My 130K 2.5TD has for the past few weeks started needing its engineoil topping up much more often than normal. It still runs fine, noblack smoke, even on start up and feels as strong as even.I'd noticed that the engine block around the base of the rocker coverhad a good covering of oil along with what lookied like oil trailsfrom the fixing nuts at the top of the cover - i thought they might beloose and dripping but they were not.Had a 400 trip to do yesterday so gunked the engine in the hope that iwould be able to spot to source of the oil when the engine block wascleaner.Did a 100 miles on the motorway, when i pulled into the services oilwarning light come on at tickover - opened the bonnet to find theengine oil covering the inner bonnet and most of the engine and thefiller cap was off.I'm pretty sure i didnt leave it off - topped the oil up, replaced thefiller cap and did another 100 miles and all seemed well but the levelhad gone down a bit.Did a further 100 miles and the warning light is back on at tickoveragaian - topped up again and drove (slower) home to find the level haddropped, but only a bit.Last last night i gunked the whole engine bay with a view to cleaningit this morning - from what i can see the problem is going to beanything from a blocked breather to dead rings - am i thinking alongthe right lines with this diagnosis or is there another angle i shouldbe looking at?

Run the engine with the oil filler cap off - does it "chuff" (asort of pop-pop-pop....), and equaly run it with the dip stick out - does it pump oil/fumes out? If either (or most likely both)are happening then he crank case is pressurising. A compression test would be a Good Thing - number 4 cylinder is the usual suspect.If No.1 to No.3 are low, then head gasket/rings/melted piston crownare likely suspects (the 2.5TD engine is amazingly good at runningwith the entire crown truned into a blob of molten alloy by a duff inlector!), plus possibly stuck/bent valves.If it's No.4, coupled with the large oil consumption, then it could bethe above, or it could be the block has gone porus - you'd need totake the head off and look at the bores for evidence of blow-by (sooton the bore not being "cleaned" by the piston rings.Check all the simple stuff first before panicing but the TD doeshave a certain reputation...Richard

On or around Fri, 16 Mar 2007 14:23:37 +1300, EMB enlightened us thusly:wrote:I like the "when" there...

Where is my engine oil going?

Mar 15, 2007 22 Replies

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Sean 19 years ago

That has never worked for me - the fact that i have 5 assorted hammer drills being proof, it's not even a big garage!

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Austin Shackles 19 years ago

On or around Thu, 15 Mar 2007 22:01:12 +0000, Ian Rawlings enlightened us thusly:

I reckon the clutch wouldn't have it meself, I've no special desire to find out though.

well, yeah. there has to be a risk of opening it at explosion point.

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Austin Shackles 19 years ago

On or around Fri, 16 Mar 2007 14:23:37 +1300, EMB enlightened us thusly:

I like the "when" there...

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