Excessive Oil Consumption - Not turbo

[shawnmos]

My car has been burning a ton of oil. The dealer checked the turbo when I had the VVT replaced at the beginning of the year and they said it still looked good. They put 5w30 and it was being burned at a rate of about 1qt per 500miles. I didn't even notice until I was about 3 qts low!

It has always burned oil but I could usually get by without refilling before an oil change at 5000 miles. The only difference is I have been using Rotella T6 5w40 for the past 6 years or so. I refilled with the rotella but it still seems to be burning oil very quickly. I'm not sure the rate but at least 1qt per 750miles.

I never had any smoking from the turbo like a lot of people here do, but I thought maybe it was still the turbo so I got an oil restricter bolt. It did not seem to help with the oil consumption unfortunately.

I have also noticed a lot of hesitation/jerking when I feather the gas, but it drives fine at WOT. I brought it back to the dealer but they couldn't find anything wrong with it. No CELs and my car is stock. I mentioned the oil consumption and the master tech said it was probably the oil rings. I asked about a compression check but he thought it would come back normal if it were the oil rings.

I will probably do a compression check myself anyway but I went ahead and checked the spark plug gap over the weekend to see if that was the cause of my hesitation/jerking issues and the gap seemed ok but the plugs were toast. See attached. I went ahead and replaced them and gapped at 0.032 but it didn't seem to help the hesitation much though it does run better overall.

My question is, does it seem like it is the oil rings? I've also read about it possibly being cracked ringlands. Either way, that is a rebuild. If that's the case, how long can I drive like this (while adding oil) before the engine craps out? Would thicker oil like 15w50 help? I live in Florida so I'm thinking I might get by with thicker oil. The car is my DD.

[danb]

You can try gaping the plugs at .026.. You can let the car idle for 10 to 15 minutes and if it starts smoking while idling for so long then the turbo seals are shot. Have you checked the PVC? I thought if the rings were worn then the compression results would be bad but maybe someone with more knowledge can answer that.
Im not much help but i hope you find the issue. Good luck

[SyntheticAtmosphere]

Originally Posted by danb You can try gaping the plugs at .026.. You can let the car idle for 10 to 15 minutes and if it starts smoking while idling for so long then the turbo seals are shot. Have you checked the PVC? I thought if the rings were worn then the compression results would be bad but maybe someone with more knowledge can answer that. Im not much help but i hope you find the issue. Good luck

You could get decent numbers from a compression test if the top 2 compression rings were ok, even if the bottom oil ring was no good. However, low numbers on compression and leakdown tests could help you decide if the motor is terminal.

Thicker oil probably wont net much, thicker viscosity will possibly disappear slower, but it also changes the lubrication properties of the oil on all the other "still working" parts, ie: bandaid.

Are the pics of the same spark plug? Better or worse than the rest?
I see you have some ash deposits on the electrode and ground strap, but the porcelain appears very white. A little less ash and a light brown colour over the entire business end of the plug is normally prefered.

Based on your post, in 99% of cases if the motor is losing oil and its not ending on the ground, its not good and the life of the engine is a wildcard.

[MSMS3]

A few thoughts:

1. Some will say that one quart per thousand miles is the maximum allowable and if you can get consumption down to that with a high mileage engine live with it as long as possible, if compression is still ok. New Ford V8 Coyote engines, especially those with the highest output, use a quart per thousand from the factory. So does the 2.0T VW/Audi or close to it. We don’t, but you might be able to live with it, but not a quart per 500.

2. Do a static compression test. A good engine will be in the 165 psi or better. Some, even with over 150,000 miles, are in the 185-195 psi range. The service manual says 130 is the minimum. Check with all plugs removed and keep cranking until the gauge stops climbing. If a cylinder is low, go back and do a wet test on it by squirting some fresh engine oil in the cylinder and retesting to see if you get a significantly higher number. Record all those numbers by cylinder and report them here. Wide variation is as important as absolute values.

3. When you remove the intercooler for the compression test, look to see if there is oil in it or the couplers. If the source of the oil is from the turbo, it often gets to the compressor wheel area from the center bearing seals and ends up being pushed out into the intercooler. If it’s leaking from the turbine/exhaust side you get blue smoke at idle.

4. .032” is too wide on the plugs. While you have them out for the compression test, regap to .026-.028.

5. Yes, go back to Rotella T-6. It may take one oil change interval for you start seeing better oil control. Watch your dipstick regularly. I’m worried that it got 3 quarts low. While I doubt any damage was done, that certainly did not help.

