Just recently become a honda owner - got a 2000 Honda HR-V (HRV) but inherited some oil burning issues with it and could do with some help from more experienced people to identify if its a top end (valve seals/guides) or bottom end (oil control rings etc) problem, if anyone can help?

The car smokes from exhaust for first 5/10 mins of running when first started up in the morning, and from when pulling away at traffic lights etc. It isn't really blue-ish, mostly white-ish but I know its oil because the Cat sensor is coated in oil (causing engine management light to be on permanently).

Also, a mechanic informed me that 2 of the spark plugs are oil fouled. As well as that, it gets through a lot of oil. we have only been driving it a week (30 miles per day) and its gone from full oil to minimum oil on the dipstick levels. It failed the emissions test due to this problem so I'm either looking at top-end work on the valve seals/guides or possibly a new engine which is going to be expensive!!

The car itself has done 112k miles but is generally in good shape apart from this emissions problem. A combustion test on all 4 cylinders were normal and the car drives fine apart from this issue. From what I have been told and researched online, it could be top end or bottom end problem and have filmed an overrun test to see if the smoke gives anything away in terms of where the problem lies, but I need help in diagnosing it!

In the video, we go into 2nd gear and floor the accelarator until reaching very high revs, then take foot off accelarator (so we are engine braking), whereupon smoke can be seen from exhaust and then a loud bang (misfire?) and a big puff of dirty smoke. Any help greatly appreciated. The video is on youtube here;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJrcB-vctxM

Thanks,

Al.

 

when a engine burns thru that much oil that quickly it's 99.9% piston rings fault. oil control rings are worn or stuck.