# Disappearing oil... need help please.



## DJEDUB (Sep 17, 2009)

Hi all,
I have a 2002 4-cyl, Golf. Recently i noticed my oil has been 'disappearing'... For example, I have a full thing of oil today, then one week later it is down to half (on the dipstick). This is not normal, i know... If anyone has any ideas or suggestions please feel free to share...
Much appreciated...


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## rickjaguar (Apr 23, 2009)

*Re: Disappearing oil... need help please. (DJEDUB)*

Are you seeing any oily patches appearing where you park? I'd check everything in the engine bay (for an oily coating). 
Maybe your oil filter isn't screwed on properly? 
If the answer's no, then perhaps it's burning oil..


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## DJEDUB (Sep 17, 2009)

*Re: Disappearing oil... need help please. (rickjaguar)*

There are no oil patches on the ground, and doesnt seem like there are any oil leaks around the engine or the filter... I was afraid that oil may be burning as well... I have no idea why or how that happens though. Maybe i should just take it in to a mechanic?


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## TRUEBELIEVER (Apr 7, 2005)

*Re: Disappearing oil... need help please. (DJEDUB)*

If its any help i had the same problem on m wifes 2003 jetta. turns out the pcv breather was screwed up and blowing oil into the intake arm.


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## DJEDUB (Sep 17, 2009)

*Re: Disappearing oil... need help please. (TRUEBELIEVER)*

oooh! was that an easy d.i.y fix or did you have to take it in...?


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## TRUEBELIEVER (Apr 7, 2005)

*Re: Disappearing oil... need help please. (DJEDUB)*

did it myself.


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## DJEDUB (Sep 17, 2009)

*Re: Disappearing oil... need help please. (TRUEBELIEVER)*

so did you just replace the pvc breather or something?


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## TRUEBELIEVER (Apr 7, 2005)

*Re: Disappearing oil... need help please. (DJEDUB)*


_Quote, originally posted by *DJEDUB* »_so did you just replace the pvc breather or something?


On a mk3 or mk4 its either going to be a faulty pcv breather or the hose coming off of it. i replaced the breather and the hose because the hose was damaged as well as the breather. Both are easy to replace. Once you have the new parts its pretty self explanatory.


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## animaniac (May 26, 2005)

*Re: Disappearing oil... need help please. (TRUEBELIEVER)*

Depends on mileage, according to vw they can use upto 1 litre per 1000km or 600 miles and thats classed as normal oil usage.
People seem to think new cars don't use oil, and how very wrong they are.
So if it's not smoking or leaking then it's just using oil naturaly.


_Modified by animaniac at 6:05 PM 9-25-2009_


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## gazaudi (Oct 7, 2009)

*Re: Disappearing oil... need help please. (DJEDUB)*

I dont try and fly planes because im not a pilot.
ie. take your car to a mechanic


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## pingu888 (Jun 3, 2009)

*Re: Disappearing oil... need help please. (TRUEBELIEVER)*

Truebeliever,
Im having the same oil problem with my wife's 03 Jetta.
How did you determine that it was the pcv?
Just going thru the process of elimination for this prob.
looks like im comsuming approx 1.5-2liters per oil change with 5000km intervals.
Thanks,
T


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## StevenPirre (Mar 3, 2009)

*Re: Disappearing oil... need help please. (pingu888)*

My 2.0 mk4 goes through oil like crazy no leak it just burns it. Especially syntethic oil. I put in 10w40 high mileage and it no longer consumes oil like that. All 2.0's tend to burn a decient amount of oil.


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## animaniac (May 26, 2005)

*Re: Disappearing oil... need help please. (pingu888)*

Under vw's oil usage guideline thats still within vw's normal oil usage spec!
For some bizarre reason folk seem to think that engines shouldn't use oil, well i'm affraid they do use all this can vary from engine to engine plus different operating conditions.

Every engine is different, but the more oil an engine uses the more it will drink it at higher rpms ie highway miles.
Blocked pcv pipes can cause pressure build up and cause more oil usage as said, but also th piston rings can get carbon around them and cause sticking and increase oil usage.


