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Engine oil burning/leaking soon after reconditioning
W211 2004 E55
Hi forum, e55 virgin here. Signed up just to get some clarity on this. So I've had a rebuild done by my mechanic 2 months ago with new top end , and a bottom end with 185,000 kms was put in.
Driven about 4000 kms and always had a lot of smoke on start-up and warning lights on dash saying I need to top up oil. I topped up 2L when it had about 6L left.
Car has burnt off about 8 liters of oil within the 4000 kms I have driven it. There's oil leaked near the throttle body, on the transmission and mostly all over the engine bay.
The person who did the job suggested I use a catch can to stop the oil from burning off/leaking from the throttle body area
I want to do a sanity check with people on the forum before I spend any more money as other workshops have told me there's no way this car should be burning that much oil
Before I start spending any more money (around $800 AUD for oil catch can with labour) - can someone please let me know if this is "normal" Is the catch can going to fix this or is there something catastrophically wrong with this engine?
Not normal.....at all !! Something very wrong and a "catch can" would be a total waist of money,for your issue, and the engine needs to be looked at and resealed.
If it was my car I would A- look to see where the oil is leaking from as that is the most logical thing to do right now then go from there.
On a side note if the engine is pushing that much oil to the throttle body you have a huge amount of blow by from the piston rings. Not good.
Smoke on startup means one thing:
oil finds its way into the combustion chamber…
1) oil drips down the exhaust valve via valve stem seals (damaged during installation?!)
or
2) massive blow by caused by worn or damaged rings, bad/worn bore…
3) oil via intake
but oil near TB can be caused by
1) leaking valve covers - but will not smoke during startup
2) bad head gasket - could be possible
3) overfilled or leaking supercharger
4) crankcase vent - blowby …
check for oil in your intake plenums
to rule out SC
check compression / leakdown test to rule out head gasket
start your engine and take off the oil filler cap and place your hand on the opening - does it „suck“ or „blow“ (technical terms 🤣🙈 if it‘s blowing you have blowby
1. as others have said, your shop has really fouled up the job, those symptoms are VERY much not okay
2. you'd better hope it's LEAKING that oil and not burning it
3. if it's burning it, you better PRAY it's the valve stem seals and not the piston rings. If it's the piston rings, your engine is toast and there's no saving it.
start your engine and take off the oil filler cap and place your hand on the opening - does it „suck“ or „blow“ (technical terms 🤣🙈 if it‘s blowing you have blowby
…
Driven about 4000 kms and always had a lot of smoke on start-up and warning lights on dash saying I need to top up oil. I topped up 2L when it had about 6L left.
…
Did you read the 6L from your dash/instrument cluster?
Or did you check with the special tool/dipstick?
Perhaps you overfilled and your excess oil has to find it’s way out???
3. if it's burning it, you better PRAY it's the valve stem seals and not the piston rings. If it's the piston rings, your engine is toast and there's no saving it.
Turned out to be this, the piston rings. Can I just put in a new bottom end? Or would the top end be destroyed too?
It would be cheaper to find a good used engine and swap it out ...somewhere arond 3-$4,000 on Ebay I have seen.
Or do it the right way with reconditioning the block,new rings,bearings that are no longer available,bla bla bla will be in the 4-$5,000.
If you sleeve it $2,500 for pistons, $2,700 for the block. You are going to spend some money for sure no matter what.
Where are you located ?
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if it‘s blowing you have blowby
