VX Weirdness

I changed the oil tonight. Just like I always do, every 3000 miles. Except this time, my PCV valve was all goobery and there was a lot of oil that looked like it spooged up and out around the valve, which I have never seen happen before, and I usually change my PCV every, or every other oil change. The other weird thing, is that I drained my oil, just like normal, and for about the same amount of time, jacking up the passenger side to get as much out as possible. Typically, I can use one whole jug of Mobile-1 oil (5 quarts) and it fills me right up to the fill line on the dipstick, usually with a very little bit left in the jug. This time however, my VX took the whole jug, and there was nothing registering on the dipstick at all! I had to crack open another jug and add about another half quart I would estimate, and probably 3/4ths of a quart to get the oil to the fill line on the dipstick.

Now, the only thing, is that last Satuday I installed a brand new EGR. Could this have anything to do with this weirdness?

Thanks - Bart

Ok someone else that has this issue....I fill with 6 qts each time as i found that in the manual somewhere. My dipstick rarely registers any oil on it.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by JHarris1385

Ok someone else that has this issue....I fill with 6 qts each time as i found that in the manual somewhere. My dipstick rarely registers any oil on it.

---

Hey J,

First off, let me just say that my dipstick DOES register oil. But usually, with an oil change, I could top off with just one 5 quart jug. And now, this time, for the first time, it took more than 5 quarts to top off the oil...

I mean, its going somewhere?!?!?!

Bart

It sounds like you might have some slug in the oil return holds on the heads. You might want to pull your valve covers and do an inspection. I had that issue with my Montero.:confused:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by kodiak

It sounds like you might have some slug in the oil return holds on the heads. You might want to pull your valve covers and do an inspection. I had that issue with my Montero.:confused:

---

I have no idea how to do that. I mean, everything is running good. No knock, etc. Do you think this because of the PCV valve issue or because of the VX taking more oil or both? Could changing the EGR valve have anything to do with this?

:confused: Bart

Yeah I have no idea what he just said...

I have always put 6 in. I know it goes in, and I never have leaks. No knocking one bit.
I do have the mild diesel sound coming from the loose nut.

Sorry, I’ll try and explain it a little better. When the oil return holes on the heads get clogged with carbon slug produced by combustion it can slow and sometimes stop the flow of oil back to the oil pan. If your seeing seepage around the PCV valve there’s a good chance the valve cover is filling with oil because the oil return holes are restricted with slug. I had this issue with my old 91 Montero about 3 years ago. I ran some pipe cleaners down the return holes and it seemed to take care of the problem.

That would also explain why your oil level is off. There is still a lot of oil up in the valve covers. I try and find some examples of this.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by nfpgasmask

I have no idea how to do that. I mean, everything is running good. No knock, etc. Do you think this because of the PCV valve issue or because of the VX taking more oil or both? Could changing the EGR valve have anything to do with this?

:confused: Bart

---

Well, what I am going to do is just keep checking my PCV. Like I said, normally I swap it for a new one every other oil change, if not every single oil change. This is the first time I have seen oil around the PCV. It's possible the PCV was just clogged a little. I will look at it again soon and see if there is more with the brand new vavle in the there.

J, no loose nuts knocking around, except the ones in my shorts. ;)

Bart

I checked in to some examples. If you where having oil return problems you would see other symptoms like blue smoke at startup and oil seepage around the valve cover gaskets.

It sound like your on the right track.:rolleyes:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by nfpgasmask

J, no loose nuts knocking around, except the ones in my shorts. ;)

Bart

---

You recirculate the exhaust gasses in your shorts??? Novel approach, I must say...:rotate:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Ldub

You recirculate the exhaust gasses in your shorts??? Novel approach, I must say...:rotate:

---

LOL, sometimes I do, yes. But at night in the bed I prefer to create a "Dutch Oven" rather than recirculate. The wife hates it...especially when my dog is under the covers helping me out (cross pollination). :laughing:

Bart

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by nfpgasmask

LOL, sometimes I do, yes. But at night in the bed I prefer to create a "Dutch Oven" rather than recirculate. The wife hates it...especially when my dog is under the covers helping me out (cross pollination). :laughing:

Bart

---

LOL...that poor Woman, she has my deepest sympathies...:sighwgray

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Ldub

LOL...that poor Woman, she has my deepest sympathies...:sighwgray

---

LOL, yeah, I feel sorry for her sometimes...putting up with me and all.

:bwgy: Bart

Cross pollination....man that was a great line....



So I most likely need to dig into my valve covers? Is this easy to take off? What exactally are the return holes?

Thanks.

Bart - sounds to me like it's time for a Seafoam-in-the-oil treatment.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by VehiGAZ

Bart - sounds to me like it's time for a Seafoam-in-the-oil treatment.

---

I do that every 3 oil changes or so....so I dunno. Its just attribute it to

"VX Weirdness"

Bart

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by JHarris1385

Ok someone else that has this issue....I fill with 6 qts each time as i found that in the manual somewhere. My dipstick rarely registers any oil on it.

