Serious problem - unhealthy appetite for oil

Mine does it, but I think it's only sposed to be a small amount of suction & not loads-some cars cause a whistle as they are drawing air in so hard.
Look on here & other forums-there have been issues with oil burning & knackered engine breathers, do you do a lot of short journeys?
 
I've only done 2k miles since I had the Zed in November, I cant speak for the previous owners so I've no idea on the type of journeys previously done, I only use the Zed if I'm sure it can get properly warmed up, work is 14 miles of free flowing traffic each way for eg.

So from the sound it judging by yours then the rush of air I hear would probably seem normal & hence not the CCV, I don't want to move this car on & to a certain extent I'm in too deep with it having shelled out for tyres all round, BMW Insp II service, pads, coil pack, Dension gateway, MFSW, cupholders etc etc.
 
I tried checking my breather a few weeks back & the pipe that goes from the breather to the sump makes a bubbling sound when I blow down it, seemed a little strange?
 
Wouldn't that be like blowing down a straw into a drink, i.e. it was your oil bubbling up?
 
It sounded like the oil, but it wouldn't have thought the pipe surfaced below oil level? Surely to be free breathing it should exit to atmosphere (not viscous oil)
 
I still cant get my head around why this car passed the emissions test on an MOT not so many miles ago, throws no warning lights, drives fine but drinks oil like a fish.

Anyone recommend a good indy within 50 miles of Dorset where I can get some investigative work done, I think I might try Iridium in Southampton if no one has any better ideas.
 
How's your Zed been since you had the oil level checked (and presumably) sorted to the right level? Is it still using oil now?

:driving: :thumbsup:
 
paulgs1000 said:
How's your Zed been since you had the oil level checked (and presumably) sorted to the right level? Is it still using oil now?

:driving: :thumbsup:
Click to expand...

Not used the Zed today & it's going to be a few miles before it moves off of full which is what its reading right now.

The oil level sensor was replaced yesterday, only because I'd already purchased it & doubted if Sopers would have taken it back, however, the measured oil removed was low suggesting that there was nothing wrong with the original sensor so there is definitely a more serous underlying problem.

Now I know it's consuming oil I'm worried about the affects it could be having on the catalytic converters long term so I'm reluctant to drive it somewhat.
 


Guys, this is crunch time for this car :cry: , does this look like too much vacuum indicating a duff CCV or does it look normal? perhaps I should have used a single skin of the freezer bag as it's more obvious that the plastic closest to the engine is trying to be sucked in when viewing directly above it, I was a bit nervous as I obviously didn't want the bag to get hot & soft & get sucked into the engine.

When I fitted the cap on & off & on again etc there's a definite rush of air inwards each time although it's difficult to hear this on the video.
 
N52 engines can burn oil...

CCV is the easiest and least expensive thing to try.

After that it could be rings or valves stem oil seals,both common in the "N" series engines
 
It was saying full on the dashboard dipstick originally I think, so sounds like it was correctly filled.
 
Hi been observing this thread with some interest and feel for you over your dilemma

To try and answer some of the concerns you have raised - about passing MOT with oil consumption I have an avensis that uses excessive oil - probably about a litre every 400 miles - this I know is due to bore wear (ignore that bit this is not the point) however it has passed MOT with no advisories on emissions - the cat works hard to remove any evidence of oil use - however a year ago I replaced the cats due to eml so the warning here is that the cats will eventually not cope any more if oil burning is going on and nothing is done - unfortunately I can't give you an imdication of how long but I've probably put 2k miles on the avensis with the new cats and still no eml reoccurance

I can't help thinking that a really good run out - lots of miles and using full range of power wouldn't do your car any harm - not a professional recommendation - just if it was mine I would do this - 200 miles or so. It doesn't do these cars any good whatsoever to do short trips constantly and you need to get it out doing what it was designed to do. Let's face it it will either bring it to a head or revert the car to normal

As others have said before the above I would change the valve - it can't do any harm- and if it turns out to cure great - if it doesn't then a good run out will provide mor info

Have you checked for codes?

