All vehicles, even model new ones, eat a tiny little bit of oil throughout regular operation. It is only a pure a part of the inner combustion course of. Varied components decide simply how a lot oil a car in good working order consumes — driving situations, engine tolerances, oil viscosity, and so forth. For instance, my 2022 Ural GearUp consumes extra oil the quicker I drive, and I’ve to watch out about freeway driving due to that. An engine that begins to eat extra oil than regular, nonetheless, is an engine with a number of critical issues.
There are a variety of how to inform when an engine is consuming a number of oil, however the most typical is blue-white smoke coming from the car’s tailpipe accompanied by the acrid scent of burning oil. Which means that extreme oil is making it into the combustion chambers in some way and is being burned up with the traditional gas/air combination, which is a downside. An engine that burns oil not solely pollutes extra, however oil getting the place it would not belong can contaminate different programs and break sensors. The worst case state of affairs is that it burns a lot oil that it runs dry, resulting in a catastrophic failure and probably a gap within the block.
On this article, we’ll check out some the explanation why a automotive would possibly burn oil and what to do about them.
What ought to I search for?
The commonest cause that an engine burns oil is that the piston rings have gone unhealthy. Piston rings are skinny metallic seals clipped into grooves across the prime of an engine’s pistons that type a barrier between the pistons and cylinder partitions. They preserve oil out and stress within the engine’s combustion chamber, however once they go unhealthy, they permit extra oil into the combustion chamber (and cut back an engine’s compression). As a result of they function in an especially hostile atmosphere, piston rings take a number of abuse. An previous or high-mileage engine typically smokes and burns oil as a result of the piston rings are closely worn, caught, and even damaged.
Unhealthy valve seals are one other method oil can get into an engine’s combustion chamber. Valves want oil to maintain them lubricated, and the valve seal retains that oil within the prime finish the place it belongs. Like piston rings, valve seals are a put on merchandise and an engine with a number of miles might develop leaky valve seals. Different causes a automotive would possibly burn oil embrace a blown head gasket, overheating or over-revving, and even the flawed oil kind. If you happen to use an oil that is too skinny or slippery, the oil can merely seep previous the rings and into the combustion chamber.
One neglected however comparatively widespread cause a automotive would possibly burn some oil is a clogged or compromised Constructive Crankcase Air flow system. In case your car’s PCV valve will get stopped up or in any other case fails, it could actually trigger an overpressure scenario contained in the engine. This extra stress can push extra oil than traditional previous the engine’s seals and into the combustion chambers, making the engine smoke.
What do I do now?
Look, I am gonna degree with you. In case your car is burning oil and smoking actual unhealthy you may have two decisions — take it to the store and have it fastened or junk it. Properly, there is the third choice of ignoring the issue, driving the car as-is, and having a case of oil in your again seat, however that is mainly simply the “junk it” choice stretched out over an extended timeframe.
An engine that burns oil is inefficient, pollutes extra, and is on borrowed time. You would possibly strive a few of that good automotive snake oil you discover down on the native auto components retailer, however that is a brief repair at greatest. Nonetheless, you may need to do your personal price/profit evaluation to see whether or not fixing the issue or changing the entire car is the higher choice, however should you do not make that call comparatively shortly the engine will make it for you.
