Help where is my oil going!?
 

Hello all I wrote on here but for some reason it did not go through. I have a 1993 Hinda Accord EX. My power steering fluid has been leaking around the reservoir, so I took it apart to see if hoses were cracked or the unit was cracked. I did not see any cracks at all. So I installed it and turned it on warmed it up and at the moment i am not seeing anything.

Well here is an interesting issue. I am losing oil but not on the ground. I have no clue where in the heck the oil is going.

Can someone please help me figure out what is going on?

I would so appreciate the help.

How quickly are you losing oil?

I've also a '92 EX 5 spd and I'm going through 1/2 qt engine oil every 750 miles with no drops to ground
unless overfilled at the change. No smoke out the exhaust even on steep downhills - so I'll be following this thread!

A quart every 1,500 miles is pretty good for a car that old.

No I put in a quart and immediately is disappears. It does not disappear on the ground not sure where it goes. It is like almost when I out in the oil it is gone. Man it is a mystery.

So what you're saying is:

• You check the dipstick
• You pour a quart of oil in
• You recheck the dipstick prior to starting the engine and the level doesn't change

If that's the case, are you sure you're checking the correct dipstick?

In post #1, Steadyone talks about power steering fluid.
Then UhOh mentions engine oil.
Just keep that in mind...

Open the big rubber bellows on either end of the steering rack. There's supposed to be air in there, not fluid. That is one possible place for PS fluid to go if it's not leaking out onto the ground. If that's where it's going, you need to rebuild the steering rack (or buy a new/rebuilt rack).

Yes I am checking the correct dipstick. When I pour a quart of oil in it suddenly disappears is what I am saying.

Steering fluid goes on the ground =, oil disappears. Bottom line

I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about.

You don't say whether oil is touching dipstick or dry. Assuming it's dry, I see three possibilities:

1) Oil level is so low that you haven't reached dipstick level

2) Oil dipstick is damaged or misinstalled so dipstick does not touch oil level.

3) Oil drain galleries are blocked and oil is being held up on the valve cover, possibly draining very slowly. If so oil level should eventually rise.

good luck

Not trying to get too far off topic - OP follow the suggestions given.

"UhOh" - have you replaced the poor old pcv recently? If not buy a new one, they are cheap, and replace. Don't try cleaning the old one.

Yes, thanks for the thought! I've a newish PCV valve.

there are 2 topics in 1 thread, with 2 posters,,very confusing,,

either way, the simple solution is to change your oil with the proper amount of oil....

poster 2,, i bet your rack is full of fluid as mod suggested,,time to get dirty

HI let me make this as clear as I can. I have poured oil into the car and it is like when I pour oil into the car it is going somewhere else. When I look at the stick the oil is gone. It is not going on the ground it is going somewhere else in the engine. That is what I am talking about. I hope this is clear.;)

Thanks

Please understand, when you say you have "poured oil into the car" we really don't know what that means to you. The fact is, it is impossible for oil to just disappear, so most likely you're pouring it into the wrong spot or you're checking the incorrect dipstick.

Image for fluid locations.

I probably helped confuse everyone.

I thought Steadyone was losing PS fluid but not leaking OUT. So I suggested inside the air-spaces of the steering rack. My mistake, his PS fluid leaks out but his ENGINE oil disappears mysteriously. Do I have that right this time?

You can be burning some oil without much smoke, but that doesn't fit his description in post #5. I don't have any good ideas about that, other than waiting for the oil you just poured in to make it's way down into the pan.

Nah, the confusion was already evident. :)

I love this thread! Great information and very useful.

Wow I am asking for serious help and you all are making jokes of the situation. Well anyway I tried. take care.

Let's rewind this thread.

1. Does the dipstick show any oil?

2. How many quarts of oil has been added?

3. Can you take some pictures of the engine compartment and post them?