02 oil consumption

[s2000driver]

ok, so I have an '02 S2k that seems to be burning about a quart of oil every 1,000 miles (i'm still trying to measure it exactly, but that seems to be the case on my initial read). it has about 40,000 miles on it after 5 years. no racing or high rev'ing. I've seen postings saying that this is within the manf's guidelines for '00 and '01 models, but has anybody heard about '02? When I called the dealer, they said they wouldn't even look at the car if it was burning only 1 qt of oil per 1,000 miles, because that is acceptable for all year models. Also, I've read that when you reach the "L" on the dipstick, this means you still have 4 qts left (i.e., you've only burned the 1st quart). The dealer seemed to think that when you reach the "L" you only have like 1 or 2 quarts left. Arrrgh. does anybody know the answers to these things? thanks in advance!

[gomarlins3]

It seems that the oil burning is a problem that depends on how the engine was broken in. I have an '02 as well and have never noticed any oil consumption. It does occur in other S's as well, so just keep an eye on it and some oil handy.

[Java Junky]

As for the level on the stick, that can vary. Change your oil (never a bad idea), have it on level ground n' check it carefully to see what it takes to get it to the "L" n' full marks. (Not for nothin', but when we're dealin' with what's basically the "heart" of Stewie, I wouldn't wanna take anybody else's word for it anyway)
Be well.
Java

[cep]

I have a 2002 S2000 with 65K miles. It used to go through about a qt of oil every 1k mile using 10w30 oil. I changed to 20w50 and now it does not use oil in city driving. However, if I get highway driving with 4k+ RPM for an extended time I get the the same 1qt every 1k miles.

[Vezna31]

My car never went through oil and therefore I lagged in staying on top of it. Next thing I know, I heard a ticking noise when I hit 62k miles and I found out I scored the #4 cylinder wall because the oil went low. Hello new engine block. Thank God for extended warranty. Keep your eye on it!

[Scott]

I make a habit of checking it every 2-3 gas fillups. It's well worth the 2-4 minutes it takes to check.

[my87300zxt]

see this is bull**** my car was 3 qt low of oil and noone warned me of this and now i got to rebuild my engine i really hope i spun a bearing or something of the sort. so its cheap to fix cuz i have no money period. and the thing that sux is that i cant go cheap cuz if i chewed up my crank i wouldnt want to send it off to fix it. its 700 for the crank alone genuine honda(im a mechanic thank god for great discounts). i came on here hopeing to see if ppl have removed their engines cuz im stuck im min. away from removing the engine and im held up by not being able to find bolts to go into the block to lift it out for the chains. 3/8 fine is to big and 8 is way to small so i need a 9mm fine or corse. i think its fine tho. so now i got to try to call honda and see if they sell the bolt cuz a rack load of ppl say there is no such thing as a 9mm bolt so this is pissing me off.

[Scott]

I know this is going to sound rude, but you're a mechanic, and you never thought to check your oil before going 3 quarts low?

[my87300zxt]

it was only 1200 miles into the oil change and you figure a car with 45k isnt gonna burn oil. or at least that much that fast. my 94 s10 with 212k doesnt burn a drop. i mean i know it was dumb*** fault for not checking it but why so much in so little time. this car has been nothing but trouble. i cant wait to fix it and sell the damn thing. but its like after i fix it itll be like a new car. brand spanking new tranny cuz the syncros were bad when i bought it and soon a rebuilt motor. what else jeeze. i really wish i could talk to the original owner and asked what the hell he did to it. i have only had the car for 11k miles and all this stuff has happened they must of killed the car taking it up to 9k off the showroom.

[s2000driver]

i heard a ticking noise too at 33,000 miles (changed oil at 30,000) and that's when i first found out my oil was running low. after they filled it up, no more ticking since then, but of course i'm not sure what damage there might have been. i purchased an extended warranty as well, but when i called the warranty company and told them about burning oil, then said if i take it in to the shop i run the risk of the dealer spending $1000's only to find out it's not covered. scare tactics i guess. but even when i called the dealer, they said they wouldn't look at it if it was only burning 1000/qt.

