Mysterious disappearing Oil - low miles...

901 Views 9 Replies 3 Participants Last post by dodgerojo, May 13, 2022

Benjamin S

Discussion Starter · May 10, 2022

Hi all. I just bought a 2007 Caliber SXT with a 2.0L, 107,000 miles. I've put about 12,000 miles on it and done two oil changes so far. Engine power seems pretty normal - not amazing, but can still feel confident passing other cars in an open area.

This whole time I've noticed it is requiring an oil top-off every time I drive it. I think I've put in about 5+ quarts between oil changes. It never leaves a puddle - I don't see any major external leaks, no oil in the coolant, and I don't see any smoke out the back - even if I am following the car on long road trips. I replaced the PCV valve just to make sure of this, I blew compressed air through all the PCV hoses to make sure they were clear - no issues there.

Any common issues with this engine and this problem? I really don't know where all this oil is going and I assume I must be burning it all -valve seals? -piston rings burned/stuck? Seems to run fine...
Thoughts and experience anyone?

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chrisf2012

· #2 · May 11, 2022

Well, it has to be going SOMEWHERE.

Check your coolant...make sure it's not looking milky. If it is, you have a blown head gasket. If you're not seeing any puddles under the car in the morning then you could be burning it. Rev up the car and see if you're blowing any blue-ish smoke..that's the sign of oil burning.

You could always try doing a leak-down test. Take out the spark plugs and connect a smoke machine or an air compressor to the oil filler hole, pump in some air, and see how much air is coming out of the spark plug holes. There should be little to no air coming out of the spark plug holes but If you get an appreciable amount out of any of them then oil is getting past your rings and burning.

And no, engine problems of this nature are not common with the Caliber...the engine itself is pretty solid on these rigs.

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dodgerojo

· #3 · May 11, 2022

Hello good,
What lubricant are you using? Maybe if you burn it, it's time to make a little change.
My recommendation up front.
Use an internal motor oil cleaner. And then a metal parts sealer that works very well.
First you clean and decarbonize the interior and then you seal all the gaps and small internal tolerances of the engine.

I am a Technical Advisor for Innotec Europe and this product is wonderful. That if at least every 2 years you should use the sealant. The cleaner can be spaced if you want every 4 years.
If you can't find Innotec you can use other brands that are available in your country or at your dealer in the area.
It depends on the oil you are using, if the car drinks it, try to thicken it one point above the one you are using now. You already tell us what oil you use and what average temperatures there are in winter summer in your country.
Cheers

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Benjamin S

Discussion Starter · #4 · May 11, 2022

chrisf2012 said:
Well, it has to be going SOMEWHERE.

Check your coolant...make sure it's not looking milky. If it is, you have a blown head gasket. If you're not seeing any puddles under the car in the morning then you could be burning it. Rev up the car and see if you're blowing any blue-ish smoke..that's the sign of oil burning.

You could always try doing a leak-down test. Take out the spark plugs and connect a smoke machine or an air compressor to the oil filler hole, pump in some air, and see how much air is coming out of the spark plug holes. There should be little to no air coming out of the spark plug holes but If you get an appreciable amount out of any of them then oil is getting past your rings and burning.

And no, engine problems of this nature are not common with the Caliber...the engine itself is pretty solid on these rigs.

Yes, it has to go somewhere

- it just has me a little stumped as there is usually more signs of the issue when I'm having to add this much oil. I have all the equipment you mentioned to check these things, My only guess is, even with lower miles, the last owner may not have taken care of it as well as they should have. I was curious if I might have some blockage in the PCV hose - I believe it goes from the valve down to the Intake manifold? I am going to recheck the hose for any blockages and check to see that there are no weird blockages at the intake manifold. I still suspect that there is too much crankcase pressure building up, but I can't prove it yet. I'll make a note when I'm done testing these things.

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chrisf2012

· #5 · May 12, 2022

A plugged PCV system could certainly increase the pressure in the crankcase and thus result in more blow-by so it's definitely worth checking out. Might also be a good idea to pull the valve cover to see if there's any sludge build-up...that'll give you a good idea of how well the engine was maintained by the previous owner.

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dodgerojo

· #6 · May 12, 2022

Hello good,
If a bad PCV or lets too many vapors pass into the intake or closed pressure increases. A crankshaft seal also leaks oil but sooner or later you would see it on the outside of the car.
Check it well.
What oil do you currently use?

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Benjamin S

Discussion Starter · #7 · May 12, 2022

dodgerojo said:
Hello good,
If a bad PCV or lets too many vapors pass into the intake or closed pressure increases. A crankshaft seal also leaks oil but sooner or later you would see it on the outside of the car.
Check it well.
What oil do you currently use?

Still running some testing - but only thng I've noticed is that it seems like there is some oil spray coming out the dipstick tube. (But I need to verify my kids aren't just leaving a mess when checking it.) But I've seen some odd stuff there - consistently. Also noticing heavy soot deposits in the tailpipe - I believe more than normal. These point towards piston rings - but I'm trying to rule out anything else first.

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chrisf2012

· #8 · May 13, 2022

Oil spray coming out of the dipstick tube would be another sign of a possible issue with the PCV system...pressure is building up and the dipstick tube is one place where it could potentially release

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dodgerojo

· #9 · May 13, 2022

Hello good.
Bufff what a mess you have.
In the best of cases PCV valve faulty excess pressure.
Another option a valve seal.
And the worst I don't know if I should say it. Segment or cylinder head problems and that no longer looks good.
But better start with the cheapest and easiest to review.
If that is not the case, look at the cylinder compressions and so on until you find a fault.
You can upload photos to see the physical state of the engine.
All the best

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dodgerojo

· #10 · May 13, 2022

Excuse me, a question, is the oil dipstick the one from the car?
To rule out an overfill of oil and crankshaft and connecting rods are beating the oil with force.
Every time a connecting rod touches the oil due to temperature and due to the strength of the shake, the oil is good.

All the best.

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