Hi folks,
I am pretty clueless when it comes to cars I'm afraid. I finished Uni last year and bought a Ford Fiesta 1.0 from a local garage (H reg). It is in great condition and has been a very good runner so far. I bought it as a little run-around, but then I got a job that involves a far bit of mileage (around 200-300 miles per week) and am worried that it is too much for such a small car. But, like I said, it runs fine.
However, there is one problem, it seems to be using a lot of oil.
At the moment, I am adding anywhere between half and a whole litre of oil a week. There is no leak, as far as I can see, and there is no obvious burning? The engine sounds fine, there is no knocking or tapping and, as I said before, the car generally runs well.
Any idea what could be a the problem? I work a far distance from home, as mentioned, and it is difficult to arrange a time to pop it into the garage. I am due a service in Jan, will it be likely to survive till then?
Any opinions greatly appreciated!
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Valve seals/guides. is a problem with that engine..I suspect it will go on for a while..just keep an eye on oil level..I have known them to run out of oil..wont start. top it up. few turns on starter away it goes.reason for non start oil too low to lubricate rings.reason why I said keep an eye on oil level..Bear in mind unusual for this engine not to rattle/tap.unless it was worked on before buying?
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Steve
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Thanks for the information. The garage I bought it off are very, very good, and I trust them 100% (friends of family, great reputation, etc.) so I know the car was a good 'un when I bought it.
Have been keeping an eye on the oil, so will continue to do so till January.
Any other opinions anyone?
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I think Steve's suggestion of valve guides and/or valve stem oil seals is probably (as per usual) spot on. Obviously, without seeing the car, no-one can offer precise diagnosis.
Keeping the oil level up should allow you to keep motoring - at least you don't have an odious catalyst to consider. If, however, you find too much smoke coming from your exhaust, the responsible (and legally required) thing to do is to get it sorted.
In you original post, you say that you know little about motor cars. This engine is as simple as they come - ideal for you to learn and practice on!
number_cruncher
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A 1.0 Fiesta will thrive on that sort of milage(much better than short journeys).It could be worn valve guides/hardened rubber seals but with these you will normally get a puff of blue smoke on cold start where the oil has drained down the valve stems.Another thought is worn piston rings/bores.I fitted a new set of standard rings to my Fiesta 1.1 when it started to use oil at about 110,000mls and it was still running well when I sold it with 155,000mls on the clock.
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Another thought-make sure you use 20w-50 oil-that should cut down the amount used.
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Have a good look down the back of the engine. Leaks there tend to drip on to the hot exhaust and evaporate away, making them less noticable.
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The 1.0,1.1 and 1.3 HCS engines tend to run very hot and this can cause the oil to emulsify. I have found that the HCS engine runs much better on a quality semi-synthetic 15w40 or 10w40.
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PivotalG
Perhaps you should check for blockage (emulsified oil) in the oil filler cap and also in the engine breather pipe from rocker cover to air filter housing and carb. You should be able to blow through all these items easily. Blockage in the breather system equals raised crankcase pressure equals extra oil burning perhaps? Good luck.
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The hotter an engine runs the less likely it is to suffer from emulsified oil(water will evaporate).Certainly you need to check that the filter and orifice in the crankcase vent system are totally clear.HCS cooling systems were fitted with 88.deg.c thermostats(a few had 92deg.c)and this is the temp. they were designed to operate at(certainly higher than some other makers).Low viscosity synthetic/semi synthetic oils were developed to enable modern hi-tech engines to go to extended milage between oil changes-if your engine is consuming large quantities of oil,then use the cheapest 20w-50 you can find.
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changes-if your engine is consuming large quantities of oil,then use the cheapest 20w-50 you can find.
That rings a bell! Years ago, my dad's recovery van was so worn, and used so much oil, that for a while, we used to top it up using the oil we drained out of customer's engines!
Running a motor car burning so much oil would, quite correctly, be frowned upon in these more environmentally aware times.
number_cruncher
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20w50 is very cheap oil and it would be effective to use when the car is using oil. The issue with 20w50 however is that this type of oil is prone to thermal breakdown it will emulsify and will without doubt eventually block up breather pipes etc, especially with the hot running HCS.
I have seen countless HCS engines emulsifying oil and semi synthetic (which is still part multigrade) will stop the issue in its tracks unless there is another issue such as head gasket etc.
The so-called ‘high spec’ oils for modern engines tend to be 5w30 or even 0w40 which is totally unsuitable for the large tolerances inside the old pushrod HCS unit. Some of the higher quality multigrade oils may be ok and operate without emulsifying but make sure that they are at least API SJ rated. In conclusion if it was car and I planned to keep it for a while I would rather use a semi synthetic 15w40.
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