Help! stinky car! Burning Oil!

[markman34]

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hi there Everyone!

 

My 88 Subaru just returned from a great trip through the mountains.

After doing the struts and an alignment, I grabbed my fishing pole and took the car though the mountains on a test drive and it performed as well as I could have hoped.

After 1000 km I was temped by a series of large mud holes 'down by the river' and was soon buried in muck. I had the car in 4 low and could not believe the traction. I have had trucks that would have been stuck there!

Getting out of the mud I knew I had broken something. The ds front cv shaft had busted at the outboard joint. It was 10 pm, we were in the woods, and I had 400 km to my hotel for the night.

Hoping that the shaft leftovers would stay where they belong and not tear up my car, I hit the road with the back diff hooked up. At highway speed I heard a noise momentarily like the shaft was coming out. ( But, it didn't!

I drove to the hotel and the next day had the car in the shop for a new shaft. 225$ later I was back on the road.

1500 km of steep highway driving, some 4x4 action, painless trip to the shop. These cars amaze me all the time!

 

BUT!!!!!

 

I'm wondering if anyone can help me with a little oil burning issue I'm having.

I have an EA-82 SPFI '88 wagon running 10-30. The engine has good compression (155-165) and runs like a top. On the highway it uses very little oil (like none) and gets great mileage (running at 3500 rpm) but in town I use a quart of oil per tank of gas!

I see a rare puff of smoke out of the exhaust shifting or leaving a light/stopsign but don't see that much oil going anywhere! As well, when I shut the car off it stinks like oil/pcv a bit around the car.

I wonder what is normal blowby to be coming out of the oil filler tube when the cap is off. Mine huffs pretty good I thought for such good compression numbers.

 

I hear of the trouble with subaru pcv systems and wonder about this is what I need to look at or maybe another direction?

 

Thanks for any ideas!

 

 

 

 

 

Ya know replace the PCV valve is a good idea. I do have a question for you though... First this is an EA82? and have you tried going straight uphill (with no turns on a steep grade) to see if it is still smoking? Do you smell oil burning when you get out of the car or notice any smoke from under the hood? Oil dripping on the Y connector can cause that.

 

 

[markman34]

I'm going to do an oil change today. I'm wondering if I should maybe use a heavier oil. I have seen guys here talk about 20w50, is that too heavy?

 

What do you guys recommend? 10w30, 10w40, 20w50? I always used the 10w30 before but this engine is burning some. Maybe I should go a little heavy?

 

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