DEALINGDEALING WITHWITH OILOIL CONSUMPTIONCONSUMPTION ISSUESISSUES BBELLELL SSAMAM BBYY

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20 March 2014 hen I was a little boy, our fami- down the road with an empty tranny. Ouch! Be- ly took annual driving trips to lieve it or not, we recently saw a replay of this visit my grandmother a couple with a Subaru, as well. of states away. Whenever we Then there was a Volvo 240 whose oil pressure stop ped for gas, Dad always sending unit had the misfortune to be cracked by asked the pump attendant to the same neophyte’s strap wrench. That check the oil. When I wondered one year why it made it almost to the end of the block. Final- wouldW need to be checked so often, Dad hand- ly, topping off the lube shop’s first full week in op- ed me the Owner’s Manual and told me to read eration, the poor fellow failed to notice the stuck it. This ploy kept me quiet for many miles. oil filter O-ring on the brand-new Corvette (2760 When I had finished reading it, I was no miles!) when he installed the replacement filter. more enlightened than before, so I asked Dad The ’Vette got about three miles away before the for some elaboration. “Well,” he replied, “did “extra” gasket blew out. you find a schedule for oil leaks in there?” “No, sir.” 2 Engine Oil Gone M.I.A. “That’s why.” Lesson learned. This case involved a 2002 Corolla with the fa- VW and recently declared that oil con- miliar 1ZZ-FE engine. The car was owned since sumption of up to a quart every 650 miles is new by an older gentleman who drove it only to “normal” on some of their vehicles, while Gen- and from his teaching job at a local university. eral Motors says consumption of up to a quart His wife did all the shopping in her own car, every 2000 miles is acceptable. Unfortunately, which they also used for all their social engage- the oil change minder system may wait to re- ments and family trips. Reaching retirement mind the driver it’s time for some basic mainte- age, he decided to relocate across the country to nance until well after all the lube is gone. the West Coast and sent his wife ahead. Clearly, those carmakers think such oil con- He brought his car to a local shop for an oil sumption is acceptable. Your customers may not change and a trip-check. The odometer at the agree, however. Indeed, judging by some of the time showed about 32,400 miles. Everything remarks posted on various online user forums, seemed to be shipshape. About a week later, he this may be the understatement of the year (see set off in his Corolla, fully loaded with stuff not “How Much Is Too Much?” on page 26)! previously moved. The first two and a half days A hundred years ago, most carmakers recom- of his trip passed uneventfully. mended that be changed at intervals of Then, somewhere in the Badlands of South 500 to 2000 miles. The addition of oil filters al- Dakota, the oil warning light came on, and the lowed 3000-mile oil changes. New advances in oil engine made a noise “like a threshing machine.” technology, filtration, PCV systems and engine Undeterred, the man pushed on until the en- management systems make substantially longer gine seized a mile or two later. He was towed to drain intervals possible, provided that someone the nearest Toyota dealership. When the drain occasionally checks the oil. Indeed, some manu- plug was removed, no appreciable oil came out, facturers now call for routine change intervals of although the oil filter was still full. Examination as long as two years or 30,000 miles. This does of the tailpipe showed some oily black sootlike not strike me as a safe idea, except where reliable deposits. on-board oil level and quality monitoring sensors I was hired as an expert witness after the man are installed. (Some 30-plus years of operating filed suit claiming that the local technician had my own shop have taught me that few, if any, cus- drained the oil but failed to replenish it. The tomers will reliably check under their hoods be- claim was obviously false, since he had by then tween recommended service intervals.) driven over 1900 miles before the failure, and The following case studies of oil consumption since the filter was full of clean-looking oil. But problems will give you some insight into how to the questions remained: What happened to that handle the issue on afflicted vehicles that arrive oil? Why would a car that had never used oil in at your shop. the past suddenly consume nearly four quarts in less than 2000 miles? 1 Oops, My Bad The answer lay in the sudden change of driv- Truth, it is said, is stranger than fiction. Some ing style. Here’s what I believe happened: years ago, a new fast-lube site opened near my During the man’s previous local driving, the shop, and its first week of operation was quite upper reaches of the walls had accumu- eventful. Mistaking the transmission’s oil drain lated a thin coating of varnish consisting of de- for the engine’s, a rookie lube tech then over- posits of unburned gasoline, condensed PCV gas-

Photos: Thinkstock Photos: filled the Saab motor by four quarts and sent it es and other contaminants. These deposits were

