Team-BHP - How to prolong the life of an oil burning engine

Hi Guys!

I own a Mitsubishi Lancer and absolutely love the car but a problem has cropped up recently. Even though the engine performs really well and throws loads of steam in the morning, the car is burning oil though slowly. I got her checked for leaks but none were found. I added an engine oil additive which definitely helped and it took about 5 months and approx. 4000 kms for the oil check light to blink again but I need a solution now. Someone told me that using the engine oil additive continuously will fill in the gaps and over a period of time the engine will stop burning oil. The engine is absolutely original and i don't want to get it touched; my mechanic says that the valve seal has to be replaced... Please suggest what can be done to stop the engine from burning oil...will the additive help over a period of time?????

hey Rahul,
sorry to hear about your lancer's engine. a simple method to reduce engine oil consumption is to increase the grade of the engine oil used. you must be using 20w-40w oil currently, if you switch to 20w-50w oil, the oil consumption will come down. another good practice would be to check the engine oil level on a weekly basis and not wait for the engine oil check light to turn on. replacing a worn valve seal can reduce engine oil consumption A valve seal seals the valve stem and prevents oil from going through the valve guide and into the combustion chamber. and about the additives, i have no experience to comment on that.. let to experts say something on that.

Have you seen any loss of power in your car since this problem started the first time? There is no such additives that can fill the gaps. Sooner or later you would have to go in for a engine rebuild. Once you open the engine by looking at the condition of the bore of the cylinders, a Specialist could say if a set of new rings would do the jobs or you would have to change the pistons as well. When you attempt the rebuild do also get the Cam and the Crank seen. You might have to change the bearings on them as well depending on their condition.

Quote:

Originally Posted by nitrous (Post 2129023)

Run a dry compression test and then a wet compression test on all the cylinders.
You'll know if its just the ring or the piston that's finished.

Spot on IMHO.
This is a problem due to either of the following reasons
1. Engine cylinder/Pistons have worn out due to high running mileage.Generally >100,000 Kms
2. The running inn of the engine was not proper hence piston & cylinder liner tolerance have increased.
3. Valve seat abnormal wear

Hope you get the solution fast. Pls don't ignore the basic cause identification.

Cheers

Hi,

I had a similar problem with my Tata Indigo Petrol and used to run out of oil every 2K Km. I had to get an engine head overhaul done. Some valves in the engine had given way and the head gasket was leaking due to which the engine oil was going to the exhaust chamber resulting in white fumes.

One easy way to check whether engine oil is getting mixed in the exhaust system is to touch the inside of the exhaust pipe and rub your fingers for a while. Your fingers will turn black. See whether there is anything shiny in the black stuff that sticks on to your finger. If you see something shiny, that is engine oil and it means oil is getting mixed in the exhaust system and you may need to get an engine head overhaul done.

Since you love your Lancer and don't want to let go of her, better to get it done!

Regards,
Saurav

Rahul what type & brand of engine oil additive did you use. Was it the Nulon engine treatment or Bardahl one. Though in initial stages i am currently using Nulon in my old Padmini S1 and till now the improvements are reduced heating & silent engine operation. The company states that nulon lasts for atleast 15k kms. So if you intend to keep your Lancer for another 5 to 10 yrs then go for the engine rebuild otherwise run the car with the additive, as its meant for cars burning oil and your car seems to be in the initial stages of the same.

Cera Tec - Oil Treatments by Liqui Moly

try liqui moly CERATEC, it will solve problem atleast for another 50k kms, liqui moly prodyucts are reliable and it stays in engine for 50k kms.

or try Xado , you can search about xado in Tbhp , but the thing is both are not available in india. I am getting an CERATEC soon

Planning to try out the Liqui Moly Super Diesel Additive as Diesel Purge is out of stock. Anyone here using this?

Also wanted to check if anyone has experimented with Liqui Moly Cera Tec Friction Modifier. Did check reviews on amazon.com and all seem very positive. Wanted to understand if this works best only in cold regions + large displacement engines. Will this make a difference in a puny 3 pot 1.5L engine?:D

Quote:

Originally Posted by procrj (Post 4232418)

Also wanted to check if anyone has experimented with Liqui Moly Cera Tec Friction Modifier.

Our forum's Maruti 800 Guru has tried the Cera Tec on his 17 year old beauty. Results are great as per him so you can give it a try too.

Link to that post by LeoShashi

Quote:

Originally Posted by procrj (Post 4232418)

Also wanted to check if anyone has experimented with Liqui Moly Cera Tec Friction Modifier. Did check reviews on amazon.com and all seem very positive. Wanted to understand if this works best only in cold regions + large displacement engines. Will this make a difference in a puny 3 pot 1.5L engine?:D

I have used it on many cars, including my personal 800. But never used it on a diesel vehicle. Also kindly make sure the engine is free of sludge, otherwise it will do more harm than good.

Regards,
Shashi

Quote:

Originally Posted by procrj (Post 4232418)

I am currently using it on my Baleno sedan and very happy with it. Engine noise and vibes has reduced drastically while the temperature gauge hardly moves post 40% now. The bonnet seems to be cooler after a long drive. I also got this for a friend for his Getz and he too experienced similar results. His engine temperature would shoot up to 70% earlier is now at the middle.

Quote:

Originally Posted by unk9ja (Post 4234131)

I am surprised if I am reading this right.

In almost all cars which have a dial for Temperature Gauge, after the Engine coolant attains operating temperature, which is generally after 2 to 3 Kms of driving after cold start, the needle will settle at Halfway mark. The Gauge is calibrated in that manner that half = operating temperature.

I don't think adding a fuel additive would do any good or bad to the Coolant circulating around the cooling system while you drive. If at all the Getz displayed 70% of the Temperature gauge, that would be a case of overheating or air sucked into the cooling system or In short, one of the typical technical reasons for the car to overheat.

Even when you drive cars under harsh conditions, it is very rare that the needle would cross beyond 50% mark.

If the results regarding the temerature are really this good, you should compare another Baleno after it reached operating temperature and see if it varies by a good margin between your car and that one.