I have an oil gremlin.

[bduke23]

Got a problem folks, my oil seems to completely dissapear. And lots of it too. I just changed the oil today, and it was a liter low again, making a total of 3 liters used in the last 5000 km. It if was burning that much oil, there would be a giant blue cloud behind me everywhere I went, but there is not. In fact, there is not even a tinge of blue, and no matter how long I stand by the exhaust I can not smell a drop of burned oil. In addition to this, my driveway is spotless; apparently it is not leaking it either. I have no idea what it could be, but really need to get it fixed.

 

[adsm08]

The cats may be catching the smoke and oil. Check your plugs.

 

[Shran]

When you stop at a stoplight or shut the truck off, do you smell burning oil?

My F150 literally leaks almost a quart every 200 miles and doesn't leave much of a puddle. You can smell it when you stop because it drips out of the valve covers and onto the exhaust and burns off. I know it's not burning oil... no cats to catch it and no smoke...

 

[bduke23]

No I can smell absolutely nothing, and I have tried extremely hard to detect something with my nose. I'll try looking at the plugs... I should probably change them anyway actually.

 

[Shran]

Is there anywhere under the vehicle that looks like it has fresh oil on it?

I dunno, that is really a lot of oil to just vanish. It has to be going somewhere. Does your coolant look OK? As in clean/no oil contamination.

 

[RustedRanger]

It might be leaking while the engine is higher RPM's. I'd clean the old oil off then maybe stop after driving on the highway and look.

 

[bduke23]

I agree, its tons of oil to disappear. I hardly do any driving on the highway, its almost all city. Its never over 2500 rpm, usually about 1800. I think anyway, cause my tach never reads accurately, something else i have to fix along with my sometimes way off speedo. I'll look at the coolant, but what exactly should I be looking for? I don't know what coolant and oil mixed together looks like.

 

[ASMODEAN]

I'll look at the coolant, but what exactly should I be looking for? I don't know what coolant and oil mixed together looks like.

It ain't pretty...

That is what it looks like when you pop the head on a GM 305 and run it for a month before getting told about it...

 

[Tiollib]

It ain't pretty...

That is what it looks like when you pop the head on a GM 305 and run it for a month before getting told about it...

kinda looks like a Mcdonald's milkshake.

 

[MountainMike]

Looks tasty, toss a straw in it and I'm good.

As for coolant contamination look for it to be slightly milky, have you changed the oil recently? If so, was the oil milky? With that consumption rate I would buy some super cheap oil, change the oil, run it for about 1000km and drain it and get it tested for any contaminants (coolant, metal, etc). Shouldn't cost you more than $40, any of the heavy truck stations around Saskatoon should be able to do it of at least point you in the right direction.

 

[bduke23]

I've been putting cheap oil in it anyway ha ha, so changing it after another 1000km will be fine, provided I remember to do it. But the coolant looks fine, nice and green. I'm waiting for the weekend or at least a warmer day to start pulling spark plugs and see how they look.

I also remembered, I have a hole in my oil filler neck, where there used to be a hose going to the air intake to the throttle body. I still have the hose with broken connector inside it, but am waiting on the same warmer day to arrive so i can jb weld that connector back on. Is it possible for the oil to be leaving through this hole, almost as if its evaporating?

 

[GoodOld85BlueBalls]

Just exactly what kind of cheap oil are you putting in it? Brake fluid? Rock drill oil? Thread cutting oil? Perhaps your supplier is thinning it! LOL!

The wrong oil can be causes of lots of problems. Might be slipping past your rings. Has to be some kind of visible sign.

 

['99 EB Explorer]

kinda looks like a Mcdonald's milkshake.

Thanks for ruining that for me

 

[whisperer]

Generally what you are describing is a running oil leak. Meaning the oil is only leaking when the engine is running. This is why you don't see it in exhaust smoke or on your driveway. As soon as you pull in and shut it off it doesn't leak, so no driveway drip of any significance. Look around your oil pressure sending unit and filter/filter adaptor. Also, you can let it sit and run in the driveway with a piece of cardboard under it to see where it is dripping from.

 

[bduke23]

Ok changed the oil again today, I have always been putting in 5w30 of cheap c tire stuff, today put in 5w30 of Penzoil. I also sea foamed it, and changed spark plugs. It definately isn't burning any oil, as far as the spark plugs say. They looked a little light colored to me, but then again I am going by a picture in a tech manual for a car I no longer have, and they thoughtfully printed the picture in black in white . Anyway here is some pictures of the old plugs:

I also looked through the old oil very carefully, and could not find any pieces, metal shavings, nothing at all. I am thinking that my problem is the already mentioned running oil leak.