A Cars forum. AutoBanter

If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Go Back   Home » AutoBanter forum » Auto makers » BMW
Site Map Home Register Authors List Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read Web Partners

M52 high oil consumption



 
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old September 5th 07, 10:42 PM posted to alt.autos.bmw
John Burns
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 290
Default M52 high oil consumption

My 95 328i touring is using about a litre of oil every 1000 miles, has
been for the last 12000 miles or more! She's at 137k miles. She starts
and idles perfectly and isn't lacking power, so I don't really suspect
the dreaded sulphur problem. No drips on the driveway either.

I was using 10w40 but went to 15w40 to see if a slightly thicker oil
would help. No difference.

A few months after I bought her I ran an engine flush, I added about 1/2
litre of ATF to the oil and ran her for a few 100 miles like that. It
seemed to become a problem after that. I'm wondering if I could have got
rid of loads of old gunk on a highish mileage engine and done more harm
than good!

Any other ideas? Maybe a faulty crankcase breather or something sucking
it up into the intake (wild guess!)?

Other than the oil consumption she never misses a beat! Even has AC
Schnitzer suspension and an M3 Evo rear anti-roll bar ;-)

--
Who needs a life when you've got Unix? :-)
Email: , John G.Burns B.Eng, Bonny Scotland
Web :
http://www.unixnerd.demon.co.uk - The Ultimate BMW Homepage!
Need Sun or HP Unix kit? http://www.unixnerd.demon.co.uk/unix.html
www.Strathspey.co.uk - Quality Binoculars at a Sensible price
Ads
  #2  
Old September 5th 07, 11:36 PM posted to alt.autos.bmw
JB[_2_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 40
Default M52 high oil consumption


"John Burns" > wrote in message
...
> My 95 328i touring is using about a litre of oil every 1000 miles, has
> been for the last 12000 miles or more! She's at 137k miles. She starts
> and idles perfectly and isn't lacking power, so I don't really suspect
> the dreaded sulphur problem. No drips on the driveway either.
>

Hi John,
The only way to be sure it's not the bores is to get a 'leakdown test' done.
My '99 E36 323i sport touring (M52) has 149k but on the advice on your
website relating to the nikasil issues, before I bought it I checked first
with BMW directly to reassure myself that it''s got an alusil block. Mine
uses no oil at all between services. And I _do_use the revs too :>)
Hope you get it diagnosed soon.
Regards,
JB


  #3  
Old September 7th 07, 02:35 PM posted to alt.autos.bmw
admin[_1_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 232
Default M52 high oil consumption

John Burns wrote:
> My 95 328i touring is using about a litre of oil every 1000 miles, has
> been for the last 12000 miles or more! She's at 137k miles. She starts
> and idles perfectly and isn't lacking power, so I don't really suspect
> the dreaded sulphur problem. No drips on the driveway either.
>
> I was using 10w40 but went to 15w40 to see if a slightly thicker oil
> would help. No difference.
>
> A few months after I bought her I ran an engine flush, I added about 1/2
> litre of ATF to the oil and ran her for a few 100 miles like that. It
> seemed to become a problem after that. I'm wondering if I could have got
> rid of loads of old gunk on a highish mileage engine and done more harm
> than good!


More than likely damaged the bore or the rings.

This technique was good back when men were men and engines had cast iron
rings and oil had no detergents in it. It's a very BAD idea - especially
running it several 100's of miles - on a modern engine.

> Any other ideas? Maybe a faulty crankcase breather or something sucking
> it up into the intake (wild guess!)?


While it could be - the coincidence of this starting when you dosed the
engine makes me think you've screwed the pooch..

> Other than the oil consumption she never misses a beat! Even has AC
> Schnitzer suspension and an M3 Evo rear anti-roll bar ;-)


Well - guess you can always start looking for a nice S52 engine to throw
in it.

  #4  
Old September 7th 07, 07:30 PM posted to alt.autos.bmw
Jeff Strickland
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,481
Default M52 high oil consumption

POINT OF ORDER
If the car is a '95, then it is a 325 M50. If the car is a 328 M52, then it
is a '96.

Do not look at the Production Date to determine Model Year, look at the 10th
digit of the VIN, if an S the car is a '95, if a T the car is a '96. Me
thinks you looked at the Production Date and saw 08 through 12 of 1995 and
assumed the car was a '95 model, but this would really be a '96 model. I
also assume you walked around to the back and read 328 on the trunk lid. The
328 was not used until the '96 model year, and that motor is the M52.

None of this is really germain to the discussion of oil use.


