My beater has been burning about a quart of engine oil per tank of gas for more than a year. Long story how it got that way. Short version - overheated bad very low coolant. New head gaskets, etc. Burned oil ever since.

 

For about the last week or so, during a long uphill pull on the highway, I start getting mild pinging and smoke. Sometimes at the end of the exit ramp, I leave a smoke screen when I take off!

 

Cleaned the PCV valve. seemed to fix it, but the 2nd or 3rd trip, smoke is back.

 

After a few days of this, I notice the oil consumption has stopped.

 

Weird.

 

I get suspicious of the vacuum modulator on the 3AT - I have had them fail before, smoke, etc.. Look in the vacuum line, no ATF. Hmm. Check the ATF - a little low, add some.

 

Last trip, 2nd gear starts acting funny. Check ATF again, lower still. No leaks. Look in the vacuum line again, still no trace of ATF. Check the differential. Gear lube, no ATF, a little low, so the ATF isn't going there... Get out my mighty vac pump. Hook up to modulator. Can't even get a vacuum! (A good one only take about 2 pumps.)

 

Had to add about 2 quarts of ATF to get back to normal level.

 

So far, no oil consumption. Weird. I'll see what happens Thursday or Friday.

have you talked of r-e-p-l-a-c-e-m-e-n-t in front of the car?

 

Maybe the car is afraid of being replaced, so running better

 

 

 

Oil consumption after over heating is a ring isssue . Maybe the rings finally ground themselves down into the grooves in the cylinder walls so the consumption has stopped.

 

 

nipper

losing ATF but not leaking? be sure to check the coolant. the ATF gets pumped through the radiator, and if the ATF cooler breaks, the transmission starts pumping ATF into the radiator...NOT pretty.

~Erik~

and if the ATF cooler breaks, the transmission starts pumping ATF into the radiator...

 

I may have forgot to mention that. Coolant looks good, no weird level changes, contamination, etc..

 

The ATF was going through the *very* bad modulator. I was befuddled by not seeing the evidence - ATF in the vacuum line.