How do you know that your car burns engine oil?

The driver knows that brakes, tires, and oil changes are major maintenance issues. And while it's easy to tell if your car needs tires, if the brakes are bad, and to monitor oil changes with an odometer or oil dipstick, it's more difficult to know if and why your car is burning oil.

Check the oil

Open the hood and pull out the oil dipstick. Wipe the dipstick with a clean cloth and insert it back into its tube. Pull the dipstick out and check the oil level. If it is less than necessary, add oil until the gauge reads full. And repeat this every 500 km. If it is always deficient, then you are suffering from the problem of burning oil.

Examine the exhaust

Blue-white smoke coming out of the exhaust pipe of a vehicle while it is in operation is a sign of oil burning. You can also smell the oil coming from the exhaust. An engine that burns oil produces higher emissions and will also fail an emissions test due to higher hydrocarbon emissions.

Watch the engine

Monitor the engine to see if it is misfiring or running rough. An engine that burns oil will foul the spark plugs, causing them to run rough. So check the spark plugs by pulling the spark plug wires and using a wrench to remove the plug. Then watch the color of the bottom of the candle. Oily or wet spark plugs are a sign of burning oil, while yellow-orange indicates that all is well.

Oil leakage

Try to see if there is a leak or seep of oil from the engine gaskets. This usually appears in the joint between the colas and the block cylinder. If there is a leak, you must go to a maintenance center to address the issue. It can also be seen if there is an oil leak through the coolant can by noting if there is oil mixed with the fluid. In this case, the problem is greater and the gaskets need to be replaced.