I had an M50 with 225,000 miles on it that did not use as much oil on the
entire oil change interval as you claim to use in 1000 miles. Your motor is
not a "highish mileage" engine. Indeed, you engine churns out a average of
about 11,500 miles per year.

You seem impressed with a station wagon with performance suspension --
rightly so, I might add -- and I have to wonder if you make frequent forays
to the Yellow or Red Line on the tachometer, then sustain that engine speed
or lift off of the gas and slow down -- maybe enter a turn or whatever. This
kind of driving creates high vacuum that can suck oil from lots of places
and burn it in the exhaust. You may or may not see this as black soot on the
back of the car, but it would explain the oil consumption and no leaks on
the ground. The AFT in the oil is something that one would do to to cut the
gunk and build up that causes the valve lifters to tick, but the downside is
that the AFT also affects the rubber seals. Having said that, I said earlier
that your motor is not a high mileage unit, so the AFT should not have done
any real damage -- damage is not the right word, by the way.

I know this sounds boring, but try driving for a month or two with out ever
letting the tach exceed 4000 RPM, and only let it get that high while on the
way to the next gear. DO NOT use engine compression as a brake. See if that
changes the oil consumption rate. If it doesn, then you have to make a
choice between valve seals and driving like an old lady -- or me -- instead
of the spirited driving that you enjoy. .






"John Burns" > wrote in message
...
> My 95 328i touring is using about a litre of oil every 1000 miles, has
> been for the last 12000 miles or more! She's at 137k miles. She starts
> and idles perfectly and isn't lacking power, so I don't really suspect
> the dreaded sulphur problem. No drips on the driveway either.
>
> I was using 10w40 but went to 15w40 to see if a slightly thicker oil
> would help. No difference.
>
> A few months after I bought her I ran an engine flush, I added about 1/2
> litre of ATF to the oil and ran her for a few 100 miles like that. It
> seemed to become a problem after that. I'm wondering if I could have got
> rid of loads of old gunk on a highish mileage engine and done more harm
> than good!
>
> Any other ideas? Maybe a faulty crankcase breather or something sucking
> it up into the intake (wild guess!)?
>
> Other than the oil consumption she never misses a beat! Even has AC
> Schnitzer suspension and an M3 Evo rear anti-roll bar ;-)
>
> --
> Who needs a life when you've got Unix? :-)
> Email: , John G.Burns B.Eng, Bonny Scotland
> Web :
http://www.unixnerd.demon.co.uk - The Ultimate BMW Homepage!
> Need Sun or HP Unix kit? http://www.unixnerd.demon.co.uk/unix.html
> www.Strathspey.co.uk - Quality Binoculars at a Sensible price


  #5  
Old September 7th 07, 07:55 PM posted to alt.autos.bmw
John Burns
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 290
Default M52 high oil consumption

Your sage advice is always welome Mr Strickland :-)

She's one of the first M52s, in fact I was surprised to find you could
get an M52 car with the old style E36 grille! Maybe it's just a UK/euro
thing and the US got the M52 a few months later.

She does about 65% sitting on cruise control in the 70-80mph range and
the rest being "enjoyed" on some very twisty B roads on days when it's
too wet or icy for my precious e30 or e28 to venture out :-)

I agree that 137k isn't that high, two of my other cars are a good bit
higher. But they are M30s and that's a much better built piece of kit
than the M52 in my opinion.


> I had an M50 with 225,000 miles on it that did not use as much oil on the
> entire oil change interval as you claim to use in 1000 miles. Your motor is
> not a "highish mileage" engine. Indeed, you engine churns out a average of
> about 11,500 miles per year.
>
> You seem impressed with a station wagon with performance suspension --
> rightly so, I might add -- and I have to wonder if you make frequent forays
> to the Yellow or Red Line on the tachometer, then sustain that engine speed
> or lift off of the gas and slow down -- maybe enter a turn or whatever. This
> kind of driving creates high vacuum that can suck oil from lots of places
> and burn it in the exhaust. You may or may not see this as black soot on the
> back of the car, but it would explain the oil consumption and no leaks on
> the ground. The AFT in the oil is something that one would do to to cut the
> gunk and build up that causes the valve lifters to tick, but the downside is
> that the AFT also affects the rubber seals. Having said that, I said earlier
> that your motor is not a high mileage unit, so the AFT should not have done
> any real damage -- damage is not the right word, by the way.
>
> I know this sounds boring, but try driving for a month or two with out ever
> letting the tach exceed 4000 RPM, and only let it get that high while on the
> way to the next gear. DO NOT use engine compression as a brake. See if that
> changes the oil consumption rate. If it doesn, then you have to make a
> choice between valve seals and driving like an old lady -- or me -- instead
> of the spirited driving that you enjoy. .


