engine eating oil what could it be (possible blown head gasket, cost?)

[Winky]

hey

i just did an oil change (first over filled it then it ran fine) checked it today ( two days later)

and its below minimum again..... I'm almost positive that theres no leak (though the valve cover has started to leak but barely noticible)


what could it be? If you need a better description or any further details please ask....

thanks much


EDIT: I'm adding all known problems just in case they might be related
1. ever since i blew my clutch and had it replaced, it idles hard

2. valve cover has oil on the seams, but not spurting out or anything

3. today my car had trouble starting up (new thing have no idea what caused it... this was after it was warmed up, i went to a video store, parked, came back and it took awhile to start, but that could be related to low oil i guess

4. when i did my oil change I fillled it up past the MAX mark by accident, i started it up and it was throwing tons of white smoke out the back, checked the engine to see any known problems (was the first time i saw the valve cover leaking), closed it, drove around the block, let it cool, came back and it was fine


specs on car: 96 eagle talon N/T no mods , only thing done was replace the clutch (so far)



EDIT: running on it once broken causes warpage, i know ... but say i HAVE TO for a couple of days... how much would a new head or how much would it be to get it machined? (if you had this happen and remember the prices on what you paid please help a brother out)

 

[TrboANTsi]

maybe you should try a little bit of a thicker oil. once i got my oil changed in my honda and it was gone in like 2 weeks..i found the place i took it to used the wrong weight..i put a thicker one in and it worked better

 

[DSMcrazy3]

Does blue smoke come out of the exhaust? If so, that's your problem and it's internal. If not, and you are losing oil you have a leak. No if's, an's or but's. There are places that you won't be able to see oil leaking from. So just because you don't see it, it could still be leaking. I don't know where you've checked, but drive the car, and then park it and let it sit for a few hours or even a day, then roll it back and see if there is any oil on the ground. Also you can jack the car up and check underneath for any build up caused by leaking.

 

[DSMcrazy3]

maybe you should try a little bit of a thicker oil. once i got my oil changed in my honda and it was gone in like 2 weeks..i found the place i took it to used the wrong weight..i put a thicker one in and it worked better

Cars are designed for a specific type of oil, using a thicker oil will just cause parts to wear out more quickly, due to the larger particles getting in the SMALLEST places, wearing them down.

Josh

 

[Winky]

I used 10-30w, i heard going much thicker is bad for the engine..


anyways I am assuming its my head gasket (can someone confirm this?) and have no idea where or how much its gunna cost to get my head machined ( if anyone had this done recently can you tell me how much it costed you) and i think i'll attempt on putting the gaskets on (im just a kid with a minimum wage job )


if it isnt my head gasket, what else could it be?

thanx

~Winky


never saw blue smoke

also i park in my garage, garage has no oil stains where i park

 

[DSMcrazy3]

Check to see if there is coolant in your oil. I've been told you can take off your oil cap, and look on the bottom of that and see if you can see coolant mixed in there. I would think that since you have a leak, it would be SOMEWHERE that you can see it. Try taking a look under the car for any build up. You could also try a compression test. Since you aren't burning oil, the rings should be ok, so low compression could be from faulty gasket. If you have a minimum wage job, then you probably don't want to try tackling this job. It isn't THAT hard, but it's definitely not an easy one, and you need a pretty good set of tools. I'm not sure how much a head gasket would cost, but I would guess around 400(parts and labor). Anyone who has had it done feel free to give your price

Josh

 

[oldman]

anyways I am assuming its my head gasket (can someone confirm this?)

Anyone who can without further testing is just guessing. Start with a compression test.

 

[Splitpi]

Check your coolant as well, if you have oil in it, with out a doubt you have a blown head gasket.