Do all older cars leak oil? (vehicle, gasket, valve, mileage)
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My car is like 8 years old and leaks oil sometimes i got an oil change about a month ago he didn't say anything and i got a car inspection about 2 weeks ago and didn't say anything i also remember about a year ago my car leaking oil from time to time how do some cars leak oil and still run greatly?
To answer your question, no, not all old cars leak oil, but on an older cars, it's not always worth the cost to fix it. That being said, I tend not to like my cars leaking oul, so I would locate the leak if nothing else and find out where it is.
Bruning oil is pretty normal though and not necessarily an issue, depending on how much and how often.
Older cars are more likely to leak oil, as the rubber gaskets start to decay. Basically, anywhere your engine can come apart, there's going to be a rubber gasket there. If you keep up with the maintenance, and replace the gaskets, there's less of a chance of a car leaking oil.
One of my cars is 21 years old, and doesn't leak a drop. I just did the valve cover gasket (which was starting to seep oil), and the oil pan drain plug O-ring a few weeks ago.
I have a '98 Acura with 278,000 miles that started leaking oil in the fall...not much, maybe 1/2 a quart a month. The guys at my repair shop said it was to be expected with the age/mileage on my car and not to worry about it, just make sure to check the oil and make sure I'm not running it low.
As stated, it's not uncommon for older cars to leak oil. It normally happens as the gaskets or seals break down, and allow a little seeping. Oil consumption is also common in both new engines, and high mileage engines.
As to why an engine can leak oil and still run great, you have to separate the idea that an engine that leaks oil will have any major malfunctions. A bit of oil can come out of a location on the engine that will have zero effect on how an engine runs, specifically leaks around the oil pan, drain plug, or rear main seal will have zero impact on how the vehicle performs. We have an 06' Volkswagen with about 115,000 miles on it, that leaks a little oil from the rear main seal. Considering there's no easy way to fix the problem without dropping the transmission, I simply decided that it wasn't worth fixing. If the leak becomes excessive, and I find myself adding oil on a more regular basis, it might be time to address the leak...until then, it can mark the cardboard I put down in the garage.
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