Oil consumption. Burning oil. Oil light turns up on idle.

Since I bought my car I noticed that it consumes a lot of oil. The last owner used 10/30w semi synthetic oil. When I have the oil changed the seller told me to use 15/40w oil to strip the oil consumption. I get an oil change about every 6 months. Recently when I drive the car for 15 minutes, when I stop at a red light at idle, the oil light turns up, and immediately turns off when I press the gas pedal. This happens when I'm in D drive, R drive. I checked the PCV valve, it was so sludged, so I cleaned it with carbon cleaner. Nothing happened and the problem was still the same. I haven'
Experienced mechanics share their insights in answering this question :
Hi there, thanks for writing in. The valve stem seals are the most common cause of this on your engine. When they fail, it requires that the cylinder heads be removed and rebuilt to fix it. The piston rings can also cause this but they are not as common. Unfortunately there is not anything, not even heavier oil that will fix this. You will need to have the heads rebuilt.

How to Identify and Fix Common car Problems ?

Our sources include academic articles, blog posts, and personal essays from experienced mechanics :

If the oil light flickers on and off while the vehicle is stopped or at an idle, there may be a problem with the oil sensor or the pressure is too low. At the very least, the engine should have 5 PSI when not moving. If the PSI is less than 5, this will trigger the oil light and cause it to flicker off and on.
The oil light on your dashboard doesn`t always mean your oil is low, leaking, or dirty. Instead, it might mean that your oil pressure sensor or your oil pump needs to be replaced.
Will a bad oil pump cause a rough idle? – Quora. The oil pump is not the problem. All the oil pump does is pump oil. The only condition that would cause a rough idle is not enough oil.
Because the oil filter is clogged, it slows down the oil circulating through the engine. This reduction in oil pressure will cause the engine control unit to turn on the oil light.
You shouldn`t drive with a failing oil pump for too long or you will risk damaging the crankshaft and the camshaft bearings. Additionally, driving with a bad oil pump implies a lack of lubrication which could damage the car`s hydraulic lifters.
An oil pressure sensor is a device used to measure the oil pressure on an engine. Oil pressure sensor is actually a term that covers at least two different and distinct types of sensor – an oil pressure switch and and oil pressure sender.
The oil detection sensor works by measuring the level of light. An LED inside the device shines light onto a photoelectric cell. When oil touches the sensing probe it deflects some of the light, activating the unit.
A faulty oil pressure sensor or oil pressure switch can falsely signal a low oil pressure condition, causing the oil pressure warning light to turn on.
Over time, if the oil filter is not replaced, it collects all the dirt in the engine oil and gets clogged, rendering it less effective. It is thus recommended to change your oil filter every time you change your engine oil, in order to ensure the health of your engine.
How Does An Oil Pressure Sensor Work? The primary function of your oil pressure sensor is to monitor your engine`s oil pressure and transmit this information to the cluster gauge on the instrument panel. Most modern cars come with an electronic control module, which the oil pressure directly communicates to.
Potential Causes for Burning Oil

Rather than remove combustion gases, oil ends up getting sucked into the engine through the air intake. In most cases, resolving this issue simply requires replacing the PCV valve.

Lucas High Mileage Oil Stabilizer helps to control blow-by, dry starts and oil burning – maximizing efficiency, reducing harmful emissions and extending oil life. Lucas High Mileage Oil Stabilizer can also be used as an IDEAL ASSEMBLY LUBE.
There could be two possible reasons as to why your vehicle is burning oil. (1) It may have an oil leak or (2) it could be burning oil during the ignition cycle. One common problem is if the cylinder walls are allowing oil to leak up from the bottom of the engine, past the piston and into the combustion chamber.
Too much oil can create resistance against moving parts like pistons and connecting rods. Too much resistance will result in catastrophic engine failure, often beyond what can be repaired, and the engine needs to be replaced.
With the P0522 code, a low oil pressure issue like a low oil pressure condition will trigger the code. Faulty oil pressure sensors or damaged oil pumps can also cause any of these codes to be set.
With most cars, it`s recommended that drivers check their oil when the engine is cold. However, some automakers recommend checking when the engine is warm for certain vehicles. To determine for sure which one applies to your car, check your Owner`s Manual.
The presence of oil and its distribution is absolutely crucial to an engines continued operation. Engines can work without oil, but the effect is so damaging they are only capable of running for less than 30 minutes until failing – and in most cases, it`s a lot quicker than that.
When you have low oil volume or low oil pressure, you`ll commonly hear a “clattering noise” coming from the engine`s valves. This can come not only from not enough oil, but from the oil getting too old and starting to break down or foam.
Oil, Lubricating

