16 Kia Optima eating oil
- Thread starter gabriel9766
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For heavens sake, check the oil once in a while between changes!
No warranty is going to do anything with using a quart every 3000 miles.
EXACTLY. Most modern engines have low tension piston rings for better gas mileage. If you extend oil change intervals, they get sludged up, stick and don't seal as well causing oil usage. Maybe follow recommended OCI, but more important, don't freak out over using a quart every 3000 miles. Its NOT a problem.
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Because you actually own one of these things, this conversation will go nowhere in a hurry (and I didn’t realize you owned one). The best oil, and shorter intervals as you said, is not going to cure these things. Now when you talk about extending the life because of better oil/shorter intervals, and have accounts to back it up…I’d ask to what end are you talking about?
Do you mean…the engine won’t grenade until 110,000 miles? More? Less? I have accounts of people running Amsoil Signature Series through these things for 4,000 mile intervals. They still failed at 80,000 miles. I’m sure some will make it to 300,000 miles because they got lucky and have one without poor quality control from the factory, but that’s not something to count on.
There is no oil on earth that will find its way through metal shavings left in the factory inside a crankshaft that feeds main bearings and connecting rod journals. I took four of these things apart last week, not one single ounce of sludge or even varnish in them. Rings free, clean…heads spotless, but the crankshaft black as night, as the bearings were ground down to nothing. It’s a problem.
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@gabriel9766 Switch to Euro oil, Mobil 1 FS 0W-40 from Walmart. That's just for the beefier DI package. Go online and order a bunch of Red Line SI-1 fuel injector cleaner. Start with two bottles per tank for the first two to three fuel tanks, or even four, depending on how much you can afford to spend. Then go down to one bottle per tank until you notice a change in oil consumption. Change the oil again once you're done with this. The PEA in Red Line SI-1 will break the carbon deposits loose around your piston rings, but it's a slow process.
If you can afford it, get some High Performance Lubricants Super Car 0W-30 or 0W-40, or even 5W-40, and run that. It will also clean your engine, however, running a PEA rich fuel system cleaner is important. Alternatively, get Techron Concetrate one quart bottles from NAPA. Run a quart per fuel tank for about 3~4 full tanks of fuel, after you changed your oil. Then change your oil again.
I don't think your cylinders are scored yet at your mileage, so the above should work. It has worked for me in the past in Hyundai GDI engines with great results, and brought down oil consumption to zero. Good luck!
If you can afford it, get some High Performance Lubricants Super Car 0W-30 or 0W-40, or even 5W-40, and run that. It will also clean your engine, however, running a PEA rich fuel system cleaner is important. Alternatively, get Techron Concetrate one quart bottles from NAPA. Run a quart per fuel tank for about 3~4 full tanks of fuel, after you changed your oil. Then change your oil again.
I don't think your cylinders are scored yet at your mileage, so the above should work. It has worked for me in the past in Hyundai GDI engines with great results, and brought down oil consumption to zero. Good luck!
You got lucky then. My maintenance regimen was as strict if not moreso for my '17 Sonata SE that I got in 2019 w/ 25k miles. My car was burning 1qt per 500 miles and I was doing 4k OCI with QSFS 5W30. Nothing I tried worked and I tried everything except a piston soak. I was feeling it may be that time but shortly after seriously contemplating it, the car was totaled in an accident.
Not all that to say your maintenance routine doesn't help. I'm sure it does, and I wish more people took better care of their cars to that extent. Just saying, somethings were clearly designed to fail or at least not designed to last, despite rigorous tender, love and care, not because of a lack of it.
My wife's never burned oil...but at 94k miles it just seized at highway speed one day without warning. I wish I could see the inside out of curiosity. Hyundai inspected for sludge and then put in a new long block no charge.
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If I had to bet there was no sludge in there at all. These things just starve the connecting rod bearings of oil till there’s no bearing left. I bet your piston rings were totally fine.
