eating oil? 2.2

[spanwah]

whats the most common cause for these engines? 2.2 ? eating oil
been putting a lot of oil in about 1/2 ltr in every 300 mile only slight leak on engine front crank seal, changed ccv valve(fun job) because there looked like oil deposits on the rear of the car from exhausts no real smokey issues on running but every so often get a plume of smoke on startup like its valve seals? actually failed emissions on mot
not really investigated further yet! next would be plug removal for oily plugs?
runs sweet enough but every so often slightly rough on tickover on initial start up? 88,000 mile ,

one thing to add only do short journeys really never a good long run?

[Mike Fishwick]

Are you using the dipstick to check the oil level, or just trusting the oil evel sensor, and bunging in half a litre whenever the warning light operates?

If you are using a 0-30 oil, give it a change to 5-40, whic will probably help a lot.

Anyway, your engine is probably badly cocked up, and a decent long run at motorway speeds would do it no end of good - lots of short slow runs are the worst thing you can do to an engine. Give it a few hundred miles of such use, sometimes cruising in fourth gear after it is hot, and then see how your oil consumption works out.

[maurice the martian]

I changed to 10-40. In me Z4 as mine used oil even at 48000.mls on 81000 now an no probs....touch wood.lol
M

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[Mike Fishwick]

It may be worth using a flushing oil to loosen up the deposits inside the engine, as the piston rings may be sticking, and unable to seal the bores effectively.

[spanwah]

Are you using the dipstick to check the oil level, or just trusting the oil evel sensor, and bunging in half a litre whenever the warning light operates?

If you are using a 0-30 oil, give it a change to 5-40, whic will probably help a lot.

Anyway, your engine is probably badly cocked up, and a decent long run at motorway speeds would do it no end of good - lots of short slow runs are the worst thing you can do to an engine. Give it a few hundred miles of such use, sometimes cruising in fourth gear after it is hot, and then see how your oil consumption works out.

when the oil warning light comes on I check dipstick and usually reading on the low mark which would make sense to me? so I top it up!

thanks for the advice will try it! normally take the other car on distance trips as kids and wife come cant fit in zed

[spanwah]

It may be worth using a flushing oil to loosen up the deposits inside the engine, as the piston rings may be sticking, and unable to seal the bores effectively.

could be a good solution aswell!

[spanwah]

I changed to 10-40. In me Z4 as mine used oil even at 48000.mls on 81000 now an no probs....touch wood.lol
M

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk

always used 10-40 fully synthetic?

[spanwah]

kiss of death! smoke when idling and start up then geos away then hard on the accelerator / let off then smoke everywhere yet it doesn't do it all the time? fecking weird? took daughter to swimming lessons started up light blue/white smoke everywhere revved it bellowed out ? drove home no smoke rev it at lights no smoke? aaaaargh
bit of **** on something it should'nt be on? done 20,000 mile since last oil change maybe it is overfilled(not according to dipstick) seem to top it up every 2 weeks? maybe a good cleaner and fresh oil??? fecking annoyed now

valve stem seals???do additives work???

[Del]

Forte do a "conditioner" specifically to re-expand valve seals - you can buy it via Ebay. I've spoken to mechanics about it and used it in my son's old car. It does work to a certain extent and some results have been surprising. As long as the seals are at the stage where they have just hardened and shrunk back a bit - if they have started to break up it won't do any good.

This generation of BMW is not known for this problem and your mileage is relatively low. This generation of BMW engine can even take a certain amount of "servicing abuse" without causing any harm

[gookah]

did you take the spark plugs out and have a look,?
there should be no oil on them, if there is then its possibly valve stem seals, or worse, piston rings.

[Mike Fishwick]

If you are only using the car for short trips, and having oil changes at 20,000 mile intervals you are treating your engine very badly - no matter what the SI lights say, you are neglecting things as much as you can - hopefully - get away with.

Your engine is probably full of sludge, the piston rings gummed up, and oil circulation restricted. Frankly, I would hate to buy a car which has been treated like yours.

Flush the engine out, and change the oil at 6000 mile intervals, and do a decent run every week - perhaps it is not too late.

[spanwah]

If you are only using the car for short trips, and having oil changes at 20,000 mile intervals you are treating your engine very badly - no matter what the SI lights say, you are neglecting things as much as you can - hopefully - get away with.

Your engine is probably full of sludge, the piston rings gummed up, and oil circulation restricted. Frankly, I would hate to buy a car which has been treated like yours.

