94 SW2 Oil eater

Rest assured it is burning it, it is just at a rate that is not visable in exhaust most of the time. They engine may be a little loose on tolerances causing the extra consumption. If you are using 5w30, swith to 10w30 and it should decrease consumption a bit. 5w30 is not the same as 10w30 at higher temps regardless of rating because it has more VI in it (Viscosity Improvers) which do not add to oils lubrication quailty or its stabitly at very high temps. Oils are tested at 200 degrees for 30 weight test and they have to fall in a certain range but oil get a lot hotter than 200 in engine and 5w30 thins out more at higher temps than 10w30 when dealing with regular (non SYN) motor oil.

----------------- The SnoMan

If it isn't on the ground it's being burned. One issue for Saturns is the Oil Rings. They are either stuck from heavy oil deposits (which can be cleaned) or as some have said they have incorrect temper and no longer spring out to contact the cylinder walls (requires engine disassembly)... How frequent have your oil changes been? Can you post some more details on your car and amount of oil burned per miles?

More details on stuck rings here

A second area of consumption is your PCV valve. Inline 4 bangers are very prone to suck oil through a faulty pcv valve. You have two options with that, it can be cleaned with brake clean or replaced with an OEM pcv valve. Aftermarket valves are often too sloppy.

Very interesting tips, Well this is a replacement engine at 70K miles although the previous engine wasn't that much better. I change the oil every 3K miles. Is there an engine flush I should use before the next change and should I use thicker oil and a PVC replacement to improve all of that? Thanks for the tips. Linda

94 SW2 160K miles on body 70K miles on engine & trans

Your PCV valve might be fine, I'm just throwing possible issues to be diagnosed. Soaking the rings should be done "prior" to an oil change as the Piston & Ring cleaner will work its way into your oiling system. Make no change in viscosity of the oil, just the type of oil used after the GM recommended cleaning. Go with Mobil 1 5w-30 for your next 2 oil change as mentioned in the link. It will help work out the sludge.

I do not think that this will fix anything except lighten check book. Mobile one will cost 4x more and likely increase oil consumption and operating cost too. With a replacement engine, you have one of unknown spec and GM does not consider your consumption excessive either. The ONLY reason that GM went to 5w30 is because they determined several years ago that at 20 below zero 5w30 lubes flat tappet lifters in some engines better at start up and that it added a few fractions to MPG in EPA test, not because it was a better oil overall. Try some quality

10w 30 and follow you cahnging routine and see what shakes out on consumption. I have run many engine past 200K with no problems on 10w30. The only time I recommand 5w30 is if you live were it can get and stay below zero in winter and then only durring winter. Also, flushing engines can sometimes do more harm than good and should be avoided if possible. (I have seen people blow engines while flushing them because to much sludge is cut loose to quick and the flush also greatly reduces oil film strength and its abilty to protect engine parts.

----------------- The SnoMan

I have a 94 SC2 that I bought used from Saturn in 97. Full recon-warranty and all that stuff. 36,000 Miles. Back then it used between a quart and half a quart every 3000 miles. Now with nearly

150,000 more miles and nine years later its burning a quart every 1000 to 1500 miles. I've always heard that this model has a slight oil burning diet. Never seen any smoke in my rear view, not at night with headlights on my backside and my foot hard on the gas even. No smooty deposits near the exhaust either. Same Cat converter. I have felt good about using straight 30 in the summer months. Milage is marginally better and consumption is a little lower. I'm in Dallas. Its hot as hell in the summer. Sometimes I think about trying 40, but I dont think that would benefit anything.

SnoMan, Yes yes your right on the engine cleaning I blew an engine in 1978 when I did that so maybe that is how it happened. Thanks you so much for the advice. Best wishes Linda

I would suggest you try 15w40, (not 10w40 or striaght 40) is is a good oil for high temps. Straight 40 may actually increase consumption some and reduce MPG.

----------------- The SnoMan

Hi Wavy, I guess we will just have to live with it and check every fill. Best wishes, Linda

OK SnoMan, I'm going in for an oil change today I'll have them put in 15w40 and see how it goes. Best wishes Linda

PS The xcountry delivery of my 62 factory deep pink Austin Healey Sprite is today I'm so excited. There are only 2 original factory pink ones in the US and 4 in the UK. I do all the work on the Brit cars : )

I have a twin duaghter that wants a pink Mini Cooper one day. Nice find.

----------------- The SnoMan

IMHO checking the oil EVERY fuel up is the MINIMUM that should be done, even on a vehicle that uses no oil. I have never seen any engine fail because of a worn out dipstick.

YMMV

Not me, if it is not a oil burner, I check it every few thousand miles unless oil presure should suggest otherwise.

----------------- The SnoMan

With respect, I do not understand this attitude. If you wait for an oil pressure gauge (which few cars have) to warn you of low oil it will already be too late. Low oil pressure indicator lights are even worse and can usually be called the reach for your wallet light. The low oil light means STOP RIGHT NOW, do not drive home, do not find a gas station, do not wait to check in the morning, and 'do not pass go'.

In aviation we train very hard to understand and avoid what are termed 'human factors', the most common of which is 'invulnerability'. This is the hazardous attitude which leads to thinking that 'it can't happen to me'. In aviation most pilots check their oil before EVERY take off. In the heavy machinery field we check oil and coolant before every shift startup and usually after lunch. The consequences of operating with low oil or coolant are just too great to ignore this simple procedure. In aviation the training is to 'preflight your aircraft like you would if you thought that someone was trying to kill you and make it look like an accident'. We also recognize that the most likely time to have a mechanical failure is right after the aircraft comes out of the shop after a mechanical inspection or any repair. I have seen cars, delivered to owners, down several quarts of oil or coolant or missing reservoir caps or air filters or fan belts. Any tools that you find left in your vehicle are yours to keep.

