Why is my Car Losing Oil

Your car is something you should never be negligent about. Since the car serves you in so many ways, it’s absolutely essential to get it treated as well.

As the time and miles start stacking up on your car, it is common for several different problems to emerge out of it. Out of all the presumed problems, a car losing/burning oil is one of the common ones.

Even though it can result in severe damages, still not enough attention is directed towards it. Do you have the same complaint? So, let’s explore some information about it.

Why is my Car Losing Oil?

When we talk about car losing oil and car burning oil, let me clarify that these two are entirely different things. Though most people confuse them to be the same, however, they are not.

Car losing oil is directed towards oil leakage. Have you ever seen a car standing still yet losing oil behind? That’s a perfect depiction of knowing your car is losing oil.

Why is my Car Burning Oil? However, car burning oil is linked with the increased combustion of oil in the chamber. Thus, excessive combustion of oil is regarded as burning oil.

The resemblance exists because both conditions lead to the reduction of engine oil. But wait! Do you know the probable causes behind it? Here are some common causes of a car losing oil/ car burning oil:

Engine Leaking Oil

One of the many causes for your car losing oil is due to leakage of the engine. However, the amount of leakage may vary as per the fault.

Sometimes the leakage is too minimal to be detected. Thus dipstick of oil remains as the only cue to check if your car has maintained the level of oil.

However, if the damage is serious, it’s evident to spot a puddle of oil beneath your car. This might occur due to many reasons.

The front of the engine holds three steams, including valve cover gasket, head gasket, and oil pan.

Some other possible reasons may include losing oil filter, oil seals, timing cover seal leak, displaced connections, or overflow of oil through the oil pan.

Head Gasket Leak

The Head gasket is a component sandwiched in between the engine block and cylinder head. It plays a leading role in the normal regulation of the internal combustion process.

It does so by refraining the coolant and oil from getting mixed together. If the gasket starts malfunctioning by any chance, the oil starts mixing with the coolant.

But what if you have a broken gasket? In the case of a broken/ cracked head gasket, the combination of both fluids results in a milky brownish-yellow substance under the oil filler cap.

The greasy substance emission is mainly due to your car losing oil and coolant/water. Thus if you notice any such substance, similar to the appearance of a chocolate shake, know that it’s your head gasket causing leakage.

Bad PCV Valve

This could be another but least noticeable cause of your car losing oil. The PCV in the name stands for Positive Crankcase ventilation. Thus, when we mention ventilation, it certainly points towards some sort of regulative process.

Therefore, the PCV valve performs as a function known as “blow-by”. Now, What is blow-by? The process to recirculate unwanted gasses and airflow in the engine to avoid pollution is what we call a blow-by.

When the PCV valve gets clogged, it compels the engine oil to burn internally. This malfunctioning causes an increase in engine pressure which keeps on growing eventually.

With time, the pressure and heat inside the chamber build-up to the extent that it bursts the seal of the valve. Consequently, the oil begins to leak out of your car. 

However, if you find engine oil disappearing and no leak-evidence around it, your PCV valve is not performing well.

Bad Oil Piston Rings

Having bad oil piston rings is another common plausible reason behind a car burning oil. But how to know that your car has bad oil pistons? Well, the answer is pretty simple.

If you see the symptom of your car losing oil and smoke with a bluish-grey texture, know that your car has got bad oil piston rings.

Piston rings are originally designed to rub against the wall of the engine’s cylinder. They are meant to provide separation to engine oil in the crankcase and air/fuel mixture in the cylinder.

They serve as a shield to separate cylinder bores and pistons. If we talk about the procedure, piston rings only allow a thin layer of oil to lubricate cylinders and restrict the excess of it.

But if you’ve got bad and damaged piston rings, a large amount of oil can enter, thus get mixed with air/fuel mixture. This results in the emission of greyish smoke as a symptom to let you know of the problem.

Why is my Car Losing Oil but No Leak?

The concern about the car losing oil but no leak may occur due to two factors. The clogged PCV valve or worn-out piston rings are the main culprits involved.

Apart from oil leaks, people complain of a car losing oil pressure as well.

Both PCV valve and piston rings are identified as problematic components. When the PCV valve is stuck or left open, or the valve seal starts leaking, the pressure is disturbed.

