What does it mean when a car burns oil?
2 Answers
Burning oil means the car consumes more oil than usual compared to vehicles of the same price range and series. Below is relevant information about oil burning in cars: Causes of oil burning: 1. Poor fuel quality leads to carbon buildup, causing piston rings to get stuck by carbon deposits, preventing them from scraping oil and leaving oil in the cylinder. 2. Clogged oil return passages prevent oil from properly returning to the crankcase. 3. Excessive wear between cylinder walls and pistons, resulting in excessive clearance. 4. Corrosion and aging of valve stem seals and crankshaft seals, leading to oil leakage. 5. The most obvious symptom of oil burning is blue smoke from the exhaust pipe, along with significantly increased oil consumption, requiring frequent oil top-ups in short intervals. Oil burning in vehicles can lead to increased carbon deposits in the combustion chamber, reduced fuel economy and power performance, and excessive exhaust emissions.
Recently I noticed my old car's exhaust pipe keeps emitting blue smoke. The mechanic said it's burning oil - basically the engine is burning lubricant instead of gasoline, which is common in older vehicles with over 100,000 kilometers. When piston rings wear out or valve stem seals age, engine oil can sneak into the combustion chamber. Every time I check the dipstick, the oil level drops alarmingly fast - about half a liter per 1,000 km! If left untreated, this issue can easily clog the catalytic converter, and in worse cases may cause cylinder scoring. Last time I delayed fixing it, I ended up paying a fortune for a major engine overhaul. My advice: if you see blue exhaust smoke, smell burnt odor from tailpipe, or notice sudden increase in oil consumption, don't procrastinate.
