My wife's 2003 Mazda MPV just recently experienced a sudden loss of engine oil. We've had this vehicle since it was new and it now has about 100K miles on it. The engine has never used oil between oil changes. My wife said the oil light was randomly coming on while she was driving yesterday, so I had her check the oil level. She said it was barely showing oil on the bottom of the stick, so it was way low. The vehicle is parked in the garage and there is no oil on the floor. I work outside of the local area, so I am not there to look at anything. I'm puzzled as to what could cause an engine that has never use any oil to all of a sudden experience such a huge amount of oil loss. I had her add oil and it took about 2 qts to bring it back up to the full mark. The engine is the 3.0 liter Duratech. I can't imagine that the oil rings have gone bad this suddenly, as that is usually something that occurs over time. Is there something else that could be causing this massive loss of oil?
Sudden oil oss
- Thread starter grampi
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Sudden PCV valve failure?
Never filled properly in the first place?
When was the last time the oil level was checked? 10 miles ago, 100, 1,000? Have you looked up under the car? Maybe something popped, and it is only pouring out oil when at speed, spilling it on the floorboards or something.
My parents Astrovan though seemingly did this overnight. Back in the days of 3k OCI's, and it was fine one OCI, then ran out on the next one. Inside of 30k it went from not burning to less than 100miles on a quart (started burning with about 100k on the clock). Some plugs fouled worse than others, so it was multiple bad cylinders.
Never filled properly in the first place?
When was the last time the oil level was checked? 10 miles ago, 100, 1,000? Have you looked up under the car? Maybe something popped, and it is only pouring out oil when at speed, spilling it on the floorboards or something.
My parents Astrovan though seemingly did this overnight. Back in the days of 3k OCI's, and it was fine one OCI, then ran out on the next one. Inside of 30k it went from not burning to less than 100miles on a quart (started burning with about 100k on the clock). Some plugs fouled worse than others, so it was multiple bad cylinders.
Cracked oil ring.
Originally Posted By: supton
Sudden PCV valve failure?
Never filled properly in the first place?
When was the last time the oil level was checked? 10 miles ago, 100, 1,000? Have you looked up under the car? Maybe something popped, and it is only pouring out oil when at speed, spilling it on the floorboards or something.
My parents Astrovan though seemingly did this overnight. Back in the days of 3k OCI's, and it was fine one OCI, then ran out on the next one. Inside of 30k it went from not burning to less than 100miles on a quart (started burning with about 100k on the clock). Some plugs fouled worse than others, so it was multiple bad cylinders.
Bad PCV valve is a distinct possibility. Last time the oil level was checked was the last oil change, which I do myself, and there's no chance the oil level wasn't correct at the last oil change. Even if oil was leaking and following the floorboard it would have to drip at some point with this much oil lost...my wife said there isn't even a drop of oil on the garage floor...
Sudden PCV valve failure?
Never filled properly in the first place?
When was the last time the oil level was checked? 10 miles ago, 100, 1,000? Have you looked up under the car? Maybe something popped, and it is only pouring out oil when at speed, spilling it on the floorboards or something.
My parents Astrovan though seemingly did this overnight. Back in the days of 3k OCI's, and it was fine one OCI, then ran out on the next one. Inside of 30k it went from not burning to less than 100miles on a quart (started burning with about 100k on the clock). Some plugs fouled worse than others, so it was multiple bad cylinders.
Bad PCV valve is a distinct possibility. Last time the oil level was checked was the last oil change, which I do myself, and there's no chance the oil level wasn't correct at the last oil change. Even if oil was leaking and following the floorboard it would have to drip at some point with this much oil lost...my wife said there isn't even a drop of oil on the garage floor...
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Have her check it daily until you get home. Twice a day if possible. At least for a few days, until it can be proven that it's not slurping a quart every 10 miles.
I don't know about this vehicle, but what I've been able to do on mine is check the oil cold, like after sitting after night or after sitting 4 hours plus. I just pull the dipstick and look, no wiping needed. See if the wife will look every morning, and check at lunchtime also. Stupid fast/easy to check.
I don't know about this vehicle, but what I've been able to do on mine is check the oil cold, like after sitting after night or after sitting 4 hours plus. I just pull the dipstick and look, no wiping needed. See if the wife will look every morning, and check at lunchtime also. Stupid fast/easy to check.
