Car starting to consume oil at a faster rate

[Brawler]

Hi all.
I still have a 2010 Kia Cerato. It's still good as new and has never missed a beat. Not a single failure besides for a battery in 11 years of ownership. It seems like the good run may be coming to an end. Up until now, the car has never needed oil between annual services.
In the last 6 months (+/- 6000 KM), I have had to top up the oil twice. It's not due for a service until June.
Any reason for concern or take it in asap for some preventative work or just a symptom of age?
It's got 150 000 KM on the clock. Car feels fine, no smokey exhaust or anything.
Thanks.

 

[Ivan Leon]

When you mention 'top up the oil twice', how low was the oil on the dipstick and how much did you have to put in each time?

 

[Brawler]

When you mention 'top up the oil twice', how low was the oil on the dipstick and how much did you have to put in each time?

thanks for your response.
Perhaps like 40% between the min and the max indicator. Full pint each time (I think - the service station guy does it). I really should know more...

 

[rh1]

Is there any leaks when you park the car?

 

[Brawler]

Is there any leaks when you park the car?

Not that I have noticed.

 

[Segg]

If you're not smoking when cold you can usually rule out usual suspects like piston rings and valve seals

In some cars as components age and gunk up the engine will actually build up positive pressure in the sump/crank case etc and start blowing oil out the breather during normal operation

I think this was a common problem with some Volvos for example

 

[airborne]

If it's a BMW or VAG car according to them using a litre of oil every 1000km is normal.. so you are still well less than that.

Have you googled your model + high oil usage?

 

[Gordon_R]

I don't think there's anything you can do about it that doesn't involve opening up the engine, at significant expense, and limited options to repair. Unless something goes wrong or gets noisy, rather just keep an eye on it...

 

[Adenoid Hynkel]

If it's a BMW or VAG car according to them using a litre of oil every 1000km is normal.. so you are still well less than that.

Have you googled your model + high oil usage?

If you're using or burning 1 liter of oil per 1000km then there is a problem. VAG oil tolerance is 500ml per 1000km

 

[upup]

only check your oil when engine is cold. I would suggest post 6. Use a oil like helix HX-7.

 

[Ivan Leon]

Perhaps like 40% between the min and the max indicator. Full pint each time (I think - the service station guy does it). I really should know more...

That's why I always check ALL the fluid levels under the bonnet (plus the tyre pressures - including the spare) myself, once a month - it's a ten-minute task at most.

I NEVER leave those vital checklist items to a forecourt petrol pump attendant, who could misread the actual level or, even worse, overfill the oil level just to use up all the oil in the can when topping it up, or put the wrong type of fluid into the expansion tank, brake, power steering or transmission fluid reservoirs, over / under-inflate the tyres, or leave the caps off any of the reservoirs after topping them up.

 

[Moto Guzzi]

Get a sample of oil analised, know exactly which oil is in the engine, if not get it replaced with correct oil & filter, then monitor and check again, cheap advice for a start, seeing its running ok, a clean engine is a happy engine.
If oil is added by garage fuel pump assistant, if you dont know, how would he know which type and grade(spec) for your car. The only time any oil is ok is if its an emergency and you stranded with an oil warning and dipstick dry but engine not seized yet., then from there just to home(Of course not any oil).

 

[airborne]

If you're using or burning 1 liter of oil per 1000km then there is a problem. VAG oil tolerance is 500ml per 1000km

500ml per 1000km could be right, it's still ridiculous, what vehicle running to spec and under normal road conditions can possibly use that amount of oil in such a short time. It's a con

 

[airborne]

Get a sample of oil analised, know exactly which oil is in the engine, if not get it replaced with correct oil & filter, then monitor and check again, cheap advice for a start, seeing its running ok, a clean engine is a happy engine.
If oil is added by garage fuel pump assistant, if you dont know, how would he know which type and grade(spec) for your car. The only time any oil is ok is if its an emergency and you stranded with an oil warning and dipstick dry but engine not seized yet., then from there just to home(Of course not any oil).

That's a good call, maybe they used ultra low viscosity oil at the last service and that's blowing past rings or wherever.

 

[Rocket-Boy]

If it's a BMW or VAG car according to them using a litre of oil every 1000km is normal.. so you are still well less than that.

Have you googled your model + high oil usage?

I have never understood that, my E90 was using less than that and it was because it needed valve stem seals to be sorted out. After it was done there was no oil use between services.
They also seem to do that at low mileage, mine was on 60k when I had it done.

 

[OCP]

Check your coolant (radiator and fill up container) for brown/goo.

If the coolant liquid is contaminated then is could be head gasket (ouch) or crack in cylinder head (double ouch)

A pressure test on coolant system would also be a good indication and can be done at most garages.

 

[Gordon_R]

Check your coolant (radiator and fill up container) for brown/goo.

If the coolant liquid is contaminated then is could be head gasket (ouch) or crack in cylinder head (double ouch)

A pressure test on coolant system would also be a good indication and can be done at most garages.

I thought about that, but usually the leak goes the other way. The coolant is pressurised, but the cylinder head uses splash lubrication. Either way, there is no easy or cheap fix.

 

[Adenoid Hynkel]

500ml per 1000km could be right, it's still ridiculous, what vehicle running to spec and under normal road conditions can possibly use that amount of oil in such a short time. It's a con

Every single Audi I owned used a bit of oil. Some more some less. I also believe it depends on the engine type and how it's driven. My V8 uses around 1liter every 2500-4000km. Mostly depending on weather conditions and how I floor it.

 

[genetic]

Every single Audi I owned used a bit of oil. Some more some less. I also believe it depends on the engine type and how it's driven. My V8 uses around 1liter every 2500-4000km. Mostly depending on weather conditions and how I floor it.

Audi's petrol TFSI engines (most notably 2009-2013) are notorious for burning oil, and that's just down sub-par tolerances due to poor engineering. It's not normal and should never be. A properly designed petrol engine does not "consume" oil.

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I never have top up oil on my 2013 Alfa Romeo 159 with 65K km on the clock. I do yearly services, and in the span of a year (or around 10,000km) the oil level is still full by the time it needs a service.

 

[Brawler]

Thanks all. I'm going to monitor it myself more closely and if need be, take it in for its service a few months early and see what they say.