Soarer Central: Burning Oil? What is acceptable

Soarer Central Mechanical - TT General Mechanical Burning Oil? What is acceptable

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Matthew Oswald
Tinkerer
Western Australia
Soarer TT

Posts: 90
Reg: 11-2005

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Wednesday, August 09, 2006 - 11:41 am, by: Matthew Oswald (Matt)

Ive probably driven about... 3-4000km i reckon since my last service. One time driving home from work in teh cold rain at like 4am a yellow oil light came on the dash for about 2-3 seconds and went away. This happened twice. When i got home I went to bed n when i woke up the oil level was about 1/2 full.... (or 1/2 empty, whichever way you look at it). Is this acceptable for a 1jz having done 140k? I am using 10W-40 Motul oil.

Where does this oil get used, as i don't really see any oil burning when i am driving. I don't really flog my girl either.

all this has got me worried

Peter Nitschke
JunkFilterer
South Australia
GT4.0 V8

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Wednesday, August 09, 2006 - 11:54 am, by: Peter Nitschke (Pen)

It could depend if it was actually full after your last change. Check it regularly and see if you notice it slowly dropping. How much did it take to top it up again?

Matthew Oswald
Tinkerer
Western Australia
Soarer TT

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Wednesday, August 09, 2006 - 01:05 pm, by: Matthew Oswald (Matt)

interesting, i did use about 4.5 litres of oil in my last change, and i did put in the rest when i saw it empty, i checked it this morning, and its still really only just above half way.

Anish Varsani
TryHard
QLD
V8 UZZ30

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Wednesday, August 09, 2006 - 01:20 pm, by: Anish Varsani (Yomama)

Check the PCV valve. These buggers are know to stick open. When I went on holidays, my car wasn't driven for 3 weeks. The oil level was at the full mark before I left. When I got back, over 300km I burned enough oil to drop me down to the half mark on the dipstick the I didn't burn a drop for the next 2000km.

The inlet manafold had a lot of oil in it when I took it off to fit a blower.

Daniel Czechowski
Goo Roo
Western Australia
Soarer GT-T

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Wednesday, August 09, 2006 - 01:58 pm, by: Daniel Czechowski (Dan)

Matt, you had only half a litre in your engine and you drove like that??? Poor 1J...

Matthew Oswald
Tinkerer
Western Australia
Soarer TT

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Wednesday, August 09, 2006 - 06:04 pm, by: Matthew Oswald (Matt)

Daniel Czechowski wrote on Wednesday, August 09, 2006 - 01:58 pm:
Matt, you had only half a litre in your engine and you drove like that??? Poor 1J...

not quite sure where you got that from? Im talkin in my last oil change, i took all the old oil out, and put 4.5l in...

Daniel Czechowski
Goo Roo
Western Australia
Soarer GT-T

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Wednesday, August 09, 2006 - 06:22 pm, by: Daniel Czechowski (Dan)

Sorry, I understood you as your car has used (burnt, whatever) 4.5L of oil since the previous change.

Either way, 1J takes 5L of oil to fill it.

Gareth Richards
TryHard
Bristol UK
GTT-L twin turbo auto / Lexus GS300 SE Mk2

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Thursday, August 10, 2006 - 04:12 am, by: Gareth Richards (Garethr)

The handbook for my '97 Merc says that 1 litre per 1000 km is acceptable, and from what I remember about other cars that's pretty normal.

Matthew Sharpe
Goo Roo
North Island
JZZ31

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Thursday, August 10, 2006 - 08:55 am, by: Matthew Sharpe (Madmatt)

Hmm, I do 7000KM between changes and in 20,000km my 104,000km JZZ31 has never needed topping up between services.

I do recall having to top my UZZ30 up once or twice in 3 years of ownership, but it was very seldom, and that car had done 240,000k's by the time it was murdered.

My only comment on the Merc "acceptable" rate of loss is I wouldn't have accepted that from my old British cars, and they used to leak more oil than they burned!

Damian Ware
TryHard
Victoria
Soarer TT

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Thursday, August 10, 2006 - 10:19 am, by: Damian Ware (Frozenpod)

Interesting, after 330,000km using thin oil my camry never burnt a drop, I never topped it up every between changes.

Company holdens need about 1lt every 4000km, I thought that was extreme and shows the very very poor build quality of the engine.

IMO oil should never need topping up between changes, you shouldn't be able to notice how much has been used on the dip stick either.

