I have a 94 civic DX with 159,000 miles on it. So I've notice that I've been burning oil faster then I use to. I have no leak under the car. I do alot of driving (about 300 miles a week so i'm doing a oil change like every two months) but the car use to run alot better on oil then it does now. I'm adding about 2 quarts every two weeks and I've switch recently to Mobil 1 10W-30 fully synthetic (not sure if this burns faster then my old oil which was just regular band non synthetic). Should i be using 5W-30 (don't know the difference between 5W and 10W)? I also had to change two valves that went bad almost 2 months ago so I notice the oil problem about a month later. Is there anything I can check or look for to solve this problem? I'm not very mechanical so maybe you can tell me what to tell the mechanic to look for. Thanks

 

I'm adding about 2 quarts every two weeks and I've switch recently to Mobil 1 10W-30 fully synthetic (not sure if this burns faster then my old oil which was just regular band non synthetic).

If I was you I would go back to using the regular oil. Since you are adding that much (2 qt) oil it is just going out the tailpipe. Why burn the high dollar oil.

Is there anything I can check or look for to solve this problem? I'm not very mechanical so maybe you can tell me what to tell the mechanic to look for.

There are a couple of things you can check.
1. How does it run? Have you noticed any difference in the amount of power?

2. Does the car smoke from the tailpipe? Meaning oil is being burned. How do the spark plugs look?

My first thought is that it probably needs new rings. This can be verified by doing the above things.

Hope this helps.

 

have a compression check done... and then display results.
do you beat on the car at all? be honest.

 

Roadliner - I feel you on the changing back to the old oil. I upgraded because i was told it will help run the car better. I feel no lost in power and as for smoke if I hit the gas at a high rpm smoke does come out. And as for the spark plugs i have to check them but they were changed about 3 months ago and when I checked them about two months ago one of them seem to look more used then the others. I'll post an update after i check them again.

94civichatchback- beat the car??? lol not sure what u really mean. and I'm very honest. but if you me do I drive the car hard as in driving it all over the place and not take care of it then it's a no. I love my car and as soon as something comes up I fix it. I drive alot because I work about 25 miles from my house so i'm putting in 50 miles a day. All highway.

 

oo and roadliner what rings you talking about???

 

i meant do you/ have you shifted at like 5-6k rpms....
i suggest getting a compression check done and a leak done test
it may be the valve seals or the piston rings(roadliner means)

 

OO I See. I don't have a RPM meter in the dash I have to go on feel. but I don't push it hard at all.

Ok so let me ask you this, when the mechanic opened up the engine to change the valves do you think he could have put the seal back on wrong and oil is leaking in there?

 

they only go on 1 way. but if i was the mech doing the job i would have installed new valve seals.i suggested a leak down test.. it will tell you/me if the valves seals or rings are leaking.

 

Piston rings. Each piston has three rings (last time I pulled an engine apart) to help keep the oil at the bottom of the engine. After many miles these have a tendency to wear just like any other part which would allow oil to go to the top of the piston and out through your exhaust. Therefore, cars with these problems usually smoke because oil does not burn well. If you take it to a good shop in your area they should be able to tell you what the problem is and how much they would charge to fix it.

 

thanks roadliner. I have a better understanding of what might be going on, never really understood how the smoke out the exhaust was related to the oil.