Oil Disappears Into Thin Air...

[wheatfroggy17]

I'm confused. I have a 93 EX and everytime I change my oil about three weeks later there is very little there. No smoke comes out of the exhaust and it doesn't leak. Where is it going? I don't drive my car hard, only rarely hitting VTEC (@5k). Anybody have any ideas?

[EG Drifter]

it might be the head gasket or a small leak. you might need a tune up maybe.

[Doughboy]

Is the oil thats still there dirty? And how many quarts are you putting in when you change it?

You might be leaking while your driving rather than being parked. I had a 93 coupe ex before and it was leaking only when I was on the freeway. Check undereath your car from pan all the way down past your cat and see if you see and oil overspray.

[B18bEK]

are you sure you dont have an exhaust leak? it may be comming out your exhaust and you dont know

[Doughboy]

Originally posted by B18bEK@Oct 26 2004, 01:13 PM
are you sure you dont have an exhaust leak? it may be comming out your exhaust and you dont know

That blue smoke would be pretty easy to catch.. I dont think its coming out of his exhaust. If its leaking as much as he says it is then it would be smoking up at idle.

[Hybrid_Coupe]

not necessarily. when i had my single cam, the same thing would happen...youd just fainlty smell burning oil...i didnt go through oil quite that bad, but it was burning it. and i had no cat, so smoke would be really easy to see coming from mine. What color is the oil when you drain it out? if its really black, and kind of smells funny...your probably burning oil.

[Doughboy]

Yeah see I was sparingly leaking oil, Nothing like this though.

Any check engine lights? etc... and what kind of oil are you using?

We know he's also burning it pretty bad regardless of the color... For the oil to be burned up or eaten that fast something is definately wrong. You better take that thing to a mechanic, or PM mike.

BTW- you gave a 3 week period of driving your car before getting low. How many miles average are you driving during the three week period?

[wheatfroggy17]

I only drive my car about 200-300 miles tops in the 3 weeks. I regularly use full synthetic Mobil 1 and 3-4 quarts fills everything up. That is the norm. I try to check the dipstick every couple of weeks because of this, but as I got back to school from home (100mi) my oil light came on when I turned off the highway. I haven't looked under my car in about a month so I'll do that. Then possibly have a mechanic look at it (don't trust any around the Chamberburg, PA area)

[imported_DIYperformance]

I think it's coming out when you're driving. First of all, a Vtec motor should have 5 quarts, because Vtec needs oil pressure to engage. But for your problem, you are using synthetic oil, which is good. But if you are driving a 93 with the original motor and are using a thin oil (such as 5W30), I bet you have a small leak- small enough to hold in oil while parked, but enough of a leak to have oil forced through it under pressure (driving). And, it's probably somewhere that you can't see, maybe on the back side. But you have a leak, because it doesn't dissappear. Try using a thicker oil. It's thicker so that worn gaskets won't allow it to pass through- that's why you hear that 5w is for newer engines, and 0w is for new european engines (I don't know why).

Change your oil. Put in 5 quarts of 10W40 Mobil1. Check it every seven days and get back to us

[Doughboy]

Originally posted by DIYperformance@Oct 26 2004, 06:20 PM
I think it's coming out when you're driving. First of all, a Vtec motor should have 5 quarts, because Vtec needs oil pressure to engage. But for your problem, you are using synthetic oil, which is good. But if you are driving a 93 with the original motor and are using a thin oil (such as 5W30), I bet you have a small leak- small enough to hold in oil while parked, but enough of a leak to have oil forced through it under pressure (driving). And, it's probably somewhere that you can't see, maybe on the back side. But you have a leak, because it doesn't dissappear. Try using a thicker oil. It's thicker so that worn gaskets won't allow it to pass through- that's why you hear that 5w is for newer engines, and 0w is for new european engines (I don't know why).

Change your oil. Put in 5 quarts of 10W40 Mobil1. Check it every seven days and get back to us

Good write up, Thats what i was saying too. Samething happened to me. I'd definately go with what he just told u before forking up a bunch of money to a mechanic.