Car burning oil - Polo

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Tue 2 Mar 2004 07:52
Car burning oil - Polo - stuartjw
Can anyone tell me if it is normal for a car to burn oil. I have a polo - H reg and if you put your foot down (Not high revs - Just Foot down - there is a burning oil smell in the cabin). The car is using oil at probably about a litre per 1 -2000 miles.
My dad said that older cars do burn a bit of oil and the VW book says that you should keep an eye on the oil level as an engine can use a litre per 1000km. Is this true? Should I be worried about it - I bought the car to run between manchester and middlesbrough so it is a workhorse and I only paid £500 for it. The engine does run very smoothly other than that and another intermittent problem which I wrote about.

Cheers for any help.

Stuart
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Tue 2 Mar 2004 10:50
Car burning oil - Polo - NARU
To get a burning oil smell in the cabin suggests that it isn't being burnt by the engine, but rather leaking out in the engine bay and entering through the air vents?

Do you get any oil stains where you park it? If not, I wouldn't worry too much! Just keep it topped up.
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Tue 2 Mar 2004 11:03
Car burning oil - Polo - Mapmaker
Mark II Polo? Have a look at the air filter, is it bunged up with oil?

If so read this

bangernomics.tripod.com/oilypolo.htm

You'll probably find that your Polo is oozing oil at every seam, and that it is dropping onto the exhaust manifold somewhere. It then burns off gently and makes a horrid smokey smell in the cab. VW dealer quoted me £95 for replacing the breather; I never followed it up, but that's pretty cheap for what I understand is a big job.
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Tue 2 Mar 2004 17:40
Car burning oil - Polo - Peter D
Assumming no significant leak and no marks under the car then I would suspact either an exhaust leak up front or it is drafting back in at the rear of the car. H Plate, Your valve stem oil seals have the flexibility of class by know so are probably reponsible for your oil consumption but to smell it in the car is not good, some of the other gases given off no not smell but do not do you any good at all. Last one fixed was the speedy cable grommet split and a down pipe exhaust fracture, thus fumes in the cockpit. Regards Peter
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Fri 5 Mar 2004 13:21
Car burning oil - Polo - Big John
It will probably be the oil breather rubber pipe, these rot through every few years (oil on rubber contanimation).

If not then the oil breather in the back of the engine needs replacing, it circular in shape - needs prising out - hard to get at.
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