6. You have no evidence of a physical oil leak, right? Park the car the same place at night and no oil spot? Any oil on the undertray?

7. Something as simple as a bad PCV valve could explain the oil consumption. You are not getting any blue smoke out of the tailpipe?

[erudus]

We had a very similar issue and were burning oil at about the same rate (or even a bit higher!). No visible signs of oil burning or leaking, no blue smoke out exhaust, no oil in intercooler, etc. We replaced PCV, put in oil restrictor bolt, Rotella 5W-40, even a new K04 to no avail. A mechanic in Denver who knows these engines well said a compression test might not tell you anything but he suspected valve seals or rings, of course. In the end we just rebuilt the engine and had a lot of fun and learned a lot doing it, but I realize that's not for everybody. But like the posts say above, try a new PCV (a relative PITA because you need to remove the IM, or have really tiny hands), maybe an oil restrictor banjo bolt, and see if that improves anything. If those don't work then it's probably engine internals and you need to decide if it is worth it to fix that.

[MSMS3]

Originally Posted by erudus We had a very similar issue and were burning oil at about the same rate (or even a bit higher!). No visible signs of oil burning or leaking, no blue smoke out exhaust, no oil in intercooler, etc. We replaced PCV, put in oil restrictor bolt, Rotella 5W-40, even a new K04 to no avail. A mechanic in Denver who knows these engines well said a compression test might not tell you anything but he suspected valve seals or rings, of course. In the end we just rebuilt the engine and had a lot of fun and learned a lot doing it, but I realize that's not for everybody. But like the posts say above, try a new PCV (a relative PITA because you need to remove the IM, or have really tiny hands), maybe an oil restrictor banjo bolt, and see if that improves anything. If those don't work then it's probably engine internals and you need to decide if it is worth it to fix that.

Yes, replacing the PCV valve is no fun. I had to remove the intake manifold. Later, when I thought it was failing again, I found that I could get to it from below (I have small hands) but it was very difficult to make sure it latched in place securely. You are working blind and have to work totally by feel. It did, but were I do do it again, I’d remove the IM so I could see what I am doing. I’m sure a dealer would do that.

If going to that trouble, you or your dealer or mechanic should clean the intake valves. You’ll be looking right at them. It would be a shame not to.

But, OP should run the diagnostic list I supplied above first. I listed the PCV valve last for a reason.

[shawnmos]

Originally Posted by danb You can try gaping the plugs at .026.. You can let the car idle for 10 to 15 minutes and if it starts smoking while idling for so long then the turbo seals are shot. Have you checked the PVC?

I've never seen smoke at idle. Are you saying narrowing the gap would cause smoke? I haven't changed out the PCV yet because it seems to be a PITA.

Originally Posted by SyntheticAtmosphere Are the pics of the same spark plug? Better or worse than the rest? I see you have some ash deposits on the electrode and ground strap, but the porcelain appears very white. A little less ash and a light brown colour over the entire business end of the plug is normally prefered. Based on your post, in 99% of cases if the motor is losing oil and its not ending on the ground, its not good and the life of the engine is a wildcard.

That was the same plug I took from different angles. I think I still have the others I could take pictures of. But basically they all pretty much looked that bad. Those plugs are only 3 years old.

Originally Posted by MSMS3 3. When you remove the intercooler for the compression test, look to see if there is oil in it or the couplers. If the source of the oil is from the turbo, it often gets to the compressor wheel area from the center bearing seals and ends up being pushed out into the intercooler. If it’s leaking from the turbine/exhaust side you get blue smoke at idle. 4. .032” is too wide on the plugs. While you have them out for the compression test, regap to .026-.028. 5. Yes, go back to Rotella T-6. It may take one oil change interval for you start seeing better oil control. Watch your dipstick regularly. I’m worried that it got 3 quarts low. While I doubt any damage was done, that certainly did not help. 6. You have no evidence of a physical oil leak, right? Park the car the same place at night and no oil spot? Any oil on the undertray? 7. Something as simple as a bad PCV valve could explain the oil consumption. You are not getting any blue smoke out of the tailpipe?

