0:00
Why does your engine burn oil? There are two main reasons for this, but before I name them,
0:08
let's think of how oil can get into the combustion chamber. Because burning of oil,
0:15
it actually means that the oil in your engine gets into the combustion chamber and is burnt
0:21
together with the fuel. So how is oil sealed from the combustion chamber in the engine? There are
0:28
two ways for this. First of all, in your pistons, there are two sets of rings. While the upper ring
0:35
on the piston is responsible for keeping the compression in the cylinders of your engine,
0:41
the lower ring is responsible for keeping the oil away from the combustion chamber. So the oil rings
0:49
on your pistons are the reason one how the oil can get into the combustion chamber. Then there is the
0:56
second way for oil to get there: these are valve seals. So valves are located in your head and they
1:05
have so-called valve seals. Valve seals are just rubber parts or plastic parts that keep oil away
1:16
from the combustion chamber in the upper part of your engine. So the valves should be lubricated,
1:22
but this lubrication should be only in the base of this valve, and to keep this oil away from
1:28
getting into the working part of the valve, there are valve seals. These valve seals,
1:34
in a new engine will be flexible, they will be soft, and when they get hard, it's quite natural
1:40
for the engine to start burning some oil. As you see, when the engine works, it's inevitable that
1:49
these parts will have some wear and tear. So when the engine has like 100,000 miles on it, it's
1:57
almost impossible for this engine to not burn any oil at all. The piston rings and the valve seals
2:04
will have some problems and they will have some leaks. Maybe it's just one little drop of oil in
2:11
an hour, but it all goes to certain consumption, and maybe you will add about a quart or a liter
2:19
of oil every 10,000 miles, and it's actually okay. The problem starts when you start adding a liter
2:27
of oil every 1,000 miles or every 500 miles. This means that the engine needs help. Let's list the
2:35
problems that affect the lifespan of your piston rings. First of all, it's overheating. When the
2:41
engine overheats, the block may change its shape a little and these rings get extensive wear. Also,
2:50
it's bad oil. So if the oil is of the wrong viscosity, if the oil is in bad condition,
2:57
it's dirty, it's very likely that the rings will wear faster because the cylinders will not
3:03
be lubricated properly. And of course, the third thing is the dry work of the engine. If the engine
3:09
is not lubricated because there is no oil, the oil pressure is low, there is a high chance that your
3:15
piston rings will be just dead very, very soon. So, let's list the problems that can kill your
3:21
valve seals. First of all, it's the wrong type of oil. If the oil is bad, thick, it actually
3:30
will be killing your valves. And the second factor is the broken valve. So the valve may change its
3:36
shape like a millimeter or something and it will kill the valve seal immediately. So the valve
3:43
seal will be broken and it will start leaking oil directly into the combustion chamber. Now,
3:49
why the oil consumption is so bad. Why is everyone saying that you should repair this engine or
3:55
replace this engine when you have oil consumption? Well, yes, it's really bad because, first of all,
4:02
it can lead to low oil level. And when the level of oil is low and you don't check this level every
4:10
day, the engine consumes the oil and makes it even lower. And at some point, there will be a problem
4:19
that the pressure of oil will fall and your engine will work dry. When the engine works dry,
4:25
it means the death of the engine any minute. Then there is the second problem in oil consumption:
4:31
you may not pass the emission test. If your car consumes oil, the emission test will have some
4:38
problems with the soot level in the emissions and you will most likely not pass this test and your
4:45
car will just be illegal on the road. And there is the third thing. So the soot from the oil,
4:51
which is burned, will contaminate your engine. But the worst thing it can do:
4:56
it will contaminate the catalytic converter and the catalytic converter will eventually die. And
5:01
you know it costs like more than $1,000 to replace your catalytic converter. So there
5:07
are three ways how you can prevent your car from consuming a lot of oil too soon. First of all,
5:16
avoid overheating your engine. This is the number one reason why engines fail in modern
5:22
cars. Overheating is the start of the death for your engine. Then the second thing is use oil of
5:29
the needed viscosity. Better use OEM oil. So the oil that the manufacturer recommends for your car.
5:36
This will save your engine from any unexpected things that are connected with the oil quality,
5:43
oil viscosity, and all the other factors that are important for any modern engine. And the
5:49
third thing is not ignoring the consumption of oil. If your engine starts consuming oil,
5:56
one thing you can do: you can find a good mechanic and ask this mechanic what's going on. So after
6:02
some inspections, the professional mechanic will tell you that, for example, these are valve seals
6:07
and you can invest $500-$600 to replace them. Or these are piston rings and you will need to tear
6:15
this engine apart and it will cost you much more than $1,000 or $2,000 depending on the engine,
6:23
of course. But at least you will know the problem and you will find a solution to
6:26
address this issue or to drive your engine till it dies and to replace it with the new one.
