20year old banger with old seals, but a modern car will not burn that much oil unless its broken (or a super car maybe?)

Try owning a K20a engined car

My car seem to burn more oil than fuel.

The main reason most cars burn oil is if you're thrashing it from cold. Keep the revs down as best you can during whole journeys and see if there is a difference in usage.

Fr0dders · 8 Jun 2009 at 09:50

sounds like the engine oil you've used is too thin and is being burnt as its slipping past.

What oil did you put in ?