My car is burning a lot of oil - do oil additives actually work to fix this issue?
My 2005 Ford (petrol engine) has started burning quite a lot of oil and I can't find an external oil leak. The car has done 100,000 miles and has been serviced regularly. I'm not keen on embarking on expensive diagnostic work or engine rebuilds. I have seen oil leak additives which soften the engine seals, but they have very mixed reviews. Would you recommend giving an oil additive a go or is it a waste of money?
Asked on 31 January 2018 by Pete
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The oil thickening additive could also damage the engine. The engine is probably using oil because the valve stem oils seals have failed. It's either them or the piston rings. A compression test will tell. If it's the valve stem seals they can usually be replaced in situ for about £250.
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