Interesting oil consumption issue

[tom4bren]

I've been driving the 99 Amigo for a few weeks now. It has the 3.2L engine that is very similar to our VX engine. I'm consuming oil at about a quart every 1000 miles.

Sound familiar???

I'm starting to think that it's pretty much just the 'luck of the draw' with Isuzus & not specific to the VX.

BTW - the mpg sux on it too. I'm lucky to get 3 days out of a tank. I haven't been keeping track of the mpg yet but I'll start tonight when I fill up.

On the bright side, the 5 speed is a blast to drive & it's a fun vehicle overall. I wanna get a soft top for it but that'll have to wait till the furlough is over.

I installed a brush guard on it the other day ... came out pretty nice (if I do say so meself). Supposedly the brush guard came off of an older Ford Ranger. It had my price written all over it ... $0. It cost me about $10 in supplies to put it on. I cut 2 mounting brackets out of some bar stock I saved from the scrap bin for the machine shop at work, drilled & tapped 8 holes for 3/8x16 bolts. I'll try to schlep on some paint this weekend & then post some pix.

[evillecutter]

i ask every isuzu owner i see (mostly rodeos in town) if they eat oil and so far i have had mixed results - havent found one yet that did not have some sort of an engine tick and most sound more like a diesel - all 3.2l so far - most have the window problem too - they all seem surprised the vx is an isuzu - the most recent said he had seen me before and thought it was the new honda

[tom4bren]

My Amigo has a slight engine tick but it's FAR from sounding like a diesel.

Windows on the Amigo do not seem to have the binding/tilting issue (derived from a statistical sampling set of ... one ).

[evillecutter]

well its unanimous so far on how to get rid of engine noise: louder stereo/exhaust!

[Gizmo42]

All the 98+ 3.2/3.5 have the same oil issue. Just a matter of time as to who gets it when. Mine used to burn 1 qt every 3k for the longest time. Now its at least 1 qt every 1k miles but even that varies a lot. It can burn 1qt in 100 miles then nothing for the next several hundred. If I'm doing a lot of engine braking, like coming back down a trial, it burns enough that I can smell it.

drilled & tapped 8 holes for 3/8x16 bolts.

Best is to go with 1/2" grade 8 bolts. If you are mounted to the tow hooks like the factory one does then cutting a hole and putting a shackle in there works even better. Thats how mine are mounted and even slamming many rocks really hard it never budged.

Notice the bent/smashed lower cross bar and bent up lower parts of the uprights.


Mike (Protetype) had his mounted with the 3/8" bolts that came with it. He rear ended a RAV4 at low speed. The lower bolts sheared allowing it to pivot and it did $5500 in damage.

[tom4bren]

Best is to go with 1/2" grade 8 bolts. If you are mounted to the tow hooks like the factory one does then cutting a hole and putting a shackle in there works even better. Thats how mine are mounted and even slamming many rocks really hard it never budged.

Right now it's mounted with standard grade bolts (because that's what I had on hand). I cleaned out Home Depot of the grade 8's on my way home from work last night but still need to pick up 4 more.

I was going to use 1/2" but a couple of the holes that I drilled & tapped were too close to the edge. My 'rule of thumb' is that the hole shouldn't be any closer to the edge than the diameter of the bolt that is being used.

The Amigo won't be seeing hard 4 wheeling anyway so I'll take the risk. The secondary reason for me picking this Amigo as a DD is that if I ever have an accident, it'll be a 5 speed donor to the VX. The 3.2L may have been used for the same purpose till I noticed the oil consumption.

[CowboyErik]

My solotion for half a decade has been to overfill by a quart; so, fill with 6 quarts; and it really seems like it burns leff oil; but oil does disappear, it can be seen inside the exhaust system; caked up my O2 sensors, soooo, heating those up with a TORCH til they glow hoping they would come out, and they didn't even when glowing, actually fixed that problem, all buildup on the sensors renewed them and I have not more codes lolol

[blacksambo]

Let my truck stand in garage for a week with a half quart of Marvel Mystery Oil in it. Consumption went down quite noticeably. Ticking long gone since the introduction of Marvel.

