Fiesta oil level

[figbat]

By the time a warning light has come on- if indeed it comes on st all... - the damage is often done.

Depends on the warning light. If it’s an amber “low oil level” light you’re probably OK. If it’s a red “low oil pressure” light, things might be worse.

 

[gbb]

This is the line most OEMs use when faced with excessive oil use complaints. It’s considered a de facto maximum acceptable usage across the industry.

Of course it is far from acceptable, especially with sensors and filters and catalysts in the exhaust, not to mention spark plugs.

Even though it’s good business for the oil companies, one of which I used to work for, I would still not agree that this is acceptable.

Must admit, I do wonder if people have heard this..(oh it's normal to burn some oil) and accept it as true.
I cannot think of a single car I ever owned that burned oil. Maybe, maybe my old Mk1 Ascona but even cars that were supposedly renowned to burn oil (my Astra H and i think my Allegro)...never had to top them up. Had my Mazda for around 3 years, 40k miles, not once had to top it up. Same with all my previous cars over the last 15 years, Astras, Vectras, Cavalier etc
Driving style? I don't hammer cars, a really quite steady driver...is that why ?

 

[gbb]

I once heard that newer cars use more oil because the piston rings are generally less tight, so less friction and more efficiency, but a bit more oil will seep past. Don't know if that's true or not

Possibly (as figbat says) higher compression ratios...added to that poor maintenance, lack of proper lubrication causing excess wear (in the rings or bores) and more 'blowby'

 

[biggs682]

If our note's oil level drop's a nano bit below the halfway between min and max we get an oil low warning flash up when we start it , but if you add a thimble of oil in it's enough to get oil ok message

 

[figbat]

2/ Opening the bonnet at regularly can catch leaks and other problems before they get serious.

I used to deliver a training course where I worked (Castrol) to bring staff up to speed on what oil is, why it’s needed, where it comes from and so on. It was so that non-techy types and new starters had an awareness of what it is we made, even if it was not important to their roles.

I used to include a piece about checking your oil level regularly. There are many benefits:

- if the rate of change changes suddenly you will spot it and can investigate

- keeping the oil level near ‘Max’ means there is more oil in the engine to ‘share the load’

- a small top up now and then adds fresh additives to the mix, like a shot in the arm for the engine.

- you also get to look at the other stuff too.

I would also recommend that people find out exactly what oil the car needs and buy some before it is needed. People who buy when a light comes on often buy the wrong oil in panic, and pay over the odds for it in a filling station. Spend some time looking up the specs needed, in your own time, in the comfort of your home rather than in the hostile environment of a forecourt, and then order a litre online, where you can get a good deal. Then you know you have it to hand and can top up on your own terms.

Oil specs are a confusion of alphabet spaghetti, it’s no wonder lay people get it wrong. And whilst the ultimate maxim (within reason) is “some oil is better than no oil”, it is even better if you get the right oil. In some cases it can be critical.

 

[Vapin' Joe]

Must admit, I do wonder if people have heard this..(oh it's normal to burn some oil) and accept it as true.
I cannot think of a single car I ever owned that burned oil. Maybe, maybe my old Mk1 Ascona but even cars that were supposedly renowned to burn oil (my Astra H and i think my Allegro)...never had to top them up. Had my Mazda for around 3 years, 40k miles, not once had to top it up. Same with all my previous cars over the last 15 years, Astras, Vectras, Cavalier etc
Driving style? I don't hammer cars, a really quite steady driver...is that why ?

I had one of those. 1/3 of a litre every week on a mileage of about 300.

 

[figbat]

Possibly (as figbat says) higher compression ratios...added to that poor maintenance, lack of proper lubrication causing excess wear (in the rings or bores) and more 'blowby'

Much higher BMEPs now, coupled with shorter pistons and reduced ring size and tension (for efficiency), plus the ongoing shift towards very low viscosities (also efficiency), plus smaller sump volumes (cost, efficiency through reduced mass) makes controlling oil consumption important.

Oil consumption comes from three factors:

- blowby and combustion
- volatility
- oxidation.

All three factors are getting worse with the trends I outlined above.

 

[Drago]

Must admit, I do wonder if people have heard this..(oh it's normal to burn some oil) and accept it as true.
I cannot think of a single car I ever owned that burned oil. Maybe, maybe my old Mk1 Ascona but even cars that were supposedly renowned to burn oil (my Astra H and i think my Allegro)...never had to top them up. Had my Mazda for around 3 years, 40k miles, not once had to top it up. Same with all my previous cars over the last 15 years, Astras, Vectras, Cavalier etc
Driving style? I don't hammer cars, a really quite steady driver...is that why ?

They all burn oil. To be otherwise would be physically impossible.

However, they can burn so little that its not noticable by the crude measure of a dipstick.

I've never owned a car that needed topping up but, as Figgers rightly points out above, modern engine architecture is such that its becoming a real issue.

 

[Drago]

Depends on the warning light. If it’s an amber “low oil level” light you’re probably OK. If it’s a red “low oil pressure” light, things might be worse.

Most cooking models still only have oil pressure.

 

[tyred]

Must admit, I do wonder if people have heard this..(oh it's normal to burn some oil) and accept it as true.
I cannot think of a single car I ever owned that burned oil. Maybe, maybe my old Mk1 Ascona but even cars that were supposedly renowned to burn oil (my Astra H and i think my Allegro)...never had to top them up. Had my Mazda for around 3 years, 40k miles, not once had to top it up. Same with all my previous cars over the last 15 years, Astras, Vectras, Cavalier etc
Driving style? I don't hammer cars, a really quite steady driver...is that why ?

The oil level on my 205 never dropped more than a few mm between 5,000 mile services. It was the same even at 250,000 miles.

My MKI Golf (1.6 NA diesel) always used some oil, but nothing excessive, even after 400,000 miles.

My Skoda Fabia drank oil, probably leading to the demise of the cat and being unable to coax it through the emissions test despite a replacement cat. Mileage wasn't even high, and from asking around, this is normal for the petrol Fabia/Polo. Truly hateful engine. The guy in the test centre said he hated to see them come in for test as it was almost a guaranteed emissions fail unless the mileage was unusually low.

My Yaris burns more oil than I'd like, but much less than what Toyota say is acceptable. No emissions test problems so far.Biggest problem is that it's difficult to get an accurate reading on the dipstick because there is such a sharp bend in the tube.

 

[figbat]

Another factor that can mask oil consumption is fuel dilution. Cold starts, short journeys, DPF regens etc can cause a build up of fuel in the oil. If your engine is using oil but also fuel diluting the level can look OK.