Seem to be burning oil

[Riksta]

My car was making an odd ticking when I started it the other day, mate and I popped the bonnet and were shocked at how low the oil level was with it. Very shameful I must say, I try to look after my cars and I should have checked more often!

Now it NEVER leaves oil on the ground, or drips anywhere, a quick squiz under the car confirmed this, its not leaking oil anywhere (that we can see)

Long story short we changed the oil & filter on Saturday evening. Checked the level tonight, level is still ok, but the nice new oil we put in (5W-30 as stated in the manual) has turned pretty much black - and its only been in there a few days!

Is this common? What's the most likely cause and fix for it? I really don't want to have to be checking up everytime I want to drive the car, but I'm almost scared not to do so now. Hoping its not going to be a big dollar fix, but even if it is I'm pretty much willing to pay it so I don't fry an engine.

[Russ]

If your model has the same oil dipstick setup as my 2011 model, I need to double check it because it doesn't always show the level correctly when I dip it the first time. Not sure when you checked the oil level either but the best time to do it is first thing while the engine is cold as all the oil has settled and you can get a proper reading, you should still remove the dipstick fully even then, wipe it clean and reinsert it to get an accurate reading. The ticking you mentioned was most likely to do with the oil being low, but without hearing it it's difficult to say if it was tappet noise or fuel injection because the injectors can sometimes make a similar noise when the engine is running. I think you'll find that tappet noise is usually more associated with oil quality and not quantity, although it depends how low it was and if the noise was on start up from cold or continuous after the engine had been running for a while. You will probably need to give some more particulars and be a little more specific about your engine and the circumstances relating to the issues. It's not uncommon for new oil to go dark after a few days but generally I think this would mean one of a few things, either the engine needs a good flush, it may be in need of a decarb or you didn't drain all the old oil out when you changed it. If it has a build up of carbon in it this can also cause oil usage but mainly if it is affecting the rings. All engines will use a bit of oil at some stage, some more than others but to establish why and if it's normal or not will depend on factors such as -

What grade of oil was previously used ?

Where was the oil level on the dipstick when you checked it and how many kms had you done since checking the levels prior to the the last service ?

What sort of driving has the car been getting (ie - long hwy driving, short trips to shop and back, hard spirited driving ....) ?


Have you seen any smoke coming from the car at all ? The reason I ask is that I have had a couple of cars in the past which have IMO used a lot of oil (1ltr + every 1000 K's ) I had been told by some that this was normal and by others that it wasn't, who do you believe ? Both were used cars when I bought them and as I eventually established they actually had problems with valve stem seals, no oil leaks anywhere on the engine or signs on the ground underneath. The easiest way to check this is to drive along normally, say up to 3rd gear, back off and let it slow down under gears, then plant it and watch out the rear of the car for signs of smoke, if it does you'll more than likely have the answer to the oil usage issue if you actually have one :(


I'm not saying this is your problem or if you even have one, but from the symptoms described this has been the reason for excessive oil use from my experience anyway, hopefully not yours

A regular check of oil and fluids between servicing is as a general rule all part of owning a car. Think of it as being a bit like having a pet, they need to be fed and have their water bowls filled too, after all they can't do it themselves either

[marg99]

Valve stem seals can usually go any time after about 150,000klm or 8 years. Easiest way is to take a spark plug and see if it has deposits ( usually black grey all over its tip.)from the burning oil.

Otherwise let the car idle for about 5 minutes and rev it up to see if it blows a bluish smoke.

[focus36]

My 2006 Duratec HE Focus is definitely going through oil. Sometimes when i go on throttle after a period of overrun (ie downhill) i see a definite puff of white smoke out the back. One mechanic has recommended i try a higher weight oil to see if that stops if escaping through seals. Does anyone think it is piston rings, OR valve stem seals?? There is never any smoke normally, even under full throttle high rev driving, or on warmup.

I seem to be forever adding oil to the engine! I initially thought it may have just burnt down to a level... but escaping past seals seems more plausable now, especially as it does it after overrun

Any ideas?? and what would be the maximum weight these engines could go up to? Mobil 1 5w-50w be safe?

Also, this only started happening after full exhaust and air intake change. Mechanic ran some diagnostics and said it was definitely pinging at low rpm, so i now run on 98RON and that seems to have fixed that. He says now that the engine is breathing (in/out) ALOT better that i have definitely changed it's compression and pressure characteristics - hence the fuel change.

[marg99]

Valve stem seals usually the first to go but normally 8-10 years after the car was built. Under 200,000 Klm its not likely to be rings or worn bore unless you had issues with the air cleaner system. The cheapest thing to try is check the PVC value is working. Then the heavier grade oil reduces the ability of the oil to seep past the seals but a bit less good lubrication for the motor.

[Russ]

Originally Posted by focus36

My 2006 Duratec HE Focus is definitely going through oil. Sometimes when i go on throttle after a period of overrun (ie downhill) i see a definite puff of white smoke out the back. One mechanic has recommended i try a higher weight oil to see if that stops if escaping through seals. Does anyone think it is piston rings, OR valve stem seals?? There is never any smoke normally, even under full throttle high rev driving, or on warmup.

I seem to be forever adding oil to the engine! I initially thought it may have just burnt down to a level... but escaping past seals seems more plausable now, especially as it does it after overrun

Any ideas?? and what would be the maximum weight these engines could go up to? Mobil 1 5w-50w be safe?

Also, this only started happening after full exhaust and air intake change. Mechanic ran some diagnostics and said it was definitely pinging at low rpm, so i now run on 98RON and that seems to have fixed that. He says now that the engine is breathing (in/out) ALOT better that i have definitely changed it's compression and pressure characteristics - hence the fuel change.