March 2014 21 DEALING WITH OIL CONSUMPTION ISSUES situated just above the upper ring, Additional varnish deposits then be- I find deposits on the oxygen sensors in the area “shadowed” by the top of the gan to accumulate as the top ring’s and in the tailpipe to be the most reli- piston. On his trip, the first time in tens scraping action became increasingly in- able marker. An upper-engine decar- of thousands of miles that his engine had effective. A small amount of varnish was bonization treatment often helps, been thoroughly warmed up, the upper then deposited on the upper surface of though it’s by no means a sure-fire cure. began to come into contact the second ring, leading to ever-increas- Still, it’s a valid first and maybe even with some of these deposits. (Remember ing oil consumption. (Toyota, to its second attempt, especially at a fraction that metal expands with heat, allowing credit, apparently anticipated such a sit- of the price of a ring job (see “Upper the relatively thin to uation. In its Owner’s Manuals, it ad- Engine Decarbonization” on page 28). “stretch” just slightly relative to the monishes drivers to check the oil level This is one reason the 1950s fixation height of the cylinder wall.) As the ring at each refueling stop.) on low-mileage used is no longer entered the previously untraveled por- This case, like most, never went to appropriate. Give me a high-mileage tion of the top of the cylinder wall, it be- trial, and was settled by the local shop’s used car every time; it at least knows gan to scrape off the varnishlike deposits. insurance company whose analysis was how to go! Some of these gooey accumulations that a jury would likely ignore the facts landed on the top side of the upper ring. and concentrate on compensating the 3 A Lighter Shade of Pale With all due respect to Procol Harum, a puff of gray to blue smoke may be only the visual sign of certain types of oil consumption problems. Look for this on cold start-up. A brief puff of oily smoke that clears up almost immediate- ly often points to oil leakage down the valve guides. A new set of valve stem seals will often curb the vapors, though it may fail to treat the underlying prob- lem of worn valve guides. The geometry of modern overhead- cam engines acting directly on their fol- lowers positioned axially above their valves has reduced the incidence of un- even, ovaloid stem wear compared to its earlier endemic prevalence in rocker- valve motors. However, there are a number of rocker-valve engines still in Photos: Sam Bell Photos: The block-off seal/plug (shown in place below the removed cap) production, so the issue is far from be- from this Camry was a leaker. The oil travels down below the coil bracket, ing a mere historical memory. reaches the level of the , then travels along to drip off the protrud- Off-axis forces exerted on the top of ing gasket edge at the back of the engine, mimicking a head gasket leak. Be sure the valve stem tend to force it perpendic- to order up a valve cover gasket and plug tube seals. Clean the cover and its ularly toward or away from the baffles, add on a new PCV valve and grommet and you’re good to go. as the valve moves vertically relative to the guide. Over time, the slightly softer Compounding the problem, the ring was “innocent” driver. Nevertheless, it raises metal of the guide wears toward an oval forced further than usual into its groove a very real question: If (and it’s a big if) shape. As the neoprene material of the by the reduced effective diameter of the the driver had checked the oil, topped it valve stem seal loses its elasticity after re- upper cylinder wall. up and brought it to you for diagnosis peated heating and cooling cycles, small To achieve better fuel economy, Toy- and repair after the oil had run low, how amounts of oil are able to drip down the ota, like virtually all modern carmakers, would you have proceeded? guide as the engine sits unrunning. If uses low-tension rings to reduce inter- Experience suggests that dramatic in- you suspect this condition, you can look nal friction and wear. The upper ring creases in oil consumption are moderate- for confirmation in the form of a brief now began to stick in its groove, glued ly widespread. In most cases, vacuum puff of smoke out the tailpipe with each in place by the scraped varnish. The en- waveform and compression readings are upshift (observed from a following vehi- gine still ran reasonably well at this essentially uniform across all cylinders, cle). You can also temporarily disable the point, but it was likely beginning to and cylinder leakdown is not remarkable. purge system and the PCV and breather burn some oil. The rate of consumption In advanced cases, there may be some systems, bring the engine into closed- was still fairly low, so there was no large discoloration of the ceramic loop operation, and then flow some smoke cloud visible to the driver. tips, but in most cases it, too, is minimal. propane into the valve cover (probably

