She's a BURNER!

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.
Yes and that's why I have the feeling these people are thugs because they won't back the few! I'm not going to play their game of Russian Lemons on sale!
 
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.
do you think you got stuck rings or something? maybe the rings are carboned up?
 
A quart per 1000 miles on my $600 car, NO! NO! NO! THE WORLD'S GOING TO END!!!

Amazing what some expect for $600.
 
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...
I’ve been told that oil doesn’t hurt a catalytic converter, like ever. So the P0420, low cat efficiency codes we see as technicians every week don’t really exist. So no worries. 😂😂

But in all honesty, I’d just keep driving it and add the necessary oil. Worst case scenario you’re going to fail a cat, and there’s ways around that. But a $600 dollar car? That burns a quart every 1,000 miles? Just drive it, buy the cheapest oil possible and throw the car away when you’re done.
 
No smoke of any kind, ever. I changed the PCV with an $8 part and just to make sure I changed it with another PCV that was $12. Wasn't PCV. I did the plugs at 19k when I got it. Pulled a plug and no build up. She just burns. I have a code but its an EVAP leak (seems the valve in the charcoal canister gets stuck). No other codes thrown.

Expectations are zero to none. I will admit I've come to love this little 30+MPG "rolly" windows and all! I'm enjoying it and its about the cheapest I can get away with a vehicle.
 
A quart per 1000 miles on my $600 car, NO! NO! NO! THE WORLD'S GOING TO END!!!

Amazing what some expect for $600.

Settle down tiger. I'm all for jest and teasing but you went pretty far with the interpretation. Where did you see me comment on my expectations? You didn't. Instead you took liberty to fabricate what you wanted to hear. It's a junker I'm having fun with. Actually pretty darn good for a $600 car. I routinely get 31-35MPG and she just runs. Have something positive to add, excellent! If not just don't reply.
 
You got a 3qt oil capacity. Fill 2qts of SuperTech 20w50, and 1qt MMO. Drive around slowly for 100+ miles, and check oil level often. Or just let it idle for couple hours. Then drain, and fill with a pint of MMO and 2.5qts of ST 15w40 or ST 20w50.
I'd just get a quart of MMO and 5qt jug of ST 20w50. A pint of MMO and 2.5qts goes in the engine, and other pint of MMO and 2.5qts is mixed in the jug, and that jug is used for top-off.
 
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It's been a while, but my last chronic burner was fed a steady stream of Western Auto brand straight 40 weight oil. I'd buy it three cases at a time, or more than that, when I could catch it on sale for 69 cents a quart.

I was putting in a quart every other day. What it didn't burn, it was leaking out.

1 quart in 1000 miles? Add the oil, whatever oil you choose, and just keep driving it.
 
I'm amazed how these manufactures have trained some to think 1 qt in 1000 miles is ok and acceptable. That is piss poor engineering at best if they think that's acceptable. My 2001 civic with over 200k miles on it burned less than a quart in 7500 miles. It was far less...probably half a quart. And to think 20 years later, the manufacturers want us to suck it up and just add oil and shut the hell up about it because they say its normal.

Its not normal. Consumer Reports did a big article on stating the same. We shouldn't just accept it. And for once I will call for more government oversight here. The environmental impacts alone warrant more regulation. I hate regulations but I also hate getting sub par products and being told they are great and nothing wrong with them,

OP for 600 bucks, top it off, beat the snot out of it till it quits.
 
Sure could be. Chances are I'll never know for sure.
you should run straight 40 mixed with some seafoam or engine cleaner, see if it works, wouldnt hurt, buy the cheapest stuff you can possibly buy.
 
it's the valve seals, they harden & start passing oil. At one quart/1000 miles it's the labor that's not worth it, not the $9 in seals to fix it.
I usually wait till 1 quart per 200-300 miles to invest labor like that. At the 1 quart per 300 miles level, it gets plenty smoky in the Wendy's drive
thru & I owe it to the people in line behind me........... : ( then, like a new car again for twelve+ years.
 
If I were going to stick a 15W40 HD oil in it, I'd avoid most of the cheap stuff and Rotella because of the high phosphorous, Chevron has proper dual rated oils, and Delvac 1300 Super I believe has low enough levels that should be relatively safe on the cat but don't use any of the synthetic version of delvac because those are high in phosphorous.
 
If I were going to stick a 15W40 HD oil in it, I'd avoid most of the cheap stuff and Rotella because of the high phosphorous, Chevron has proper dual rated oils, and Delvac 1300 Super I believe has low enough levels that should be relatively safe on the cat but don't use any of the synthetic version of delvac because those are high in phosphorous.
Zinc and Phosphorus should be
"Avoid cheap stuff and Rotella" 🤣
 
Did the burning slow down any with MaxLife? If not, just run the cheapest decent oil you can find-there seems to be a fair amount of cheap close out 5 & 10W30s these days.
 
I’ve been told that oil doesn’t hurt a catalytic converter, like ever. So the P0420, low cat efficiency codes we see as technicians every week don’t really exist. So no worries. 😂😂
If you live in a state that doesn't test emissions: P0420 doesn't exist, it can't hurt you.

If you live in a state that just plugs into an OBD port (DC, MD, Northern VA, etc): P0420 still doesn't exist, still can't hurt you.

If you live in a state that uses a tailpipe sniffer and does a visual inspection: You will never financially recover from P0420.
 
I'd keep using Maxlife and see what happens.
Or if the OP can find it, they could try that MaxLife Plus for vehicles with over 150,000mi at the next oil change, see if the marketing wank actually does anything, although I've not seen it anywhere but Meijer so far so I don't know where you can get your hands on it outside the midwest.
 
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