Dear Tom and Ray:

My daughter's '89 Honda Civic with 100,000 miles on it suddenly started using up to two quarts of oil per week. Sometimes more. It does not leak oil onto the ground. It does not smoke at all. It still gets 40 mpg. We're at the point where we stop at the gas station and say, "Fill the oil and check the gas." Where is all the oil going? -- Larry

Ray: It's probably wafting into the wild, blue yonder, Larry.

Tom: While I can't absolutely rule out a leak, the only leak I can think of that you might not notice would be a bad oil pressure switch. They tend to leak only when the car is running. And if that were the case, the oil you're losing could be scattered -- drop by drop -- all over town. But it's much more likely that you're burning the stuff.

Ray: I know you think it's not smoking, but our vast (or at least half-vast) experience tells us that if it's not leaking, it's burning. In fact, if you're going through two quarts a week, a good mechanic can probably smell the burning oil in the exhaust.

Tom: For a few minutes at least, until he keels over and passes out.

Ray: If it really started burning this much oil suddenly, I'd be willing to bet that the engine overheated, and the rings got fried. Ask your daughter if she remembers seeing the temperature gauge hovering in the hot zone recently.

Tom: At this point, you don't have much to lose by trying a few cheap remedies. You can try using 20W50 motor oil and see if that reduces the consumption to more acceptable levels. You can try an additive called "Restore," which occasionally shows good results. Then you can try prayer, voodoo and wishing on falling stars.

Ray: And when all that fails, you'll need to rebuild or replace this engine, or shop for another car. Good luck, Larry.

Wait! Don't buy another car without the mechanic's checklist that's included in Tom and Ray's pamphlet "How to Buy a Great Used Car: Secrets Only Your Mechanic Knows." It will help you get a good used car and avoid the clunkers. To order, send (check or money order) to Ruin, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. You can also order online.

© 1999 by Tom and Ray Magliozzi and Doug Berman Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

Back to the March 1999 index