losing oil

[bryant2482]

ok so heres whats up, my 3000 mile oil change is almost up. i checked the oil today and it looks like im down almost 2.5 quarts. my engine has tons of power and doesnt put out any smoke. any ideas? maybe valve seats?

[ggzilla]

Valve seats seal the combustion chamber not the oil.

 

Two things cause oil loss:

* burning oil

* leaking oil

 

If you don't see oil dripping where you park the vehicle, it may only be leaking while the engine runs. Look for dropping oil off the engine or crossmember.

[flatcat19]

Compression test. Dry then wet.

 

Inconclusive? Leak down.

[datzenmike]

Place a sheet of cardboard under the truck over night, maybe mark the tire positions as a reference. Check in the morning for drops.

 

I used almost a quart on a 2,800 mile trip once and was very happy with that. It will use more on shorter runs into town.

 

If you are leaking oil it will be obvious underneath.

[ggzilla]

Negative. it may only be leaking while the engine runs, for example the line for an aftermarket oil gauge. In which case the cardboard may not show an obvious leak.

[JoeCool]

The valve cover and/or timing cover seems to be a good source for leaks on the L motors. May be a good place to start looking. Mine leaks slightly from the valve cover. Only goes down about a 1/2 qt. to 1 qt every 2500, so no big deal to me.

[datsunaholic]

Almost all engines that leak only leak when running.   The oil level in the pan is below the pan gasket.  But oil will get on stuff when running. and will still drip off after stopping.   They can seep when sitting until the oil is fully drained back to the pan, but those eventually stop the longer it sits.

 

With a catalytic converter, you can burn a quart every 500 miles and not see smoke in some cases.

[Sealik]

2.5 quarts

If you're not burning it....it's on the engine and or.

Oil rings....valve stem seals.....NFG gaskets.

[datzenmike]

ok so heres whats up, my 3000 mile oil change is almost up. i checked the oil today and it looks like im down almost 2.5 quarts. my engine has tons of power and doesnt put out any smoke. any ideas? maybe valve seats?

The dip sticks are not graduated so there is no way to tell how much oil has been used by looking at it. Only way to tell is by refilling it to the full line and knowing how much was added.

[dr.feltersnatch]

how often do you check your oil? did you do the last oil change? are you positive it was full after running long enough to fill the oil filter? i have taken vehicles to the local lube joint and had them not fill it all the way.

[bryant2482]

Ok to answer everyone's question, no it doesn't leak, the engine is dry from top to bottom. I check my oil about every couple of weeks. I hit the freeway maybe twice a month and its usually about 10 miles of driving each time. I did change the oil today, I dumped the old oil back in the 1 gallon container and to be exact I was short only a quart in a half ( 2.5 was a rough guess)

[ggzilla]

OK, so that leaves the other causes of lost oil.

 

1.5 qt/3000 miles is fairly good.

[bryant2482]

Yea so thats pretty reasonable for a engine with 131000 miles on it huh?

[ggzilla]

Yes. Even if it had 30.000 miles.

 

Smoke is hard to see in your own car. But the other drivers can see it. Do the smoke tests to make sure.