22 March 2014 DEALING WITH OIL CONSUMPTION ISSUES using a breather hose) while monitoring hot exhaust, might very well be from the Not actually a leak, but you might short-term fuel trim. Worn guides will rear main seal. But it usually isn’t. You’ll wish it were. A number of show an immediate sharp shift toward or need an updated oil-separator plate in- products suffer from an intermittent oil into the negative when the propane is stead. This component is bolted to the warning light under hot idle conditions. first applied. (As always, try this first on a back of the and requires If you check the pressure with a gauge, known-good car so you don’t jump to the removing the or flexplate to re- it will usually fall within specifications. wrong conclusion.) This type of wear is place it. This part has been updated for While you’d think that a new switch often greatly accelerated where oil sludg- many applications, so make sure you’ve would fix the problem, it often doesn’t. ing has rendered the valve rotation got the current version for the best odds There’s a bulletin (08-36-99) calling out mechanism ineffective. of an effective repair. a counterintuitive solution that involves Porous engine block. Late-’90s to modifying the connector seal. You read 4 Where’s the Oil From? early 2000s Honda and Acura V6s were it right, the connector seal! Remove the While some oil leaks are straightfor- prone to some very unusual oil leaks “sealing dart” from the empty cavity at ward, others can be very tricky to pin through porosity in the block. Although the back of the harness connector and down. Here are a handful of common this condition theoretically was covered replace it with a special “wire terminal but puzzling leakage scenarios. by an extended warranty, the problem vent,” Part No. 05017800AA. It appears Looks like the head gasket. This is usually manifested itself too late. The that you can also puncture the “dart” with a pick and insert a short piece of a tiny spray wand straw that’s supplied with many aerosol cans. I Can’t See a Leak. Now What? This is not an uncommon problem. When there’s no evidence of an exterior leak anywhere, it’s time to think about internal consumption issues. Always be- gin by checking the PCV system. An im- proper PCV valve may cause substantial oil consumption, so make sure you’re buying from a trusted source. We have seen incorrectly applied PCV valves ac- count for excessive oil consumption amounting to more than a quart per 200 miles! So step one is always to verify that the PCV valve is correct and that the system is functioning as designed. If there’s a PCV filter or baffle, be sure to Reminder labels are used to help customers remember to check their oil be- check it for obstructions, as well. tween changes. Apply them to windshields and to the fuel filler area (as shown Step two is to check for any relevant here). Will the labels work? The odds are greatly improved if you take the time to TSBs. Use your resources to verify that thoroughly explain the consequences of not checking the oil regularly. you’re not beating a dead horse. If the carmaker lists a specific countermea- very common on older Camry 4-cylin- factory “fix” involved applying a special sure procedure, be sure to follow it to ders, but actually traces to a bad end- epoxy coating to the affected areas, the letter before heading off into un- plug seal in line with the intake which were concentrated at each end of charted territory. camshaft where the distributor used to the block. Yep, about as easy and effec- Consider the case of the redesigned be installed (see the photo on page 22). tive as you’d think. Toyota . Affecting certain 2006- Pull the valve cover for access and be Looks like a power steering leak. 11 code 2AZ-FE 4-cylinder engines in- sure to replace the cover gasket and But it’s engine oil, instead. This leak is stalled in RAV4s, Camrys, Camry Hy- plug tube seals as well. Some 4-cylinder common on a lot of Toyota V6s, includ- brids, Corollas, Matrixes and Solaras, Hondas are subject to the same malady. ing the Camry and Sienna. Replacing TSB No. 094-11 specifies new, re- Later (mid-2000s) Camrys are subject the banjo-bolt sealing washers on the designed pistons to cure oil consump- to head gasket failures as the threads back of the block requires moving the tion in excess of one quart per 1200 pull out of the block. power steering pump first. Sometimes miles. On the original pistons, the oil re- Looks like the rear main seal. Oil you can save time by retightening the turn holes behind the piston rings may all over the back of a Subaru engine, of- bolt instead, but be sure to check your clog up. The solution is not a mere ten making a stink from contact with the success before shipping the car. cleaning, however; change ’em out. If

24 March 2014 DEALING WITH OIL CONSUMPTION ISSUES the original complaint was documented Check Your Work you may have to wash it down into the at the dealership before 60,000 miles, There are several possible ways to motor with a little fresh oil to flush it the repair is likely still covered under check both the source of a tricky leak through the valve cover’s baffles. If it’s warranty or a “good-will” extension. and the effectiveness of your fix. In still not showing on the dipstick, you’ll Step three is to inspect the tailpipe, many cases, it will be possible to clean need to add more dye. Once you see the spark plugs and then the O2 sensors the affected area thoroughly and visual- the glow with the blacklight, immedi- for deposits. Watch out: If the O2 sen- ly inspect it for continuing leakage. Put ately check the engine for any external sors are original and you’re working on on an exhaust hose and run the vehicle trace. Then run it (again, with an ex- a high-mileage car, inspection can easily for several minutes, monitoring the af- haust hose in place) and recheck. turn into replacement. Let your cus- fected area. If nothing shows up quick- As