On Synthetic, engine burning oil?

PearlWhite05 · 12-12-2006, 09:06 AM

Is it normal for our cars to burn a bit of oil. I use Mobil 1 Syn, my car is @ 32,000Km and just did an oil change it took full 5 litres of the Mobil 1 Syn. Normally our engines only require 4.4 I heard that it is normal for our engines to burn a little bit of oil once on Syn. but how much is considered not normal?

And is it a warranty issue for Acura to fix if it is burning too much oil?

Brandon24pdx · 12-12-2006, 07:43 PM

That doesnt make sense. If you drain the oil completely during an oil change, it only takes ~4.5 quarts to fill. Are you saying the oil pan got bigger?

But seriously, the engine should burn LESS if you're using sythetic oil, not more.

IranBT · 12-12-2006, 10:23 PM

Burning oil has nothing to do with how much oil you should put in a car. How did you even draw the conclusion that your car burns oil just because it took 5 litres to fill it?!!

On another note, the TSX should not require 5 litres for the oil level to reach the 2nd hole on your dipstick. If it does, then there's something wrong(either with your dipstick or your measuring)

And yes, it's normal for a car to burn a slight amount of oil. VTEC engines are very famous for burning oil when driven hard.

But that still doesn't make your TSX require more oil during an oil-change!

PearlWhite05 · 12-13-2006, 08:43 AM

That is true, its the mechanic from the dealership that said of this. He basically kept pouring and eventually he end up using the entire 5 liter jug. Only then did it hit the 2 hole mark.

ians · 12-13-2006, 10:33 AM

^^ he may over fill it! check it up yourself! overfill is not fun! And Honda will warranty your engine(rebuild or give you a new one) if you burn excessive amount of oil something like 1L per 1500km. But it is normal to burn some oil for high rev engine. Once you know how much oil a BMW & Audi burn, you won't worry at all

Brandon24pdx · 12-13-2006, 01:09 PM

If you overfill the pan when you change the oil (or top it off) the extra oil will tend to burn off faster than normal.

You should really check you oil level yourself every 500 miles or so.

Acurasrule · 12-13-2006, 01:22 PM

Regarding burning oil, is it ok if I never burn any oil???

Everytime I have checked my oil, whether it be right after an oil change, or the day before I go in for an Oil change, the oil on the dipstick comes right up to the top hole.

Should an engine be burning a slight amount of oil?

stagetsx · 12-13-2006, 07:07 PM

actually, there's no problem in what you saying... because the oil filter is taking some of the oil you put in. i do my oil changes and i experience that in my prelude and the tsx.. hope that help ya..

IranBT · 12-13-2006, 10:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acurasrule

Regarding burning oil, is it ok if I never burn any oil???

Everytime I have checked my oil, whether it be right after an oil change, or the day before I go in for an Oil change, the oil on the dipstick comes right up to the top hole.

Should an engine be burning a slight amount of oil?

Absolutely not. A perfect engine would not burn any oil, but engines are not perfect and nor is the way they're driven certainly.

If you're not burning any oil, then you are probably a conservative driver who takes good care of the car. Most of the oil burning happens when the engine is running in high rpms(4000+). On many cars, cold starts also cause slight leaking of oil into the cylinder which results in oil burning.

It's very good that your engine doesn't burn any oil. I would say for 90% of drivers, a new car should not burn any oil at all, but for the 10% who drive their car in a fun manner, a slight amount of oil being burned is the least they gotta worry about!

mapandjlp · 12-13-2006, 11:30 PM

I've used Mobil 1 since the first oil change. Every time, it takes just over 5 quarts to fill mine ALMOST to the second hole. Can't explain it, don't know why, but at 60k miles, it's purring like a kitten.

BTW, ALL internal combustion engines will use a minute amount of oil. One that is in good repair (ie, strong rings and good cylinder walls, good valve seals) will use so small an amount that if the oil is changed at regular intervals, you'll never run low. It's inherent to the basic design of the engine. It is incorrect to say that an engine should burn ZERO oil. That said, when using synthetic, typically you'll drive further between oil changes so you should keep an eye on level until you get a feel for how your car reacts to your particular driving conditions.

PearlWhite05 · 12-14-2006, 09:13 AM

thanks for the reply mapandjlp, hearing you take 5 Litres gives me relief, so I am not the only one.

ascendotuum · 12-15-2006, 04:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PearlWhite05

thanks for the reply mapandjlp, hearing you take 5 Litres gives me relief, so I am not the only one.

He said 5 QUARTS. That's equal to about 4.7 liters

Brandon24pdx · 12-15-2006, 05:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acurasrule

Regarding burning oil, is it ok if I never burn any oil???

Everytime I have checked my oil, whether it be right after an oil change, or the day before I go in for an Oil change, the oil on the dipstick comes right up to the top hole.

Should an engine be burning a slight amount of oil?

All cars burn a little oil past the piston rings and valve stem seals, otherwise the oil wouldnt be completely doing its job, but if you drive conservativley then its possible it would be such a small amount that you wouldnt even notice. If you drove it harder it would burn some more.

PearlWhite05 · 12-16-2006, 10:19 PM

oh i misread 5 quarts. ahh well, not sure how it was possible for the dealer to use the full 5 litres of the mobil1 syn but thats what they claim. Don't see a reason for them to lie bout that.

dookie · 12-17-2006, 02:13 PM

my '05 consumes zero oil between 10k changes, and i run very thin (0w-30) synthetic. the car sees little time at high revs however...that's what the miata's for (not that it burns any either, also 0w, 5k OCI).