My TT hasn't used a drop that I can tell on the dip stick either.

Matthew Oswald
Tinkerer
Western Australia
Soarer TT

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Thursday, August 10, 2006 - 02:36 pm, by: Matthew Oswald (Matt)

Interesting? Should i be concerned then? What is the most likely reason why my oil level has dropped?

Damian Ware
TryHard
Victoria
Soarer TT

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Thursday, August 10, 2006 - 04:27 pm, by: Damian Ware (Frozenpod)

Depends where the leak is. If the turbo seals are leaking that is not good but better than the rings.

I would certainly keep an eye on it and try to source where the oil is going.

Perhaps move up a weight in oil.

Graham Dollisson
DieHard
QLD
I have more Leylands than Don

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Thursday, August 10, 2006 - 04:47 pm, by: Graham Dollisson (Alloyvee)

Lew told me there have been a few engine main oil seals go lately!! That doesn't mean that's what your problem is. Just worth checking out.

Peter Nitschke
JunkFilterer
South Australia
GT4.0 V8

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Thursday, August 10, 2006 - 04:48 pm, by: Peter Nitschke (Pen)

If so, you would see the oil leak on your driveway.

Lew Radbourn
Goo Roo
Queensland
jzz30 ute / uzz30/ 2 X uzz31

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Thursday, August 10, 2006 - 04:53 pm, by: Lew Radbourn (Marlew)

Matthew;
see how these engines are getting old you may have to go a little thicker on the oil side.
a 5W is way to thin
i use 10w some times a 15w depending on the age and Km's the car has done.
if you are using a very thin oil it will use up oil between services.
i know of one V8 that can't make it between services before emptying a sump full of oil.
and no it isn't any of my own cars.hehehehe

Matthew Oswald
Tinkerer
Western Australia
Soarer TT

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Thursday, August 10, 2006 - 05:34 pm, by: Matthew Oswald (Matt)

I am pretty sure its not leaking, but i will try and have a look at the turbo's. The level is halfway between low and full on the dipstick... so im sure its not terminal, but still, i'd like to know where the oil is going. I might try some 15W oil. WHat are peoples suggestions?

Aaron Mead
TryHard
NT
TT

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Thursday, August 10, 2006 - 08:11 pm, by: Aaron Mead (Aaron)

Benzes do burn a lot of oil, especially the way they are geared.

A 3.0l benz runs 3000rpm @ 100km/h. They are designed this way so that overtaking at 160km/h is a piece of piss. My old 300SEL also states 1000km per litre as acceptable highway use. Its much lower around town. I maxed out its gearing (214km/h) for hours at a time on the way to Darwin from Melb. I went through 4.5l of 20w50 in a 3600km trip. Never skipped a beat.

Anish Varsani
TryHard
QLD
V8 UZZ30

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Thursday, August 10, 2006 - 10:01 pm, by: Anish Varsani (Yomama)

V8 emptying the sump? I hope my engine never becomes that worn!!

I use either a 15W 40 or a 20W 50. No problems with 5000km changes unless the PCV gets stuck a few times.

Matthew Oswald
Tinkerer
Western Australia
Soarer TT

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Wednesday, August 23, 2006 - 03:09 pm, by: Matthew Oswald (Matt)

Well i have changed my oil and put in 5litres of 10W-40. I did only get 4 litres out of her tho. I am definately not leaking any oil. Should i be concerned about this consumption? I don't see any smoke coming out the exhaust, even under WOT.

How do i go about checking the PCV valve?

I'll do another check at 5000km and see what i get.

Thanks everyone for your help

Cihan Aday
Goo Roo
Its stock i swear.
JZZ30

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Wednesday, August 23, 2006 - 03:53 pm, by: Cihan Aday (Cihan)

Damian Ware wrote on Thursday, August 10, 2006 - 10:19 am:
Interesting, after 330,000km using thin oil my camry never burnt a drop, I never topped it up every between changes.

Company holdens need about 1lt every 4000km, I thought that was extreme and shows the very very poor build quality of the engine.

IMO oil should never need topping up between changes, you shouldn't be able to notice how much has been used on the dip stick either.

My TT hasn't used a drop that I can tell on the dip stick either.

Got to agree here.
Older Mercs use heaps of oil, suppose its because they use low tension rings.
1L for 1000kms is an environmental hazzard