The fact that some engines consume oil is well-known, but the difficulty emerges when they consume too much oil, which is usual for internal combustion engines.
Engine oil consumption is primarily due to the following factors:
- Excessive engine wear;
- Defective segments;
- Defective gas scrubber;
- Using poor quality oil;
- Oil thinner for many miles;
Any engine, new or old, consumes oil, and car manufacturers acknowledge this fact. They estimate that an engine will use about one liter of oil per 15,000 kilometers (9300 miles) of driving, with the dipstick showing a much smaller range for smaller engines. Smaller engines will use less oil, and the manufacturers accept this as normal.
The typical fuel consumption of your engine does not need to be more than three milliliters, five milliliters, eight milliliters, or one liter. There is a gas scrubber, a valve, a crankcase gas vent, and it is usual for the engine to generate a certain amount of gas pressure. A very small amount of oil that remains in the cylinder walls after the piston has descended to the oil pan is typical; however, this residue can be removed after the internal combustion engine has been burned and the squeegee section has drained it.
Tip!If there is excessive oil left in the cylinder walls, the walls are either worn out or locked. Oil residue will build up inside the cylinders as a result. As a result, oil consumption will rise, the engine’s power will be reduced, and pollution will be worse off.
When excessive engine oil consumption occurs?
In practice and across countries, there is a wide range of views on the issue of excessive oil usage. Constructional play means that moveable parts of an engine, such as pistons and valves, are not completely gastight or oil resistant.
As a result, oil consumption is minimal, but it is permanent. Large areas of the cylinders’ surfaces are subjected to extremely high combustion in the combustion chamber. Exhaust fumes carry a portion of the oil with them as it is evaporating and burning. It is common for service and user manuals to list the maximum amount of oil that an engine can consume.
A maximum of 0.25 to 0.3% for utility vehicles and up to 0.5% for buses can be taken into account if no data is provided from the manufacturer. However, the maximum permissible oil consumption in modern car engines is 0. 5% (all percentage percentages refer to the actual fuel consumption).
Normal oil consumption may be higher in older engines, stationary engines, and those operating under unusual conditions. It is possible to determine whether or not additional steps need to be taken by comparing the actual oil consumption to the maximum permissible usage.
It takes more oil to run a diesel engine than a gasoline engine. Oil consumption is higher in turbocharged engines due to the additional lubrication required by the turbocharger. After the engine has been operating for a while, oil consumption is at its lowest and steadily rises as the engine wears down.
All engine components wear to the same extent as a result of engine wear. Changing only the pistons or the piston segments will not, in most situations, improve oil usage significantly.
A car’s oil consumption can be calculated in a variety of ways.
- A car consumes about 100 km approx. 8 liters of fuel. This results in 80 liters of fuel per 1000 km.
- • 0.05% of 80 liters of fuel means 0.04 liters of oil consumed / 1000 km
- • 0.5% of 80 liters of fuel means 0.4 liters of oil consumed / 1000 km
An illustration of how to figure out how much oil a certain utility vehicle will use.
- A utility vehicle consumes about 100 km approx. 40 liters of fuel. This results in 400 liters of fuel per 1000 km.
- • 0.25% of 400 liters of fuel means 1 liter of oil consumed / 1000 km
- • 0.5% of 400 liters of fuel means 2 liters of oil consumed / 1000 km
What happens to a car that consumes excessively oil?
The catalytic converter and the particulate filter will wear much faster
Sulfated ash content of 0. 3 percent, 0. 5 percent, or 0. 7 percent is required by some manufacturers for newer engines with particulate filters, however 0. 5 percent is regarded a very good amount.
The sulfated ash content in gasoline engines might be higher than 1.2 percent.
The particle filter or catalyst will be destroyed in the shortest amount of time if the engine consumes oil and the sulfated ash content climbs dramatically. So, the catalyst will degrade considerably more rapidly. Exactly how did you know that it would be worn? In any case, the exhaust will be foul-smelling, and the pollutant emissions test results will indicate significantly higher levels than are permitted.
The exhaust will spew blue smoke if the oil consumption is greater than 1L / 1000 km (620 miles).
The engine will lose power
Because the engine power will be greatly reduced if oil is burned in the combustion chamber, you’ll want to avoid this. Fuel is normally burned in conjunction with air, but oil should never be used in this manner because it is both environmentally hazardous and a source of carbon deposits on the valves and other internal components of combustion engines.
The car emits blue smoke on the exhaust
White smoke is also possible, but this is more likely to occur when the engine burns antifreeze, as is the case when the cylinder head gasket is damaged.
Carbon monoxide poisoning can occur in traffic behind a car that emits blue smoke because of incomplete combustion of fuel, resulting in a high level of hydrocarbons and an increase in carbon monoxide concentration.
Various additives with high efficiency can be employed to reduce oil consumption; I specifically refer to the Liqui Moly oil additive. Oil usage was reduced by a factor of three to four when this addition was used. Do not use this additive if you suspect internal engine issues are to blame for the high oil consumption.
However, keep in mind that the oil additive is only a short-term fix, and a more complete investigation is required to determine the root cause of the oil consumption, which may necessitate a more expensive but long-lasting repair.
Conclusion
Your engine will be destroyed if you don’t take care of excessive oil consumption, which will create a buildup of deposits in the combustion chamber on valves and other components, as well as a considerable increase in pollution and wear on the particle filter and the catalytic converter.