Lubricating oils are composed of 80–90% petroleum hydrocarbon distillate with 10–20% additives to impart specific properties to the oil. The petroleum hydrocarbon distillate generally consists of paraffinic or naphthenic compounds, whose properties are listed in Table 1.

The unit of measurement is either PSI or Bar. The ideal oil pressure varies depending on the car brand and model, but generally, the ideal oil pressure is between 25-65 PSI.
An oil pressure sensor is a simple device that activates a warning light on your dash when your engine`s oil pressure is not in line with set levels.
While your car will run without an oil pressure sensor, it is not a good idea to drive without one. The oil pressure sensor (also known as an oil pressure switch) measures if you have the correct amount of oil in your vehicle. Without a working sensor, you won`t know if you have the correct oil levels.
This sensor is used to monitor the oil level by continuously measuring the engine oil level in the static and dynamic ranges. The sensor is designed for vertical installation from below in the bottom of the oil pan. Inside the housing there are the level sensor, temperature sensor, and sensor electronics.

Relevant Questions and Answers :

the most relevant questions and answers related to your specific issue

Oil consumption. Burning oil. Oil light turns up on idle.
ANSWER : Hi there, thanks for writing in. The valve stem seals are the most common cause of this on your engine. When they fail, it requires that the cylinder heads be removed and rebuilt to fix it. The piston rings can also cause this but they are not as common. Unfortunately there is not anything, not even heavier oil that will fix this. You will need to have the heads rebuilt.

Okay so when I turn my lights on at night my brake lights do not work, when I don’t have my lights on they work fine.
ANSWER : Hi there. Based on your inquiry, it’s highly probable that you have a damaged light switch or some electrical fault inside the turn signal relay. However, it’s also possible that the brake switch above the brake pedal could also be the source of your problem. Due to the fact that multiple electrical components might be causing this issue, it’s a smart idea to first have a professional mobile mechanic complete a brake lights are not working inspection, so they can determine what’s causing all of these issues and recommend the right repairs.

Low oil pressure light comes on when idle. Check engine light is on as well. Both came on after getting an oil change 3 days ago.
ANSWER : It is possible that they put in the wrong viscosity oil. In rare instances, a defective filter will also cause low pressure. If there is too much oil, it will aerate and cause low pressure. Be sure the oil level is really not above "max". The P2187 code will appear if the oil fill cap is not tight but it will also appear due to a myriad of causes because that code only "generally" identifies a lean running condition. Consequently, numerous parts would have to be tested including the O2 sensor, gas cap seal, manifold air leaks, any vacuum leak anywhere including PCV and EVAP systems, exhaust leaks, and fuel system faults such as failing fuel pump, clogged filter and more. Since the car has relatively low mileage, you would not expect a failed oil pump, although the pressure sensor (or switch) could be bad. However, the occurrence of the oil pressure warning light is quite coincidental to the oil change, thus I would suggest bringing the car back and asking them to redo with a new filter and double check the viscosity of the new oil that they use. If the problem persists after that, you will have to test actual operating oil pressure (at idle for instance) as well as the oil pressure switch. Finally, if the oil pressure warning light comes on continuously, unless the warning circuit itself is malfunctioning, that means the oil pressure is too low to operate the engine without damaging it. Anytime the light comes on for more than literally an instant, you should shut down the car and thus an issue like this obviously has to be repaired.

