Re: Oil consumption....... (archive)

I drove an older Bimmer (1980-320i) with the 1.8L, and I droe it quite hard with close to 4000rpm all the time. It used (not burned) a quart of oil every 1000 miles or so, and I accepted it as normal. I only have 2500 miles on Z3, and I can't comment on it yet. But I do believe if you drive it hard, it may use some oil.

You may want to determine whether it is burning or using oil? I suggest you go to a straight road, ideally goes up hill (small incline only) a little and then down hill. Take you car to the top of the hill with high rpm (say 4000+). when it reaches the peak and start going down hill, let go of the gas, keep an eye on your rear mirror to see if there is any blue smoke comes out of the tail pipe. Try it a few times to confirm that (with the car fully warm up). If you have blue smoke, most likely is the valve guide. But its not the end of the world as my 320i has been doing that for at least 10 years. I also carry a quart of the same oil in the trunk, and may be more more long trip. Its as good as new. If you want to be really sure, check the compression. If its low, ask a shop to do a "leak-down" test.

I am no expert and no mechanic, but I learned this from my long time mechanic buddy. My $0.02 opinion. Good luck.

Follow Ups:

[ Follow Ups ] [ Z3 Message Board ] [ Msg. Board FAQ ]

Questions, comments, or problems, please visit the Roadfly help desk.