There is a slight amount of oil on the turbo side of the intercooler but not much. Not enough to drip out when I turn it on its side. The dealer's master tech said the amount of oil he saw in the turbo and around the intercooler was within normal limits. He checked for blue smoke as well and didn't see any. I still have both cats so I'm assuming they are covering up any smoke I might have. I've never seen any puddles on the ground but I had him check for oil leaks but he didn't find any. He thought the oil consumption was probably the bottom ring(s) but didn't really want to investigate further because "it is running fine".

For some reason I've always had my plugs gaped at .032. I wonder if that would have caused any problems? I though smaller gaps were for above stock boost. I will try to regap next weekend and do a compression test.

Originally Posted by erudus We had a very similar issue and were burning oil at about the same rate (or even a bit higher!). No visible signs of oil burning or leaking, no blue smoke out exhaust, no oil in intercooler, etc. We replaced PCV, put in oil restrictor bolt, Rotella 5W-40, even a new K04 to no avail. A mechanic in Denver who knows these engines well said a compression test might not tell you anything but he suspected valve seals or rings, of course. In the end we just rebuilt the engine and had a lot of fun and learned a lot doing it, but I realize that's not for everybody. But like the posts say above, try a new PCV (a relative PITA because you need to remove the IM, or have really tiny hands), maybe an oil restrictor banjo bolt, and see if that improves anything. If those don't work then it's probably engine internals and you need to decide if it is worth it to fix that.

How much did you spend on the rebuild? If it comes to it I'm trying to decide if it's worth it. I already spent $1200 replacing the VVT. I only have 95k miles but my car is almost 12 years old now.

BTW, I've already tried the banjo bolt but it didn't seem to make a difference.

[MSMS3]

Mazda revised the plug gap recommendation a number of years ago to .026”-.028”. This has nothing to do with your oil consumption, but you should have them in spec. and your engine will run better. .032” is not that far from .035”, the point in which many get a boost spark blow out misfire under high boost.

I was never able to get more that 15,000-20,000 miles on a set of plugs, but I was running a tune and catless dp/rp.

You really need to have a current compression test.

PITA or not, if you have good compression, chances are it is the PCV valve.

[shawnmos]

Originally Posted by MSMS3 Mazda revised the plug gap recommendation a number of years ago to .026”-.028”. This has nothing to do with your oil consumption, but you should have them in spec. and your engine will run better. .032” is not that far from .035”, the point in which many get a boost spark blow out misfire under high boost. I was never able to get more that 15,000-20,000 miles on a set of plugs, but I was running a tune and catless dp/rp. You really need to have a current compression test. PITA or not, if you have good compression, chances are it is the PCV valve.

I had some time today to regap the plugs and check compression.

I got 165-145-145-175.

Does that seem ok or does it indicate a problem?

[tripppleP]

My car has 80K on original stock motor. I have only recent been learning the car and paying attention. For years when I would bring it in for the 3000-3500 oil change with regular oil I would always be told that there was hardly any oil in the car. I never had a problem and never thought much about it.

Recently learning the car and adding some items I started to pay attention to the oil more. I am now using T6 and checking the oil. The car sounds very much like the OP. No signs of leaking, no smoking and the car seems a kind of jerky when feathering the gas petal. Although I did a few mods to the car including new tune.

I'm going to buy myself a compression test kit and do the same as the OP and keep an eye on this thread. I too have read the PVC may need to be replaced but I really have no clue what that does but have read it a few times when researching.

[MSMS3]

Originally Posted by shawnmos I had some time today to regap the plugs and check compression. I got 165-145-145-175. Does that seem ok or does it indicate a problem?

Not great, but probably ok. I think you should replace the PCV valve. If it’s not releasing crankcase pressure, that pressure is pushing oil out past seals and the oil rings on the pistons.

Can’t guarantee that will fix your consumption issue, but that compression test and your symptoms point in that direction. Inexpensive mostly plastic part, but the intake manifold hides it. I had to remove it to properly get to the valve.

[erudus]

Originally Posted by shawnmos How much did you spend on the rebuild? If it comes to it I'm trying to decide if it's worth it. I already spent $1200 replacing the VVT. I only have 95k miles but my car is almost 12 years old now.

Keep in mind we did all of the labor ourselves but the machine shop work for the full engine overhaul was $1400, not including any assembly (except the head and they assembled the pistons and rods for us). You'll need to add in pistons and rings at a minimum assuming you will need to go oversize, and main/rod bearings also, and then the misc seals and gaskets. Add another $1000-$1500 for that stuff so you'd be at $2500-$3000 in assuming you only replaced what was absolutely needed. Since you just did your VVT you can leave all of that stuff alone at least.

