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Actually there's a strange disconnect there. Most people seem to know that you should keep your house tidy, but it's like it never occurs to them that you can clean a car...
Technical TwinAir OIL consumption..??
- Thread starter varesecrazy
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Technical TwinAir OIL consumption..??
Actually there's a strange disconnect there. Most people seem to know that you should keep your house tidy, but it's like it never occurs to them that you can clean a car...
AGH1965
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Cleaning the house??? Why should I? Complete waste of time!
Back op topic...
That is very, very much. 0W-30 or 5W-40?
My TA used almost 1 litre 0W-30 during its first 30000 km. That was already more than I liked. In fact, I hated it that the oil level didn't stabilise after the first 10000 km. At the first oil change the dealer filled it with 5W-40. Strange, since the owner handbook says it needs to be 0W-30. However, now the oil level is stable.
Was the oil level still above minimum when this happened?
Clearly, that is why in the 18 months of ownership that we had of our TA, it never used a drop of oil betweeen services! Good little car, but sadly, Fiat's reliability issues were a major cause of concern for us and that is why we let it go.
I still don't get the mentality of lots of folk, spend 14k on a brand new car and then don't get it serviced or even bother looking at it when something goes wrong. Spend weeks on forums asking the same question about how to fix something when often the only resolution is to take the car to a dealership to fix a problem that might only take 30 minutes with the correct diagnostic analysis, even more eye wateringly ridiculous when the car is still under warranty but the owner refuses still to take the car to a dealership. Sometimes, I just give up. :bang:
But of course servicing a car requires the owner to spend money, and as aquaintances of mine have often said to me, they'd rather spend money every year taking the kids on holiday abroad somewhere, than spend any money whatsoever on their main form of transport, the very same people that think they're saving a few quid putting part worn tyres on their cars....anyone see Watchdog the other night?.....
My 1984 XR3 Had one..HAD TO dip every day as it told you LOW OIL on every start up...
POS.. only bought FIAT after that...
The oil level can increase with direct injection turbo engines as fuel can leak into the oil via the injectors. Not uncommon with the latest Alfa engines.
Piccolo Nero e Bella
Prominent member
I'm afraid I have that back to front - the car is immaculately tidy; manuals in the door pocket, only a duster in the front tray and walking stick on the back seat. A boot-tidy keeps the boot tidy and that's it. My computer desk now...
I put about 200ml of oil into it shortly before the last service but to be honest it probably didn't really need it - I'm just a bit over-cautious about the Twinair engine.
TrevC
Established member
My 5 year old 43000 mile TA uses negligable oil between changes, which I do annually, so about every 8000 miles. I've had it from new, and although I drove it fairly gently for the first few hundred miles I did give it the odd hard burst.
Some modern cars do use oil. There have been various reports regarding VAG cars on the Honest John website, mainly 1.8 and 2l TFSI engines. VAG's stance is that consumption less than 1l per 500 miles is acceptable. Apparently running them in too gently causes the problem, so I don't know if the TA engine can suffer similarly.
Re. the Twingo, my neighbour tells me he has to undo four hand screws in the boot to lift the engine cover to get to the dipstick. Ironically, it doesn't seem to have the dashboard indication like other Renaults I have had. Mick, with your Clio try pushing the computer button while "Oil OK" is being displayed, and it should change to a row of dashes and zeroes that indicate the level. I still used to use the dipstick on mine occasionally, but a skeletal hand would have helped!
Some modern cars do use oil. There have been various reports regarding VAG cars on the Honest John website, mainly 1.8 and 2l TFSI engines. VAG's stance is that consumption less than 1l per 500 miles is acceptable. Apparently running them in too gently causes the problem, so I don't know if the TA engine can suffer similarly.
Re. the Twingo, my neighbour tells me he has to undo four hand screws in the boot to lift the engine cover to get to the dipstick. Ironically, it doesn't seem to have the dashboard indication like other Renaults I have had. Mick, with your Clio try pushing the computer button while "Oil OK" is being displayed, and it should change to a row of dashes and zeroes that indicate the level. I still used to use the dipstick on mine occasionally, but a skeletal hand would have helped!
It goes to a row of zeros ........... just like it always has done. Never ever seen a dash in all the 97,250miles and going on 16years of ownership.
I wonder if the dipstick is get-at-able from underneath? It's almost impossible from above. I suppose if you were a ballerina with long slender arms, it would be ok.
Cheers,
Mick.
Well if anyone does wreck their engine as a result of failing to check their oil level regularly, this thread at least deprives them of the defence of ignorance.
That was the idea 3 years ago. And my "race engine" method worked very well. Absolutely no issues after 26 k miles.
New and rebuilt aircraft piston engines are run in this way, often with a requirement to use a straight mineral oil (no additives) for the first 25 hours to help to bed in the rings.
The key is to maintain the highest possible cylinder pressures (to force the rings into the cylinders), whilst avoiding high combustion chamber temperatures (which causes glazing, bad) or overstressing the bearings (which means not using a combination of low rpm and high power settings).
I'm aware of at least one nasty accident caused by improper running in; the engine was never subsequently able to develop its rated power and several years later, failed to get airborne whilst attempting takeoff from a marginally short (but within performance limitations) runway.
Failure to observe the correct running in procedure is generally not subsequently rectifiable without stripping the engine, replacing the rings and re-honing the bores. In the aviation community, it is generally regarded that an engine cannot be run in satisfactorily on synthetic oil.
The key is to maintain the highest possible cylinder pressures (to force the rings into the cylinders), whilst avoiding high combustion chamber temperatures (which causes glazing, bad) or overstressing the bearings (which means not using a combination of low rpm and high power settings).
I'm aware of at least one nasty accident caused by improper running in; the engine was never subsequently able to develop its rated power and several years later, failed to get airborne whilst attempting takeoff from a marginally short (but within performance limitations) runway.
Failure to observe the correct running in procedure is generally not subsequently rectifiable without stripping the engine, replacing the rings and re-honing the bores. In the aviation community, it is generally regarded that an engine cannot be run in satisfactorily on synthetic oil.
Philip Young
Used mineral oil to run in the record breaking cross africa TA panda..
But obviously UK FIAT Warranty was NOT a concern , for it's record breaking run back from Cape Town
Used mineral oil to run in the record breaking cross africa TA panda..
But obviously UK FIAT Warranty was NOT a concern , for it's record breaking run back from Cape Town
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ahmett
Prominent member
yes! i check mine every time i fill up! takes less than a minute, especially in the 1.4 the dipstick is dead easy to read!
Funny I was only thinking about that panda and the mineral oil recently, considering the strop my TA got in to when the wrong oil was put in I'm surprised his tolerated the mineral oil without damaging the multiair unit
TrevC
Established member
Not as difficult to check as the BMW 325 my son just sold - it seems BMW don't believe in dipsticks!
There are many things about modern cars that haven't changed in absolutely decades.
12v electrics, cable handbrakes, CBA layout of the pedals ...................... and dipsticks.
Mick.
12v electrics, cable handbrakes, CBA layout of the pedals ...................... and dipsticks.
Mick.
Except for .....
Indeed, on some models at least, oil level measurement is only through on-board computer/IDrive. Fortunately, my 116 has a dipstick and electronic monitoring as the engine needs to be really warmed up before the car will perform a self-check.
