Seafoam - A solution to oil consumption?

[markiii]

yes it has

mine really didn;t like the factory spec oil even from new

movied to 15W50 and its been fine ever since, cars now 9 years old and too my knowledge is still running fine

[d1bram]

Just to be clear Markiii, was your car using oil before changing to 15w50?

Selling the hardtop may be a good option, do you know how easy are the centre clamp posts to remove?

I'll leave the leather though, as don't really want to go about sourcing replacements.

All said however, I'm going to go have a look at a couple of MX-5's this weekend, if the right car comes up I'd just change and cut my losses as is.

[Wabbitkilla]

Actually Markiii's car was turboed a lot of that time, so boost pressure would exarcebate any leak-down.
So if he wasn't using any oil with that stuff, then it sounds like a reaonable course to take.

Mind it does sound like you've fallen out with the car so i can undestand you wanting to move on.

[sam1176uk]

If your car is using so much oil could you not just add some 15w 50 to it rather than carry out a full oil change?  Don't know but if it's using so much then it may be worth a shot.

[Mad Matt]

Personally I'd try the oil, even if I was still going to sell it on. I've tried telling garages about problems with low value trade ins in the past and found it to be a pointless exercise. Now I leave it up to them to check the car if they want to, unless they ask about any problems, but they never have!

I've had (or we've had in the family) the MR2 Mk3, MX5 (can't remember which ones) and a Fiat Barchetta.

Both the Fiat and the MR2 have been daily commutes, both short and long distance and never let me down. The MX5 had some problems but not too bad.

My MR2 is a facelift, so if you go for an MR2 again I'd go for one of those as they don't seem to get the oval bore problem in general. The MX5 was slightly more practical (it's got a boot) but quite different to the MR2 until the MX5 had its suspension uprated. After that it was a little closer in feeling.

The Fiat was a lot of fun and different again. It's also got a better boot than the MX5 we had.

I sat in an MG-TF but didn't feel comfortable with the driving position and of course I'd need to make sure the head gasket had been properly sorted.

A mate's doing up a SMART roadster at the moment, it sounds like fun but they don't appear to last well.

Just thought I'd throw in a bit of personal experience of small two seaters, I'm sure everyone's got an opinion and I certainly don't expect everyone to agree but I was just hoping it would either confirm your thinking or give you knew ideas!

[michaelasaunders]

Hi all.

Mine is a smoker too.

I have been using 5w 30 and getting about 200 miles per litre.

I switched to 10W 40 420 miles ago , (Tesco own brand for £18 for 4 litres!, a bit of a cheapskate I know, but I was fed up buying expensive oils and then spraying them over the road!)

I just checked the dipstick.

One side of the dipstick is still on full and the other side says half full.

So, depending on which side is right it is either exactly the same usage or problem solved.

Not very helpful, I know. I am going to try another reading after I drive home from work and let the car stand for 15 mins.

[d1bram]

Actually Markiii's car was turboed a lot of that time, so boost pressure would exarcebate any leak-down.
So if he wasn't using any oil with that stuff, then it sounds like a reaonable course to take.

Mind it does sound like you've fallen out with the car so i can undestand you wanting to move on.

Not fell out with it, but I have set my heart on something newer.

As said, I bought the MR2 as a third car, now I don't have a company car I fancy spending a little more and getting something a little newer.  Plus the MX-5 sport has heated seats so that's a bonus   s:) s:)  

Thanks for the run down there Matt, tbh I love the look of the barchetta, but they're LHD only aren't they?

MGF I wouldn't fancy and the smart is just a little too left field for me.

Be interested to hear back from Markiii over whether or not his car was previously using oil.

[Mad Matt]

Yeah you're right the Barchetta is LHD only, although there are a few good conversions in the UK. They also stopped production in 2004, I think.

The MX5 started well but has had its ups and downs (relatively speaking) but I quite like the latest incarnation. A friends got an H reg 1.6 turbo (semi factory fitted) which is a nice car but perhaps a little old for you!

[sam1176uk]

Someone may correct me but i think the lower reading is usually correct sorry.

Hi all.

Mine is a smoker too.

I have been using 5w 30 and getting about 200 miles per litre.

