We appear to have a problem...

[ChrisM]

Ah dear, my Maestro appears to have a bit of a drink problem - I topped my oil up yesterday before a drive over to Sheffield and back, this morning (only about 200 miles later) there was no oil to be found... I checked where the car had been parked overnight and there were no signs of an oil leak, other than the bit that dripped down when I last topped it up... Upon cold starting recently, I have noticed blue smoke in my rear view mirror, along with the very occasional time when putting my foot down in second on a roundabout... Any ideas what this may signal?

Other than that, it has started 'running on' more and more...

Help!?

[H48HPE]

I dont really know the answer but my car burns loads of oil on start up. It seems ok when running. It needs new valve stem oil seals but I've never got round to doing anything about it, it doesnt use much oil.

If this was happening to me I'd clean the engine up so I could see any new oil leaks to check if it was leaking out. How long after you switched the engine off did you check the oil? I know it takes a while for it to all drain back into the sump....

as for running on, thats more than likely being caused by a lean mixture or fast idle speed, My car had a bad running on problem for ages, it was cured at MOT time when the tester adjusted the carb settings. Check for vaccum leaks because that will make it run lean.

[ChrisM]

The car does need a tune and a service, so will tackle the running on then hopefully.

I checked the oil this morning after it had been parked overnight, there was about 3mm on the end of the dipstick... :worried:

[H48HPE]

it should definitely have all been in the sump after a night stood still. If it had burnt that much oil I would have expected you to be seeing lots of smoke all the time. I could only immagine its leaking from the top of the engine I would have expected you to have seen oil under the car though as it would have been dripping off the engine block for ages.

Its that long since i was using my maestro as a daily car I cant remember its oil consumption exactly but on high speed runs I remember it did use more oil than normal, but from max to less than min seems more than excessive over 200 miles....

[MaestroTurbo]

The car does need a tune and a service, so will tackle the running on then hopefully.

I checked the oil this morning after it had been parked overnight, there was about 3mm on the end of the dipstick... :worried:


If its using half a litre in 200 miles (or more) it needs more than just a tune and a service...

[ChrisM]

If its using half a litre in 200 miles (or more) it needs more than just a tune and a service...
Lol yes, thanks Gareth, I'd worked that out, hence the post asking for help :D

[Wetfish]

I'd check your plugs to see if they are oily and go from there, they'll be wet and black if oil is getting into the cylinders. I had an MGB with worn bores which burnt lots of oil leaving a substantial blue cloud behind me. Interestingly I'm in the middle of a de-coke on my Turbo, it was dropping oil down number 4 valve guide, found the oil seal was not seated squarely and also a leak from the camcover which meant together it used quite a bit of oil over a tankfull of petrol. Perhaps it just needs a top-end overhaul but go and look at the plugs first.
HTH
HenryR

[digital efi]

.......that sounds like Allegro oil consumption, not Maestro!

Most Maestros can manage well over 500 miles per pint (or max to min on the dipstick): using a sumpful in 200 miles is not good news!

You haven't said what the level was before you topped up: if it was low, then you poured some oil in, then immediately dipped it, it is possible for oil to splash up the dipstick and give a 'full' reading, when in fact it is anything but!

I suggest you fill the level up to max now, leave the car a couple of hours, check the level again. When you are definitely sure it is up to 'Max', take the car for a good hard run. At high revs in first and second gear, look in the mirror to see if you can see blue smoke. If smoke, you have piston ring problems.

Then find a slope to descend , change to a lower gear and let the engine slow the car down for 5-10 seconds, then boot the accelerator. A cloud of smoke here will be either piston rings, or valve stem wear.

The cloud on start-up could again be either cause.

If you definitely have excessive oil consumption, you can leave it and just keep buying oil until it gets to the point where you are leaving smoke behind whenever you drive, even at low speeds. At which point a repair will be good, because otherwise you could get arrested (or just fail an MoT)

Or you can try a cylinder head overhaul (and convert to unleaded at the same time)

Or an engine rebuild.

Or just a secondhand engine. (if you want a 50,000 mile full service history 1990 unleaded engine, let me know!)

Hope this helps......


P@ul

[MaestroTurbo]

Lol yes, thanks Gareth, I'd worked that out, hence the post asking for help :D


My point was, dont go wasting money on service items that may not cure the problem. You need to do a compression check on the engine first to make sure its sound, if it is, then find the oil leak because thats far more likely.

[ChrisM]

Lol. Ok. My point was that I was planning to service it this weekend before this problem appeared. E_T_V has already suggested a compression check, so I will get one done as soon as I can. Thanks :)

[ChrisM]

There is already some blue smoke noticable, as I have said previously, but only when cold and under hard acceleration.

When I checked the oil I did leave it a period to make sure it was at full, but I shall give it another go and take your advice above.

.
If you definitely have excessive oil consumption, you can leave it and just keep buying oil until it gets to the point where you are leaving smoke behind whenever you drive, even at low speeds. At which point a repair will be good, because otherwise you could get arrested (or just fail an MoT)

Or you can try a cylinder head overhaul (and convert to unleaded at the same time)

Or an engine rebuild.

Or just a secondhand engine. (if you want a 50,000 mile full service history 1990 unleaded engine, let me know!)

Hope this helps......


P@ul
The engine is actually already a reconditioned engine, fitted a few years ago, and has done less than 15k...

[threelitre]

Emptying most of the sump in 200 miles does not really need to show a lot of smoke. Our Rover 216 (Honda engine at 100k miles) is able to do that trick - and I have never managed to get a glimpse of blue smoke in the mirror. Even the exhaust emissions are very good... (cat fitted, but all inside factory spec for the car - except - errm, oil consumption.)
Worn bores or defect piston rings seem to be the reason, worn valve seals will leave huge clouds on the overrun, but will usually not contribute to a generally large consumption. If our Rover is parked up for e.g. 2 weeks it has dificulty to start, as there is no (or nearly no) initial compression - the engine turns over as if the plugs are not fitted :(

Alexander

PS: I would claim this sort of thirst R8-consumption, since my expirience with Allegros is different: On S2N the refill-intervall was something of 2000 miles :)