If it had a broken oil ring it would be smoking like a two stroke. I am betting a oil leak such as a oil filter that only leaks when it is running. I once bought a case of Advance Auto oil that was on sale and both my vehicles used oil-badly. Never used oil before that and never after that. I am chalking it up as a bad batch of oil since it happened in two different vehicles and only with that oil.
Obligatory:
Originally Posted By: Panzerman
If it had a broken oil ring it would be smoking like a two stroke. I am betting a oil leak such as a oil filter that only leaks when it is running. I once bought a case of Advance Auto oil that was on sale and both my vehicles used oil-badly. Never used oil before that and never after that. I am chalking it up as a bad batch of oil since it happened in two different vehicles and only with that oil.
Any type of a leak would show up on the garage floor...even if it only leaks when it's running, there would certainly at least be a few drops of oil on the floor...she said there's nothing on the floor, not even a drop of oil...I'm thinking the oil has got to be going out the tailpipe somehow...
If it had a broken oil ring it would be smoking like a two stroke. I am betting a oil leak such as a oil filter that only leaks when it is running. I once bought a case of Advance Auto oil that was on sale and both my vehicles used oil-badly. Never used oil before that and never after that. I am chalking it up as a bad batch of oil since it happened in two different vehicles and only with that oil.
Any type of a leak would show up on the garage floor...even if it only leaks when it's running, there would certainly at least be a few drops of oil on the floor...she said there's nothing on the floor, not even a drop of oil...I'm thinking the oil has got to be going out the tailpipe somehow...
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Originally Posted By: grampi
Last time the oil level was checked was the last oil change
How many miles since the last oil change?
Oil level should be checked at least every 1000 miles.
That's what I do even though mine uses no measurable amount between changes (5000 miles).
Last time the oil level was checked was the last oil change
How many miles since the last oil change?
Oil level should be checked at least every 1000 miles.
That's what I do even though mine uses no measurable amount between changes (5000 miles).
Originally Posted By: circuitsmith
Originally Posted By: grampi
Last time the oil level was checked was the last oil change
How many miles since the last oil change?
Oil level should be checked at least every 1000 miles.
That's what I do even though mine uses no measurable amount between changes (5000 miles).
I usually didn't check it because it was never low at oil change time, but you can bet I'm gonna be checking it now!
Originally Posted By: grampi
Last time the oil level was checked was the last oil change
How many miles since the last oil change?
Oil level should be checked at least every 1000 miles.
That's what I do even though mine uses no measurable amount between changes (5000 miles).
I usually didn't check it because it was never low at oil change time, but you can bet I'm gonna be checking it now!
Originally Posted By: circuitsmith
How many miles since the last oil change?
+1, how long has it been?
How many miles since the last oil change?
+1, how long has it been?
Originally Posted By: SatinSilver
Originally Posted By: circuitsmith
How many miles since the last oil change?
+1, how long has it been?
I don't know. I'm not there with the vehicle...I work in IL all week and the vehicle is in OH with my wife...I won't be able to look at it until Friday...
Originally Posted By: circuitsmith
How many miles since the last oil change?
+1, how long has it been?
I don't know. I'm not there with the vehicle...I work in IL all week and the vehicle is in OH with my wife...I won't be able to look at it until Friday...
Amsoil published something on causes of oil loss. If you need ideas for the issue if not obvious check it out. Newer members might find it helpful too.
Here's a direct link to the pdf
http://www.keepandshare.com/doc/5767285/tsb-mo-2004-04-03-oil-consumption-pdf-261k
Or you can Google TSB: MO-2004-04-03
Here's a direct link to the pdf
http://www.keepandshare.com/doc/5767285/tsb-mo-2004-04-03-oil-consumption-pdf-261k
Or you can Google TSB: MO-2004-04-03
Op using thinner oil, xw20? Eh?
Always? How about previous fills?
Always? How about previous fills?
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First thing I would do if I couldn't fix the leak was move to a syn blend high mileage 5w30 like Maxlife of Pennzoil high mileage.
At this point any oil is better than no oil and for that matter I would even consider Mobil 1 0W40.
At this point any oil is better than no oil and for that matter I would even consider Mobil 1 0W40.
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