--
Who needs a life when you've got Unix? :-)
Email: , John G.Burns B.Eng, Bonny Scotland
Web :
http://www.unixnerd.demon.co.uk - The Ultimate BMW Homepage!
Need Sun or HP Unix kit? http://www.unixnerd.demon.co.uk/unix.html
www.Strathspey.co.uk - Quality Binoculars at a Sensible price
  #6  
Old September 7th 07, 08:55 PM posted to alt.autos.bmw
frischmoutt
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 112
Default M52 high oil consumption


To add from my experience, I don't wear braking pads but burn oil !
Especially on mountain roads, with the three bimmers I had (318, 316i, and
Z3 coupé 3.0i), no more than 0.25 l / 1000. Very stable whatever the
mileages were
Last time, I asked the dealer to put a thicker oil. Too early for the moment
to judge.

> way to the next gear. DO NOT use engine compression as a brake. See if

that
> changes the oil consumption rate. If it doesn, then you have to make a
> choice between valve seals and driving like an old lady -- or me --

instead
> of the spirited driving that you enjoy. .
>



  #7  
Old September 10th 07, 07:04 PM posted to alt.autos.bmw
Dan Buchan
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 58
Default M52 high oil consumption

"Jeff Strickland" > wrote in message
news:aNgEi.29$bf1.17@trnddc04...
> I know this sounds boring, but try driving for a month or two with out

ever
> letting the tach exceed 4000 RPM, and only let it get that high while on

the
> way to the next gear. DO NOT use engine compression as a brake. See if

that
> changes the oil consumption rate. If it doesn, then you have to make a
> choice between valve seals and driving like an old lady -- or me --

instead
> of the spirited driving that you enjoy. .


My M50 (120-166k miles) used lots of oil and I did rev it and cruise at
sustained high speeds and use engine braking (never heard that one before).
I put a thin synthetic in it once because it was half price; performance
seemed better, tappet noise at startup disappeared, but the oil itself
disappeared at such a rate I had to change back to thicker stuff because I'd
used up all of what I bought. I've got a V8 now and it doesn't seem to use
any that I've noticed.

Dan


  #8  
Old September 10th 07, 07:38 PM posted to alt.autos.bmw
Jeff Strickland
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,481
Default M52 high oil consumption


"John Burns" > wrote in message
...
> Your sage advice is always welome Mr Strickland :-)
>
> She's one of the first M52s, in fact I was surprised to find you could
> get an M52 car with the old style E36 grille! Maybe it's just a UK/euro
> thing and the US got the M52 a few months later.
>


According to my Bentley manual, the M52 is an OBD II motor that was
introduced with the 1996 cars. You are aware that '96 model cars werer built
from about August or September 1995, right? Just because the car was built
in '95 does not mean it is a '95 model. Having said that, they could have
implemented OBD II earlier if they wanted, and they may want to if they
exhausted the supply of M50 motors, but still wanted to build '95 cars; they
would simply substitute the M52 in place of the M50.

The M52 was used in '96 through '99 production of the E36, and probably is
used through the E46 years as well. I'm not sure if it is used on the E90
cars, but I suspect not.




> She does about 65% sitting on cruise control in the 70-80mph range and
> the rest being "enjoyed" on some very twisty B roads on days when it's
> too wet or icy for my precious e30 or e28 to venture out :-)
>
> I agree that 137k isn't that high, two of my other cars are a good bit
> higher. But they are M30s and that's a much better built piece of kit
> than the M52 in my opinion.
>
>
>> I had an M50 with 225,000 miles on it that did not use as much oil on the
>> entire oil change interval as you claim to use in 1000 miles. Your motor
>> is
>> not a "highish mileage" engine. Indeed, you engine churns out a average
>> of
>> about 11,500 miles per year.
>>
>> You seem impressed with a station wagon with performance suspension --
>> rightly so, I might add -- and I have to wonder if you make frequent
>> forays
>> to the Yellow or Red Line on the tachometer, then sustain that engine
>> speed
>> or lift off of the gas and slow down -- maybe enter a turn or whatever.
>> This
>> kind of driving creates high vacuum that can suck oil from lots of places
>> and burn it in the exhaust. You may or may not see this as black soot on
>> the
>> back of the car, but it would explain the oil consumption and no leaks on
>> the ground. The AFT in the oil is something that one would do to to cut
>> the
>> gunk and build up that causes the valve lifters to tick, but the downside
>> is
>> that the AFT also affects the rubber seals. Having said that, I said
>> earlier
>> that your motor is not a high mileage unit, so the AFT should not have
>> done
>> any real damage -- damage is not the right word, by the way.
>>
>> I know this sounds boring, but try driving for a month or two with out
>> ever
>> letting the tach exceed 4000 RPM, and only let it get that high while on
>> the
>> way to the next gear. DO NOT use engine compression as a brake. See if
>> that
>> changes the oil consumption rate. If it doesn, then you have to make a
>> choice between valve seals and driving like an old lady -- or me --
>> instead
>> of the spirited driving that you enjoy. .

