01 protege ES losing oil

M

Maztaz

Member
Hi, I've got a problem with my 2.0 losing oil. After an oil change I'll check the oil every week and it will be fine for 3 or 4 weeks then it drops a quart. It doesn't leak any where that I can see.
 
How many miles are on your car? You probably have worn piston rings - a compression test (you can rent the compression tester at any auto parts store) will reveal what kind of state your engine is in.
 
probably worn rings or bad valve seals/guides. easy way to test for worn rings...put it in first, go up to 5k rpm then wind down to 2k and punch the gas...blue smoke...worn rings.
 
is it physically leaking?

and are you saying the level will stay the same for a number of weeks with consistent driving, and then drop a full quart rapidly? that seems very odd to me.
 
losing oil

I have 215,000 km on it. I have found no oil leaks. I can run 2 to 3 weeks without it dropping then it drops. I have dropped 2 quarts in the last 2 weeks.It does not seem to blow any smoke. It has been over 30 yrs since I have done a compression test. Do I pull the fuse for the fuel pump so it only turns over?
 
Last edited:
Sorry if this is a stupid statement, but I'm curious as to where 2 quarts of oil can go if there are no visible signs of leaking or burning.
 
.02 I don't burn or leak oil & every oil change (3k-5k miles) I am down from 4 qts to under 3 qts of oil... Losing oil between oil changes isn't exactly out of the ordinary. Not saying it's the best case scenario, but my motor runs great.

Granted, losing a qt of oil every month is getting a little extensive. Only way to remedy is to do a tear down and replace all your seals, o-rings, etc...
 
Oil has to burn at a rate of about 1 qt/1000 miles for you to be able to SEE it.

Just because you can't see it doesn't mean you're not burning any.
 
True true. Maybe it burns but its not noticable. Interesting issue...op could always pull the intake manifold and look for oil. Or get adventerous and pull the head and look at the pistons
 
oil loss

I pulled the plugs and they were all a light grey. The thing that throws me is it won't drop for a couple of weeks then it drops.
 
i just went 1000 since my last oil change and i'm already down a quart. its been that way since 60,000 miles, now at 87,500 miles and still losing oil. no oil spots, and no visible leaks. i stated in another thread my compression was 130 on all 4 cylinders (within range but low). it the replies i got said low compression like that is most likely because of worn piston rings. i had my timing belt done by the dealer and the mechanics didnt mention anything about need a new main seal (front crankshaft seal).

there is a product i am going to try to solve the compression, its the "BG quickflush" or "BG 109." they are designed to clean out the gunk and carbon deposits in the engine like any crud on the piston rings and see if that helps with the compression at all.
 
meGrimlock said:
i just went 1000 since my last oil change and i'm already down a quart. its been that way since 60,000 miles, now at 87,500 miles and still losing oil. no oil spots, and no visible leaks. i stated in another thread my compression was 130 on all 4 cylinders (within range but low). it the replies i got said low compression like that is most likely because of worn piston rings. i had my timing belt done by the dealer and the mechanics didnt mention anything about need a new main seal (front crankshaft seal).

there is a product i am going to try to solve the compression, its the "BG quickflush" or "BG 109." they are designed to clean out the gunk and carbon deposits in the engine like any crud on the piston rings and see if that helps with the compression at all.
Click to expand...

130 is pretty low compression (180-200 is good), & burning 1 qt per 1000 miles is a lot. I would tip toe with your motor, if I were you...
 
Correct me if im wrong but from my understanding compression testing wont tell you if you have worn OIL rings cause they are two different rings....you have compression rings and oil rings so you can possibly have perfect compression but burn out rings where you will still be burning oil right? i have a 2000 es with 201555 miles and my compression is 190 in all cylinders but my rings are bad. OP when you lose that qt of oil randomly did you drive hard at all before that happened? Cause i know if i drive gently i will burn barely any oil but if i push it my car will burn oil real quick.
 
Is there a difference in engine temp when you are checking oil? Are u on level ground? If the engine is warm are you allowing the same amount of time in between shutting the car off and checking oil?
 
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