What could cause a decrease in oil consumption?

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MCompact

MCompact

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The car: 2009 Cooper Clubman(N12 engine, no turbo)

I bought the Clubman with 104k miles on it; at that time it was using one quart of oil every 800-900 miles.

At 107k miles I replaced the valve cover as it was thought that a bad PCV valve(integrated into the VC) might be causing the consumption issues.

At 112k the oil was changed, and a non--LL-01 5W-30 synthetic was used(my fault, I neglected to tell the shop to use LL-01). Oil consumption continued to hover around 800-900 miles/quart.

At 116k miles the oil was changed using Mini(BMW) 0W-30. Oil consumption was unchanged until @119k miles- since then oil consumption has dropped to @1500 miles/qt.

There's been no change in driving conditions; I drive it a minimum of 24 miles per day, and it fully warms up during those drives. There are no misfire codes- so it isn't fuel dilution. Fuel economy hovers around 40 mpg.

So, any explanation as to what might have caused the welcome reduction in oil consumption? My guess is the BMW LL-01 oil may have freed-up a stuck oil control ring or two...
 
You might have gotten lucky and freed up the rings a bit. Or the car likes the latest fill of oil, it just took it a while to let you know. See what happens during the summer months, that could change things again.
 
How many miles on the car/oil now?

I've seen these where they are non-linear. I.E. the first quart may not burn off for 2000 miles. The next one in 1500, the next in 1000 and so on.

Until you go through a complete OCI, it's hard to say if the consumption you current experience is going to continue at the same rate.
 
Originally Posted by blufeb95
Was the air filter neglected then changed at some point?


I changed it at the same time I last changed the oil; I wouldn't say it was neglected at all. Thee same can't be said about the cabin filter, however.
 
Originally Posted by javacontour
How many miles on the car/oil now?

I've seen these where they are non-linear. I.E. the first quart may not burn off for 2000 miles. The next one in 1500, the next in 1000 and so on.

Until you go through a complete OCI, it's hard to say if the consumption you current experience is going to continue at the same rate.


121.8k miles on the car, 5.8k miles on the oil. As for oil usage during the current OCI, as I said, it varied from a high of 920 miles to a low of 790 miles for the first four top-ups. The fifth top-up at 121k was 1,494 miles. As noted, the car now has almost 122k on it and only 0.5 quart of oil has been consumed- so if anything oil consumption has decreased even more.
 
I had a lawn mower that I bought used that burned so much oil the yard would be a blue haze. But after running it for a summer of my yard - a half acre that was way too much for that little engine, but ran it at 100% for an hour per cut - it stopped using oil.

I think the last owner didn't change the oil that much and the rings are free.
 
On the Mini - the valve cover does have an integrated PVC, but I thought that was just for the N14 engine. The valve cover is an expensive item, but it is a fairly easy replacement. Mini's are notorious as consumers of oil, and it is the rare engine that does not consume oil like a Saudi yacht. I am surprised you are not using 5w40 oil, as I believe Mini updated its recommendations . Try that and see if your oil consumption drops further.

My son has a 2009 Cooper S (turbo) and it uses a quart every 1000 miles. It is in rough shape now, and he decided to buy a 2020 Honda Accord Sport.
 
With todays technology, no auto should have any oil loss issues, but we don't live in a perfect engineering world,,,imho
 
Originally Posted by rubberchicken
On the Mini - the valve cover does have an integrated PVC, but I thought that was just for the N14 engine. The valve cover is an expensive item, but it is a fairly easy replacement. Mini's are notorious as consumers of oil, and it is the rare engine that does not consume oil like a Saudi yacht. I am surprised you are not using 5w40 oil, as I believe Mini updated its recommendations . Try that and see if your oil consumption drops further.

My son has a 2009 Cooper S (turbo) and it uses a quart every 1000 miles. It is in rough shape now, and he decided to buy a 2020 Honda Accord Sport.


I was coerced out of retirement so my goal is to keep the Clubman as my commuter car to the end of my term(December, 2024). I put approximately 6k miles per year on it so that means I just need to get it to 150k miles. I really like it and it makes the commute a bit more fun. If it was my only car and I had no option but FWD I'd get a Veloster N with the Performance Package.
 
Originally Posted by MCompact
Originally Posted by javacontour
How many miles on the car/oil now?

I've seen these where they are non-linear. I.E. the first quart may not burn off for 2000 miles. The next one in 1500, the next in 1000 and so on.

Until you go through a complete OCI, it's hard to say if the consumption you current experience is going to continue at the same rate.


121.8k miles on the car, 5.8k miles on the oil. As for oil usage during the current OCI, as I said, it varied from a high of 920 miles to a low of 790 miles for the first four top-ups. The fifth top-up at 121k was 1,494 miles. As noted, the car now has almost 122k on it and only 0.5 quart of oil has been consumed- so if anything oil consumption has decreased even more.

You did four top-offs using a total of a half-quart of oil? That's only four ounces average per top-off...... why?
 
Do you ever let it go to the low line on the dipstick?

Originally Posted by Triple_Se7en
Originally Posted by MCompact


121.8k miles on the car, 5.8k miles on the oil. As for oil usage during the current OCI, as I said, it varied from a high of 920 miles to a low of 790 miles for the first four top-ups. The fifth top-up at 121k was 1,494 miles. As noted, the car now has almost 122k on it and only 0.5 quart of oil has been consumed- so if anything oil consumption has decreased even more.

You did four top-offs using a total of a half-quart of oil? That's only four ounces average per top-off...... why?
 
Sorry, I didn't make myself clear; I only top up the oil when it is one quart low(the "Add" mark on he dipstick). It's been a bit over 800 miles since the last top-up, and the oil level is exactly half way between the "Full" and "Add" marks on the dipstick- meaning only 0.5 quarts have been consumed over those 800 or so miles.
 
Gotcha' MCompact. That makes much more sense.

When I do my first-ever oil change on new vehicles, I always stop at one quart less oil, than what the owners manual requires. Right there, it becomes perfectly clear where the oil dipstick mark is - at one quart low. Then I add the additional one quart a half-hour after the oil change and the initial quart-short reading. This method makes it easier to determine when it's a quart or half-quart low, which is the level I will add top-off oil at.

I like to keep the dipstick mark at the full-mark. Just too old-school about things like that. I never put in an extra half-quart either, if the owners manual did call for hypothetical 4.5 quarts. If the oil producers wanted us to do extra oil, they wouldn't list the various different ounces level-mark on the quart jug of oil. If they thought all vehicles would be safe getting an extra quart, they wouldn't even put a clear, long visible window-mark on quart jugs, to see the contents remaining.

Us the amount the owners manual calls for. No more and stay alert if it's less.
 
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If oil consumption has been less , I would continue doing what you are doing .

Back when I was a Pup , 1 quart in 1000 miles was not considered that bad . Of course , the engines did not last as long as they do now .
 
My 141k mile Club Sport uses a quart or so every 2,500 miles, and it has done so since new. It's never bothered me.
 
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