Thread: Unusual Oil Usage

Had a petrol engine blow a whole heap of oil into the airbox once didn't see it till i checked the air filter.
Would diesels do that????. you wouldn't see it in the engine bay!. Sorry thats all i got i'm only new to diesel engines.

Hi Ace

I have noticed on my tdi disco, that the level indicated on the dipstick is VERY sensitive to 2 things:

Slope of the ground-any deviation from level alters it a lot

Amount of time since engine stopped - makes a huge difference

I now dont bother checking unless the engine is cold and is on level ground as I know the indicated level is wrong-I did once top up after a check only to find it over full when I checked it properly.

Hopefully you dont have a problem at all???

Lindsay

The air box is fine i had that out the other day to make extra room to get at the welsh plug i had to change.

I drained the radiator the other day and all appearwell there wasnt any oil or anything in the water, and when the oil is changed there isnt water in the oil so a head gasket problem isnt the issue, or that i can see.

Hi Lindsay, i have also noticed that the dipstick is sensitive, i checked it on flat ground but had started the engine to move it to flat ground so i could check it, i let it sit for ages before i actually checked it and it was halfway between the full and the add line. I slightly overfilled it when i changed the oil, i had the oil a couple of millimetres above the full line. I checked it sometime later and it hadnt moved, when i checked it the engine was hot and it was on flat ground.

It did the same last time i changed the oil, i was a couple of thousand km's overdue and the oil had dropped to the add line, but as it seems most of the time up to the 5000km mark it doesnt use much at all. Another member had mentioned that they had had the same problem where the engine didnt use any until it passed the magic 5000km mark.

I recently changed engine oil to Valvoline from Caltex Dello400 (the local distributor closed down so i cant get the Caltex) would that cause it, maybe the oil is to thin or something, i did get the all that valvoline specify for my model. Matt

the only advise i can offer may not apply to deisels. I use to run Mobil 1 which is a very good lubricator and high in detergent which was great for the bottom end. but it ran to thin and would get forced past the rings and end up on my tailgate via the exhaust. I spoke to a rep from a oil company who was pretty clued up and he advised that although the mobil 1 is a great oil it is made for engines that that run tighter tolerances ie motors designed in this milenium.
He recomended to run a good quality mineral oil which i have since changed to and since then use very little oil and have none on my tailgate anymore.

Maybe buy a longer dipstick Matt

G'Day Matt...

Those oil pipes are known for leaking. FWIW... Landrover have changed the design and the new ones don't have the same problems. Can't comment on aftermarket ones though.

The other thing that will use oil is if you use the gearbox for engine braking while slowing down (while out on the bitumen).

HTH

Mark.

<span style="color:#333399">when checking your oil level...make sure the vehicle is always on level ground......
and try and always check it at the same temperature....as the oil expands to some degree when hot
and will give you a higher reading than when checked cold.......

and yes....different brands and grades of oil will do different things.....some of them basically "evaporate"
quicker than others......next service use a different brand and see what happens......</span>

Oils aint Oils.