Have you ever come across a situation where you saw a blue color smoke coming out of the tailpipe? This blue color smoke is generally accompanied by a foul smell and can be an alarming situation. Burning oil is causing this problem due to other reasons besides tailpipe smoke. Let’s dive deeper into the prominent makes the car burning oil quickly and take steps that can fix the issue of car burning oil promptly:
Car Burning Oil Causes
An engine is devised so that oil lubricates every part of the engine except the combustion chamber. A very tiny amount of oil gets in the chamber that goes unnoticed and helps in the smooth working of the engine. Excessive oil combustion by the chamber occurs due to innumerable reasons that have been listed as follows:
Blocked Positive Crankcase Ventilation
As the engine moves, the car crankcase becomes pressurized by the blow received from the pistons. A CVS(Crankcase Ventilation System) recirculates the air/oil vapor pressure into the air track as a one-way valve to eradicate this excess pressure. Unfortunately, present-day vehicles have a large crankcase system that experiences clogging due to oil vapors and blocks the system entirely.
Broken or Worn Out Piston Rings
Piston rings play a dual role; one is to compress the air and fuel the mixture properly to prevent leaks. Second is, the rings eliminate the lubricating oil from the cylinder so that the combustion chamber stays oil-free. These rings undergo wear and tear, leading to gases escaping and forming oil vapors that are pushed into the intake tract via the PCV system. Sometimes the rings undergo wear and tear, thereby leading to carbon accumulation. In the worst-case scenario, the rings break and lead to bigger leaks.
Oil Getting Inside the Turbocharger
These issues only prevail in the case of turbocharger vehicles. Turbochargers have turbine bearings which are generally lubricated using oil. In addition, it has seals that prevent the oil from entering inside the cold or the hot regions of the turbocharger. A worn-out oil seal leads to bearing flow and complete turbo failure.
Damaged Valve Seals or Gasket
Smooth oil flow within the system and inhibiting its entry within the chambers has only been possible due to damaged valve seals or gaskets. As the valve seals wear out, oil starts moving past the seals, and a puff of smoke is generally released by the car on the ignition, and the oil burns off all of a sudden.
Oil Burning Outside the Engine
Car burning oil takes place internally and happens due to external problems as well. In such situations, oil leaks move to the exhaust manifold, turbos, or the car’s exhaust system:
Leaking Valve Cover Gasket
The oil leak and immediate burn are expected to occur at the engine’s upper levels. Sometimes the valve cover gasket is the culprit that seeps oil into the exhaust manifold. It isn’t an actual leak but the vaporized oil in the hot exhaust manifold.
Broken PCV Tract
The PCV system is a critical car component with several pipes and hoses. Leaks in the PCV track would make the oil vapors move towards the exhaust.
How Can the Car Burning Oil Be Fixed?
If you are dealing with a car burning oil issue, ensure that the oil levels are checked every now and then. Apart from this, driving should be prohibited in case of burning oil issues as it would lead to further issues and costly repairs in the future.
If you’re unable to determine the underlying reason for the car burning oil, take the car for a mechanic inspection instead of dealing with it by yourself. Don’t forget to ask about the car burning oil cost to fix before giving your car to the mechanic. If the replacement charges are burning a hole in your pocket, buy the PCV valve from the customer’s trusted store ‘The Auto Parts Shop‘ and pay the labor charges to the mechanic.
The Bottom Line
Don’t take these car burning oil issues lightly and get them checked by a qualified mechanic. Ignoring or leaving these issues as it is could lead to bigger issues and become worse later.