5 Causes of Excessive Oil Consumption and How to Fix it

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We all know the main purpose of oil is to lubricate the components of an engine, so they can keep running smoothly. There is a certain level of oil conFor modern engines, they should consume less than 1/2 quart of oil every 5,000 miles of driving. Most newer cars consume much less. This is not a lot of oil and most car engines will get along just fine with this much.

But there are still things that can happen to change this oil consumption by making the engine demand more oil. If you don’t supply the engine with enough oil or at least fix the problem that is causing it to lose more oil, then you could end up damaging your engine. That is the last thing that you’ll want to happen. Sumption in which an engine will have under normal conditions.

Top 5 Reasons Your Engine is Using Too Much Oil

Below are the five most common causes of excessive engine oil consumption.

1) Worn Seals or Gaskets

If your vehicle has worn out or damaged crankshaft seals or valve cover gasket, then it will likely be leaking oil. Once that happens, your engine will be losing oil whenever you’re driving. This means you will need to constantly top off the engine oil to avoid engine damage.

If you have seals or gaskets that are leaking oil, get them fixed asap. Usually it’s a fairly inexpensive process that will save you a lot of money in the long run.

2) Bad Quality Oil

If you use the wrong type of oil in your engine, or your oil is simply old and has accumulated a lot of debris and dirt, then it will start to burn. More importantly, the oil won’t be able to adequately lubricate the components of the engine because of its condition. This will force the engine to consume more oil.

If your engine oil is dark brown or black in color, get your engine oil changed as soon as possible. It’s an easy DIY job. All you need is new oil, oil filter, oil drain pan, car ramps, wrench, and about 20 minutes.

3) Worn Piston Rings

If you have worn out or damaged piston rings, oil will be able to seep through them and then enter the internal combustion chamber. This will cause the oil to burn while carbon deposits form on the piston rings and cylinders.

Worst of all, your oil level will continue to decrease making it necessary to constantly top off oil. Getting your piston rings replaced is the only good solution.

4) High Oil Pressure

When there is high oil pressure, oil will flood through the engine in excessive amounts. This oil will likely fall on the cylinders and get burnt up. This high oil pressure could be due to a faulty setting on the vehicle’s central computer. A similar problem is adding too much oil during an oil change.

5) Old Engine

The first five years of your engine’s life will be the best years. These are the years when the engine will need the least amount of oil because its components are still new and strong. But after you’ve put enough miles on your engine, the various seals and gaskets will start to deteriorate and cause small leaks.

This means the engine will simply consume oil quicker. In addition, older cars have bigger tolerances where components connect which can allow oil to get through spots which wouldn’t exist in modern vehicles.

6) Synthetic Oil

In most cases, synthetic oil lubricates engines better than conventional oils. But since synthetic oils are formulated differently, they have different flow properties. This means that synthetic oil is sometimes able to get through tighter openings than regular oil.

If you have an older engine or your seals and gaskets are starting to deteriorate, synthetic oil can often be the culprit when it comes to high oil consumption and you’re left with a low level of oil. Switching to a conventional oil will often stop any minor leaks.

How to Fix Excessive Oil Consumption

Most of these causes are fixable and preventable if you simply pay attention to the oil that you’re using and all the components that work with it.

If you have an old engine, then you should seriously consider just selling your vehicle for a newer one that has a new engine in it. There is no sense in spending thousands of dollars just to replace the engine of an old vehicle, since there are so many other components that could still go wrong too.

As for the rest of the causes, just remember to use top quality oil that is recommended by your vehicle’s manufacturer. Fix any oil leaks as soon as you notice them and replace your piston rings and valve stem seals when necessary. If you follow this advice, you should be in good shape with your engine’s oil consumption.(Source: oards.com)