Hope that helps and keep us posted on what you end up doing!

[shawnmos]

Originally Posted by erudus Keep in mind we did all of the labor ourselves but the machine shop work for the full engine overhaul was $1400, not including any assembly (except the head and they assembled the pistons and rods for us). You'll need to add in pistons and rings at a minimum assuming you will need to go oversize, and main/rod bearings also, and then the misc seals and gaskets. Add another $1000-$1500 for that stuff so you'd be at $2500-$3000 in assuming you only replaced what was absolutely needed. Since you just did your VVT you can leave all of that stuff alone at least. Hope that helps and keep us posted on what you end up doing!

That's about what I figured. I would also have to pay for labor because I have a bad back and I just can't wrench on the engine for more than an hour or 2 without being in a ton of pain. Not sure if it's worth it to rebuild but I'll probably try replacing the PCV first. I'm going to attempt it myself however, because dealer quoted me $500.

Originally Posted by MSMS3 Not great, but probably ok. I think you should replace the PCV valve. If it’s not releasing crankcase pressure, that pressure is pushing oil out past seals and the oil rings on the pistons. Can’t guarantee that will fix your consumption issue, but that compression test and your symptoms point in that direction. Inexpensive mostly plastic part, but the intake manifold hides it. I had to remove it to properly get to the valve.

I will try this next. Even if it doesn't completely solve the consumption issue, I think if I can get it to a more reasonable level I will probably be satisfied.

BTW, does anyone know if the PCV valves on Rockauto are any good, or should I just get the part from the dealer?

Also, I remember reading about an updated valve cover. Should I look into getting that as well?

[shawnmos]

Originally Posted by tripppleP Recently learning the car and adding some items I started to pay attention to the oil more. I am now using T6 and checking the oil. The car sounds very much like the OP. No signs of leaking, no smoking and the car seems a kind of jerky when feathering the gas petal. Although I did a few mods to the car including new tune.

Your post reminded me that changing to the plug gap to .028 helped a lot with the jerking, like 75% reduction. I wonder if I was having spark blow out. I may try gapping down to .026 to see if it helps even further.

What's weird though is I always had the larger gap and this problem is new, so I'm wondering if there is something else going on like the o2 sensor becoming fouled because of the excessive oil consumption.

I may try changing that out as well, but I'm not sure I want to try that until I get the oil consumption under control.

Honestly though, if I had nothing to compare it to, I'd probably say the problem was cured just by adjusting the gap.

[MSMS3]

I’d get the OEM PCV valve. It’s not expensive. I’d hate to see you have to do a pretty labor intensive intake manifold R&R twice from trying to save a couple dollars on an aftermarket PCV valve of unknown origin or quality.

[shawnmos]

I just got the OEM PCV valve in the mail. I might attempt it this weekend if the tropical storm passes by sunday. However, if I'm taking the intake manifold off will I need all new gaskets?

[SyntheticAtmosphere]

Originally Posted by shawnmos I just got the OEM PCV valve in the mail. I might attempt it this weekend if the tropical storm passes by sunday. However, if I'm taking the intake manifold off will I need all new gaskets?

If you are careful, the gaskets could be reused. The are stamped tin, not cork or paper style.

Sent from my SM-G930W8 using Tapatalk

[MSMS3]

Originally Posted by SyntheticAtmosphere If you are careful, the gaskets could be reused. The are stamped tin, not cork or paper style. Sent from my SM-G930W8 using Tapatalk

Yes, I just reused it for the PCV change and intake valve cleaning. Just don’t bend it and you should be good.

[shawnmos]

I went ahead and decided to tackle the pcv valve today. I went looking for some guides on how to take off the intake manifold and found a bunch of people replacing the pcv valve from under the car instead. It didn't look too difficult so I decided to just try that.

I was able to get the old one out but man it was a PITA. Some people took off the plate but I couldn't get my ratchet in there to remove the bolts. I ended up not removing anything except the pcv valve and hose attached to it. There was another braided hose that kept getting in the way and I think some people remove it but I didn't want to get oil everywhere. I just used a zip tie to pull out out of the way.

What really helped was that I had needle nose pliers with a 90 degree turn. I would not have been able to get it out without those. I did cause a hairline crack on the retaining ring on one side. Hopefully it will still stay in.

Anyway the pcv valve was definitely shot. I tried blowing on it from both ends and it would not allow air from either end. I'm really hoping this will either solve the problem completely or at least greatly reduce the oil consumption.


