oil consumption at 90k miles

[Top_Fuel]

It's only about $38 here...

[Dodge Aries K]

Yeah but add shipping and it's basically $50 anyway lol. And no, I didn't take the valve out... The dealer recommended that it get changed but they charge $200 for that which is hilarious.

[tomrad]

Yeah but add shipping and it's basically $50 anyway lol. And no, I didn't take the valve out... The dealer recommended that it get changed but they charge $200 for that which is hilarious.

That is outrageous. Looks to me like you just pull off the hose and unscrew the valve, right in between the air box and snorkel. Like five minute job.
Still, 50 bucks is a lot for something that used to cost under five dollars. I used to replace them on my various Ford small block motors, since the pcv valves were cheap. But I don't recall having one bad enough that I couldn't clean it up and reuse.
Thanks for the info, btw! I'll post my next oil check in about a month and see how much it's used. That will be about 1600 miles.

[Top_Fuel]

My car is close to 90,000 miles and I have almost 5,000 miles on my existing oil. I never add oil between oil changes. Right now it looks like I am down about 1/3 of a quart (about 300 ml).

If you're looking for the PCV valve, it's orange...but you can't tell with the hose on it. I partially removed thoe hose from mine so you can see it. Here are some pics...





It looks like it's a threaded unit...like this...

[tomrad]

Thanks. I can get away with not adding any oil between changes, since the level stays in the safe range. I just prefer to keep the level at the full mark.

[Top_Fuel]

I just prefer to keep the level at the full mark.

After seeing this thread, I will probably start topping it off at least once between oil changes.

[Mark]

After seeing this thread, I will probably start topping it off at least once between oil changes.

Seems like Steve didn't notice any oil consumption until 280,000+ miles, & that happened after the dealership switched him over to synthetic oil. Otherwise, he was getting 5W-30 oil changes every 5,000 miles before that.

My previous 5W-30 conventional oil vehicles (14 year old Ford Festiva & 13 year old Honda CR-V) where well past 100,000 miles, & they didn't burn any oil. Can't say the same about my 0W-20 Subaru. Engine was replaced by Subaru @ 90,000 miles, because of oil burning.

Is 0W-20 all about mpg, but not really about helping engines last longer? It's a question I have in my mind.

[Eggman]

Is 0W-20 all about mpg, but not really about helping engines last longer? It's a question I have in my mind.

This article from Blackstone Labs says it helps engines last longer. Take it from someone who studies lubrication for a living rather than from consumers' opinions.

Some highlights:

Viscosity: Going Down!
by Ryan Stark
...
After a bit of reflection on the changes in the oil industry, I’ve decided that one of the best ones has been the trend to lower viscosity oils.
...
why would just starting an engine cause wear? Well, I believe the answer is the oil isn’t flowing over all of the parts like it does shortly after start-up. I do know that engines have virtually no metals parts touching one another without a thin film of oil providing a lubrication barrier, at least once oil pressure has been established. I also know that thin oil pumps easier than thick oil, so it seems obvious that the quicker you can get the oil to the parts, the less wear an engine will produce. From then on I was sold on thin oil.

So what’s the problem here? Well, when I first started at Blackstone, I was told that thick oil is good for the bearings, and I didn’t have cause to doubt that statement until I saw these Ford V-8s producing virtually no wear, and I knew some of them were work trucks that were hauling heavy loads. So could it be that the bearings didn’t need thick oil to survive? The answer is a resounding yes.
...
Today we are starting to see more diesel fleets going to 10W/30, and I’m here to tell you that this change is good. Not only will the bearings do just fine, but the engines will start up better (especially in the cold). And this change might eliminate the need for plugging your diesel in at night.

The author of the article Ryan Stark has studied the results of used oil analyses to reach his conclusion. More details can be found in reading the entire article.

Subaru engine problems are attributable to a design failure, not thin oil. Don't buy Subaru until they solve their problems.

[foama]

Have you checked to see if the PCV valve is dirty or clogged? I need to order one for my red 15... just angry that it's dealer only and it's $50! That's the most expensive PCV valve I've ever seen in my life...

The PCV valve will probably last for ever, extremely seldom that replacement is needed, but it pays in fuel consumption to keep it clean.
Just checked mine, it is clean as brand new. It is not an issue for increasing oil consumption, and therefore off-topic here.

Cleaning a PCV valve is easy! After removal, spray into either side with some brake cleaner until 100% clean. When dry, you can suck some air through it to check. The air would be going from the threaded motor-side connection to the side that connects to the hose, thats it.

[Mark]

This article from Blackstone Labs says it helps engines last longer. Take it from someone who studies lubrication for a living rather than from consumers' opinions.

Some highlights:

The author of the article Ryan Stark has studied the results of used oil analyses to reach his conclusion. More details can be found in reading the entire article.

Subaru engine problems are attributable to a design failure, not thin oil. Don't buy Subaru until they solve their problems.

The oil consumption problem experienced in some newer vehicles goes way beyond Subaru. My parent's GM vehicle had a complete engine overhaul done a few years ago, because of high oil consumption. In their case their vehicle had less than half the mileage of my Subaru.

I am not really on here to argue this point. I do, however, take note of what is being said.

Use 0W-20 for improved mpg.
Use 5W-30 for improved engine protection.
Members have shared that from other parts of the world (in reference to their Mirage owner's manual).

If long time Mirage owners using 0W-20 oil are consistently seeing oil consumption issues prior to 100,000 miles & other owners like Steve's cheap plastic car has had better results from 5W-30 oil, I tend to take note of that.

I take note of this, because I have had a 0W-20 engine replaced. I will not defend Subaru either. Their older 2.2L boxer engine had an excellent reputation. Some mechanics will state it's one of the better engines ever made. Sadly, their newer engines (2.0L & 2.5L) are tarnishing that. Along with that, their older 2.2L engines used 5W-30 oil.

Likewise, many Honda & Toyota engines of 20-25 years ago were super reliable (also 5W-30 oil engines). Obviously, some of the new issues like GDI oil dilution didn't exist back then. I am not blaming all these current issues on just 0W-20 oil.

I owned my cheap 1990 Ford Festiva for 14 years. I did all the oil changes (cheap Fram oil filters & 5W-30 SuperTech conventional oil) on that car. I don't remember the exact mileage of the car when I sold it, but it never burned a drop of oil in 14 years. That car (1.3L, 63 hp) was designed by Mazda, built by KIA, and sold by Ford. If my Mirage is burning oil prior to 100,000 miles, I would be disappointed. A much cheaper car built 30 years ago will have done much better than that.