Why Some Engines Burn Oil and Others Don't

Comments · 1.6K

• TH

  @TheAT5000 · 11 months ago

  As someone who grew up driving vehicle's from the mid 70s through mid 90s, I still have a hard time accepting that burning oil is a normal thing these days....

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• SC

  @scottosborne8735 · 11 months ago

  Some technologies should be abandoned. Cylinder deactivation is worthless. The dumbest thing ever invented. The mass of the piston does not get eliminated. It just becomes a non-playing character in performance. It is a glaring contributor to reliability issues. Manufacturers need to get back on a reliability focused engineering plan. Congress needs to get out of mandating worthless technology in the name of false threats.

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• RH

  @rhkips · 11 months ago (edited)

  15 years or so ago, I had a little 1998 Pontiac Grand Am with the Quad 4 2.4L I4 (LD9). &nbsp;I built a second engine from a junkyard pull, designing for efficiency, and amongst other things I used Total Seal piston rings, and added a belt-driven vacuum pump plumbed into the PCV system to pull a vacuum on the crankcase. &nbsp;The LD9 has a built-in air/oil separator on the side of the block that drains back internally like a self-healing catch can. &nbsp;I would joke that the oil consumption was so low I was actually manufacturing new oil in the crankcase. &nbsp;:D<br><br>I miss that car...

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• MR

  @mrmbr · 4 months ago

  Lake is my favorite, not only is he a tribologist, understands and acts like a reliability engineer, but can communicate oil to anyone

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• CH

  @chrisp7652 · 11 months ago

  OMG… I was worried the my 2001 Sienna with 235k miles was drinking oil because it uses 1/2 quart of oil between changes. Glad to know it is probably normal.

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• PR

  @ProductCode74 · 11 months ago

  My 2015 Subaru Outback 2.5 was purchased new. It came with two yrs free maintenance. It used two quarts of 0w20 between 6000-mile oil changes I had to put in at home. When the free maintenance contract was done, I switched to 5w30. &nbsp;The car has used Zero oil between oil changes ever since. It has 117,000+ miles on it now.

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• SY

  @syedali1299 · 11 months ago

  Lake Speed Jr. As usual, it is such a difficult topic &amp; you did it so well that everyone can understand! Hats off to you! Thank you!

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• MI

  @mikerossman9863 · 11 months ago (edited)

  Dad had an old Datsun that burned a quart of oil every 100/150 miles. &nbsp;Had to top it off every day when he got home from work. &nbsp;He drove it 150 miles round trip every day for at least 8 years. &nbsp;It got 50mpg and burned that much in oil. &nbsp;I remember as a kid the back of the car was jet black with soot😂 I’m pretty sure rust over took the car when it “vanished” I was about 5-6 when that happened, dad said it had almost 400000 miles on it too. &nbsp;I remember too going to big lots and getting cases of what ever oil was the cheapest and on sale loading the buggy so full I couldn’t push it lol &nbsp;GOOD TIMES as a kid the things you remember from then.

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• GA

  @gabriellindig · 11 months ago

  Hit me right in the old when you said older cars and 2000s in the same sentence

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• MR

  @mrgallbladder · 11 months ago

  Consumption is such an outdated term. We should start saying oil tuberculosis instead

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• AU

  @austinado16 · 11 months ago

  Excellent coverage of this topic! &nbsp;Thank you!<br>I purchased a 5spd, &apos;05 CR-V with K24 engine with 271K on it, in late &apos;23. &nbsp;It hadn&apos;t run in 3-1/2yrs due to needing a starter. &nbsp;Once running, it was using a quart of oil in 800mi. &nbsp;Thinking that the oil control rings were probably stuck (it could certainly also have leaking valve stem seals), I started replacing some of the oil that I was topping off with, with Marvel Mystery Oil. &nbsp;I was hoping that the high detergent property of the MMO might clean and free up the rings. &nbsp;Surprisingly, it actually worked. &nbsp;Maybe there was some benefit from only using the car for long road trips, but after a couple thousand miles, it returned to barely using any oil, and that continues to be the case even now, nearly 2yrs later. &nbsp;I got lucky.

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• SM

  @smoothe4216 · 2 months ago

  protect this man at all costs. So much great knowledge transfer being provided. FOR FREE!!

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