Vectra B
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Oil Consumption, Measure General The term "oil consumption" of an internal combustion engine refers to the amount of oil which is used as a consequence of combustion. Oil consumption should under no circumstances be confused with oil loss caused by leaks in the oil pan, cylinder head cover, etc. The job of the engine oil is to:
1 Separate surfaces that slide on one another with an oil film, i.e. prevent dry friction; 2 Conduct the heat produced by friction away; 3 Conduct combustion residue away.
These tasks necessitate the consumption of a certain amount of oil, i.e. the expectations of many who claim that further development of the internal combustion engine will lead to an engine that does not consume oil are absolutely nonsensical. The oil consumption is however influenced by certain external operating factors, driving style and manufacturing tolerances. Under normal circumstances, however, this consumption is so minimal that between the specified oil change intervals no or only a small amount of topping up is necessary. Topping up is however absolutely necessary if the oil level sinks below the "MIN" mark on the oil dipstick. On the other hand, ensure that the oil level does not exceed the upper "MAX" mark, as this may lead to engine and catalytic converter damage. If too much oil is provided, it must be drained or siphoned off.
Engine Oil Consumption, Measure (Continued) As oil consumption is a technical necessity, indications that an engine is not consuming oil means that we can conclude that the oil is being diluted by particular operating conditions. Frequent cold starts, under-cooled driving etc., have the result that the oil flowing back to the oil pan entrains high-boiling fuel components and condensates which 'dilute' the oil and lead to the erroneous assumption that the engine is not consuming any oil. Oil diluted in this fashion lacks lubricating power and may lead to engine damage if the specified oil change intervals are not observed. The main causes for oil dilution are driving in mainly urban traffic and frequent driving at insufficient engine rpm when the engine is cold. The oil consumption first begins to stabilise after operating for a few thousand kilometres; therefore, measurements of the oil consumption only become realistic after about 7500 km/4000 miles. Before measuring the oil consumption, ensure that the engine is not losing oil due to a leak. Notice: The oil dipstick can only be used for checking and not for measurement. The engine must always be switched off for at least 2 minutes before the oil level can be checked - so that the engine oil in the engine can flow back into the oil pan. If, after an oil change, the maximum engine oil top-up does not correspond to the maximum level mark on the oil dipstick, this can be attributed to manufacturing tolerances. Permissible engine oil consumption and filling quantities - see Technical Data "Oil Circuit".
Engine Oil Consumption, Measure (Continued) Measuring Method
1 The test takes place with the vehicle horizontal and engine at operating temperature (engine oil temperature min. 80 ° C). 2 Drain engine oil immediately after switching off engine - draining time approx. 30 minutes (this value was determined experimentally). 3 The drained engine oil quantity is determined using a measuring container 1) and corrected with fresh oil to the max. engine oil quantity minus the volume for the engine oil filter that has not been changed. 4 With this engine oil quantity, the customer should drive 1000 km, obviously without topping up the engine oil (the driver should keep to his normal routes and driving styles). 5 The procedure described above (points 1 to 2) is then repeated with exactly the same time for draining engine oil. 6 The quantity of engine oil "missing" from the measuring cylinder is the engine oil consumption with respect to the distance travelled.
When topping up, as far as possible use the same type of oil as was used for the previous oil change. 1) Measuring container (transparent) with 1 to 2 litre capacity and scale.
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