[Gizmo42]

Let my truck stand in garage for a week with a half quart of Marvel Mystery Oil in it. Consumption went down quite noticeably. Ticking long gone since the introduction of Marvel.

Did you put it in the oil, run it, then park it or pour some in the spark plug holes and let it sit? I really need to start doing something about mine before it gets worse. Now that I have the Volvo, the Rodeo sits most of the time anyway.

The Amigo won't be seeing hard 4 wheeling anyway so I'll take the risk. The secondary reason for me picking this Amigo as a DD is that if I ever have an accident, it'll be a 5 speed donor to the VX. The 3.2L may have been used for the same purpose till I noticed the oil consumption.

The 98+ DOHC 3.2 can be rebuilt as a 3.5 with the upgraded pistons that eliminate the oil burning issue (more holes in them). Its the same block and heads. Need the crank, rods, pistons, rings, and oil gallery of a 3.5.

[psychos2]

pcv valve is most likely the cause.plug the hose going to the intake and put a small valve cover breather where the pcv valve goes and solve the problem. mine ate 2 qts in 1000 miles did this and back to 1/2 to 1 qt in 3000. trust me it works.

[blacksambo]

pcv valve is most likely the cause.plug the hose going to the intake and put a small valve cover breather where the pcv valve goes and solve the problem. mine ate 2 qts in 1000 miles did this and back to 1/2 to 1 qt in 3000. trust me it works.

e


Like the simplicity of this approach, maybe will try.

FYI I did not put the marvel mystery in the plug holes, used it in the crankcase only.

(Pyschos...haven't heard from you in a while? We're in Bolton Landing quite frequently. Maybe meet up sometime?)

[evillecutter]

pcv valve is most likely the cause.plug the hose going to the intake and put a small valve cover breather where the pcv valve goes and solve the problem. mine ate 2 qts in 1000 miles did this and back to 1/2 to 1 qt in 3000. trust me it works.

i have been cleaning my pcv with carb cleaner about every 3 days and i havent lost any oil yet - first time since ive owned it that it didnt need to be topped off after a couple weeks - ive cleaned it after every oil change and i change the oil religiously but i honestly think this is helping and might soon consider the tiny breather if it can eliminate the need for me to keep cleaning the pcv

[tom4bren]

There's lots of threads on the subject. Use the Search function with "Oil Breather" & you'll find them.

The one point that seems important (but was only mentioned once) is that if you put a breather where the PCV is, make sure you cap off the hose that connected to the other side of the PCV.

Another little factoid (question actually) is that the PCV only vents one of the valve covers. Shouldn't both be vented to ensure that the pressure is balanced? Is there a cross over that makes that happen? What about etlsports find of a oil filler cap/vent/filter replacement for that side ... would that be a good idea if replacing the PCV with a filter/vent?

[evillecutter]

There's lots of threads on the subject. Use the Search function with "Oil Breather" & you'll find them.

The one point that seems important (but was only mentioned once) is that if you put a breather where the PCV is, make sure you cap off the hose that connected to the other side of the PCV.

Another little factoid (question actually) is that the PCV only vents one of the valve covers. Shouldn't both be vented to ensure that the pressure is balanced? Is there a cross over that makes that happen? What about etlsports find of a oil filler cap/vent/filter replacement for that side ... would that be a good idea if replacing the PCV with a filter/vent?

all very good questions - anyone ever find a breathing oil cap that will fit a vx? im seriously considering the pcv breather to start with - worst case scenerio i take it off and go back to cleaning the pcv every few days

[Scott Larson]

The atmospheric pressure in the valve covers would be equalized through the oil drainback passages in the heads...

As to the oil cap breather, fab one up, it would be a snap to drill and tap the original and fit it with a breather tube and filter!