One of the things that I have liked about modern autos is the use of translucent plastic for the fluid reservoirs for coolant, power steering and brakes. This allows me to easily check these fluid levels by just giving the car a shake from side to side which makes the levels easy to see without opening the reservoirs even if the coolant is hot. A quick look around the engine compartment will show any new leaks.

Every vehicle I have ever owned has had a place under the hood where I could store a spare quart of oil. On my S series Saturns the spot is on top of the frame just outboard of the brake master cylinder. Carrying spare oil means that I never need to pay the exorbitant high cost of buying oil from a gas station and also allows me to top the engine off when it is only down a half quart. Running for an extended period with only 3 quarts of oil in the sump will cause the oil to break down much faster and is not good for the engine. Running close to or below the add mark is a recipe for disaster.

Lifting the hood often also keeps the hood hinges from seizing from corrosion. We have all seen the bent and folded hoods on many GM trucks caused by lack of lubrication and use. They always seemed to be owned by people who were complaining about poor engine life and high fuel and oil consumption.

Owners spend a lot of time here debating the merits of synthetic oils and whether 10w30 is better than 5w30 but the fact is that there is NOTHING that an owner can do that is easier or cheaper or will lead to more good service or cash savings than simply checking the fluid levels and tire pressures. If nothing else, it will alert you to a small leak that can be repaired cheaply before it becomes a major problem and leaves you stranded beside the road at night in the rain.

You are free to decide to operate your vehicle any way you wish, and of course when you have a problem you can also come here and join all the others griping about the crappy manufacturer and poor engineering or why you think that your warranty should be extended but while this griping may make you feel better you will not get much sympathy, and it will still be you paying for the repairs.

Good luck, YMMV

My duaghter has a used saturn that I have been check the oil about even 500 miles until I see what it is doing. My wife has a 200 cherokee with a 2.5 in it and I check oil in it after about 2000 miles It never requires a top off between changes. My 89 4x4 burb has 178K on it and an it does not require a top off yet either.

On the subject of aircraft (I have a pilots license and work in R&D on miltary aircraft for over 20 yeasr in the past) things are a little different. Aircooled recip's have larger clearances because of the wider temp ranges of the engine in operation and they higher sustained power output levels too and they tend to use a little oil and since you cannot pull over at 5000 feet you should check it before every flight. ALso the engine oil provides a criticle amount of additional cool to aircraft engines so its proper level of oil is important. A automotive engine well servive a greater oil loss than a aircraft engine will. ( basically with a old SB chevy, as long as it is on the stick and you are not dogging it, you will be okay)

----------------- The SnoMan

Private,

All very good advice and accompanying rationale. Hopefully it will keep someone from needing to do a major engine overhaul ($$) or junk an otherwise good vehicle before its time.

To be very clear, I too believe in checking my engine oil on all my vehicles frequently and keeping it at the full mark, even if this means adding as little as a 1/3 of a quart. That said, with 5 vehicles in the family, the '96 Saturn 1.9L SOHC requires the most frequent checking since it has the least volume (just 4 quarts to full after oil/filter change) and seems to burn the most between adds as well.

BTW, I've tried to instill this same discipline into my two college aged sons, but the one that drives the Saturn does not seem to get the importance, so I am constantly checking/adding when he drives back home after being away at school.

As you have eloquently stated, checking the oil and coolant levels is probably the single easiest thing to do to prevent major mechanical engine problems.

Bob

No need to really, as long as you are above add you are quite safe. You might top it off before a long trip but for daily driving, it is no big deal.

----------------- The SnoMan

If you wait for the Saturn to be down to the add mark, then it will take a full quart. At that point, the oil in the crankcase is down by 25% of its capacity. If for some reason you don't catch it then, and it gets lower, you risk permanent damage.

Why take the chance? If you have gone to the trouble of checking the level on the dipstick, and the oil is handy, how much more difficult is it to simply remove the cap and pout in a little oil?

SnoMan, why do you continue to argue this and promote your own view? Newsgroup readers can decide to do what they want for themselves. The key point here is that even well maintained, but higher mileage Saturn engines consume oil and have a combined 4 quart crankcase and filter capacity. It really is in the owner's best interest to make sure it gets fed oil regularly.

You are free to maintain your oil level however you like. Others are free to do the same. Readers can choose to follow whichever advice they feel is best for their situation. Enough said.

Bob

Relying on the oil light to come on before checking the oil is a big fat NO NO! I'll have to tell my Honda story again... I had a Honda come in with its check engine light on. I read the code and it was a VVT code. I started to run the by the book diagnosis on it until it stalled on me. I restarted it and tried to do it again but it stalled again. When I restearted the engine it dawned on me that the engine was noisier than a Honda ought to be so I shut it down immediately. I jumped out and pulled the dipstick and sure enough there wasnt a drop on the dipstick! I ended up putting 4 quarts of oil in a

4.3 quart system just to get it filled back up! So much for that oil LIGHT! If it didnt have VVT there wouldnt have been anything on the dash lit up. Needless to say I got that car out of my shop asap. If it had locked up on my time it would of likely been on my dime. I check the oil level on everything that comes in now. Especially 4 bangers as they are the most prone to consume oil.

Remember the days when Owners Manuals said to check certain things prior to driving and at fill ups? Oh yeah those days are still here, I forgot.