before, if there are still no signs of tomer know the risks at the outset to ly, a test drive may be in order. Follow leakage, a test drive is in order. Drive avoid unhappiness. If there are oily up with another visual inspection. for a few minutes, varying speed and black deposits in the tailpipe, you’re However, we all know there are load, then recheck. You don’t want to probably dealing with an internal con- times and places where access is too drive so long that you miss pinpointing sumption issue. If you skipped steps limited to do a thorough job of cleaning, the location of the beginning of the leak. one or two above, follow them now! even using a pressure washer or similar Oil can spread pretty quickly in the slip- If you find heavy deposits, a healthy equipment. What then? Time for fluo- stream of a moving vehicle, leaving you PCV system and no external leakage, rescent dye and a blacklight. You proba- no better off than you were in pinpoint- you’re probably looking at an upper en- bly already have most of what you need ing the origin of the leak. gine decarbonization at best or a major in your a/c tool cabinet. You can buy in- Once you’ve verified PCV application engine overhaul at worst. In the latter dividual dye packets tailored for use in and function, fixed any external leaks, case, given the complexity and close tol- the engine oil, or you can use a bulk dye performed any TSB-mandated updates erances of today’s engines, it may be dispenser. If the oil is too black, change and done a thorough upper engine de- cheaper to replace the whole engine it first to make it easier to see the dye as carbonization, There are three things with a remanufactured unit, especially if it exits. Be sure to check the dye’s visi- left to do: there is a history of neglect. bility on the dipstick. If you can’t see it, First, make two stickers—one for the windshield and one for the fuel filler door—reminding the driver to check the oil (see the photo on page 24). Quality label makers or printers are How Much Is Too Much? available cheaply at any number of of- his is a tough question. Three decades ago, most carmakers had set the fice supply outlets. Toil consumption limit somewhere around one quart per 750 miles. If you Second, review with the driver the burned through a quart in less mileage, it was covered by the warranty; af- proper procedure for checking the oil, ter 750 miles or more, it wasn’t. including when, where and which oil to That clearly has changed, but each manufacturer sets its own standards, add. You’ll be amazed (or not!) at the which may vary by model and engine, and they’re not always happy to number of customers who cannot open share them. We in the independent aftermarket are less likely to see vehi- their own hoods. Make that a part of cles that are still covered by the factory warranty, though it certainly does happen. If in doubt, call your favorite parts contact at the local dealership your lesson, too. It will be hard to resist and ask that he or she check with the service folks and get back to you. (I’ve the temptation to do it for them, but found that the service department management is less likely to be forth- this is one time when you need to make coming in response to an “outside” question than they are to an internal them do it for themselves. A paint one.) Once you know the factory parameters and policies, you’ll be in a bet- marker can help in labeling the sec- ter position to advise your customer. ondary hood latch and hood prop loca- If the vehicle is out of warranty, your customer will be relying on your tions. (Be sure to charge for your time!) judgment to determine what’s normal, or at least what’s acceptable. Most Finally, make an appointment for a technicians I spoke with endorsed a sliding scale approach based in part on follow-up visit before your customer overall vehicle mileage, total oil capacity and driver habits. The consensus leaves the shop. This helps to impress seemed to be that if the was not down by more than a quart when brought in for service, there were no visible oil leaks on the ground on him the seriousness of the condition and no visible exhaust plume, no corrective action was required. and further reinforces your admonitions Some techs argued that a vehicle with more than 200,000 miles on the to check the oil regularly. odometer had earned the right to sip a bit more oil, perhaps as much as a quart every 500 miles, but no one suggested any greater leniency than that. Consequences I’m inclined to be somewhat stricter on the theory that the playing field Oil that leaks eventually winds up on or should be level for all cars regardless of age or mileage, but maybe that’s in the ground, and eventually in the lo- just my bias as an air-breathing mammal. cal watershed. Oil that burns passes through the exhaust, where some of it

