burning oil???

[khuezee]

alright, i used to own an NSX, but now im driving a 96 civic while im waiting for the elusive 2004 model.

i need help trying to figure out why im burning about a qrt of oil every 2-3 weeks. its a completely stock car. no harsh accelerations.

things ive checked:

no oil leaks, no oil from exhaust, none in radiator fluid, none on sparkplugs.

where is my oil going? i dont lose any mpg performance or smell anything burning? can it be a head gasket or something?

any best guesstimate would be great!!!

thanks,
khue

 

[daveh]

hondas spec is 1qt per 1000miles.sounds like a lot but it's "normal".Also make sure you have a factory pcv valve,not some jiffy lube piece of junk,they can really suck ,literally.

 

[khuezee]

ive owned many hondas, including a 92 prelude and 92 hatchback civic. none have them have ever leaked or burned oil. everytime ive checked my oil or replaced it, it was always at the same level on the dipstick. weird....

 

[okie]

i own a prelude and CRV, both burn oil (the CRV burns 1/2 quart every 4k miles) prelude burns about 1 quart every 2000 miles.

i'm part of the prelude boards and it seems the vast majority of people burn oil. i think 2 things cause it (again my opinion as nobody can seem to track it down)...
1: heard that oil burns off the cams when you go out of vtec (makes sense cause i vtec a LOT).

2: hondas have a little tube that goes from your head (its on the valve cover) to your intake. helps warm it up for startups and such (bad for high end) lots of people put breathers on them. basically we're guessing that sometimes it could suck up some oil and send it back into your intake. i've taken off my lude's throttle body and there is oil on it on occassion, so im guessing that would lead it to some of the oil loss.

 

[I Grok NSX]

I've got a 98 Civic with 62k miles and it doesn't require any oil between oil changes (every 5k miles).

I'd check the rear main bearing seal. If it is the rear main seal, it would only leak while you were driving so you would probably never see an oil leak on the ground if you left it parked. How many miles on your 96?

 

[khuezee]

ive got 125K miles on my car. dont know if that makes a difference. all maintenance is up to date, including timing belt.

 

[okie]

different oils can also affect how much oil you burn.

for instance, mobil 1 syn seems to burn a lot more than when i use castrol gtx. also the weight matters, 10w-30 is heavier it will burn less than 5w-30.

 

[RoNSX]

Oil Consumption

I'm reviving this thread because it seemed most applicable to my situation. Also, to prove that I searched before asking.

I have a 95 NSX, stock engine, Comptech exhaust, K & N air filter extended into the rear left quarter panel. As of this weekend there are 46K confirmed miles on the car. It has had the major timing belt service about 5K miles ago.

Prior to the Canyon Run this last weekend, I was shocked when I checked the oil to find that it was below the low mark on the dip stick (about 2K+ miles since last changed/checked). I topped it off with Mobil 1 10-30. After driving approximately 300 miles I found that the oil level was down to half-way between the two dip stick markings (I assume that's half a quart).

My car has never dripped a drop of oil, it is garaged and the floor below it it spotless. It doesn't smoke, nor smell of burnt oil, but I have noticed soot build-up on the exhaust tips (slightly more on the left side than the right).

My first thought is that I'm burning oil, bad rings (damn that K & N filter for letting those abrasive particles into my cylinders), time to rebuild. However, I took some comfort in the earlier suggestions in this post.

It was suggested that VTEC will cause oil to burn. My car is no stranger to VTEC, particularly during this last drive.

This is my 6th Honda car, but my first VTEC. I have never had a Honda use oil, not even my earlier Prelude.

Anyone else have similar experience? Any suggestions as to causes or solutions? Or is this just a fact of VTEC NSX ownership?

 

[Briank]

If its not dripping when its sitting and not smoking when running the oil must me leaking when running. Some how it leaking from some hidden spot and not running down any part of the car or the engine. I would park the car over a clean spot and let it run and see where it is dripping.

 

[hlweyl]

I guess there's the possibility of pre-mature piston ring wear or valve seals. That could cause oil to burn while the engine is running. If it's mild, you might not even see smoke out of the tailpipe.

I've owned 4 different hondas and none have burned oil. Mileage, 195k, 131k, 83k and 77k each.