Flush the engine out, and change the oil at 6000 mile intervals, and do a decent run every week - perhaps it is not too late.

well this morning mate nothing? problem is the 2 mile school run doesn't help a lot of short journeys! the 20,000 mile thing is probably not that but defo not at 6000 mile but will take your advice and do this today! any engine flush recommended?? and oil?

[spanwah]

Forte do a "conditioner" specifically to re-expand valve seals - you can buy it via Ebay. I've spoken to mechanics about it and used it in my son's old car. It does work to a certain extent and some results have been surprising. As long as the seals are at the stage where they have just hardened and shrunk back a bit - if they have started to break up it won't do any good.

This generation of BMW is not known for this problem and your mileage is relatively low. This generation of BMW engine can even take a certain amount of "servicing abuse" without causing any harm

yeah ive heard good things I think i'll get some engine flush then an oil change first! hopefully that may cure things ! yeash bmw's can take some abuse that's all ive ever had but its no excuse really!!

[spanwah]

did you take the spark plugs out and have a look,?
there should be no oil on them, if there is then its possibly valve stem seals, or worse, piston rings.

not done it yet mate but maybe a service today!!!! hopefully not to late praying things are gummed up:dunce:
just read engine flushes are not a good idea?? what do I do now

[Cooper01]

Hi I recommend:

Take Zed for a spin to heat up the oil, remove the oil filter and replace also replace the two small O rings on the shaft, remove oil plug and let it all drain out. Replace the drain plug washer with a copper one being careful not to over-tighten. Replace oil with 5w40 full synthetic oil - I think it takes about 6 litres. Run and let it warm then settle and retest level. Top up but not quite to the max level. Check level as required.

[Mike Fishwick]

I have had good experience of using a high-detergent mineral oil as a flush - VW Quantum 4-40 (made by Esso last time I checked) which is quite cheap and very effective. On an old and neglected BMW motorccyle it cleaned all the brown deposits out of the rocker covers in about 2000 miles, and on a Golf GTI with a badly sticking hydraulic tappet it also worked well. Unlike flushing oils, you can drive the car on this oil.

[spanwah]

I have had good experience of using a high-detergent mineral oil as a flush - VW Quantum 4-40 (made by Esso last time I checked) which is quite cheap and very effective. On an old and neglected BMW motorccyle it cleaned all the brown deposits out of the rocker covers in about 2000 miles, and on a Golf GTI with a badly sticking hydraulic tappet it also worked well. Unlike flushing oils, you can drive the car on this oil.

maybe worth a go mike, just been out again only a small puff of smoke on startup then nothing revved it ! drove it nothing!!! I think it defo needs some type of cleaner (the oil I used was long life oil on my last service and that's why I didn't change it at 6000 mile because I did question myself why I hadn't done it )
maybe using this oil with detergent could be the way ahead for the next change is it ok for the zed?

[Mike Fishwick]

Your lack of smoke is probably a sign of the piston rings freeing up.

Quantum 5-40 should be fine to use as a flushing oil, so long as you forget about the SI lights! I used it in my 150 bhp Golf GTI, whihc ran to 7500 during sprint events etc, and with chages at 5000 mile intervals it was fine.

Longlife oils are reallly aimed at people who swap their new car every couple of years, and so not want to have it serviced more than once a year. They are not a good idea with older cars, or in the long term. Just to make me shudder, how many years did you go between changes?

[andy18n]

When I first got my Z3 (which had done <1000 miles per year for a number of years) which had done a lot of shorter journeys, I got the occasional puff of smoke on start up, even though it had oil changes very regularly (<2000 miles between changes!).
I found after a few longer runs and some motorway / higher revving driving it went completely.

For your emissions, someone on here recently had their engine treated by Terraclean, and it reduced emissions considerably. I suspect a good couple of longer runs after an oil change will sort a lot of the issues out.

Good luck.

[BladeRunner919]

If you're concerned, I'd suggest a compression test or a leak-down test. It won't cost much to do (the compression test is an easy diy) and will at least give you peace of mind over the condition of the engine.

[spanwah]

just a quick one when I changed the ccv I didn't clean the pipes near the dipstick apparently(double tubed?) on a search this is a common problem with beamers and can easily be blocked??? is this true??? just praying its nothing serious and don't have the time at the moment to take a real good look will get there in the end!!
drove today didn't see much smoke a small short puff on startup and alot only once on overrun?? but its inconsistent???? I think i'll give it an oil change and a good run!!!!! before avoiding the inevitable compression test!