[Scott]

Originally Posted by my87300zxt

it was only 1200 miles into the oil change and you figure a car with 45k isnt gonna burn oil. or at least that much that fast. my 94 s10 with 212k doesnt burn a drop. i mean i know it was dumb*** fault for not checking it but why so much in so little time. this car has been nothing but trouble. i cant wait to fix it and sell the damn thing. but its like after i fix it itll be like a new car. brand spanking new tranny cuz the syncros were bad when i bought it and soon a rebuilt motor. what else jeeze. i really wish i could talk to the original owner and asked what the hell he did to it. i have only had the car for 11k miles and all this stuff has happened they must of killed the car taking it up to 9k off the showroom.

Oh, ok. Now that you explained it a bit more, it makes more sense. Defenitely sounds it's burning a lot more than normal.

[Shikar]

Hi,
I dont have a perly but 01 model is also burning oil, dont know exactly what the consumption is because i just bought the car but id also like some replies as well.

[HELL_ON_WHEELS]

being 3 qts low is alot between oil changes, that sounds like you're losing oil not "burning" oil how are the main seals (the rear one leaks if the car was not taken care of it leaks into the bell housing and then out the litte slit between the the engine and tranny)

Ever check the condition of the drain bolt? and do you replace the washer after you change the oil? (most people will reuse them some have no problems but if the plug was over torqued the washer is no longer any good and you'll start losing oil) I think its .20 cents well spent

[Java Junky]

Yeah. 'Godda go with the herd here. 3 quarts'a oil don't vanish into thin air (gray clouds'a oil-rich smoke ain't 'zackly "thin air") n' certainly not in a very short period'a time without visable signs that're hard to miss.
I'll give ya that there's a certain amount'a leeway involved in everybody's personal idea of oil change schedules, but what's it take to pull the dipstick once in a while? We're talkin' extremely basic maintenance here guys.
N', not for nothin' gang . . if Stewie was drippin' n' leavin' it's lifesblood in every area that'd served as a parkin' spot, I'd like to think that it might get noticed. (But then, whudda I know? I'm the one that has a hard time imaginin' enthusiast/owners not stayin' on top'a basic regular maintenance)
Most current vehicles can be driven for very long periods of time without any owner involvement. But most current vehicles aren't twisted as tight as Stewie.
When you have machinery that's very efficient, it requires a certain amount of attention. Small problems become big problems fast with the tweaked stuff. Ya simply godda stay on top'a it.
Some toys jus' require more owner involvement than others.
Be well.
Java

[s2000driver]

i've been checking for a while now every time my car sits and there's no oil leaks. the guy who changes my oil said he didn't see anything suspicious along those lines either. so if the dealer says 1000/qt is "normal" (although i still don't know if i believe that's true for an '02 - i thought it was just '00 and '01 that the TSB came out on), what should i ask the dealer to test and about how much should i expect to pay? i have that extended warranty too, but there's a deductible and the insurance guys are jerks to deal with.

[Java Junky]

Maybe it's jus' me, but if a quart every thou was "normal" I'd think that the topic might tend to come up kind'a often on a site that was attended by folks who only owned similar vehicles?
Gettin' told that by a dealer's rep would sound to me like you're gettin' the ol' snowjob Driver.
Be well.
Java

[Dr. Jimbo]

My '01 went through a quart in about 2k after my oil change and now it's been 3k since I topped it off, and I'm only 1/2 quart down. I can't figure it out. Time for an oil change! Transitioning from Mobil syn-blend to Mobil 1 fully synthetic.

[Jetbert]

I have read that synthetic oils will tend to burn off more compared to dino oils. It also seems that most car manufactures will not even consider a problem if the consumption is around 1 quart per 1000 miles. I have always used Mobil 1 and some of the cars I have had burned 1 qt every 2000 miles and others have gone over 5000 miles with no oil consumption. I just changes the oil in the 2004 S2000 @ 22,000 miles for the first time since buying it from a dealer with 17,000 miles on it and had no oil consumption. Installed Mobil1 10w30 and will monitor the oil levels.
There are alot of thoughts on this topic, but I believe an engine should go over 1000+ miles with no oil use.

[bobby2002S2K]

I think the problem is pretty much to do with just about all VTEC engines. Everyone i have had pretty much does the samething. Maybe because of the high RPM driven who knows but thats what i think. 7,8 or 9 grand if i was oil i think i would pass the rings and head out the tail pipe.

Mine also burns oil just like my prelude did and my CRX (B18 ). I dont really know how much but i can pretty much figure by the way i drive in the past few days if it will need a half a qt or so.