The fiesta burning Oil

why not just keep putting oil in it? it will be cheaper than another engine. have you tried using the correct oil?

I am using the correct oil - 5W30. I do wonder if "High Mileage" 10W40 would be better. What do you think? The Fiesta manual says 10W40 is OK in Zetec-SE engines but that 5W30 is better.

Tony

use formula e oil only, and change it at least once a year

If, with a hot engine running at tickover, removing the oil filler cap results in the release of massive pressure then the PCV is blocked. If this was so however I would expect it to be leaking like a sieve externally, not burning it.

However, it;s worth checking.

Tim..

What's Formula E oil?

I change it currently about once every 1500 miles because it's burnt it all!

But I do drain it all out ever six months and replace it and the filter anyway.

Tony

In message , Tony Brett writes

Its the name for Fords own 5w-30 ACEA A1 spec oil.

It varies in price from £13 to £27 for 5 litres, depending on how greedy your local Ford dealer is.

There is no massive release of pressure but with the filler cap off there is a significant flow of air out of the the oil filler orifice. It's like having your hand under a reasonably powerful hot air dryer in the gents (but with oil splatters!). Is this is problem?

Tony

Try raising the revs to 2500ish, if its still doing that i think its having serious blowby problems or the PCV is blocked. At idle its normal for some air to be pushed out but as the revs rise the PCV system should suck crank case pressure away and burn the vapours away. If the PCV cant cope it then blows out the cap etc. Its worth a bit more investigation before buying a new engine IMO.

When does it smoke?

The airflow out of the orifice almost stops at 2500 rpm.

Never. Which is odd given the amount of oil it's burning!

Tony

Youre sure its not leaking and pooling somewhere? Can you park it on a slope (in either direction) - this made a leak on mine obvious. To be using a considerable amount of oil I'd expect to be able to see it or smell it very obviously in the exhaust.

I'm actually starting to smell it faintly inside the car when I'm driving it now. Especially with the blower fan on. Not so as to be annoying but the smell is definitely there.

If it is pooling somewhere it must be a f***ing big pool by now! It's certainly not leaking out because I'd see it on the clean and light-colour garage floor.

Tony

sounds more to me of a blocked breather-pipe some where, the fumes( small droplets of oil created by the movement of the engines internal parts) are being pushed through a breather pipe and most probably into the inlet. this would account for no signs of a leak.

Also would account for smell with fan on - blocked breather like the PCV would high pressure in crank case so likely to be misting from some other breather under the bonnet and being sucked into the cabin. If it were burning it I'd expect you to be smelling it at the exhaust, noticably.

In message , Coyoteboy writes

Sorry to bring everyone back to earth but as previously mentioned, the Zetec SE is known to shatter the oil control rings if its been treated badly in the past. The symptoms are right, the mileage is right. My money is on the rings :-(

and of course if the cat is doing its job it will burn the oil smoke in the exhaust, only time to check for oil smoke is the first couple of miles while the cat is cold.

mrcheerful

mrcheerful . wrote:

Of course this is a known problem and may well be the cause but as long as the guy is able to do his own work on it he might as well check out the cheaper possibilities first.

OK - so I've had this car from 70,000 miles to its current 80,000 miles. I drive fairly hard but not stupidly so. Certainly not when it's not warmed up and rarely over 5000 revs.

Why am I seeing this now rather than 10,000 miles ago?

Tony

Fatigue failure doesnt show up until its time, then it dies. If it were a ring/ringland it could be a case of fatigue i suppose.