My ‘17 2.4L Sonota (same engine) does not show oil usage when short tripped 3 to 6 miles . However when my work commute went to 16 miles one way in suburban driving is when oil usage started to occur (about 1 quart over severe service 3,750 miles) . This engine likes a thicker 5W30 such as Mobil 1 EP , Quaker State Full Synthetic or Valvoline Advanced / EP . Pennzoil Synthetic 5W30 oils are on the thin side and you will usually have more consumption in the 2.4L engine.
As a side note , not sure what you can do to maintain proper oil flow to connecting rod bearings and keep sludge down in the Theta II 2.4L other than run a severe service oil change schedule using a good quality synthetic 5W30 oil and good quality oil filter ?
You let Hyundai replace it around 100k when it stops rotating.
Patman
Staff member
Does Kia still put this engine in it’s new cars and if so have they changed anything to improve it’s durability?
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I don’t think you can do anything if you’re one of the unlucky ones with the metal shavings stuck in the crankshaft from the manufacturing process. The question I have is…the engines I’ve seen don’t seem to have ring issues, yet they consume a lot of oil. That’s strange to me. Then again that doesn’t mean much just because the ones I’m seeing look good.
I will say that the lower ends of these things don’t look overly robust. These are single bolt mains, but there is a big oil pump bolted to the bottom of the engine that appears to have balancer shafts integrated into it. Perhaps that component is supposed to add rigidity to the bottom?
I have thoroughly documented my woes with my sons 2014 Kia Rio in signature. Drinks oil like nobodys business. Determined that there is scoring on cylinder wall and nothing I can do about it. So, until he can afford a different car, I baby it the best I can. 5K oil changes it's whole life. Not short tripped. Never burned a drop until 105K. Then, steadily got worse no matter what oil used, or what OCI used. It's the engine, not my maintenance practices. Oil level gets checked every weekend in all my cars.
My youngest bought a 2019 Santa FE 2.4L, against my advice. He's 20, and got a really good deal on a low mileage clean car. Dealer serviced since new. When he got it, I put it on 5W-30 Full Synthetic every 4K (done two oil changes so far) and an oEM filter. So far, knock on wood, oil level has been pretty steady.
During COVID, got my wife a used Tucson (33K.) She needed something and used cars were very difficult to find then. BUrned oil right away pretty much. About half a quart in 3K. Dealership wouldn't do anything. Got rid of it after a year.
No more Hyundai/Kia for me. Just fingers crossed my sons Santa Fe doesn't grenade itself.
My youngest bought a 2019 Santa FE 2.4L, against my advice. He's 20, and got a really good deal on a low mileage clean car. Dealer serviced since new. When he got it, I put it on 5W-30 Full Synthetic every 4K (done two oil changes so far) and an oEM filter. So far, knock on wood, oil level has been pretty steady.
During COVID, got my wife a used Tucson (33K.) She needed something and used cars were very difficult to find then. BUrned oil right away pretty much. About half a quart in 3K. Dealership wouldn't do anything. Got rid of it after a year.
No more Hyundai/Kia for me. Just fingers crossed my sons Santa Fe doesn't grenade itself.
I was curious about this, so went and looked at the 2024 Kia Rio online. Still using the 1.6L Gamma engine......
Beyond Baffling.
How so? Not just Hyundai. Doesn't GM still use the 3.6L that wears out timing chains? Doesn't Ford still use the 3.5L Ecoboost with the chain or tensioner problems?
Yup, all the metal shavings weren't cleaned out of the oil passages in the crankshaft and they will eventually collect all in one area and starve it of oil.
The 1.6 gamma is the best engine Hyundai makes. They will run forever if you just change the oil every 3-5k and don't run it low.
You’re telling me he hasn’t slapped a ring on your finger…you said boyfriend. A girl who changes her man’s oil is unheard of.
Yes the bearing failures are a major issue. But what is causing the oil consumption issues?
My experience would differ......I have posted about it in detail. Meticulous maintenance. Never had a vehicle do this, ever. Why would the oil level go low? That’s a good engine? The best?
YIKES.
I'm glad you didn't have any issues.
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