What is normal oil consumption for this car?

1997 Prelude
Stock
manual transmission
82000 miles

Eats 2 quarts per 1800 miles. The dealership claimed 'All Honda's use that much oil'. What tests can we do to verify that is burning oil and not leaking it. There are no stains on the ground where the car is parked.

Thanks!

 

I don't know the answer to your question but 2 quarts per 1800 miles is ridiculous. No where does it say that you should have to add 3-4 quarts of oil between oil changes. The dealer is full of shit.

 

That dealer is lying to you badly. 1 quart per oil change is acceptable - anything more and I would get highly suspicious. Do a compression test, and a leakdown test, and see if the results are kosher. If not - pass.

 

My 2000 Prelude with about 75K miles uses no oil between changes. I don't drive it like a litle old lady either!

 

Geez you guys are lucky. Most lude owners I talk to go through at least some oil. Anyway, I read somewhere and heard from a honda tech that Honda deemed it "acceptable" for the 5th gen lude to burn 1 quart of oil every thousand miles. It isn't normal, just acceptable.

My 98 SH w/ 78k goes through a little less than 1qt/1k miles and I have to put in about 2 quarts between changes. Sucks but what are you gonna do. I also heard that because of the way the engine is set up, the oil burns off immediately from the cylinder walls. Maybe honda recognized the problem and changed it from 98 to 99. I know there was a service bulletin released by honda. I also heard of someone spending the money to change there rings and it didn't fix the problem. I wouldn't bother getting it fixed, a couple bucks a year for oil is a lot better than a couple grand for new rings.

 

All Honda dealers are full of shit. They have to lie. Do you really think that they're going to replace everyone's rings to remedy this?

Mine buns a QT. every thousand--esentially the same as the poster, but it has never increased and my plugs always look fine.

Deal with it.

Keep in mind BMWs first VTEC, the current M3 absolutely SUCKS down the petro---and thats with the required $9 per QT. synthetic you must use.

 

bmw does not have VTEC...only honda. variable valve timing is the generic term.

oh yea, and that guy with the mustang with the 80hp blue coolant or somethin.

 

read your owners manual and it will state that every time the vtec is activated that the car will burn oil.

 

Since VTEC physically changes the way the engine breathes, low to moderate oil burn off is expected. If it doesn't burn a drop, great. But the engine is no worse off if it burns some. Now, if you have plumes of smoke billowing out, I'd say you've got a problem. Honda may have refined the oil consumption on newer models, but any time you alter the engine's internal fuel and air flow, the change can definitely affect the path of the oil.

 

As a side note to all of you.

1) Every car manufacturer I know of states the oil consumption of 1000 miles per wuart is acceptable. I've seen many threads like this one in reading other manufacturers car enthusiast sites.

2) I have never had any car that I have owned since new to burn any oil. I also do better than most people as far as fuel consumption is concerned.

For my 'Lude, no oil burning and I get between 29 and 33 mpg in normal driving. Now, I VTECH, I rev up to redline and I VERY seldom shift under 3500 rpm between gear changes.

3) I DO drive VERY conservatively and carefully during the breakin period. For the 'Lude that was 1500 miles of shifts NO higher than 3500 rpm, 55 to 60 mph on the interstate, no driving at one constant speed for any length of time.

It WAS hard to do and rather annoying with the Prelude as the enginge produces very little torque or power in the low rpm ranges. I know I annoyed many people as the climbed on my bumper because I would drive no faster the 60 mph on the interstate.

Maybe careful breakin is important to long term health of the engine.