3pt1lumina Posted January 31, 2007 Report Posted January 31, 2007 97 Lumina 3100 129k on it... it's losing oil and I have no idea why. It's not on the ground and it's not burning is (as far as I can tell anyways)... I drove behind the car watching for smoke and I saw nothing. However, when I pulled the car inside to wash it, I am pretty sure I smelled oil burning on the engine...the valve cover gaskets seem like they were dry... so what else should I be checking? Thanks all Quote
Nick1234 Posted January 31, 2007 Report Posted January 31, 2007 lower intake manifold gaskets. dis o-ring. Quote
3pt1lumina Posted January 31, 2007 Author Report Posted January 31, 2007 One thing I forgot to mention... the lower intake gaskets are leaking externally...or were leaking... I put some Bar's Leak in just until my girlfriend gets her tax money (about 3 weeks from now, the Bar's Leak has been in for about 2 weeks so far). Since I put the Bars Leak in, it stopped losing coolant...and I have continuously checked the oil twice a week. But the hood was frozen shut for about the last 6 days...so it's been about 10 days or so since I checked... So it's lost this amount of oil in about 10 days. Dis-O ring would make sense.. I never thought of that. How do the lower intake gaskets cause a loss of oil? Just curious... I have had many fail but it's only been a loss of coolant. Quote
rockfangd Posted January 31, 2007 Report Posted January 31, 2007 its a weird situation but my 94 cutty 3100 loses about a quart every 2 months [attachment deleted by admin] Removed to free up storage space. Quote
ToroToro Posted January 31, 2007 Report Posted January 31, 2007 It's not really typical to lose oil due to intake gaskets, but it happens. I was losing a lot before I did mine. How much oil are we talking here anyway? I wouldn't be real concerned unless it's going fast. ( like a quart per 1k miles or something like that ) Quote
3pt1lumina Posted January 31, 2007 Author Report Posted January 31, 2007 Okay... IIRC I checked the oil last about 2 weeks ago on a Saturday morning. It was right at the full line (as I always make sure it is). Today is the first time I have checked it since and I had to put in about 3/4 of a quart... so that's maybe ~1,000miles worth of driving give or take. We haven't had the car long, only about 5k since November. It appears as if it was halfway decently taken care of in the past. I have done 2 oil changes on it from November til now. This is definitely the first time it has ever gone down. Quote
19Cutlass94 Posted January 31, 2007 Report Posted January 31, 2007 Ever since I did all the gaskets on my car, Ive NEVER lost a drop of oil. If you havent done the gaskets before and you know that they are leaking, first off change those. LIM and plenum gasket. Ive lost oil through the plenum gaskets before. the dis o-ring. new PCV valve new valve cover gaskets. The LIM gasket looses oil, because some of the oil thats in that area mixes with the coolant, and thats why youll get that milky shit in your overflow/resivoir (sp?) and radiator. Quote
94CutlassXtreme Posted January 31, 2007 Report Posted January 31, 2007 My 3100 in the Cutlass use to use 2 quarts of oil between oil changes, till I switched to an oil with less additives. Oils like Castrol and Quaker state have additives to prevent sludge, etc... and in some cases, those additives can evaporate which is why my oil was dropping. After I switched to regular mobil oil and then to Exxon, the Cutlass starting using less than a quarter of a quart between oil changes and all this was about 10000 miles prior to the intake gaskets taking a shit. Quote
FordBoy Posted January 31, 2007 Report Posted January 31, 2007 The coolent leaks into the motor the oil leaks into the rad. i would do a LIM ASAP onmine it got to the point of adding a 1/2 a quart a day! i did the LIM and i havent lost a drop. its a long job but its got to get done. Took me 2days with one friend (my first time doing this his on a gm) Quote
3pt1lumina Posted January 31, 2007 Author Report Posted January 31, 2007 That would explain the really funky colored anti-freeze... Quote
FordBoy Posted January 31, 2007 Report Posted January 31, 2007 Its kinda think and the oil is milky/carmelly Right? Quote
3pt1lumina Posted January 31, 2007 Author Report Posted January 31, 2007 Sort of, I'll take some pics of the oil and the anti-freeze when I get home if it's still light enough out. Quote
FordBoy Posted January 31, 2007 Report Posted January 31, 2007 Im pretty sure that it is the LIM so get the felpro gaskets mine were about $40. Just amke sure you have a weekend or more to do it/more people Quote
ToroToro Posted January 31, 2007 Report Posted January 31, 2007 Bars leak will make the coolant brown too. Quote
3pt1lumina Posted January 31, 2007 Author Report Posted January 31, 2007 The coolant was a funny brown color before I put the Bars leak in there. Quote
FordBoy Posted February 1, 2007 Report Posted February 1, 2007 It was brown before you put the bars leak in it then the LIM has been gone for a while. If posible i would stop driving till LIM is done you dont want to fry the motor Quote
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