Radical idea: How about addressing the issue why this motor burn/leaks a quart of oil every 500 miles?
Pointless oil changes?
- Thread starter Sternwheeler
- Start date
Back in the 1980s when cars typically burned a up to a quart per 1,000 miles or a few quarts per oil change synthetic oil like Mobil 1 could be ran into perpetuity.
If you're burning more than a quarter per thousand miles probably ought to be running something cheap like 5000 mile supertech and changing the oil filter once a year.
I'm starting to run oil filters 2 and 3x times on well kept engines. I cut them open after 1 run for 3,000 to 7,000 miles and never find anything or barely find anything unless it was a neglected engine.
In my wife's car that's never had the oil ran longer than 6,600 miles I'll start finding crud in the oil filter after 2 oil changes and 9,000+ miles.
If I had an engine that burns that much oil I'd run used synthetic oil from my other vehicles in it. Sounds like you're putting $30 worth of oil in ever oci.
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For a couple reasons. First, all he need do is change the filter every 5000, and add Valvoline Restore and Protect every tank as he says.
Since the oil is changing itself, this would be a great experiment.
And second, Valvoline suggests an oil change every 5000 miles. So for all we know, 10,000 mi won't work.
However, since the oil is always fresh anyway, I'd just start adding it and see what happens.
Top off with Mobil 2 & change filter every 3,000 miles.
Do a Craig's list rebuild on that engine by dumping a quart of one of the engine treatments sold at the local auto parts store. Easy peezy and engine problems are all solved.
My Dad had a 1961 Corvair Monza Coupe, which he bought new for $2,500. Right after the 12,000 mi/12mo. warranty expired, he was at the dealer and they found something that was going to cost a lot of money to repair. He decided at that point that he wasn't going to put any more money into the car, except for adding oil, which it prodigiously blew all over the rear vent, and presumably the road. When it made it to 50,000 miles and was still running, he treated it to a lube, oil and filter. He continued, as before, just adding oil as needed. When it hit 102,000 miles in 1968, he decided it was time for a newer car, and bought a used 1965 Mercedes-Benz 220SEb convertible. That car got maintained meticulously.
What was that thing that would've cost a lot of money? Pistons and pistons rings?
Basically, it doesn't matter how much oil a car is burning, if you add up oil on time and also change it on time - engine will run and won't get seized.
I had a co-worker sometime ago who was driving Toyota Tercel and it was burning a lot of oil - I thing the same as 1 qt every gas tank.
The guy back seat was full of Mobil Super oil bottles. Once he gave me ride on the way home but forgot or intentionally didn't add up oil. We drove like 10-15 miles with no oil at all. The engine was smoking but didn't seiz. Eventually he stopped, but we didn't open the hood because it was really hot and smoking. The car was still running. He was afraid to shut it off because won't ever start again.
I have no idea. I was 2-3 years old at the time it happened and only heard about it when I was 7 or 8 when my Dad was telling the story to a friend.
Carlostrece
$100 Site Donor 2025
Sounds like a good plan to me. I recommend a NAPA Gold filter. I think it's the best, especially for long OCI. Also, I recommend using a high mileage oil.
Quaker State High Mileage Full Synthetic would be ideal IMO because it's good and is cheap at Walmart. Next choice Maxlife Blend from Walmart.
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Carlostrece
$100 Site Donor 2025
Nah. It still drives. Besides it's become a quest to reach 500K. I'm betting he makes it.
I would change the oil just to keep muck from building up in the pan and eventually slowing oil pickup. Just my humble opinion.
Why not run some 20W50 and see what happens ?
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If you plan to continue driving the 97 Sentra for the next several years, I'd get the replacement engine installed now.
More than likely the replacement engine will be the final engine used before the car goes to heaven.
Given your car is 29 years old, and your desire to hit 500k, IMO you're better off getting full use and value out of the rebuilt replacement engine rather than continually adding oil to a leaky engine for the next 75k. The money (and time) saved in continually topping up with oil will go a fair way to paying for the rebuild.
If it's the GA16DE it will.
I'm a little shocked it's in the state it's in even with that mileage.
I've got one in the stable that I bought for my wife in '05 (B13 Sentra XE) (she never ended up getting her license or desired to drive in our ridiculously busy city full of the worst drivers ever).
It is without question the most reliable car I've ever owned. No top-up's between changes, no leaks, no burning. It gets short tripped to death on once a year oil changes, runs the same as it did 21yrs ago. Steady diet of vanilla Mobil 1 5W-30, Mobil 1 Advanced Fuel Economy 0w30, Mobil 1 208A's.
You jest, but Cummins has a system called the Centinel which isn't terribly difference from this.
https://www.cummins.com/en-na/engines/marine/accessories/centinel
One variant of the system will drain some oil into a tank and replace it with fresh oil. The other version takes the old oil and doses it into the diesel fuel and burns it. Sort of clever if you don't have aftertreatment to worry about.
That is excessive consumption.
I'd recommend switching to Valvoline restore and protect (in 5w-30) as your top off oil and see if you can't slow the consumption somewhat.
If that doesn't work, switch to Maxlife 20w-50 and just ride it out until it grenades.
Give all of us a break and take oil burner/leaker off the road
Agreed. If you were using a little oil, then maybe something would work. At this point your engine is what it is. I had an engine using 1/2 a qt every 1k and nothing I did ever changed it. Well, 15-40 slowed it down at the tradeoff of feeling like I was pulling a plow. At that rate of oil loss, I’d imagine this thing looks like uncle bucks car driving down the road.
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A quart of oil every 400-500 miles is a lot. It is either getting past the rings or past the valve seals and being burnt. Does it smoke when you first start it up?
For the fun of it I'd try and reduce consumption as much as possible. Would I expect miracles? No. But it would be interesting to see if improvements could be made.
For the fun of it I'd try and reduce consumption as much as possible. Would I expect miracles? No. But it would be interesting to see if improvements could be made.
- B12 Piston Soak. An extended, weekend long one.
- Run a can of BG EPR engine flush.
- Use Valvoline Restore and Protect 5W-30 as your new oil.
- Add a bottle of ATP AT-205 every 5k miles. It will help swell seals and may slow your leaks. It is the best "stop leak" product and is available at your local Advance Auto Parts.
- Replace your PCV valve and inspect any associated hoses.
