I am experiencing excessive oil consumption with my 2002 330xi purchased about 30 months ago with just under 27,000 miles. Now it has 71,000 miles on it. From the beginning I was not thrilled, having to add a quart every 2,500 miles or so, but I was not too concerned. I have taken very good care of the car since I have owned it, changing the oil (Redline 10-40) every 7,000 miles or so. However over time the consumption got worse, a quart every 2,000, then 1,500 then 1,000 miles until all of a sudden after my last oil change three weeks ago, down to 600, 400 and just today 380 miles and down a quart. There are no leaks on the ground. I park in the same spot every day and there is not a single drop on the ground. However I have observed a few things that might or might not be related. The tips of the exhaust pipes are covered with soot that is blacker than black, the engine compartment looks dirty (up until a few months ago, the engine compartment almost looked like it was detailed), there is some oil below the valve cover at the very front of the engine and in the last couple/few months a loud tick has developed. The tick gets louder as the engine warms up and increases when the engine is revved. The engine is extremely smooth with zero power loss. I assume that the previous owner followed the dealer non-maintenance plan, but with less than 27k on it, how much could she really have abused or neglected it? Is this something that is easily diagnosed and repaired or is it an indication that the engine is shot? Any feedback will be appreciated. I want to be an informed customer when I bring it to the dealer or an independent shop and not beat up too badly. Thank you in advance. Sam
Well, I'm no expert, so take this with a grain of salt. If you have no leaks that you see on the ground, I would surmise it is being burned excessively within the motor. Most exhaust tip get filled with a little soot over time, but if it's abnormal AND you have excessive amounts of a similar grime in your engine bay I would think it's being burned. The mileage for it is a little discomforting, but perhaps a valve seal or gasket? Again, just my 2¢... Good Luck!
