# Losing oil **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [April 28, 2008, 3:15am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/losing-oil/13371 "2008-04-28T03:15:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![marinped](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/marinped/32/767_2.png) [@marinped](https://community.cartalk.com/u/marinped)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2008, 3:15am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/losing-oil/13371/1 "2008-04-28T03:15:59Z")
1997 honda uses abnormal amount of oil. All seals replaced, pcv replaced, valve seals replaced, no apparent oil leaks. Spark plugs are grayish/brown glaze, no indication of burnt oil…Wat is wrong? ---
**Author:** ![jsutter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8e8cbc/32.png) [@jsutter](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jsutter)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2008, 3:17am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/losing-oil/13371/2 "2008-04-28T03:17:37Z")
How much is abnormal? A lot of motors burn some oil, a quart or so between changes is considered normal in many cases. ---
**Author:** ![marinped](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/marinped/32/767_2.png) [@marinped](https://community.cartalk.com/u/marinped)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2008, 3:21am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/losing-oil/13371/3 "2008-04-28T03:21:43Z")
losing about 1 qt every 500 miles or less ---
**Author:** ![Xebadaih](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/d07c76/32.png) [@Xebadaih](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Xebadaih)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2008, 3:50am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/losing-oil/13371/4 "2008-04-28T03:50:34Z")
If there isn’t any smoke coming from a leaky gasket I’d guess maybe a leak from your pan, gasket or drain plug. Make sure there is no oil in your coolant, that would be a head gasket. Check for blue smoke when you start the car. ---
**Author:** ![marinped](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/marinped/32/767_2.png) [@marinped](https://community.cartalk.com/u/marinped)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2008, 4:08am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/losing-oil/13371/5 "2008-04-28T04:08:22Z")
Nope, everything is fine. Just losing oil… ---
**Author:** ![Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/joseph_e_meehan/32/21_2.png) [@Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Joseph_E_Meehan)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2008, 11:06am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/losing-oil/13371/6 "2008-04-28T11:06:22Z")
``` You may be burning it. The converter will eat a lot of oil meaning there may not be any smoke out the tail pipe. The problem with this is all that oil (1 quart per 500 miles?) is likely to damage the cat and cause clogging and malfunction. Then you will see the smoke and fell the reduced power at high RPM. ``` ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2008, 12:31pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/losing-oil/13371/7 "2008-04-28T12:31:54Z")
The oil may be getting past the oil control rings and being burned because the rings are stuck in their grooves from sludge and carbon. You might try adding a half a can of SeaFoam Engine Treatment to the oil to see if it will free up the sticking rings. Tester ---
**Author:** ![TJScott2012](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e68b1a/32.png) [@TJScott2012](https://community.cartalk.com/u/TJScott2012)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2008, 8:10pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/losing-oil/13371/8 "2008-04-28T20:10:46Z")
or maybe your rings are fried :o i had that happen recently ---
**Author:** ![Jeremy\_R\_Hoyt](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/jeremy_r_hoyt/32/37_2.png) [@Jeremy\_R\_Hoyt](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Jeremy_R_Hoyt)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2008, 9:19pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/losing-oil/13371/9 "2008-04-28T21:19:21Z")
Try using high mileage oil. Sometimes that will help you burn less oil. ---
**Author:** ![keith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/keith/32/5518_2.png) [@keith](https://community.cartalk.com/u/keith)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2008, 1:33am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/losing-oil/13371/10 "2008-04-29T01:33:18Z")
This year Honda has a problem with the silent shaft oil seals. When they are replaced, the need special clips to hold them in place, they were recalled for this. If you had the seals replaced and they didn’t replace the clips, this could be your problem. ---
**Author:** ![marinped](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/marinped/32/767_2.png) [@marinped](https://community.cartalk.com/u/marinped)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2008, 12:54am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/losing-oil/13371/11 "2008-04-30T00:54:34Z")
what are silent shaft seals for this model?