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## TRUEBELIEVER (Apr 7, 2005)

*Re: Disappearing oil... need help please. (animaniac)*

If the pcv starts to get clogged or the rubber line that goes from the pcv to the intake arm gets some kind of a pinch it in a sense produces more pressure and suction. Therefore it starts sucking oil out and puking it into the intake arm. At that point the oil either runs down toward the MAF or gets slowly sucked past the TB and into the engine.
The other problem that was going on for a while were the piston rings on the 2.0's. I know its the mk4's but cant remember what year(s) it applied to but a bunch of them were coming through from the factory with some of the rings installed upside down.


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## pingu888 (Jun 3, 2009)

*Re: Disappearing oil... need help please. (TRUEBELIEVER)*

Can you provide a pic of where this PCV is? 
It sound like a realitively easy DIY.
Thinking of trying this on my 03 Jetta.
Thanks
Tony


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## Mk4ridin (Aug 24, 2009)

*Re: Disappearing oil... need help please. (StevenPirre)*


_Quote, originally posted by *StevenPirre* »_My 2.0 mk4 goes through oil like crazy no leak it just burns it. Especially syntethic oil. I put in 10w40 high mileage and it no longer consumes oil like that. All 2.0's tend to burn a decient amount of oil.

hey i use mobil 1 5w 30 if i switch to high millage will it not drink as much oil as it does??? it drinks it like its nothing.
112,333k


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## Jon718 (Aug 14, 2007)

same boat as u guys my '01 jetta 1.8t drinks a quart every 1k miles. this is after having th cam chain tensioner gasket, pcv hoses, valve cover gasket replaced.


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## tjl (Mar 24, 2001)

*Re: Disappearing oil... need help please. (animaniac)*


_Quote, originally posted by *animaniac* »_Under vw's oil usage guideline thats still within vw's normal oil usage spec!
For some bizarre reason folk seem to think that engines shouldn't use oil, well i'm affraid they do use all this can vary from engine to engine plus different operating conditions.

While true, most engines do not burn anywhere near that much oil. Engines that I have and have had did not burn more than 1 quart / litre over their oil change intervals (this includes a VW engine with 10,000 mile oil change intervals; the most oil consumption I saw was at a rate of 1 quart over that mileage).
Manufacturers and dealers obviously do not like to deal with high oil consumption repairs (expensive and hard to verify in the shop after putting the engine back together), so they set the thresholds pretty extreme.


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## Patricia_2.0T (Oct 18, 2009)

*Re: Disappearing oil... need help please. (tjl)*

I have a mkV 2.0T and am having the same problem. No leaks, but am taking it to the dealership for a defective contact ring in the stearing wheel (horn) and now this. Will this problem with disappearing oil ever stop? Is there really anything that the dealership can do?


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## jkcedor (Jun 18, 2009)

*Re: Disappearing oil... need help please. (Patricia_2.0T)*

I've owned three VW's now (2001 Jetta, 2002 GTI and now a 2008 GLI) and have always had a little bit of oil loss between changes. Never had a drop of oil under a car and everything I read said it was expected so just topped off and carried on without a problem. I ran Mobil 1 in the Jetta and now the GLI and with my GLI, still the same old story. You should be good by just topping off and driving forward as long as you're not seeing anything under the motor as well as smoke in your mirror. Just my two cents but I don't sweat it if I don't have either of those two issues.


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## Pauliewarranty (Jun 26, 2009)

chyea dude. dub new and old are notorious for needing to run on near sludge. thicker is better for a vw. figuer your temp range, then get 5w or 10w heavier.


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## Patricia_2.0T (Oct 18, 2009)

*Re: (Pauliewarranty)*

old thread - but the turbo was leaking. Dealership said it was the bov, wtf??? The took it off and gave it back to me and said I was lucky to have the work done under warranty.


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## jmj5150 (Jul 13, 2008)

*Re: Disappearing oil... need help please. (DJEDUB)*

me too


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