Gilles said:
I'm not doubting anyone's word but I do not understand how a car can
use no oil whatsoever in let's say 3,ooo miles or 5,ooo kilometers. ....
least 4) there is 900,000,000 power strokes in a four cyl engine. And
this is not going to burn ANY oil??!!
Hi,
You already caught the calculation discrepancy in your other post, but
your basic idea is correct: engines consume oil. Don't you think the
penny pinching manufacturers would love to eliminate that buck or two
for the oil dipstick and tubing if they didn't? Yes, it's true some
don't use much, especially when new, but I was taught the same thing Jim
mentioned in the other thread--if it APPEARS the engine's not using oil,
it's probably cuz there's water (condensation) or fuel (cold starts,
running rich) dilution of the oil. This is not uncommon on cars driven
short distances, particularly in colder climates where the oil doesn't
get hot enough to boil off the water. OTOH, owners of such cars are
sometimes concerned when they take the car on a trip and it "uses" a
quart of oil rather quickly, then often settles down. What they don't
realize is they've just boiled off the water/fuel contamination and are
getting down to "just oil" again. Even eliminating that possibility,
driving style and conditions often affect consumption.
Another thing to take a look at is the definition of "using oil." In my
mind, if I put 4.25 qts in at a change, and 3,000 miles later, there's
3.75 qts left, the engine "used" a half a quart. But, since it's only
halfway down the marks on the stick, and it's not NECESSARY to add any
oil if one doesn't wish to top things off (I do out of experiences that
became habit), someone else might (somewhat rightly) say it "didn't use
any oil."
Naturally, opinions vary on this subject.
Rick