Sorry can't be more helpful but shame you can't enjoy your car after so much caring :headbang:
 
I added engine flush to my car when I did the last oil change, its supposed to remove deposits/free off gummed piston rings etc, hoping it will reduce the oil mine goes through
 
I think the earlier m54 engines used a different breather valve with a filter in it whereas the facelift cars like mine & the original posters cars have the n52 engines with breathers that have no filter, not sure how they can go wrong really-is there a one way valve to stop it pulling oil out of the sump & ingesting it through the inlet manifold?
 
I think the earlier m54 engines used a different breather valve with a filter in it whereas the facelift cars like mine & the original posters cars have the n52 engines with breathers that have no filter, not sure how they can go wrong really-is there a one way valve to stop it pulling oil out of the sump & ingesting it through the inlet manifold?
 
Spikey said:
Hi been observing this thread with some interest and feel for you over your dilemma

To try and answer some of the concerns you have raised - about passing MOT with oil consumption I have an avensis that uses excessive oil - probably about a litre every 400 miles - this I know is due to bore wear (ignore that bit this is not the point) however it has passed MOT with no advisories on emissions - the cat works hard to remove any evidence of oil use - however a year ago I replaced the cats due to eml so the warning here is that the cats will eventually not cope any more if oil burning is going on and nothing is done - unfortunately I can't give you an imdication of how long but I've probably put 2k miles on the avensis with the new cats and still no eml reoccurance

I can't help thinking that a really good run out - lots of miles and using full range of power wouldn't do your car any harm - not a professional recommendation - just if it was mine I would do this - 200 miles or so. It doesn't do these cars any good whatsoever to do short trips constantly and you need to get it out doing what it was designed to do. Let's face it it will either bring it to a head or revert the car to normal

As others have said before the above I would change the valve - it can't do any harm- and if it turns out to cure great - if it doesn't then a good run out will provide mor info

Have you checked for codes?

Sorry can't be more helpful but shame you can't enjoy your car after so much caring :headbang:
Click to expand...


This is a similar consumption to mine, can I clarify whether your Avensis visibly smoked? - I assume not otherwise it wouldn't have passed an MOT would it?

When I picked the car up on Thursday evening the dash display showed as 1/2 full initially & then rose to full a few miles later, I don't know for sure but I imagine what you see on the display is an average over a period of time rather than an instantaneous reading, hence initially 1/2 full (from needing +1L earlier) & then rising to full.

Yesterday I took the car on a 60 mile round trip, as soon as the car was warmed enough to give an oil reading it was back to 1/2 full which I'm going to use as my accurate benchmark, despite some spirited driving including winding it up to the upper rev range a couple of times the oil level remained at 1/2 full, I've noted the mileage & seeing how long I get before the display advices to add +1L

I'd imagine that 1/2 way between min & max is about right as my mechanic drained off 4.5 litres into a clean container, changed the sensor & refilled with the same oil (it was only 1100 miles old oil) & then added another litre, if my man maths is right then 4.5 litres out of the sump , plus 1/2 litre residue in the filter etc then the extra litre added is 6 litres, with the capacity of 6.5 litres on a fresh oil & filter change then to read half way between min & max is somewhere near right.

For now, I'm keeping an eye on it, it's possible (albeit unlikely) that BMW short filled it & that the original sensor was mis-reading.

I cant explain why I witnessed a puff of smoke on startup from being refilled initially, but all I can say is that it's stopped doing that completely now.

I'll update when anything changes, I'm off work for two weeks now so I think I will give it a decent run out.
 
Anyone able to comment on the video as to whether the amount of vacuum looks normal?

Oh, & Spikey, in answer to your question about codes, no I haven't checked as no warning lights have ever been lit (except for when I had a coil pack failure), is it possible to have error codes generated without EML being lit?
 
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