2000 v70 oil consumption

Post by **famfeld** » 02 Apr 2015, 18:57

I have 210K miles on my car and I was consuming around 1 quart of oil every 1,000 to 1,500 miles. Local mechanics, friends etc. say that is fine and not to worry. I was using conventional walmart 10w-30 like I usually use in all my cars. I was recommended to use a 10w-40 "high mileage" synthetic blend oil. I am trying it out to see if it helps. Does this make sense?

Thanks,

-Feld

Post by **oragex** » 02 Apr 2015, 21:15

One of the reasons of oil consumption on these cars is a clogged PCV breather box, especially at such high miles

Post by **vtl** » 03 Apr 2015, 06:33

Clogged PCV, leaking cam/crankshaft seals, worn valve guides, stuck piston rings, leaking turbo if the car has it.

Start with PCV replacement, real easy for N/A engine. While intake manifold is off, look closely at intake valves for oil traces - head job is required if you see any oil on valves. Remove t-belt upper and side covers and check for greasy areas around shafts.

Stuck piston rings can be checked by measuring compression in cylinders. If it's way low in one or more cylinders you may try to fix by pouring Seafoam or other reputable engine chemistry into cylinders and leaving it there overnight.

Our 2002 V70 (assembled in November 2001) with N/A engine and 140k miles consumes about 1/4 of the dipstick in about 6k miles. That's about 2 oz per 1000 miles. Runs on synthetic 5w40.

Post by **famfeld** » 03 Apr 2015, 06:54

Thanks everyone! This really helpful. I am pretty sure it hasn't been replaced in several years. I recently started leaking oil from the oil cooler off the back of the oil pan and now I'm thinking higher oil pressure could have caused this. This happened before switching to thicker oil. Is there any advice on which manufacturer for the replacement part?

-Feld

Post by **vtl** » 03 Apr 2015, 08:31

Volvo OE for the PCV. Does your car have turbo? PCV for NA is way cheaper.

Post by **abscate** » 03 Apr 2015, 09:07

famfeld wrote:Thanks everyone! This really helpful. I am pretty sure it hasn't been replaced in several years. I recently started leaking oil from the oil cooler off the back of the oil pan and now I'm thinking higher oil pressure could have caused this. This happened before switching to thicker oil. Is there any advice on which manufacturer for the replacement part?

-Feld

That oil cooler leak is probably just an Oring replacement rather than cooler. Clean thoroughly and see if you can tell where engine oil is coming from before replacing.

Post by **famfeld** » 03 Apr 2015, 12:40

I put a nitrile glove over the oil filler to see if it had positive or negative pressure. The glove did not inflate at idle once the engine was warm. Also there is no smoke or vapors coming out of the dipstick tube. Do these indicators mean the PCV is probably ok? It was just at idle, not revved at all.

Thanks

Post by **vtl** » 03 Apr 2015, 12:44

Turbo or natural aspiration engine?

Post by **famfeld** » 03 Apr 2015, 12:54

Post by **vtl** » 03 Apr 2015, 13:11

PCV is probably fine then. Wouldn't hurt replacing it though, real cheap. And an opportunity to check intake valves.

I'd check compression in cylinders next. If it's low, 5w40 will help, but piston rings treatment would be next thing I'd do.