Smoking squirrels

Hi all,

I have a 1994 XJ, 2.5L, AX-5 4x4. It has just shy of 160,000 miles on the clock.

It runs smooth, puts out typical 4 cyl power, and gets about 17-18 mpg (That is if my calculations are correct. 20 gallon tank, right?)

The problem, if more than a minor inconvenience, is that oil consumption is a bit high for my tastes. It burns about a pint a week, sometimes more, sometimes less. I can also smell some oil through the exhaust.

Is that normal in this old of a powerplant, or is there something I can do to cut back?

Thanks,
M. Kardon

Have you pulled the plugs to see what they look like? If all show even brown/black sootiness, then likely all cylinders are burning oil, and is the result of high mileage and worn engine components.

That level of consumption is typical of worn valve guides, which would require a cylinder head rebuild.

However, if one plug is much worse than the others, you may have a broken or stuck piston ring for that cylinder. This could be fixed just with a cylinder hone and new rings