Excessive oil consumption '00

I have a 2000 Windstar that I bought second-hand when our 03 was wrecked in the summertime. I only noticed yesterday that it has lost about 1.5-2 quarts of oil since I changed it in September. I also see that the coolant tank is stained brown, and that there's an oily sheen on the coolant in the tank. I don't think that the coolant is getting in the oil, though, based on the consistency and color of the oil on the dipstick. Could this be the intake manifold gasket leak that I've read about? I plan to do another change and send a sample to Blackstone to assess what's wrong before breaking out any wrenches (or outlaying any big bucks for stuff I can't handle).

Oh, and the driveway is dry. There was some oil blowback on the filter when I changed it, but there was no sheen of oil on the undercarriage. I tightened the filter to almost 3/4 turn to make sure it was sealed well.

Replaced PCV valve with a MotorCraft PCV.

Replaced PCV valve with a MotorCraft PCV.

Would that account for almost 2 quarts of oil in 3 months?

It's a Start!

Is your MAF sensor, Air filter, and intake contaminated with oil from a bad PCV system?

Would that account for almost 2 quarts of oil in 3 months?

Dekeman,

Interesting that you bring this up. I currently have the same problem (as does my brother on his 2003). I replied to a post within the last three days regarding this same problem. (see http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=1058543 )

I have changed my PCV valve (as did my brother), and experienced no improvement. I do not believe that a PCV valve would cause this dramatic of an oil loss, OEM or not. I believe that the problem is bad valve stem seals. The seals are rubber and they are fit around the valve stems. They keep oil from leaking down your valve stems and into the engine. I removed my plugs and found very heavy deposits on the spark plugs. I suspect thats what you'll find too.

I am planning on replacing mine to see if that fixes the problem, but I haven't ordered them yet. The other poster is going to order the parts and replace the seals. Hopefully he gets some relief. My van has 160,000 miles on it and it just started consuming oil, fairly abruptly.

The task of replacing them is fairly straight forward. You'll need to either buy or borrow a valve spring compressor tool. You just have to ensure you don't drop any of the keepers or the valves themselves into the cylinder. I'm going to order my seals this week and hopefully have time to put them in before I go out of town in a few weeks. :)

Mark

One more thing, you might want to flush/refill your antifreeze with fresh green stuff to see if it gets tainted brown quickly again. That would certainly indicate a leak. My Windstar has similar brown expansion tank though (as does my brothers).

Yes, lower intake manifold gasket leak can cause the oil to go in the antifreeze. Sometime it's the opposite, depending which portion of the gasket is damaged. Sometime the oil also leak past the left or right lower intake manifold and drip on respectively left or right engine head. You can inspect the heads with a flash light. For the right side, it's better to go under the van. It's much easier to inspect the right side when it's lifted in a garage.
Inspect also front and rear side of the lower manifold, there's also small side gaskets there.

About a bad PCV valve, this one can cause the oil to be sucked at intake but cause also noticeable engine performance issues and oil deposit on the plugs.

Head gaskets can also cause that, but usually cause huge lack of power and unstable idle. And whistle sound also.

send a sample of your oil to blackstone labs. That'll give you a good indication as to what' up.

Contaminated coolant in the coolant reservoir tank, will smell like fuel or oil.

Send a sample of your oil to blackstone labs. That'll give you a good indication as to what' up.

That was my plan, but I am having trouble getting the small tube down the dipstick. The tube is the smallest one that came with my fluid pump, and is designed to go down the oil dipstick, but it hits what appears to be bottom, then the pump only pumps air. I sized it to my dipstick, and it is not reaching where it needs to in the oil sump. Any suggestions? If I can't get it to work, I'll just have to go under the vehicle and do a complete oil change to get a sample. Was trying to avoid that for time's sake (as in I have no time).

That was my plan, but I am having trouble getting the small tube down the dipstick. The tube is the smallest one that came with my fluid pump, and is designed to go down the oil dipstick, but it hits what appears to be bottom, then the pump only pumps air. I sized it to my dipstick, and it is not reaching where it needs to in the oil sump. Any suggestions? If I can't get it to work, I'll just have to go under the vehicle and do a complete oil change to get a sample. Was trying to avoid that for time's sake (as in I have no time).

I'm not sure what kind of fluid pump you are using, but you could open your oil fill cap on the valve cover and extract oil out of there while the engine is running. Just be careful because there are moving valves in there while you are doing it. You should be fine though. I'm not sure how much oil they need for a sample, but a syringe for medicine would probably be long enough to reach the bottom of the valve cover. Just a couple of ideas for you.

Mark

P.S. Did you ever purchase the valve stem seals?

I have the Harbor Freight hand-operated fluid pump that some forum members recommended. It works well down the transmission dipstick tube with the larger rubber tube, but the small oil tube is getting stopped somehow. I need to change the oil anyway, so I'll get the sample then.

I have not purchased the valve stem seals yet. I have, however, checked the filter, MAF and air snorkel for oil (clean and dry) and pulled a spark plug (normal wear, slightly powdery and a small burn mark on the insulator, so pretty normal). I have yet to suck out the coolant tank and check the fluid, but I suspect that that is where my oil is going, which likely means the intake manifold gasket (crap). Am I on the correct path here? The PCV still rattles, and the intake is clean, so I'm thinking it's OK. I'll still replace the PCV and install a catch can, though I don't see this as the problem.

I also have a code. P1409, which means:
EGR vacuum regulator circuit fault
ECM commands EGR vacuum regulator on-System
voltage too high or low
Probable cause:
1- Failed EGR vacuum regulator
2- Open or shorted circuit condition

I don't think the EGR could cause this. Could it?

