Having issues with black oil spots showing up on my rear bumper.
At first I thought it was from the very thin mobil 1 synthetic oil, but I resently went to a conventional 5w30 to see if there was a difference. Nothing really changed. I even added Lucas oil stabilizer and it only helped a little.

I get the spattering at higher rpms, but no blue smoke out the exhaust under load.

I called an experienced engine builder and said that our valve seals typically don't go that often, and its probably the rings. Im septical because Im not getting a lot of oil comsuption (only about 1.5 litres in between oil changes, sometimes more).

He mentioned that I might just be running very rich due to poor spark as well. Im getting very pour gas milage right now as well. Only about 400kms per tank (250miles?). So Im going to change out my plugs, wires, cap, rotor and coil to see if that changes anything...

Other suggestions?

This was after my drive today...





..and the car in winter mode with its milano red rims!

 

I would deff check your spark plugs and inspect the wires cap and rotor.

More than likely is it is a issue with weak spark because the poor fuel mileage. I would also look into getting your O2 sensor checked out because if it is bias lean it will be flooding your engine with fuel. I had the exact same issue and my problem was my o2 sensor was shot.

 

Didn't even think about that...Ill look into that too!

 

1.5L seems like quite a bit? How many kms between changes?

 

5,000kms...sometimes its 2L

 

Your deff burning oil that is for sure. But i would still consider checking out the o2 sensor. To diagnose your oil consumption issue you should do a cyl leak down test with a dry and wet test.

That will give you the best idea of where you loosing oil from

 

Just get used to it. Mine does the same even after getting new rings. Next step is the valve seals.

 

You replaced rings before the far cheaper and easier valve seals

 

x2 on the o2 sensor, my b16a was doing that buy my back bumper was about 6x worse lookin than yours, swapped the o2 sensor. let run for about 15 minutes. and then revved it. it spit alot out for about a minute but now burns clean.

 

I had the bottom end rebuilt. But I burn oil and have a black bumper as well. Need to do a full leak down and go from there.

 

ah well that makes sense. Valve seals are pretty easy to do. if the head is in car just take the cam out after setting it at TDC, hook up a leak down tester, and then remove your valve spring and your set pop that seal off and it done.

 

Valve seals definitely do go often in our cars. Whoever gave you that advice to the contrary is incorrect. Generally if it's a valve seal problem the car will smoke most right at the point where VTEC engages although that's not exactly a smoking gun because there could still be other causes, but it is a good indicator. Also, you can get splatter like that if you've had the car undersprayed for winter.

 

no offense but i hate what you've done to your wheels

 

Hey Math ,start with the reg maintenance, then the ring if you can afford...it really suck ,make sure you clean yr bumper often or the oil will stain your bumper !!!Enjoy the winter...

 

I have the same exact issue with my PY ITR. After throughly cleaning the rear bumper, I can drive the car 20 miles without crossing into vtec and have a light dusting of **** like that. After days and a couple weeks go by, it's absolutly disgusting, and is all over the bumper, hatch, bottom of spoilier, ect. I burn oil like I burn gas. My primary O2 sensor works correctly and I have a testpipe so I obviously don't have a functional downstream oxygen sensor. I go through a 1.5Q of oil every tank full of gas (about 300 miles).

I'm planning to rebuild the motor, I've heard that new piston rings would basically solve this problem. But I'm willing to do whatever it takes to fix this because it simply makes the car look like **** and a nice washing doesn't last.

 

Indeed it will. I wonder if claybar will remove it..

 

YUP if wash often, claybar will do wonder...

