My car seems to be leaking oil but I do not see any drips. There doesn’t seem to be any smoke coming from the exhaust either. It’s just disappearing. I put a quart in about every 500 to 1,000 miles. What kind of leak could this be? Could it be the seals?
I would suspect that it is being burned in the engine. At that consumption rate, you probably couldn’t see any smoke. Worn rings and valve stem seals would be the most likely suspects.
Do you have any idea how much that would cost? Would it be reasonable to keep putting in oil. What are the consequences of not fixing it? It’s a 2003 model. Thanks!
If your engine were leaking that much oil you’d be able to see it somewhere, either on the ground where you park the car or on the engine itself when you look under the hood.
You have looked under the hood, haven’t you? Can you see any oil anywhere?
If it’s not leaking the oil is being burned in the engine, as tardis suggests. How many miles are on this Accord. It’s unusual for an Accord this new to be burning oil.
A clogged PCV valve (Positive Crankcase Ventilation) can cause excess oil consumption. I’d check that first.
If the engine is really burning that much oil, you don’t want to know how much it costs to fix it. Just keep adding oil.
The costs depends on if it is the rings, the valve stem seals, both, or something else. You should get it diagnosed before you jump to any conclusions. Many car makers consider a rate of one quart per 1000 miles to be acceptable (no warranty work will be done) on new cars.
If it’s burning oil, you spark plug life may be slightly reduced, and your catalytic converter life will be shortened. Your mileage may suffer slightly. All that said, it may be better to just live with it.
It has 131,000 miles on it. This car has given be almost no trouble over the years. Bought it new and I love it, but the oil issue is troubling. Runs great though. Thanks for your comments.