broc831 Posted September 21, 2016 Share Posted September 21, 2016 So, for the past 3-4 months I've been wracking my brain trying to figure out why I lose 2 quarts of oil every 1500 miles. I'm very anal when it comes to inspections on my car, (worked for Subaru until Briggs sent me to their Kia dealership) and I have no leaks, no oil coming out of the exhaust, and no oil going into places it shouldn't be. (knock-on wood.) I use the Subaru Synthetic 5w-30 (now recently produced by Idemitsu) and I change my oil every 3k because even though I'm using synthetic, I still have to follow a regular conventional oil schedule. I've not started consuming oil until my car hit about 105k on the odometer (I still haven't done my timing belt and I'm at 109.8k, I'll get to it when the funds are there). My only conclusion is either the oil is just not good enough for the motor, or the coolant I've got isn't doing its job. (Now that I think about it, I've probably got 3 different types of coolant in my radiator...) The car doesn't overheat, but when I push it to make it do what I want, I can sometimes smell the oil burning off. (this could also be a problem with the cooling system, but when the timing belt gets done, I'll be emptying out the radiator or just doing a full flush after it's all said and done, just to get any remaining shitty coolant out.) The motor and engine bay are both dry as a bone. I have no idea what could be contributing to the massive oil consumption that's causing some pretty bad problems, but I'm now calling out for help from you guys. The techs in the shop are just as stumped as I am, and we could use a fresh mind to help me figure out why I'm consuming so much oil. We've tried attributing it to the timing belt, but the master tech said that it wouldn't cause that much consumption. So, PLS HELP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GEE-OTTO Posted September 23, 2016 Share Posted September 23, 2016 I would swap to conventional 5w-30 (what ever major brand is on sale) check the head gaskets could be an internal leak coolant to combustion vs coolant to external. How does the coolant look? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
broc831 Posted September 23, 2016 Author Share Posted September 23, 2016 I would swap to conventional 5w-30 (what ever major brand is on sale) check the head gaskets could be an internal leak coolant to combustion vs coolant to external. How does the coolant look? Besides the fact that I've got 3 different grades of coolant all mixed into it, it looks healthy. It's not contaminated, just crappy. I think it might be the cause of my oil consumption. Here soon, I plan to do a complete coolant system service when I do my timing belt. Hopefully that fixes it all. I was also made aware of a new type of oil additive that doesn't change the properties of the oil, but instead actually cleans the insides of the motor and helps the car run better. I'll be trying that soon as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fedaykin Posted September 26, 2016 Share Posted September 26, 2016 Try 10W-40? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
08SpecB_DE Posted September 26, 2016 Share Posted September 26, 2016 Have you tried using Lucas oil stabilizer? It might help swell up seals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dgoodhue Posted September 26, 2016 Share Posted September 26, 2016 Changing your coolant isn't going to fix your oil consumption. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonnyJagaru Posted September 27, 2016 Share Posted September 27, 2016 Wild guess, defective PCV valve. But I'm certain a Subaru tech would've considered this. If there's no oil on the ground or in the coolant, it can only be going out the tail pipe. If its not via the oil and piston ring(s) then it must be being introduced to the combustion chamber. PCV is one way, and I suppose a defective gasket betwixt an oil galley and intake side is another, although admittedly I don't know if this is even possible with out engines. Any mis-fires when starting cold? Have you inspected the spark plugs for fouling? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
08SpecB_DE Posted September 27, 2016 Share Posted September 27, 2016 Imprezas around the same years are notorious for eating oil. I bet if you find out how they fixed their consumption problems, it will fix yours as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
covertrussian Posted September 29, 2016 Share Posted September 29, 2016 My 2012 is eating some oil too, haven't measured exact QT per mile yet, but definitely 1qt by oil change time (3-4k miles). It might be the PCV valve, but that wasn't my cause, actually the one I took out had a better seal then the brand new one from Subaru. 05 LGT 16G 14psi 290whp/30mpg (SOLD) 12 OBP Stock 130whp/27mpg@87 Oct 00 G20t GT28r 10psi 250whp/36mpg 22 Ascent STOCK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonnyJagaru Posted September 30, 2016 Share Posted September 30, 2016 This problem isn't unique to our cars. More recently I know two people who have abandoned Toyota for the same reason. I don't know if makers are cost-reducing oil rings, but I'm sure they are saving little if any money on their long game. :/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
covertrussian Posted September 30, 2016 Share Posted September 30, 2016 It's actually emissions and fuel economy related thinner rings have less friction. Also ring placement on the piston has a lot to do with it too. 05 LGT 16G 14psi 290whp/30mpg (SOLD) 12 OBP Stock 130whp/27mpg@87 Oct 00 G20t GT28r 10psi 250whp/36mpg 22 Ascent STOCK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timothy.B Posted September 30, 2016 Share Posted September 30, 2016 I've heard if you put a banana in the tailpipe it helps with burning oil. Timothy.B's 2011 LEGACY 3.6R Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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