Hey Acurazine been awhile since ive been in this section, probably because my 02 TL-S is just awsome. Recently ive noticed that the lip and inside of my exhaust tips have been coated black, and i have to put more oil in every 500 - 1000 miles or so... this number seems really low to have to keep putting oil in and doesnt sound right. I know i dont leak oil because i never leave spots in my garage or driveway. Anybody else have this problem or could tell me whats going on or how i could prevent it? id hate to have my transmission be so good to me then have something go wrong with my motor

 

If you are indeed burning oil, there is nothing you can do to stop it or prevent it. How much oil are you adding when you have to add oil? What weight oil are you using?

 

i have to add from 1/2 quart to 1 quart and i was using 5w-20 but a buddy of mine said i should switch to 5w-30 since this started happening sdo i did. i use valvoline full syn

 

Consider trying a specially formulated "High Mileage" conventional oil.

 

I've even had success with 10w30 as a last resort. Sometimes an engine will consume more oil with conventional rather than synthetic. You can also try replacing the pcv valve. Get one from the dealer; it'll be $20 instead of $10 aftermarket, but calibration is important. You didn't say the mileage interval you consume the oil in. Does it make any difference between highway or city driving?

 

backstory? car sat for months then back in service? overheated?

along with pcv- which vents excess pressure in crankcase back to the intake to be reburned- especially important now with assumed blowby pressure

only a few things cause oil consumption- I would ck the spark plugs for age wear and visual oil on a particular cylinder- to see if its valve guide seals or bad piston oil control ring, or external loss thru valve cover gaskets or leaky oil pressure sensor- its the stupid thing if you are lucky!!
Compression test will give more info too

to clean oil and pcv system -install new cheap oil filter and add 1 half can Seafoam liquid ($8) to oil
that stuff will loosen crud blocking passageways and return normal oil pressure
Used in the oil it also cleans stuff from the piston rings and under the rings-the action spots, hopefully returning a good seal to them
drive a few weeks/ 200 miles, with drives over 30 minutes being most effective
change oil and filter with it warm from 15 minute drive

 

the book allows several oil weight choices based on operating ambient temps
the switch to synth has caused mystery leaks before!!
try plain ol dino- high mileage with its seal swelling ingredients and extra cleaners if you want

other place to look- remove inspection cover under trans to engine connection - 2 bolts
if the engine rear main seal is leaking that's where the oil goes
We have seen that leak caused by a clogged pcv!!! the pcv has a shaker ball inside that should move freely when tested by hand

some darkness at tailpipe can be many things, is it oily or just dirty
report on spark plug results!

 

Coated black exhaust tip means maintenance is neglected. get an oil change and wash the damn car and clean F exhaust tip.

 

i could look into the pcv thing. but i clean my car like everyweek and polish all the chrome on my car, and change oil every 2500 miles, the tips are coated a few days after theyre clean or my oil is changed. how often should plugs be replaced? i replaced them last november. as far as the back story on the car, ive owned it since august of last year and has been my daily driver between work and school i drive it everyday. i mostly drive in town i dont have a need to drive out of town so not a whole lot of highway but some. It did get rather hot a few months back due to me not properly connection some tube that coolant went through, but only drove like a block before i stopped myself. Another thing i feel dumb for not mentioning it might make a difference i dont know, i cut out my 2 rear mufflers and replaced with 2 1/4 piping.

 

Questions - oil consumption was X a year ago. It's changed and is now 1 qt / 1000 mi. ?

The engine got hot in the last couple of months. Did you notice the oil consumption issue just after that?

And why are you changing the oil at 2.5k? Does it look used by then?

 

I wonder if you are sucking oil from increased exhaust flow, rather than burning, or blowing oil past rings
It would help to know more about the work proceeding the overheat=
did it get hot or redlined?? coolant was changed?
the hose inside res cap came off right? I suggest a zip tie on the very important part!

our oil change spec is 7500 miles on regular oil,
is yours blackened at 2500? that would indicate a severe engine problem
Its been going on how long??

how do the spark plugs look- one or more black and oily-grungy looking? or nice light tan color to cone inside and outside part of the arm?

 

a clogged PCV will make havoc with the oil consumption and possible leaks
Remove and shake- should sound like spray paint can with ball rolling inside
With ongoing oil problem, that device could be getting really clogged and not allowing crankcase pressure to escape!! very bad news!

 

So did your oil problem start to happen after your hot incident?

Oh and changing your oil every 2500 is a huge waste of money, and if you are burning that much, not really accomplishing anything as to keeping your motor in in good shape. Factory service recommendation is 7500, i usually go 15k and as high as 20k on a single oil change.

 

noobs note: our megamoderator also has done many `blackstone labs` oil analysis mass spectrograph reports (25$) to know how long he can run his oil, and changes filter halfway thru to keep the oil clean and working at its best
He also seafoams the oil before change

please don't decide you can start running 15-20kmiles `as- is` on your TL!
Its possible- with proper cleaning first yadayada disclaimer here

 

okay my old pcv valve was pretty nasty and the ball inside moved but just hardly so i replaced it. ill check to see how my spark plugs look tomorrow

 

It is so not...Do you really think the engine runs at 100% Efficiency? Every time you turn the car on and idles in open loop there is a lot of unburned crap coming out of the exhaust, this is why it also smells funny in the morning and when is hot it doesn't smell anything! The cat needs to heat down to start working and clean the crap in the exhaust.

So in short you will find black exhaust tips in ANY CAR IN THE WORLD that the owner don't give 2 craps about cleaning the exhaust tip every week. Yes you will find it on Bugatti Veyrons too every car that runs will black out its tips because of morning cold starts.

 

^ Especially with the new Direct Injection motors, you will see lots of carbon on the tips and even the bumpers with owners that dont clean the car often/well

 

any crud buildup on that ball inside pcv is bad news- it should sound like a paint spray can!
you have to understand that Positive Crankcase Ventilation means exactly that!

By internal combustion physics- there is air pressure generated that gets below the piston rings and into the crankcase, If its not VENTED the excess pressure looks for the next easy way out- an oil seal !
lets hope it hasn't pushed out the rear main seal
After last winter- a ziner with sudden rear main leak and clogged pcv = leak resolved itself after pressure was released!

 

okay so i changed my oil today, used some motor flush then filled it 5w-30 royal purple. i polished my exhaust tips so well see how fast they get coated, and ill have to keep an eye on the new oil and see if im still burning.

 

Polished tips are not the best readings since odds are you just clean them when they start to look dull.

That is by my last calculations and use of polished tips = Every.... Time..... You use the car.

If you are burning oil your best bet is to count how much oil you need to pour to top it off by a month. 1q = Month = Pretty Bad.

 

I agree- record mileage and note exact reading of oil level when engine cold-
parked on level ground etc and ck it frequently in the same location and cold !

when any bit warm, there is oil slowly making its way back down to the pan