So it is definitely possible to remove it from the bottom but whether it's the way to go I'm not sure. It took me about 2 hours total to replace and I busted up my arm pretty bad because of lack of working room. How long does it normally take to remove the intake manifold?

[tripppleP]

Nice job man. I know if I take my intake manifold off Im replacing injector seals, cleaning the valves and replacing the PCV all in one shot.

[Vansquish]

Originally Posted by shawnmos How long does it normally take to remove the intake manifold?

10-15 minutes, once you know what you're looking for.

[michiman]

Originally Posted by shawnmos I went ahead and decided to tackle the pcv valve today. I went looking for some guides on how to take off the intake manifold and found a bunch of people replacing the pcv valve from under the car instead. It didn't look too difficult so I decided to just try that. I was able to get the old one out but man it was a PITA. Some people took off the plate but I couldn't get my ratchet in there to remove the bolts. I ended up not removing anything except the pcv valve and hose attached to it. There was another braided hose that kept getting in the way and I think some people remove it but I didn't want to get oil everywhere. I just used a zip tie to pull out out of the way. What really helped was that I had needle nose pliers with a 90 degree turn. I would not have been able to get it out without those. I did cause a hairline crack on the retaining ring on one side. Hopefully it will still stay in. Anyway the pcv valve was definitely shot. I tried blowing on it from both ends and it would not allow air from either end. I'm really hoping this will either solve the problem completely or at least greatly reduce the oil consumption. So it is definitely possible to remove it from the bottom but whether it's the way to go I'm not sure. It took me about 2 hours total to replace and I busted up my arm pretty bad because of lack of working room. How long does it normally take to remove the intake manifold?

so how is the oil consumption after you replaced your PCV valve?

[blackdonkey]

My excessive oil consumption issues at ~114K miles appears to be remediated by the piston soak solution and MMO. I did this as a last resort (after trying pretty much everything the internet/this thread had suggested) due to varying opinions on the effectiveness and longevity of this solution. I am only a little over 2K miles after I've applied this remedy and not a single drop of oil seems to have been burnt. At its worst, I was burning like 1 Qt every 300-400 miles. It was ridiculous. Only time will tell if this truly was an effective solution or just a band aid. If it is a band aid only for another 20K miles, I'm fine with it.

Anyway, a little more detail on this...


-Compression test was 160-170 on all 4, dry and cold test. I took multiple readings on all 4, that's why I am giving you a range, just to get an idea of condition.Wet test (still cold) resulted increased compression on all 4.

-Leak down test resulted 10-15% loss on all 4. Cyl 1 had the most air (noise) blowing out of the oil filler cap. All others did as well, but not as much. No other air blowing noise observed from exhaust or throttle body.

-The product I used was [ACDelco 10-3015 Top Engine And Fuel Injector Cleaner]

-Basic procedure: fill each cylinder with maybe half a cup of the product above. Rotate the engine manually (and slowly or else... splash) just a few revs to get the fluid moving between the cylinder walls, piston and rings. Let it sit for 24 hours. In my case, the fluid drained down completely on all but the 4th cylinder just after several hours. There was plenty of the ACDelco stuff so I refilled them and repeated. After 24 hours use whatever method you have to suck any fluid left out of the top of the cylinders. Change oil (MUST). I used cheap Walmart oil for this step. I also added I believe about 1/2 the bottle of MMO (1 Qt) to the engine. Button everything up, let the car warm up. At this point, you are supposed to see a lot of smoke out the pipe, in my case I didn't. I don't know why. After warm up, drive the car hard for maybe 10 miles. Rev it up to 5K+ a few/several times (very scientific I know). I continued to drive the car normally for ~300 miles for a few days with the cheap oil + MMO. I checked oil level, it was a tad lower than when I started, but not as much as pre-soak consumption. I changed oil again (Rotella T6) No MMO this time. And I am at 2K+ miles with it, no oil consumption.

-Google this procedure and get better/detailed steps... I just gave you what I remember being important.

-The idea with this remedy is... the rings likely had carbon build up and they were not properly expanding/moving/sliding as they were designed to prevent oil passing through them up to the combustion area. The ACDelco stuff is supposed to loosen/clean this gunk, and hard driving is supposed to also help clear out this buildup that has been loosened by the soak. In theory. At lest that is my understanding of the theory.

