OT Car Oil Consumption

Same engine as my RR, it never uses a drop of oil at all.

That is what we expected when we bought it, like previous BMWs, but this one has always used oil only now after a long blast through France it's suddenly stopped and I'd like to try to understand why/how.

Very odd.

Maybe the rings have finally bedded in? I drive a Volvo B12 coach at work, and it took over a year for the oil consumption to settle down to the same as the other one had from new.

I've also noticed a reduction in oil consumption after a long blast when an engine had been used on local work for a longish period, although admittedly this was an older engine. In that case, I suspect that the rings had got gummed up, and cleared with the heat and vibration.

I call the long fast blast in a town-dwelling car an Italian tune-up......

My thoughts exactly, not only that, the oil you topped up with in France may have a very high detergent content which also helped to free off the rings. What oil does your service man put in here, and how *do* you drive it here?

Seeing as I have known this engine and it's high oil consumption for 68,000 miles I always carry 2 litres of oil with me on any trip. It's the oil I've used for a long while, Castrol Edge Sport 0W - 40 which conforms to BMW LL-04. I often accelerate using full welly and am known by friends as being a fast driver so I can't see the "Italian tune-up" being a possibility. However I am wondering if the hours spend with cruise set at 130kph (82 mph) may have cured a problem since new like, perhaps, an oil cooler thermostat suddenly starting to work or a pipe blockage moving so cooling the oil and stopping it boiling off.

It's just weird.

But does the engine ever get seriously warm or is all your driving 'round about town'? A quick squirt doesn't get the engine warm.

Oil doesn't 'boil off' but it does burn away if it gets into the combustion chamber. My suggestion would be that the engine has finally got properly warm and something like sticking piston rings have freed off thereby making them work properly and keeping the oil where it should be.

I don't think that a sudden bedding in would take place with 60000 already on the clock (assuming that the engine also has 60000 on it).

... but you're happy now!

No, I do mixed driving with longer journeys to Cornwall and the Lakes and France thrown in a few times each year. I think nothing of driving 60 miles each way for lunch.

Yes, and intrigued, but is it a sign something is going to let go soon.

On or around Mon, 15 Jun 2009 17:31:48 +0100, "Nige" enlightened us thusly:

I doubt it, unless yours has been messed with. 330d, maybe...

"Austin Shackles" wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com...

I read it as a 330d ffs.

On or around Wed, 17 Jun 2009 14:33:33 +0100, "Nige" enlightened us thusly:

Mind, it still shouldn't use oil to any great degree. I've heard this said about several modern engines, though, that they expect some oil consumption.

The TD5 uses a bit. about 6K since the oil change, I had to put a litre in.

Phew! I've got a 1988 V6 Commodore that I've put 1.3 million km on without overhaul. Power's way down, but it still only uses 0.5 litres of oil *or less* per 10,000 km. That's been on LPG since new.

So any idea why modern engines should use such large amounts of oil?.

For the same reasons that they don't wear out (hard piston rings and cylinder walls) they never actually bed in either - you're stuck with manufacturing tolerances between the two which allows a wee bit of oil past.

Our VAG 1.9TD is just the same: about a litre per 1000 miles.

i think the long journey may have unblocked a breather allowing the engine to relieve crank case pressure the proper way and not allowing oil to go past the rings

i remember when i worked for bmw some of our lads had company rented cars and couldn't believe the oil consumption after our rover rentals had never used a drop

i couldn't tell if my disco burns engine oil cause most of it ends up on the drive

oh my MGZS diesel never uses any oil and thats d>>>> So any idea why modern engines should use such large amounts of oil?. >>

My works van, 1.3 Tdi Vauxhall Combo, uses the same amount of oil per Km's as Bob was quoted. I asked the question at the garage when it was first serviced and was told that "....this is normal sir, if it starts using more, bring it in.". The van gets a hell of a thrashing round town and up and down motorways. My old one never used a drop and that had 120,000 on it, but was a 1.7 Tdi lump. The only problem i've had oil wise was when the nut holding the oil pump pulley on fell off.....lots of noise and a very lumpy engine. The tightarses at the lease company wouldn't pay for a full check over and told garage to replace the pump and "...we'll see what happens...".

Dom

My 90 n/a D used to do 500 miles to a litre till I put new pistons and rings in it now I dont have to top it up.

-- Jon