[Fletch2]

Hello,

This is my first posting. I have a 2001 Accord 4 cyl. that is using about 1 quart of oil every 500 miles. There is no smoke and it isn't leaking on the ground. I have noticed oil buildup outside of the engine directly underneath the distributor, but it isn't enough to account for as much oil as I'm going through. I replaced the transmission and catalytic converter at 174,000 miles and the car now has 235,000. It has been well maintained and other than the tranny I've had no other major repairs. The car is in excellent condition so I planned to drive the car and see how many miles I could put on it, but I'm starting to second-guess that plan because of the oil useage. I'm assuming I need a complete engine rebuild. What do you guys think and what is your suggestion?

Oh, one other quick note, when I get the oil changed, it may go 500-1000 miles before it starts using any oil, which seems very odd.

Thanks!

 

[nehonda]

If its not leaking the oil, it has to be burning it and thats probably why your old converter failed. The oil is getting into the cylinders due to stuck piston rings or worn valve guides (or both at your mileage). You could try using heavier grade oil to reduce the consumption but an engine rebuild or replacement will likely be needed to fix the problem. There are similar threads on this forum if you want to search them for more details.

When you get the oil changed, the shop may be overfilling it so it takes more miles to get to the add mark.