26 March 2014 DEALING WITH OIL CONSUMPTION ISSUES may be deposited onto the catalytic and cause of an external oil leak may be plume of oil smoke cannot be allowed to converter substrate (potentially shorten- difficult, finding the root cause of inter- continue to do so; leaving a trail of lube ing converter service life) or onto the in- nal oil consumption may be even more on the ground is also a no-no. But more terior surfaces of the exhaust. The re- frustrating. Ultimately, you may have to moderate consumption may be tolerable mainder passes into the atmosphere, of- balance your customer’s interests against if it’s correctly managed. Helping your ten as nano-particles of soot or as those of society and the larger environ- customer understand the potentially se- aerosolized hydrocarbon compounds. If ment. Oil spill runoff into lakes, rivers rious implications of excessive oil con- unnoticed by the driver, a low-oil condi- and surface waters is estimated to ac- sumption is part of your job. tion can cause serious long-term dam- count for about 30% of all oil pollution age on any engine, especially if the oil found in the earth’s oceans, so compla- This article can be found online at loss results in inadequate oil pressure. cency definitely should not be the order www.motormagazine.com. While determining the exact source of the day. Engines which clearly emit a Upper Engine Decarbonization here are a number of competing techniques you ator pedal down somewhat if you still have some solvent Tcan use to try to clean upper-engine deposits that flooding the engine.) A large cloud of smoke out of the might be causing excessive oil consumption. Here are tailpipe is normal, and should clear up after a few min- my two favorites: utes of running. 1. A thorough injector cleaning, using a MotorVac or Allow the engine to warm up to normal operating similar apparatus, coupled with cleaning the temperature. Clean up your oil-dry or cardboard, then body and induction system. (I like BG spray induction and add a can of “5-minute motor flush” to the oil, run for throttle body cleaner Part No. 406 for this.) At the end, the recommended time interval, then change the oil to add a can of “5-minute motor flush” to the oil, run for remove the crud you’ve just washed into it. Clear any the recommended time interval, then change the oil to codes you may have set, reset adaptive fuel and throttle remove the crud you’ve just washed into it. Clear any trims, if applicable, and test drive. If you wound up with codes you may have set and reset adaptive fuel and some solvent on the underside of the hood, be sure to throttle trims, if applicable. Take a test drive, and moni- wipe it down before it strips off the paint. (Don’t ask me tor trims. how I know!) Neutralize and remove any remaining sol- 2. An overnight soak with GM’s “X-66” or a similar vent with a soap & water solution. product. Prepare the vehicle by first warming it to normal If your inspection reveals a lot of oil sludge as well, you operating temperature, then park it on level ground out- might try substituting one quart of ATF for some of the side. The area underneath the engine compartment may crankcase oil. Its higher detergent levels may help keep get pretty contaminated, so an absorbent mat, oil-dry or things a bit cleaner, but be sure to explain to your cus- even used cardboard is recommended to help catch and tomer the importance of changing it out well within control any runoff or contamination. I like to spray or 3000 miles, as the detergent loses its effectiveness. Most drizzle a small amount of the cleaner through the throt- customers will comply with this once they understand the tle body, then dump in a bunch to flood the engine. (Be rationale. You can continue this substitution at each careful: Liquids are incompressible, so you can bend a rod change interval indefinitely. if you get too carried away!) BG Products also offers the Squid Combustion Cham- Now remove the spark plugs and disable the fuel and ber Decarbonizing System (Part Nos. 9404 and 9408) to ignition systems. Carefully pour some of the cleaner into rotate the engine incrementally—essentially by “bump- each plug hole using a narrow funnel. Use the ing” the motor—automatically during the clean- pulley bolt to slowly turn the motor through two com- soak phase. Its apparatus includes an octopus configura- plete revolutions, pausing along the way to add more tion that allows the solvent to be pushed back into a cen- cleaner into each plug hole as needed. Cover the engine tral reservoir as the pistons rise, then return to the com- to prevent anything from falling into the holes, then bustion chamber as they fall. Because of its ability to ro- close the hood and wait until the next day. tate the engine on demand, this system can drastically Overnight, the solvent will soften up even hardened cut the time needed for a thorough cleaning, but the ul- carbon deposits. The next day, remove the cover, then timate time constraints stem from the basic chemistry in- slowly turn the engine through at least two complete volved, though, so don’t try to hurry things too much! revolutions by hand to allow the remaining liquid cleaner As the old adage admonishes us, “If at first you don’t to be pushed out through the plug holes onto the mat, succeed, try, try again,” more than one attempt at decar- oil-dry or cardboard. bonization may sometimes be in order. I usually alternate Now you can use a remote starter button, or crank the between techniques in such cases, but have yet to find engine with the key for 15 to 30 seconds. Reinstall or re- one statistically superior to another. And remember, even place the plugs, reenable the fuel and ignition systems, with repeated attempts at decarbonization, sometimes then start the engine. (You may have to hold the acceler- only an overhaul will do the trick.

28 March 2014