What are the consequences of burning engine oil?
2 Answers
The consequences of engine oil burning are as follows: 1. Due to excessive oil participating in combustion, the possibility of incomplete combustion in the combustion chamber increases, making it easier to form carbon deposits and causing emissions to exceed standards. At the same time, it can trigger various car problems, affecting the engine's power, noise, fuel consumption, and other aspects. 2. During driving, symptoms such as unstable idle speed and weak acceleration may occur, and it can also accelerate the damage of the oxygen sensor, leading to blockage of the three-way catalytic converter. Long-term oil burning can easily cause damage to the three-way catalytic converter. 3. Carbon deposits caused by oil burning can accumulate in the piston ring grooves. Over time, this can cause the piston rings to seize, making them lose their oil-scraping function and increasing the chance of oil entering the combustion chamber. 4. Seized piston rings may also accelerate wear between the piston and cylinder wall, leading to poor piston sealing, which sets the stage for more oil burning and creates a vicious cycle. In the long run, this will inevitably result in cylinder scoring and engine failure.
Engine oil burning is no small matter, as anyone who's driven an old car knows. Blue smoke means money burning away, with a smell that chokes and stings the eyes. The worst part is carbon buildup inside the engine, clogging critical components like piston rings and valves until the car loses power and fuel consumption skyrockets. Emissions tests will definitely fail, making annual inspections a headache. I've seen a friend's car stall mid-journey because spark plugs got fouled, requiring a tow truck. The key is early detection—check the dipstick regularly and investigate any oil loss immediately. Otherwise, repairs will cost far more than just topping up a couple of bottles of oil.