With the malfunctioning of the PCV valve, sufficient pressure cannot build in the combustion chamber. Thus it is classified as another reason behind a car losing oil pressure. However, low-level engine oil is another reason for cars losing oil pressure.

What should I do if my Car Losing Oil but No leak or smoke?

If you find no evident signs of leak or smoke, then how your car is losing oil?

If the car engine is clear and not dripping oil, then your car must be burning oil instead of leaking. Thus, the concern here is to know how to fix the issue.

Initially, make sure you are using the correct type of oil. Car oil with high synthetic properties is ideal for cars. Make sure you are feeding the right oil to your car.

Still not fixed? Check the exhaust pipe and associated plugs if they are oily. Alongside, while plugs are removed, perform a quick compression test and check how the result matched with the manufacturer’s figures.

Apart from the preceding causes, engine wears, poor compression, bad valve seals and wrong valve clearance are the other possible reasons for higher oil consumption.

Moreover, if you are keeping a very old car, know that some older versions of the car have higher oil consumption.

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How to Stop Engine Oil Leaks?

In order to jump onto a solution, you firstly need to understand the propelling cause behind it. Similarly, if you want to fix a car losing oil or smoking, you need to understand the cause behind it.

You can check the fore mentioned car burning oil symptoms above and fix the problem by going through our possible set of solutions given below.

If internal burning lies within a PCV valve, then you must know which component is the basic cause behind it! Replace the PCV’s mounting elements and hoses if they are triggering the problem.

What if the valve itself is problematic?

If you spot a sludge causing the issue, this can be instantly fixed through a quick cleanup by a professional mechanic.

However, if you find an issue with the valve seals, they need to be replaced in order to fix the problem.

Have you got bad piston rings? Well, in most cases, if piston rings are damaged, they require an entire engine rebuild. We understand your concern for this process to be costly.

Here’s a quick alternative to it as well!

Try looking for a suitable engine replacement instead of building an entirely new setup.

Usually, damaged piston rings signify the end engine’s life. Whatever be the case, you either need to get the engine replaced, rebuilt or get a substitute car instead of fixing the existing one.

Can’t find any internal cause for oil burning? Well, the cause might be residing somewhere external.

Here’s good news!! The fixes for external causes are fairly simpler and straight-forward. If the problem is minor, there’s no need for replacement. Simply go for tightening and securing the existing components.

But, if you have a problem with the oil filter, oil filler cap or oil drain plug, replacing them is a better fix to the problem. You can also replace the damaged valve and gaskets if they are the main culprits.

Well, Can I be totally honest with you?

A car losing oil is not a serious problem unless the causing component lies in the interior body. If the cause is present outside the engine, just know that it’s easy to fix.

Contrarily, if the propelling cause exists within the engine, then it can go for a costly proposition. You need not worry unless we have some products for you to try.

Whether it is a small oil leak or a major oil leak, you need to know about engine burning oil additive or engine oil stop leak additive before going for tedious repairing procedures.

LUCAS Oil Engine Oil Stop Leak

Are you having trouble with oil leakage? Lucas oil stop leak is fully synthetic oil suitable for control of excessive oil burning and leaking.

The product is specifically renowned for improving seals with no future corrosion and building oil pressure. It is designed without the incorporation of harmful solvents.

However, reduced oil consumption and engine noise make this oil an impeccable choice for consumers. See Price Here.

BlueDevil Oil Stop Leak

As the name indicates, the devil oil is meant to stop all the leaking and permanently fix all draining seals. This product works almost ideally for small leaks rather than larger ones.

Instead of rushing to a mechanic, opt for an easy DIY fix to oil drainage by using this additive. But before you decide, just know that this oil is not highly synthetic; thus goes well with cars that are not compatible with fully synthetic oils. See Price Here.

How much Oil Should a Car Burn between Oil Changes?

Burning of the car oil is obvious to happen until the quantity falls within the normal range. There is no such engine oil consumption chart. The question is to know about how much oil should a car burn?

An acceptable amount of oil loss is 1 quart per 1000 miles. But exceptions are always there. Some old car models can lose up to 2 quarts per 1000 miles and should not exceed the limit.

Every engine has the capacity to burn some oil, as it is part of the running process. However, the quantity depends upon the type of engine and manufacturer.

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