Hi,hoping someone can help....I bought my fun (S reg) with 48k on the clock,backed up by MOTs.After 6oo miles or so (4 weeks use) the engine sounded tappety,we checked the oil and there was none in the engine.We put in new oil and the noise went away the next time the car was out.When I bought the car there was definately enough oil in the engine.There has been no excessive smoke from the exhaust,approximately 2 minutes worth of visible exhaust now when starting from cold. The water is clear and the oil is not scummy at all,only black with no3 plug starting from the left being moreblacked up than the others.The engine smells like it is running a bit rich.The plugs are a little blacked up.No loss of power or anything like that. It is going into the garage on Monday for a look see and a friend of ours says it might be dodgy rings.Any body got any ideas on what is wrong and why we lost all that oil,or what might be the cost if it is rings?

When we put in the oil and we also changed the plugs with no3 again getting more sooted up than the rest.There are no leaks from the engine or anywhere,all looks very clean.....

I had lots of oil disappear in my favorit when I first got it (it went off the bottom of the dip stick) I think that was after a few hundred miles from topping oil up to top mark. I think there is still oil in the car when it goes off the end of the dipstick, just not enough to be within specifications. At this time there was no obvious drips onto the road or wetness under the engine etc. I check the oil level more often now to make sure this doesn't happen again.

After the oil went from max to below bottom of dipstick I used wynn's engine stop leak which is supposed to help revitalise rubber seals in the engine to help prevent leaks. This seems to have stopped the oil almost "disappearing". I can't figure out where it went, I can only assume it was combusted and that it was at such a slow rate not to give blue exhaust smoke. ALthough I wouldn't have thought this would be the problem on a genuine 48k mileage car.

The exhaust stuff when starting from cold will be just condensation being blown out as the exhaust dries out.

As for running rich, this could be due to a non-functional lambda sensor. There is a way of testing it which I'm sure is mentioned somewhere in these forums or hopefully someone who knows how will describe it.

hi newman thanks for the reply,hoping that the garage do not find any thing to bad on manday......i had a felicia ,before my fun, that i am selling and that actually used virtually no oil at all....

my fun has now just topped 91k and in the last 5k it has started to use a bit of oil (max to min in about 2000 miles). im sure it is the rings that are worn a bit but fut the time being i am just topping it up. if i get chance to stand it for a day or two i will remove the plugs and fill each bore with some freeing oil, leave to stand ,then give it an oil change and see if it is any better. as oil is free from work, many blue moons may have passed before i get it done

Interesting, what would the freeing oil be likely to do? Also I assume this would just burn off when the engine is started?

yeah it just burns up and goes into the exhaust

I'm guessing it penetrates into the piston rings, but only info I can find on the internet is that it is useful to do with engines that haven't been started a while to free everything up. I presume the idea is it also has some sealing effect to prevent oil consumption? Maybe that cheap can of penetrating oil from Halfords in the bargain bin will be useful afterall

Could be a siezed or broken ring. Also check for any evidence of impromptu rust-proofing on the underbody, and (rare but possible) rust causing porosity in the sump.