I'm burning 1Q of oil every 200 miles!

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If it were my daily driver, and couldn't afford another....driving 100 miles/wk solely around town...I'd just add 1qt oil 2x a month and 1 filter a year...that's about $60/yr..cheap enough if all else were fine. That would allow me to save a couple of thousand dollars for another car...or another engine if I really wanted to keep the DD.
 
I have a 95 prizm that did the same thing (engine was 1.6 not 1.8)... The front seal gave out. There was never any oil on the "ground" from the leak. It leaked during hwy speeds. After looking I could see oil over some of the passenger side suspension components, but leaking point was not obvious.

FWIW

take care.
 
Many, many years ago - I had a '73 Chevy 350 engine that burned a quart every 25 miles (hey, it was almost free!).

All I ever fed it was used 30wt and 15w-40 from diesel engines. I honestly don't remember fouling a plug , either - drove it that way for a year... when I pulled the pistons, about 80% of all the rings were broken. Not sure how it still ran, but it would start even when -30*F
 
Here is my update, at the last topoff I used 1 quart of Pennzoil 10-30 HM (it's supposed to clean the motor real good) and I used 8oz of MMO. I am very happy to report that after 400 miles of use, I've only burned 3/4 of a quart of oil!

I did try to limit my freeway driving a bit though, probably 200 of those miles were on the freeway.

This week I am going to dump the current oil and refill with fresh 20% MMO and Pennzoil HM 10-30.

I probably do have a front seal issue too, the inside of my hood on the passenger side has a very unique line of oil spray, but it doesn't leak on the ground, it just gets flung onto the bottom of my hood.

I'll report back what this fresh oil change does for my little oil burner!
 
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Originally Posted By: Nickdfresh
Originally Posted By: bigt61
I'd try 10W-40 MaxLife Blend - if it burns that, you have a problem. Next stop, SuperTech 20W-50 in the Spring.


Thicker oils only makes it worse since it's essentially an oil starvation problem from the pin holes (only two I think IIRC) sludging up and not allowing the oil to circulate properly...


Not only that, but major cold start piston slap with the heavier weight oil.
 
Originally Posted By: bennybigb
Here is my update, ... I'll report back what this fresh oil change does for my little oil burner!


Yay! Thanks for the update. Keep us posted!
 
There was a GM service bulletin about an improved front crankshaft seal.
Apparently the early ones had an issue in winter driving, water would freeze around the seal and when you started the engine it would tear the seal.
This was an older TSB, so I'm sure any new seal you bought would be the improved style.
 
Originally Posted By: bennybigb
Hey Guys,

My 1996 Geo Prizm is now burning 1 Quart of oil every 200 miles. It doesn't seem to smoke too bad, or drip too much, I don't know where the oil is going, but I drive 400 miles a week, so I use 2 quarts of oil per week just keeping that thing on the road.

The car has always used some oil, but when I finally started using my G-Oil stash, the usage picked up a lot. I now ran out of G-Oil, so I am putting 10-30 Peak oil in it for Top-Off. I think I may try a high mileage oil in a thicker grade and possibly some stop leak.

What do you guys think? Is there any quick additive that might work for my Oil Guzzler?

Thanks!

Ben

I believe thats a 1.6L, not the 1.8L which had a legit oil consumption manufacturers defect (see above piston TSB) in the years 1998-2002. So there may be hope other than a teardown to clear the holes. You are hoping for jammed rings which only gets worse consuming oil in the piston chamber. You need something in the oil that can crawl up to the oil control ring combined with a soak of some sort. Repeatedly, maybe 3 times.

If all else fails that engine can run with 20w50 and STP for another 10 years without issue. On another board they are doing that. We all keep saying its too thick, its going to cease.. to this day most of the engines are still running.
 
Fresh Oil Change Update:

Hey Guys, another 500 miles in the books, and it only went through half a quart of oil!

AMAZING!

When the oil gets real dark I will change it regardless of miles driven. I guess I better stick with the Pennzoil HM & MMO mix on this car for the foreseeable future.

And to think I was ready to turn it into a derby car! JK
smile.gif
 
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Originally Posted By: Linctex
Many, many years ago - I had a '73 Chevy 350 engine that burned a quart every 25 miles (hey, it was almost free!).

All I ever fed it was used 30wt and 15w-40 from diesel engines. I honestly don't remember fouling a plug , either - drove it that way for a year... when I pulled the pistons, about 80% of all the rings were broken. Not sure how it still ran, but it would start even when -30*F
Perhaps around the same time I had a '68 Chev with a tired old 307. On its last big road trip the engine went through a litre of oil every 75 miles. I even tried adding some 75W-90 gear oil, which didn't slow down the consumption at all. I probably pulled and cleaned the plugs at least four times over the 2500 mile round trip. Pulled the engine the next summer and swapped in a 327 out of '69 that only used a litre every 250 miles or so. It was a huge improvement! But at a quart every 25 miles you've got me beat.
 
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