Just remembered that I have the silver colored aluminum DPFE. I wonder if that's the issue or the actual EGR valve.

*EDIT* I made a mistake, the DPFE or any other EGR components are not the culprit.
Since the the test of the EGR regulator is performed AFTER the EGR system test is complete and successful.
So the problem is really related to regulator or wiring.

Just test resistance of regulator (30-70 ohm) and voltage at connector when ON (12V).

Just uploaded a pic of the plug that I removed to check. Check it out here: http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2709547180101767595JwrzeS and let me know how it looks to you. There's some ashy deposits on the spark end, and a small burn mark on the insulator. Not sure when these were last changed.

Yes, there's oil deposit and ash deposit caused by oil burning. It could be caused by lower intake gasket damage. Since there's a lot of oil that flow near these gasket. It's an internal gasket leak. Oil can leak to outside and/or inside depending of which portion of gasket is damaged. And can leak to antifreeze as well.

I also recommend you to use synthetic oil in your next oil change, it's better for the engine.

Yes, there's oil deposit and ash deposit caused by oil burning. It could be caused by lower intake gasket damage. Since there's a lot of oil that flow near these gasket. It's an internal gasket leak. Oil can leak to outside and/or inside depending of which portion of gasket is damaged. And can leak to antifreeze as well.

I also recommend you to use synthetic oil in your next oil change, it's better for the engine.

I've taken a couple of pics from under the vehicle while it was on ramps. The top of the photo is the driver's side of the vehicle (I was under it with my head toward the left of the van). They show oil leakage out of what I suspect to be the lower intake gasket. Please take a look and tell me what you think.

I've typically used the Motorcraft 5W-20, an excellent synthetic blend. I switched to 5W-30 a year ago on my previous '03 to cure the clanging and rattling in the valve train, and it worked well so I've stuck with it on this '00 van (which was the OEM recommendation before they changed their minds to 5W-20). I've used High Mileage oil recently, Pennzoil before and Valvoline Max Life on this change. Also took a sample to send to Blackstone Labs. We'll see what they say.

This picture shows a leak from the EGR valve (I think?)

http://davepear.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/800-oil-leak-004.jpg


This pic shows the source of the leak down the pipe at the top (EGR?). Also shows
leakage onto the block.

http://davepear.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/800-oil-leak-005.jpg


This last one is a little darker but the contrast gives you a better idea of what's soaked with oil from inside the engine.

http://davepear.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/800-oil-leak-007.jpg

Let me know what you think.

*EDIT* I made a mistake, the DPFE or any other EGR components are not the culprit.
Since the the test of the EGR regulator is performed AFTER the EGR system test is complete and successful.
So the problem is really related to regulator or wiring.

Just test resistance of regulator (30-70 ohm) and voltage at connector when ON (12V).

Thanks Serge. I'm gonna have to figure out how to do these tests. I still think it's that old style DPFE. That'd be too easy though. ;)

EGR valve is bolted just on the left of the lower intake manifold.
If there's a leak from the small left side gasket seal, oil will wet the valve. Oil doesn't leak from the valve, there's no oil in EGR valve tube.
We see also oil in engine block, just below the head. It definitively seems to come from the same source.
I'm surprise too see that much quantity of oil. Both lower manifold gasket and lower manifold gasket side seal seem to be damaged. We don't see the side gasket in your pics (close to EGR), but it looks to be problem.

so is it possible that the oil consumption is the lower intake gaskets....???the oil fouled plugs..and oil in coolant tank all intake gasket problems...am anxious to know....schadd1971

so is it possible that the oil consumption is the lower intake gaskets....???the oil fouled plugs..and oil in coolant tank all intake gasket problems...am anxious to know....schadd1971

-Yes, oil fouled plugs can be caused by intake or head gasket. It can also be caused by bad oil piston rings, valve stem guide or seal, worn cylinder wall or piston (will cause noise), plugged PCV valve.

Does your engine is smoking from tail pipe? Do you have the oil pressure light? It's making any abnormal sound (hope not).

Well, first be sure to not confound oil fouled plugs and carbon fouled plugs.

-Also check for an oil leak on the engine. If your engine is wet by oil like in the pics of Dekeman, you could also have problems with intake gaskets and seal, head gasket or if it's upper, with the valve cover gaskets.

If you have also oil in the coolant tank, yes it could be the intake gasket, head gasket, or sometime the timing cover gasket.
Don't confuse dirty collant and oiled coolant.

So the common causes of your symptoms are head or intake gaskets.

finally nailed the oil consumption problem...LOWER INTAKE GASKETS... this was puzzling ,,but as I removed the bolts they had coolant/oil around them...looked like a slime and I suspect it was sucking oil from the cam/push rod area...now no oil usage and cleaner oil....also put a oil catch can to clean up the pcv oil slop mess in the intake to reduce carbon build up on the pistons....purrs like a kitten and gas mileage went back up......finally..

update.....oil usage has been zero after several weeks of driving after replacing lower intake manifold....

I had the same problem. My 2000 was fine and had a very slight leak. Changed oil then went on a 1000 mile trip. Got back home and the whole bottom of the van was wet with oil. Lower intake gaskets let loose and lost 1.5 quarts. Changed all the intake gaskets and it is bone dry. You could see where it was leaking onto the transmission housing and also leaking by the water pump. There was oil everywhere. These were replaced under warranty around 55K miles by the dealer. I now have 176K on it. Another symptom I had was some occasional rough idling and spitting and sputtering. If it leaks oil it is also leaking air and the van was not getting the fuel mixture right. It runs better now than it ever has.