I switched to 10W 40 420 miles ago , (Tesco own brand for £18 for 4 litres!, a bit of a cheapskate I know, but I was fed up buying expensive oils and then spraying them over the road!)

I just checked the dipstick.

One side of the dipstick is still on full and the other side says half full.

So, depending on which side is right it is either exactly the same usage or problem solved.

Not very helpful, I know. I am going to try another reading after I drive home from work and let the car stand for 15 mins.

[Anonymous]

I switched to 10W 40 420 miles ago , (Tesco own brand for £18 for 4 litres!, a bit of a cheapskate I know, but I was fed up buying expensive oils and then spraying them over the road!)

And it dosent concern you that you are dumping oil all over public highways?

[K T M Rider]

Has that been known to reduce oil consumption?

Not sure, but changing to 15w50 has been known to NOT reduce oil consumption, as I have mentioned previously on this forum - including in my first few posts in this thread!!

To recap my experience with my 97000 mile W reg (bought in Feb) was:

1) Used it just for 10 - 20 mile trips for about 800 miles, sometimes quite hard, but often more sympathetically untill I could be arsed to fish out the bleedim pre-cats and change the very black oil that came with the car. During this 800 miles the car seemed to use about 1 litre, though I wasn't checking as rigourously, so may have been more.

2) Remove pre-cats, change oil to Mobil 5w30 and then drive it hard and long distance like the ex Honda Fireblade rider I am   s:twisted: :twisted: s:twisted:   - result 500 miles per litre.

3) change oil to Mobil 1 15w50 & continue to drive it as Mr. Toyota intended = no change in oil consumption. My only consolation is that now on 101k and oil consumption has not got any worse.  

So personally I wouldn't bother with the oil change.

A question - does it blow any smoke out at high rpm?

With 5w30 mine would smoke very noticeably when revving to about 6000rpm (when checking a nicely hot engine in a deserted lay-by) but when I switched to 15w50 this stopped. So based on my experience, if you want to give the mythical auction buyer of your car a fighting chance put some THIN oil in it. Other than that it's the old adage buyer beware. Anyone cosidering the purchase of an ageing sports car such as yours should have the good sense to read up about them thoroughly first (like I didn't) - it's what this forum is for surely.  Personally I don't regret a moment of my own 'lemon' purchase but then it did cost me under 2k and is not my daily driver.

If you do go over to the darkside and get an MX5, don't be a stranger on the forum - let us all know what you think of it etc.

Personally I blame Toyota for making something that is almost uniquely irresistable but has a deep, fundamental and hidden flaw.

kinda like Angelina Jolie with HIV.

To the poster who is on 200 miles a litre -   s:shock: :shock: s:shock:    s:shock: :shock: s:shock:    s:shock: :shock: s:shock:    s:shock: :shock: s:shock:    s:shock: :shock: s:shock:  You have my sympathy.

[K T M Rider]

I switched to 10W 40 420 miles ago , (Tesco own brand for £18 for 4 litres!, a bit of a cheapskate I know, but I was fed up buying expensive oils and then spraying them over the road!)

And it dosent concern you that you are dumping oil all over public highways?

Hmmm - I missed that bit

[michaelasaunders]

I switched to 10W 40 420 miles ago , (Tesco own brand for £18 for 4 litres!, a bit of a cheapskate I know, but I was fed up buying expensive oils and then spraying them over the road!)

And it dosent concern you that you are dumping oil all over public highways?

Ok, dont take it literally, spraying was a bad description, its burning.

In any case, If things have not improved I will try out the 15W 50 for my own piece of mind.

However, I do use my car for commuting every day, and I dont have any other issues other then oil refills. So I am not considering a new car or engine swap.

[K T M Rider]

was very interested to find this (was actually pricing up a warranty for my other car)

 m http://www.reliabilityindex.com/buying-guides/view/967 m

specifically:

Checklist   
Make sure there's enough luggage space for your needs; there isn't much.
Ensure you're happy with the driving position, which is low.
Damaged rear window means a whole new hood - which is costly.
On pre-2001 cars, the pre-cat in the exhaust manifold can break up, damaging the engine; revised manifolds are available.
If the car is an import, ensure it has a category 1 security system; many cars don't.
Oil consumption can be high once the car has covered 40,000 miles; a litre every 600 miles isn't exceptional.
Most examples are cherished, but not all. So check for evidence of poor crash repairs and cheap resprays.

