She's a BURNER!

BISCUT

BISCUT

Joined
Dec 28, 2011
Messages
4,825
I've been messing around with a 2006 1.8 manual Sentra. I picked it up at 159k for $600 in November and now have 168k on it. Everything is a ok except she is an oil burner. Burna 1 quart about every 1k miles. I tried ST 5-30. M1 0-40, and even broke down and tried MaxLife 10-30. Anything else left to try? Or is it time to cease with OCI and just add oil every 1k miles?? I have pondered a Rotella 40 wt.....................................

I've never had a vehicle that is/was a burner. What I find amazing is how smooth the engine and trans are despite whatever is wrong inside. No smoke ever from the tailpipe and no leaks hitting the ground. When cold there is what sounds like a valve tap but goes away after the engine warms up.
 
Pick a certified cheap oil and stay with it. Keep it topped off and do an itialian tune up once a week. Be prepared for the eventual damage to the cat the oil will cause. Like the other guy said...$600 just drive it.
 
I'd just run it. Maybe try a can or two of some Berryman's B12 down the spark plug holes and see if it frees up the oil control rings. Could be valve stem seals. Never really know if you don't tear into it.

As far as oil I'd just throw the cheapest stuff I could find at it. You won't hurt it with a 40wt at all. I've run 15w-40 in all of our cars pleeenty of times.

If you start getting CELs for P0420 (low catalyst efficiency) there are uh... ways around that...
 
BISCUT said:
I've never had a vehicle that is/was a burner. What I find amazing is how smooth the engine and trans are despite whatever is wrong inside. No smoke ever from the tailpipe and no leaks hitting the ground. When cold there is what sounds like a valve tap but goes away after the engine warms up.
Click to expand...
One quart in 1,000 miles, doesn't an oil burner make. Many car makers would consider that acceptable even on newer cars. Top up as needed and don't worry about it.
 
If you are not fouling any of the spark plugs, chances are it is valve stem seals causing the oil consumption issue.

You might also see puffs of blue smoke between shifts when manifold vacuum goes back to the high side which in turn sucks oil down through the valve guides past the stem seals.

I have had great luck with this product for engines that have had weak or deteriorating seals. As you can see it is not inexpensive for an additive but it works good.

products.liqui-moly.us

Motor Oil Saver

Maintains and regenerates rubber and plastic seals in the engine oil circuit of gas and diesel engines. Oil consumption due to aged and hardened valve stem seals is reduced. No more blue exhaust smoke, improved emissions. External leaks are minimized or even eliminated. Dampens engine noise and...
products.liqui-moly.us products.liqui-moly.us

Change the oil and the filter and add this to the clean oil, and let it stay in the engine through your whole oil change interval. This product can help seal the stems, and may reduce your oil consumption.

Good Luck....Happy Motoring.
 
As others have posted, check for leaks, PCV, etc. You can try Rotella 15w40, it's good stuff.
Beyond that, it depends on what you want. Everything is fixable.
If you put $1,000 into it you are still only $1,600 in.
 
Honestly,
1 quart in 1k isn’t bad at all.

as stated above, check the PCV etc

then I’d go to Walmart and buy a jug of whatever brand floats your boat and just top it off.
bonus points if you can find oil on super clearance or rebate
 
JohnnyJohnson said:
That's because they are Stealerships and screwing the customer!
Click to expand...
No, it's coming from the manufacturers. Subaru considers a quart burned every 1,000 to 1,200 miles to be acceptable. Certain Audi and BMW cars’ standards state that a quart burned every 600 to 700 miles is reasonable. (That might be on turbos though) And the implication that it will mess up converters, is a dubious assumption at best. If the engine is burning the oil, it exits the cylinder as a gas, not as liquid oil, so it passes freely through the converters.
 
atikovi said:
No, it's coming from the manufacturers. Subaru considers a quart burned every 1,000 to 1,200 miles to be acceptable. Certain Audi and BMW cars’ standards state that a quart burned every 600 to 700 miles is reasonable. (That might be on turbos though) And the implication that it will mess up converters, is a dubious assumption at best. If the engine is burning the oil, it exits the cylinder as a gas, not as liquid oil, so it passes freely through the converters.
Click to expand...
Yes and the Stealerships are not holding their feet to the fire. I really like the Forrester design (except the engine) but I wouldn't touch a Subaru to save my soul!
 
Buy lots of cheap 15w-40 and some bottles of MMO, add a quart of MMO to oil changes. Might free up the rings over time.
 
atikovi said:
No, it's coming from the manufacturers. Subaru considers a quart burned every 1,000 to 1,200 miles to be acceptable. Certain Audi and BMW cars’ standards state that a quart burned every 600 to 700 miles is reasonable. (That might be on turbos though) And the implication that it will mess up converters, is a dubious assumption at best. If the engine is burning the oil, it exits the cylinder as a gas, not as liquid oil, so it passes freely through the converters.
Click to expand...


That statement should be taken in full context. Most Subarus and other car makes don't burn any oil at all. That statement refers to the very few that do. It sets a limit for the dealers as to when to schedule a warranty service.
 
BISCUT said:
I've been messing around with a 2006 1.8 manual Sentra. I picked it up at 159k for $600 in November and now have 168k on it. Everything is a ok except she is an oil burner. Burna 1 quart about every 1k miles. I tried ST 5-30. M1 0-40, and even broke down and tried MaxLife 10-30. Anything else left to try? Or is it time to cease with OCI and just add oil every 1k miles?? I have pondered a Rotella 40 wt.....................................

I've never had a vehicle that is/was a burner. What I find amazing is how smooth the engine and trans are despite whatever is wrong inside. No smoke ever from the tailpipe and no leaks hitting the ground. When cold there is what sounds like a valve tap but goes away after the engine warms up.
Click to expand...
Drive it and relish that you paid $600 for it. You can buy lots of oil for that amount
 
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