Not a drip on the concrete no smoke coming out of the tail pipes but oil is dropping quickly on the dip stick every few days of local low to moderate driving. Maybe 1/8 quart or so.
I like having a little fresh oil in there but Bradd Penn is not cheep and I can not figure where it goes.
I did a search but did not see any thing that matched.
Any thoughts
Thanks
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You're either leaking it or burning it. If there isn't any drips on the concrete its bypassing the rings and going out the exhaust pipe.
Generally, if the oil level is going down and there are no drips or runs on the engine or the ground then it's being burned during combustion due to bad valve guides or bad piston rings. Usually when you're driving, you can't see the exhaust emmitted from your tail pipe so it is possible to have oil in the combustion. If you have mechanical skills, go to Harbor Freight and for $30.00 you can buy a "Leak Down Tester". You'll need a compressor also. Once the cylinder is pumped up, if you hear air leaking from the intake side then you have bad valve guides, if you hear air leaking from the exhaust then it usually means bad valves and, if you hear air leaking through the oil fill or any other breather device then you have bad piston rings
Not so general but possible (only seen this once) is a bad crankshaft seal coupled with a super tight mating of the transaxle and the engine. Oil collects in the bellhousing and eventually soaks the clutch. Again, I've only seen this instance once and it's VERY, VERY unusual to have such a tight fit between the engine and transaxle that oil can't leak to the ground.
May be a small leak
and hitting the exhaust.....look for a dark crusty area on exhaust
Thanks for the replies it gives me a next step to figure it out
I was off on the "Leak Down Tester" by 10 bucks but it's still a good investment
What's $10 bucks these days? A couple of fancy coffee's, plus tipping the fancy-named, minimum-waged person behind the counter, at Starbucks.
Doug, look to see if there is any smoke on start-up. Also, from a standing start accelerate quickly through the first two gears while someone is watching for smoke. The smoke may not be visible while you're driving along at moderate engine rpm.
Also, if you can, jack the back of the car up and inspect the underside thoroughly with a flashlight. Do you have an external cooler with rubber lines? If so, check for cracks or holes that may only leak when the engine is running.
Thanks Ron,
I am out of town for a week when I get back I will track it down.