The only place outside of this forum where I have found any reference to oil use (or pre-cats I think). So the info is out there (as well as on here) and therefore I reckon you could sell your car even privately with a fairly clear conscience whether you disclosed the issue or not.

[d1bram]

Thanks for all the replies, some interesting input and opinions.

I too have seen that report before, and it does echo what is stated in the manual... anything upto 1l/600miles is normal.  Therefore I agree I can sell the car conscience clear.

To reiterate, it does run perfect, is pre cat free, and needing the oil topped up is it's only vice.

I have just decided I fancy a change.

Rang up about a car at lunchtime, and funnily enough it is at a Toyota dealer, so they can lob a new short block in if they so desire lol

[Mad Matt]

While on the subject of oil usage. There was a fairly new Mini Cooper S that was in the family until recently. It went through oil at an alarming rate (around 1l per 500 miles IIRC) but BMW, as Toyota, said that was normal. It was still under warranty so they put something in the oil to trace where it was going and took the head off and replaced a few bits but it never really improved, hence it being traded in.

How "this is normal" and we're taking it apart tally is beyond me but there you go.

It was a nice car to drive so a shame to see it go. Didn't have the problem with it's predecessor which was the older supercharged version.

Probably doesn't help you but I can say it was bought from new and cost more than for and a half grand!

I'll say this for the MX5, it's better looking than the MR2...... in my opinion  :-) :-) :-)

[michaelasaunders]

Hi all.

Not very helpful, I know. I am going to try another reading after I drive home from work and let the car stand for 15 mins.

Just to finish what I said I was going to do.

I had a more thorough check on my oil level and I am at 5/8th full at 430 miles.

So, for me there has been a small improvement.

Mike

[normanh]

I think we have lost the plot here the topic was Seafoam!!!!!!   Mods??



norman

[K T M Rider]

I think we have lost the plot here the topic was Seafoam!!!!!!   Mods??



norman

no it wasn't.

the topic was:

 Seafoam - A solution to oil consumption?

Which surely makes oil consumption just as much the subject under discussion as Seafoam.

A check back through the vast majority of posts shows that oil consumption is indeed being discussed at length   s:) s:)

[spit]

I see no reason to impose moderation here unless we're going to descend into semantics.

Those participating are clearly benefiting from the discussion.

[sam1176uk]

Hi all.

Not very helpful, I know. I am going to try another reading after I drive home from work and let the car stand for 15 mins.

Just to finish what I said I was going to do.

I had a more thorough check on my oil level and I am at 5/8th full at 430 miles.

So, for me there has been a small improvement.

Mike

How is the car running/sounding on the cheaper oil?

[michaelasaunders]

Sorry about the delay in getting back to you, I just did a 400 mile trip to Wetherby in the '2' to buy a hard top from Madlil (Andrew).

In regards to your question, I have not noticed any significant changes yet, however its only been in there a short time.

Regardless, I am switching to Castrol Magnatec 10w 40 on my next change as Tesco are selling it for the same price as the cheap stuff.

Any more info to share on this, I will post in the 'what oil are you using' forum.

Mike

[K T M Rider]

you might want to do a search on this forum for 'maganatec' before sticking some in your engine - it is not very highly regarded   s:lol: :lol: s:lol:  

Personally I have used magnatec for 60k in a VAG 1.9TDI and for 30k in a BMW motorcycle with no issues, but that's german engineering for you.

According to your posts you seem to have gone from 200 miles a litre to more than 800 miles a litre just by changing to 10/40???

[K T M Rider]

you might want to do a search on this forum for 'maganatec'

on the other hand spelling it properly first might help.

[michaelasaunders]

you might want to do a search on this forum for 'maganatec' before sticking some in your engine - it is not very highly regarded   s:lol: :lol: s:lol:  

Personally I have used magnatec for 60k in a VAG 1.9TDI and for 30k in a BMW motorcycle with no issues, but that's german engineering for you.

According to your posts you seem to have gone from 200 miles a litre to more than 800 miles a litre just by changing to 10/40???

From a full tank of oil with 4 litres at 0 miles to 5/8th full at 430 miles = 268.75 miles per litre if I have done my maths right?