How many kilometers can you drive without repairing an engine that burns oil?
4 Answers
If the engine burns oil and is not repaired, the car can generally continue to drive as long as there is sufficient engine oil. Hazards of engine oil burning: If a car burns oil but is not repaired, it can cause the oxygen sensor to fail prematurely, leading to increased carbon deposits in the combustion chamber, unstable idling, poor acceleration, increased fuel consumption, excessive exhaust emissions, and other adverse effects. It can also cause blockage of the three-way catalytic converter, and in severe cases, the engine may be scrapped. Hazards of continuously adding oil without changing it when burning oil: Continuously adding oil without changing it when the engine burns oil is also not advisable. Burning oil increases carbon deposits, and the oil contains impurities, making it more prone to deterioration. If the oil burning is severe, the oil should be replaced immediately. During replacement, it is also necessary to clean the engine and remove carbon deposits.
If the engine burns oil and isn't repaired, it won't last long. The worst case I've seen is the dashboard warning light coming on after just 3,000 kilometers. In fact, from the first drop of oil burned, the cylinder walls and piston rings start damaging each other. The spark plugs get coated with carbon deposits, black smoke puffs out, and the exhaust fumes are choking. Some people stubbornly push on for tens of thousands of kilometers, only to have the connecting rod punch through the cylinder block on the road - the towing fee ends up costing more than an overhaul. From experience, burning half a liter per 1,000 kilometers is already a serious condition - such cars will definitely break down within another 5,000 kilometers. Especially for turbocharged engines - if the oil level is low, the turbo bearings will glow red in no time. With the new national standard oxygen sensors being extremely sensitive, oil-burning vehicles simply can't pass annual inspections now.
Last week I witnessed a Touareg owner who ignored the warning signs – burning 1 liter of oil every 2,000 kilometers yet still driving on highways. By the third month, blue smoke suddenly blasted from the exhaust and the engine seized on an off-ramp. Mechanics nearly choked when disassembling it – piston crowns were caked with oil carbon deposits like rice crusts, and the catalytic converter was completely clogged. There were clear early warnings: blue smoke during cold starts and popping sounds from the exhaust during acceleration. The technician later said severe oil consumption like this should've been repaired within 2,000 km – insufficient lubrication had even scored the camshaft. The critical point is that delays exponentially increase repair costs; what could've been a piston ring replacement turned into cylinder boring and complete middle block assembly replacement.
Oil burning is essentially a lubrication system failure, akin to continuous blood loss in the human body. The most critical issue is continuing to drive with insufficient oil, leading to dry friction inside the engine. Particularly for the cylinder walls and piston rings, the absence of oil lubrication results in direct metal-to-metal contact. Test data shows that driving 500 kilometers with oil below the minimum level can cause bearing damage. A friend of mine with a Magotan experiencing oil burning had to top up every 3,000 kilometers, enduring it for eight months and driving 12,000 kilometers, only to spend 20,000 on a major overhaul later. In reality, early repairs could save money in the long run. Sudden engine stalls on the road are extremely dangerous, especially when carrying family members.
