Oil burning 3S-FE

[ss2115]

Need some advice please.
Have a 3S-FE motor in an 2003 Honda with 130,000klms.
Its starting to use oil at a rate of high mark on the dipstick to low mark about every 7 to 8 months.
The engine is clean and dry - absolutely no oil leaks anywhere.
There is no white smoke on start up hot or cold.
There is no smoke under load up hills, nor under a trailing throttle down hills, so I'm unable to determine the cause.
No water/oil mix in the radiator. Engine ultra reliable with good performance and fuel economy.

Are these engines prone for any particular problems such as oil rings or valve guides or anything else that might be burning oil?

Appreciate anyones experience.

[dougie_504]

Are you referring to the Toyota 3S-FE? Probably not many people know much about it.

I suggest you put the engine under high load (rev it to the redline) at night with somebody behind you. Sometimes you can't see the smoke during the day, but at night you can see the plume in the headlight beams of a person behind you.

What oil are you using?

How old is the engine? 3S-FE is apparently '86-'02?

[ss2115]

Yeah - sorry. I'm an idiot.:o

Its the 2.3litre F23A as fitted to a 2003 Honda Odyssey.
Its had the auto reconditioned at around 108,000 klms which the dealer wouldn't help with, and now after being an ideal car for my wife its starting to use oil at far greater amounts than it should.

She loves it, but I'm getting worried about keeping it and running into more expense.
If it was valve guide seals as being a common problem, then it mightn't be a big job if the head doesn't have to come off (compressed air in the cylinder and pop off the springs and slide new seals on) but if these engines are prone to ring wear so quickly it might be time to trade her in.

Trouble is the wife doesn't like the new shape because she likes the height and big windows of this 2003 shape.

[curtis265]

I suppose you really need a compression/leakdown test

[dc2r-0636]

How many Ks are you doing in the 7-8month time frame?

[aaronng]

Checked your PCV valve?

[stndrd]

If you are going thru 500ml or there abouts in a 7-8 month period (assuming you are doing approx 10,000km in this time) I would not even bother stressing. That is very low in regards to oil consumption for the older Honda motors.

My only real question is what oil & viscosity are you running it on?

[Limbo]

try running OEM Honda oil in it.
If you run full synthetic in it I have seen some older engines burn thru it

[dougie_504]

IMO stay synthetic, just go a bit thicker.

[Daveho1]

agreed with upper posts.
use a thinker oil.
replace your pcv valve
if your still concerend get a leak down test performed and go from there