>
> --
> Who needs a life when you've got Unix? :-)
> Email: , John G.Burns B.Eng, Bonny Scotland
> Web :
http://www.unixnerd.demon.co.uk - The Ultimate BMW Homepage!
> Need Sun or HP Unix kit? http://www.unixnerd.demon.co.uk/unix.html
> www.Strathspey.co.uk - Quality Binoculars at a Sensible price


  #9  
Old September 12th 07, 08:58 PM posted to alt.autos.bmw
Gino
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 9
Default M52 high oil consumption

The oil consumption spec is 1 litre of oil for 620 miles. Although what you
are saying sounds quite high.

Why would you put ATF in the engine?!?

What are the compression and CLT readings?


"John Burns" > wrote in message
...
> My 95 328i touring is using about a litre of oil every 1000 miles, has
> been for the last 12000 miles or more! She's at 137k miles. She starts
> and idles perfectly and isn't lacking power, so I don't really suspect
> the dreaded sulphur problem. No drips on the driveway either.
>
> I was using 10w40 but went to 15w40 to see if a slightly thicker oil
> would help. No difference.
>
> A few months after I bought her I ran an engine flush, I added about 1/2
> litre of ATF to the oil and ran her for a few 100 miles like that. It
> seemed to become a problem after that. I'm wondering if I could have got
> rid of loads of old gunk on a highish mileage engine and done more harm
> than good!
>
> Any other ideas? Maybe a faulty crankcase breather or something sucking
> it up into the intake (wild guess!)?
>
> Other than the oil consumption she never misses a beat! Even has AC
> Schnitzer suspension and an M3 Evo rear anti-roll bar ;-)
>
> --
> Who needs a life when you've got Unix? :-)
> Email: , John G.Burns B.Eng, Bonny Scotland
> Web :
http://www.unixnerd.demon.co.uk - The Ultimate BMW Homepage!
> Need Sun or HP Unix kit? http://www.unixnerd.demon.co.uk/unix.html
> www.Strathspey.co.uk - Quality Binoculars at a Sensible price


  #10  
Old September 12th 07, 09:26 PM posted to alt.autos.bmw
John Burns
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 290
Default M52 high oil consumption

> The oil consumption spec is 1 litre of oil for 620 miles. Although what you
> are saying sounds quite high.


Wow! That's about double what I'm using, I'm amazed it's so high!

> Why would you put ATF in the engine?!?


It's a very effective cleansing agent. I bought the car incredibly
cheap, only cost me 1200GBP (about $2k) 18 months ago and other than
needing a damn good clean it was rust free and in good condition. But it
had little service history and I wanted to be sure there was no gunk in
the engine.

It was originally bought as a winter beater, but it's amazing how handy
an estate car is once you get one ;-) Maybe I'm getting old........

> What are the compression and CLT readings?


Not done any yet.

--
Who needs a life when you've got Unix? :-)
Email: , John G.Burns B.Eng, Bonny Scotland
Web :
http://www.unixnerd.demon.co.uk - The Ultimate BMW Homepage!
Need Sun or HP Unix kit? http://www.unixnerd.demon.co.uk/unix.html
www.Strathspey.co.uk - Quality Binoculars at a Sensible price
 




Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Fix for high oil consumption - New Spark plug, new valve stem onnumber 5 and seal Mick x Audi 14 July 21st 07 01:15 PM
High fuel consumption with A6 Mark Audi 4 July 7th 05 09:08 AM
Syn Oil Consumption Randall Brink VW air cooled 8 April 16th 05 01:24 PM
High fuel consumption and cracked exhaust manifold? Jason Honda 4 February 18th 05 03:53 AM
High Fuel Consumption since I fixed the heat sensor Jason Honda 4 November 30th 04 01:57 PM


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 10:50 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.6.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004-2024 AutoBanter.
The comments are property of their posters.