-The MMO may have also helped with this cleaning. They do claim that it does.

-I did this as a last resort, I understand that introducing off the shelf magic fluids to this engine is frowned upon.

-This may not be the problem with your engine, maybe the PCV was the issue. But maybe this post will help others with this inevitable symptom.

[55suarod]

I'm on the same boat as OP, but I've already added the DM banjo, replaced the PCV, and run rotella. My car loses 1qt in about 500 miles but there's no smoke, visible oil leak, or anything. I hope my baby makes it another 30k before having to buy/build a new motor

[shawnmos]

Originally Posted by michiman so how is the oil consumption after you replaced your PCV valve?

I'm not sure yet because my oil cooler sprung a leak so I'll have to get that fixed before I can see if it made any difference.

[MazKanata_KC]

@55suarod;, sounds like you might be a gambler. Get compression, and better yet, a leak down test done. If all that didn't fix, a lot of luck is required to get you 30k more miles. And even if it does, you really want to add a qt every few hundred miles until then. I'm no mathmagician, but I think that's 15,000 extra quarts over your "expected" 30k lifespan, assuming consumption doesn't increase. Mine was at a qt every 300 miles and did a rebuild. Luckily, at this juncture, the cylinders were still good.

[mazda62006]

I think your math might be wrong. assuming he can get 300 miles on a quart that would only be about 100 quarts to reach the 30k.

The problem is most likely your oil control rings which are clogged. I did a cheap rebuild on my engine, with it in the car. I now get about 2500 to 3000 miles per quart. not perfect but okay for my needs. You can do this for about $1000 in parts or maybe less depending on the parts you buy. The best way would be to pull the engine and have it rebuilt but if you are on a budget this is an option.

[55suarod]

@MazKanata_KC & @mazda62006 TBH aslong as I make it a couple of months I will be good. Dont want any big expenses for a while because I just got my house. Then it will be time to rebuild.

[MSMS3]

Originally Posted by shawnmos I went ahead and decided to tackle the pcv valve today. I went looking for some guides on how to take off the intake manifold and found a bunch of people replacing the pcv valve from under the car instead. It didn't look too difficult so I decided to just try that. I was able to get the old one out but man it was a PITA. Some people took off the plate but I couldn't get my ratchet in there to remove the bolts. I ended up not removing anything except the pcv valve and hose attached to it. There was another braided hose that kept getting in the way and I think some people remove it but I didn't want to get oil everywhere. I just used a zip tie to pull out out of the way. What really helped was that I had needle nose pliers with a 90 degree turn. I would not have been able to get it out without those. I did cause a hairline crack on the retaining ring on one side. Hopefully it will still stay in. Anyway the pcv valve was definitely shot. I tried blowing on it from both ends and it would not allow air from either end. I'm really hoping this will either solve the problem completely or at least greatly reduce the oil consumption. So it is definitely possible to remove it from the bottom but whether it's the way to go I'm not sure. It took me about 2 hours total to replace and I busted up my arm pretty bad because of lack of working room. How long does it normally take to remove the intake manifold?

Glad you got it out. It is a PTA. Getting the new one in is worse, if you can imagine, as you have to rotate that latch to lock it in place. That was extremely difficult for me working blind in almost zero working space. I don’t know how many frustrated tries I made before it finally latched.

I would recommend removing the IM. That way it’s easy to make sure it is bottomed and latched. You can do an intake valve clean while at it.

[MazKanata_KC]

Originally Posted by mazda62006 I think your math might be wrong. assuming he can get 300 miles on a quart that would only be about 100 quarts to reach the 30k. The problem is most likely your oil control rings which are clogged. I did a cheap rebuild on my engine, with it in the car. I now get about 2500 to 3000 miles per quart. not perfect but okay for my needs. You can do this for about $1000 in parts or maybe less depending on the parts you buy. The best way would be to pull the engine and have it rebuilt but if you are on a budget this is an option.

@mazda62006;
Sorry. Math was waaaaayyyyyyyy wrong. Must have been high or something. Carry on.

[shawnmos]

I just replaced this stupid oil cooler that was gushing oil so I'm hoping I have my oil consumption/leaking under control. I replaced this shitty Ford part with the updated Mazda one. I originally bought it for my wife's Mazda 5 because hers was leaking too. I ended up just replacing the gasket on her car but I figured it wouldn't cut it for the MS3.

Whats strange is it wasn't leaking on my MS3 until I replaced the PCV.