It's funny you should mention about the problem starting after changing the exhaust and intake, I had the exact same issue with another car I owned, a Ford Laser SR2, I had a set of headers fitted and a new sports muffler. A couple of days later I noticed that it was blowing a heap of smoke especially after backing off and going back on the gas again. I took it to a mechanic friend of a mate and he pulled out the plugs and dropped in a little camera to have a look around inside and discovered masses of carbon build up and crap in the cylinders, anyway the verdict was valve stem seals would need replacing (costing around $4k for parts and labour). I ended up trading it in to a dealer who gave me what I had paid for it a couple of months earlier when I bought it privately, couldn't resist the opportunity to pass the bomb on As marg99 has said try checking the PCV valve, maybe a different grade of oil might help, but a lot will depend on how well maintained the vehicle has been as to whether the problem is more severe or not

[focus36]

I think at that cost i would rather be rebuilding the engine myself!... actually just putting a new one in! I had the injectors cleaned also and they said that after this the car blew alot of crap out the exhaust... I've just changed the oil and put 10w-70 penrite full synthetin in it, so we will se how it goes. Seems to get better mileage on this oil at least

[black_friday]

Bit of a thread mine here but my wifes 06 Focus Zetec has been burning oil of late, and I'm wondering if anyone has tried a heavier oil than the 5W-30 as recommended?

The underside of the motor is spotless, so its definitely burning, and I have noticed a blue puff of smoke from time to time, particularly in a low speed corner in second (I drive a v8 so can be lazy with gear changes...). Im talking a couple of litres between 10K services.

Aside from that the car runs fine, aside from some pinging when we ran it on 91 for a while.

Cheers,

Jarrod

[focus36]

Funny that you post this now. Just 2 days ago I had my engine replaced. We ruled out all other possibilities (oil coming through the intake), and when checking the cylinders (by taking the spark plugs out) one was wet with oil so it seemed to definitely have an oil ring problem in one of the cylinders. This meant I had to run it on 98 RON fuel just to offset the oil that was also getting into the fuel through that cylinder.

The ring damage could have been from a cooked radiator in it's past with it's previous owner or may have had the defect from birth. The only indication was it's consumption of oil, and after I had the exhaust system re-done, it was evident out of the exhaust when getting back onto the power after any decent period of over-run (in gear down a hill for instance).

The engine pinged very obviously when running on 95 RON fuel.

The problem went from 1 Litre of oil every 5,000 km's up to 2 Litres, it was becoming pretty bad so it was time to bite the bullet and put a new engine in (well a used one actually).

Only problem I know have is that the Air Conditioning does not work!! something hasn't been hooked up properly. I'm not hearing the compressor switch on at all and i'm pretty sure this was a pretty obvious noise when it did work????

Andy

[Silver Ghia]

Originally Posted by black_friday

Bit of a thread mine here but my wifes 06 Focus Zetec has been burning oil of late, and I'm wondering if anyone has tried a heavier oil than the 5W-30 as recommended?

The underside of the motor is spotless, so its definitely burning, and I have noticed a blue puff of smoke from time to time, particularly in a low speed corner in second (I drive a v8 so can be lazy with gear changes...). Im talking a couple of litres between 10K services.

Aside from that the car runs fine, aside from some pinging when we ran it on 91 for a while.

Cheers,

Jarrod

I'd be trying Penrite HPR5, a full synthetic 5W-40 oil. The extra 10 in higher temp viscosity compared to 5W-30 would be advantageous, also if you are currently using a mineral based oil like Magnatec.

[DZFord]

Originally Posted by focus36

Only problem I know have is that the Air Conditioning does not work!! something hasn't been hooked up properly. I'm not hearing the compressor switch on at all and i'm pretty sure this was a pretty obvious noise when it did work????

Hi Andy, I'd definitely say that something hasn't been hooked up right, as the compressor does make an audible noise when switched on / off.

[marg99]

Most cars also have a cut out switch that means they do not compress when gas level is too low. Also needs the interior fan to work so if it has blown a fuse the compressor will not start up.

[black_friday]

Thanks for the replies guys.

Focus36, do you mind telling me how much it cost to change the motor over? Might be handy to know if things eventually go pear shaped (PM if you want).

Silver Ghia, I'll definitely give the Penrite a go as Ive just used the last of the Magnatec, and they are the same price!

Cheers,

Jarrod

[focus36]

Penrite all the way for me. I tried heavier penrite and it made little difference though.

Thanks DZford and marg99. I'll be taking it back in tomorrow and letting them know, hopefully it's a quick easy fix. Normal heater controls and fans are still working. The compressor is definitely not switching on, but there IS a small engine note change when I switch the A/C on though, wierd...??

Black_friday: All up the cost was $2700 down here in tassie, that included $900 labour for them to fit the engine - Apparently the motor i got has 78,000 km's on it (it was shipped from melb cause i wanted a lower km engine so that may have added a bit to the price). Everything is fine, apart from the Air Con

[DZFord]

Originally Posted by focus36

Black_friday: All up the cost was $2700 down here in tassie, that included $900 labour for them to fit the engine - Apparently the motor i got has 78,000 km's on it (it was shipped from melb cause i wanted a lower km engine so that may have added a bit to the price). Everything is fine, apart from the Air Con

That's a very decent price, if you include shipping the engine from Melb - Tas.

black_friday, have a look on ebay. Most Focus engines (2L Duratec) come in under $1000 second hand.

[focus36]

And it came with a 3 month warranty. I'd make sure it comes with that.
I'm still getting used to the fact that every time i come onto power after a downhill coast that I WONT have smoke billowing from the back of the car!

[black_friday]

Cheers, hopefully I dont have to go down that path anytime soon but its good to have an idea of what $ I'll be up for.