hey guys i have a 89 accord and i need help i am burning about a qt of oil a day and is blowing smoke bad as im new to Hondas coming form dubs i need any and all help possible
thanks randy

 

A quart a day is pretty significant. Its either getting past the valve seals or rings.

Have you done a leak-down test? What sort of diagnostics have you done? How many miles on the car?

 

165000 and idk how to do any tests so if you could tell me i would love to know how im doing a compression test this weekend but dont know what its supposed to be so any info would be great thank you

 

Get a compression tester; it looks like a pressure gauge with a fitting that goes into the spark plug hole. Make sure you get one with a long-ish hose or pipe because the sparkplug is down the bottom of a hole. Places like AutoZone let you rent or borrow them.

Engine should be warmed up. Remove all 4 spark plugs. Disable the ignition, like maybe unplug the small wiring harness wires from the distributor. Disable the fuel, maybe pull the fuel-pump fuse.

Stick the gauge in one of the spark plug holes. Floor the gas pedal and crank the starter until the gauge climbs to a constant value. Repeat for the other spark plugs.

Then do it all over again, but first put a teaspoon of engine-oil into the sparkplug hole before you measure that cylinder.

Write down the pressures that you measure & post em back here. You should have 2 different readings for each cylinder - dry & wet. Someone around here (Poorman?) knows the older cars, so he probably can say what's acceptable values.

Cylinder #1 is on the side with the alternator belt. Cylinder #4 is on the side closer to the transmission.

 

A leak-down test is kinda similar. You get a tester that uses compressed air. Screw it into the sparkplug hole & follow it's instructions. You'll try to hear where the air is leaking.

Into the bottom of the crankcase? Rings.
Into the intake manifold? Valves.
Into the exhaust manifold? Valves.
Into the cooling system? Head-gasket.
etc...

 

Let's not forget the poor old PCV as something to look into. The 89 LX had one go once.

Another question, what trim level DX, LX or LXi

 

The timing of oil smoke can provide information. If it smokes heavily under acceleration and generally most of the time, oil is bypassing the rings.

If it does not smoke at steady speed, but begins to smoke after a prolonged idle, and gives a large belch of smoke upon acceleration after the long idle, the valve stem seals are indicated.

It can be both also.

Both tests can confirm the source of oil loss. Your consumption rate suggests stuck or worn rings.

A good used engine may be your lowest cost option if rings are the problem. If valves are the problem, the rebuild of the cylinder head is lowest cost option. Check car-part.com and ebay for a used engine.

good luck

 

A good leak down tester will let you know the peak pressure and how quickly the cylinder is losing pressure. I always thought a leakdown test was more definitive than a compression test, but either is better than guessing.

 

Yes, a leakdown test is more difinitive. And yes, you measure how much is leaking - I should have said that. For this guy, learning where it's leaking seems important too.