i've posted this before on another message board and i want to see if any of you can help. my car is burning oil and i can't figure out where. i only know of a few things that can cause this(bad rings, valve seals, pcv valve). i am pretty sure that it isn't rings because of the fact that my car doesn't burn oil all the time. i can go 300miles one week and not burn a drop and then turn around and go another 300mile and burn a quart and 1/2. my car doesn't burn oil when in a idle but only when driving. i thought it might be the pcv valve so i replaced that and didn't have any luck. the only thing that i'm left with is valve seals but normally to burn this amount of oil you would notice a power loss. well this car runs great and i don't notice any change in power. it is as strong as it was when it was new. but this problem is starting to **** me of . and to top it all off my low oil light doesn't work so i have to check the ******* oil every time i get in the car.

 

I have that problem too, but mine is only when it has sat for a day or outside over night and cold out. I smokes blue for a minute or so.

 

i wish mine was as easy to figure out as yours. i know what your problem is. it is valve seals. the thing that throws me for a loop on my car is that it doesn't smoke when you start the car even if it has sat for a week or 2. the car only burns oil when driving and i mainly notice it when driving at night going over 3500rpm. i would say that the rings are going bad on my car but if that were the truth then i would have bad compression and i have normal compression and no power loss. and normally rings will cause a car to burn oil like crazy all the time and mine is selective on the times it wants to burn oil . i have even taken the car to a few shops and they have no clue whats wrong with it . this problem is very weird and it goes against everything i know about cars. any help would be appreciated. or if you are from the dallas area and know anyone that really knows their **** about mazda's and fixing them let me know .

 

i could handle a quart every 3000 miles but not a quart every 300 . this is becoming a pain in the *** that cost alot of money. but me and my friend looked at the pistons by pulling the spark plugs and looking down there with a scope. there is alot of wetness and burned oil all over the top of the piston mainly in the second cylinder(this would explain the reason y the plug is burned to **** and needs to be replaced. even though its weird becuase i have normal compression but i belive i need new rings. not exactly sure how and y it would burn oil and still show good compression. but this is the only thing that looks right. i'll be rebuilding the motor soon though. if anyone knows of any good tips to do this please let me know(such as parts to buy and where to get them and things i need to know about tearing the motor down that might cause a prob). i'm going to rebuild the motor in the car by removing the head and oil pan. i belive there isn't to much engine wear since it only has 117,000 miles. i know thats a few miles but mazda motors are tuff and normaly wouldn't have to be bored for oversized pistons. but i'll find that out when i tear into it.