If you’d like, a YourMechanic certified mechanic can come to your home or place of business to inspect the vehicle and perform an oil pressure light is on inspection to diagnose the vehicle and suggest potential repairs.

Cruise control turns on at idle, but when the car reaches 10 mph the cruise turns off and won’t turn back until idle again.
ANSWER : Hi there. Check all of the grounds to the vehicle and see if there is any wires that are damaged from the taillight short. A loose ground will cause multiple problems with the electrical system and some or multiple components will not work. If you need further assistance with your electrical issues, then seek out a professional, such as one from Your Mechanic, to help you.

Check engine light and oil light comes on before oil change?
ANSWER : Hi There,
As you may know, these lights are designed to come on at specific mileage intervals that are preset by the factory. When your mileage exceeds a certain amount relative to the last oil change, this will trigger the lights to come on. Typically this will include the oil light and the check engine light as there are also other basic service items that are checked during oil changes. I would recommend obtaining an owner’s manual for your car if you do not already have one. This will usually indicate the specific service intervals and recommended maintenance items for your vehicle at the various mileage intervals.

The tire pressure monitor will also come on when the air pressure in the tires has reached a specific threshold relative to the tire design specification. Tire pressure is also impacted by the outside air temperature. For every 10° drop in air temperature outside your tires will lose about 1% in PSI or inflation. As you may know, as the temperature of the air changes the density of the air changes as well causing the tire pressure to be impacted by this. When this happens, the sensors in the wheels will detect this change in tire pressure and cause the tire pressure light to come on. Aside from replacing faulty tire pressure sensors, another way to help prevent this type of fluctuation in tire pressure is by the use of Nitrogen in your tires rather than regular air. As you may know, air is approximately 78% Nitrogen, 21% Oxygen and the rest is water vapor and some other small concentrations of gases. Nitrogen is much less likely to migrate through tire rubber than oxygen. This will maintain your tire pressure much more consistently during large temperature fluctuations.

Was driving on the expressway and my car started shaking, check engine light turned on, oil light turned on and off
ANSWER : Hello, thank you for writing in. Shaking and vibrating typically comes from a misfire, or poor engine performance. A lack of oil will absolutely contribute to these symptoms and amplify them, if not cause them to begin with. You want to turn your attention to the cause of the oil leak. If external (you can see the leaking oil), then you will want to trace the leak to the component which has failed. If the leak is internal (or the engine is consuming oil), the leak will be harder to find. It will also explain the poor engine performance due to excess oil in the combustion chamber. A head gasket is one of the main components that will fail and cause these issues. It is however not common for a vehicle this age to have these kinds of problems. You will also want to scan the computer, and see what codes are triggering your check engine light. These diagnostic tools will help you determine what system(s) is to blame for the malfunction. For more diagnostic help, contact our service department to schedule an appointment.

on a 1970 Lincoln mark iii Interior lights wont turn on and warning lights are very dim and doorlock button makes buzzer go on
ANSWER : Hi there. Although the electrical systems on older vehicles tend to be much simpler in design, in many cases, issues like you’ve described can be very tricky to trace. It could possibly be something as simple as an expose wire creating an electrical short or a faulty relay that is not completing an electrical circuit. I wish we can help you further, but the best advice I can offer is to have one of our mobile mechanics come to your location and complete an electrical problems inspection.

lost all oil pressure, replaced the oil pump, low oil sensor, oil pressure sensor, oil pan gasket,
ANSWER : The fuel pump will not stay on if you loose oil pressure. This is why it is shutting off. The loss of oil pressure may be from bad crankshaft bearings or camshaft bearings. The engine oil pan should be removed and the oil pump needs to be checked to ensure that you put in the pick up tube seal to the pump and connected the pump to the block. Then remove at least one main bearing cap and inspect the bearings for excessive wear and crankshaft damage. If you need some help with this, consider YourMechanic, as a certified technician can help diagnose the issue with your oil pressure firsthand and help you fix it accordingly.