 

Had exactly the same issue with my b16 and it turned out to be my valve seals,

you might aswell get a new oil pan,v/c gasket along with a set of cam seals as they are both cheap and very easy to install not to mention famous for leaking(specially cam seals)

I really really doubt its your o2 sensor,I mean yes your mpg are down and that could be running rich but your also burning 1.5-2 lts in a 3000 mile period which is a hell of a lot and which means either rings or seals to me!

how can you explain the oil consumption with running rich?

what is the mileage on this car? are you a firefighter btw?(your sticker on the w/s)
I used to live in Brampton/Ontario where are you from?(hide the licence plate btw for precaution against thieves)

 

leakdown will not explain oil burning issues...taken from a thread from Scott tucker :The job of the compression rings is to do just that, to seal compression. Although they scrape a small amount of oil from the cylinder walls, that is not their purpose. The oil control rings job is to scrape oil off the cylinder walls to prevent it from being burned. They DO NOT seal ANY compression. So a compression test is going to tell you nothing about them. You could remove your oil control rings and your compression would be higher than with them because the extra oil in the cylinder will help seal the compression rings. This is similar to doing a wet compression test by adding oil to the cylinder. The same goes for a leakdown test. A leakdown test tests the compression rings only. It tells you nothing about the oil control rings"...


taken from same thread and from same guy, "scott tucker"..."There is pretty much only two ways an engine will burn oil. Either from oil getting past the oil control rings or oil getting past the INTAKE valve guides. You can determine which is causing the oil consumption in most cases by doing a simple test. Have someone drive behind you. While doing about 5 mph put it in second or third gear and floor it up to 5 - 6000 rpm. If it blows blue smoke during this period, it has a problem with the oil control rings. The excessive oil on the cylinder walls is actually pumped past the compression rings and is burned in the cylinder. The reason this would not be oil leaking past the valve guides is because when you are at WOT the intake manifold pressure is the same as atmospheric and the oil can not get 'sucked' past the valve guides. Next, hold it in second or third gear and after getting to 5 - 6000 let your foot completely off the gas until it drops down to 1 - 2000 rpm. When the throttle snaps shut the pressure in the intake manifold drops tremendously (more vacuum). If oil is leaking past the valve guides the atmospheric pressure inside the valve cover will force oil past the guides to the low pressure in the intake manifold and into the cylinder where it is burns.
HOWEVER, if you have a catalytic convertor and the oil consumption is moderate, the cat may mask the blue smoke and you will see no smoke. I think this is what has caused so much confusion. In the old days before cats, that test was such common knowledge and so accurate it kind of baffles me that young techs do not know that. I think the OP's car is burning enough oil to where he should be able to see something.
If you suspect that oil is getting past your valve guides remember that there are other things that it can be beside the seals. If your valve guide clearance is excessive, putting new seals on is only going to be a temporary fix at best because the slop in the guides will wipe out the new seals in a short time."

 

He explained these are his winter rims/tires. I wouldn't hold that against him.

 

Bump nice wheels..

 

X3 on the O2 sensor, my first pick is the one on the CAT.

 

you even after reading the article above which isnt opinion,experience but actual scientific fact insist its the o2 sensor,really?

its the o2 sensor on the cat?

never seen an o2 sensor actually on a cat nor have I seen an itr where the o2sensor is anywhere else but before and after a cat either so please help me here tiger si!

please help us is it the one downstream of the cat or up and why?

very good reason why I find HT full of bs,useless information and missunderstanding.

again someone please tell me how an o2 sensor can make a car burn oil? oil as stated above can only enter the combustion chamber via two ways which are either the oil control rings or the valve seals or other valve/seal related components and neither are effected in anyway by an o2 sensor as to my knowledge.

for gods sake how can you rely on a forum to solve a problem like this,buying a haynes repair book and being logical and having the right tools would be a much better way of handling this than listening to guys who state there answers with ''my first pick is'',I mean how many other picks will you have down the road untill you really have solved the problem?

 

Considering that he is a Firefighter, or at least has the Ontario Firefighter sticker on his front windshield, I kinda think the white w/red wheels is a nice touch.

 

its your fuel dude....your burning too rich....hence why when you engage in VTEC (fuel dump) it comes out more....you need to get your car tuned, had the same problem with my B16 for a while. Once i changed computers with a better tune, wow what a difference.

black means your not burning up all of the fuel...

white means your head gasket is most likely shot...

blue means your burning oil....

first thing every Honda owner should know.....