Engine Oil

[Hans]

Hi Everyone,

 

I was just wondering, if i had a Lube service in my car, topped the oil levels to the max..

 

3000kms later, is all the oil mean to vanish completely? or should the oil level have diminished by little?

 

i am suspecting there may be a problem with the engine.. unless I'm completely wrong.

 

can someone please shed some light on this.

 

 

thanks

[jason12]

Yeah the oil shouldnt just "vanish".... definately a problem there but it could be a few things.... how does the car run otherwise?

[Hans]

the car is running fine, no issues, drives like a dream! but i figured id check the oil and there is non left...there isnt even a bit in the oil stick..

 

oh and yeah maybe not 3000kms...more like 3500-3900kms..

Edited October 11, 2009 by Hans

[RedKE30]

the car is running fine, no issues, drives like a dream! but i figured id check the oil and there is non left...there isnt even a bit in the oil stick..

 

oh and yeah maybe not 3000kms...more like 3500-3900kms..

 

Is it leaking? Does it blow smoke?

[78ke30]

a engine reggardless of age should not use anything but fuel/desiel.

 

you will probably find your valve stem seals to be worn, when your going down a hill in say 3rd does it get a bit smelly or blow excessive blue smoke?

 

if thats the case u may want to run thicker oil in it or replace the steam seals.

 

other wise u got a nasty oil leak, if it was to leak 4litres over 3500km's then I'm sure you would no about it already lol.

[Hans]

I'm not sure now..because funnily enough, the car doesnt blow smoke no odd smells, no leaks in the engine bay and no oil patches ont he driveway either..

 

I'm beginning to think maybe the mechanic didnt put as much oil as he should have int he 1st place.

 

but i will still check the valve stem seals

 

thanks everyone!

[altezzaclub]

Don't forget to check the oil in the morning before you start the car, and check it a few times with wiping the stick in between. The Altezza's dipstick tube holds oil and it gets all over the dipstick, so it can be hard to get a clear reading.

 

If it doesn't leak & doesn't smoke I'm sure it never held as much as you thought. For a start the mech might have checked it as he filled it with a new oil filter on and that oil filter would soak up half a litre after he ran it.

 

Valve stem seal wear blows smoke after decelerating downhill or sitting at the lights idling. The vacuum in the inlet manifold sucks the oil down the inlet valve stems. You should be able to replace them without lifting the head.

 

Rings tend to smoke under acceleration.

 

You can seem to lose oil if you just truck around town for a couple of months then go on a longer trip. Oil gets burnt but gets replaced by water of condensation from crankcase venting, then when you drive out in the country for a couple of hours it evaporates the water out of the oil.

Edited October 11, 2009 by altezzaclub

[rob83ke70]

normal to use a bit of oil, especially as it gets towards the end of the service interval.

 

Subaru's used to use litres of the stuff when brand new (running in oil must have been very thin) and now the 1st service is at 5k instead of 12.5k, customers wouldn't check it and run out of oil and blow the engines up....

 

I'd top it up, make sure the car is on level ground and check it every morning before you start the engine. Keep an eye on it too, if it doesn't use it again then it might not have had enough in it to begin with.

 

Robert.

[Hans]

thanks guys,

 

All the more reason i need to install my oil pressure gauge asap!

 

i was a bit concerned coz i couldnt believe the car was running on minimal oil without issues, I'm gna top it off with 10W30 oil 2moro after work..

 

then i'll have regular weekly checks.

 

as for the valve stem seals, just by looking at them, what do i look for in terms of how i can tell if it's worn?

[78ke30]

make them weekly checks daily for the first week or so just to be sure, dnt wana damage that engine.

[Hiro Protagonist]

10W30? No wonder it's disappearing. I'd be recommending 20W40 or 20W50 for a 4AFC that old

[Hans]

fair enough...

 

but the engine only has 123,000kms on it?

 

while I'm on the topic, what is the actual recommended oil for the 4AFC?

Edited October 11, 2009 by Hans

[Hiro Protagonist]

fair enough...

 

but the engine only has 123,000kms on it?

 

while I'm on the topic, what is the actual recommended oil for the 4AFC?

 

A-series engines tended to have either 15W40 or 20W50 recommended from factory (is the same for both my 4AGE and 7AFE despite there being 10 years difference between them), and that was when they were brand new 20 years ago. The fact that your car has done ~120k would indicate a lot of city km, which means stop-start traffic, short runs and poor heat cycles, and quite likely that the engine wasn't run in properly either, all of which would contribute to wear that would require thicker oil.

[rob83ke70]

HPR30 in a penrite flavour is going to go in my (smokey) 7afe next oil change...

 

Make sure you use a good oil that puts up with the stress from DOHC and all that stuff ;)

 

Robert.

[Felix]

If your motor is in good nick, the oil level shouldn't change at all between oil changes.

 

If the oil level goes down it has to either be from usage, either worn rings, hardened/worn valvestem seals (from age) or leaks.

 

At 123,000 kays the motor shouldn't even be halfway through it's lifespan.