---

What you read is on a brand new engine, I saw that too. But the manual on page 26 says, it is 5.0 US qt with filter, 4.3 without. Wish I could find that reference about 5.7 qt's, but it is wrong for the normal service.

just throwing this out there...be sure the mobil one "jug" is actually 5 quarts. I just bought some (I always get mine from WalMart) and all the "jugs" on the shelf of the various weights (10w, 15w, 5w, etc) were now 4 quarts...so I had to buy a lone quart as well.


This sucks...'cause I really liked getting all 5 quarts in a one shot deal. I noticed other brands (Valvoline, etc.) still had 5 quart jugs available.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jolly Roger VX'er

just throwing this out there...be sure the mobil one "jug" is actually 5 quarts. I just bought some (I always get mine from WalMart) and all the "jugs" on the shelf of the various weights (10w, 15w, 5w, etc) were now 4 quarts...so I had to buy a lone quart as well.


This sucks...'cause I really liked getting all 5 quarts in a one shot deal. I noticed other brands (Valvoline, etc.) still had 5 quart jugs available.

---

Dude, holy carp! :embarasse You are totally right! I didn't even notice! I just went in the garage and sure enough, the jug I bought was only 4 quarts!!!! What gets better, is they used to be $22 for the 5 quart jug and now its $26 for the 4 quart jug!!! WTF!!!???!!!??? :mad:

I feel like an idiot...but thanks.

Bart

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by nfpgasmask

What gets better, is they used to be $22 for the 5 quart jug and now its $26 for the 4 quart jug!!! WTF!!!???!!!??? :mad:

Bart

---

My thoughts exactly! :mad:

Don't feel bad about not noticing the change...I "barely" caught it myself...if it wasn't for the other brands still being 5 quarts and their "jugs" looking much larger on the shelf next to the Mobil one...I'm sure I'd have missed it too!

That is completely retarded and takes the point away of buying the jug. I noticed this about 3-4 oil changes ago and though dumb it is to buy a jug and a single.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by JHarris1385

That is completely retarded and takes the point away of buying the jug. I noticed this about 3-4 oil changes ago and though dumb it is to buy a jug and a single.

---

Yeah, it's freakin' stupid. Now, to do a regular oil change I need to buy 2 jugs @ $26 a pop! I was talking to my wife about this, and she said she read somewhere that this is the new "scam" that companies are doing to cut corners and save money in this recessed economical time. Basically, a lot of products will look the same, but if you look at the box the net weight will be a little bit less. So keep your eyes on the products you buy. I should have noticed it. When I went in the garage I took out an old jug I kept to dump used oil and I put it next to the new jug and just sat there for a second like, damn...and then I thought of price and it was like in the cartoons when you crack an egg on a bald guy's head who is real angry and then the egg fries. :)

Bart

PS - I guess this "discovery" complete negates this entire thread, which is good...

'cept for the slug ... sludge ... gunk built up around your PCV. Keep us informed of that.

What we don't need to hear any more about tho is: the loose nuts in your shorts, cross pollenation, tearing into your head to look for clogged ports or who has the bigger jugs.:)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by nfpgasmask

I was talking to my wife about this, and she said she read somewhere that this is the new "scam" that companies are doing to cut corners and save money in this recessed economical time. Basically, a lot of products will look the same, but if you look at the box the net weight will be a little bit less. So keep your eyes on the products you buy.
Bart

PS - I guess this "discovery" complete negates this entire thread, which is good...

---

Well then...hijacking a perfectly good thread shouldn't be too much of an offence...:naughty:

I've noticed it in coffee, beverages, shampoo...pretty much everything...:sighwgray

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by tom4bren

'cept for the slug ... sludge ... gunk built up around your PCV. Keep us informed of that.

What we don't need to hear any more about tho is: the loose nuts in your shorts, cross pollenation, tearing into your head to look for clogged ports or who has the bigger jugs.:)

---

LOL, yeah, I have the uncanny ability to harness my inner 12 year old (with much pride). :)

The spooging around the PCV might just be from it getting clogged or pressure from my clogged EGR. The only thing that is different here then is that I changed my EGR valve a few days prior to this due to throwing the 1404 CEL code. IMO, this PCV mess may have had something to do with the EGR getting clogged causing slightly more pressure in the crankcase than usual, forcing some oil out around the PCV valve. Of course, I am no mechanic and I am just guessing due to circumstantial evidence. I looked yesterday at my PCV after about 30 miles of hard drivin' and there was no more oil around it. I will keep checking it.

Bart

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Ldub

Well then...hijacking a perfectly good thread shouldn't be too much of an offence...:naughty:

I've noticed it in coffee, beverages, shampoo...pretty much everything...:sighwgray

---

Yeah, it's effing monkey shi1te. :mad:

Bart

J, bart,
add myself to the list. I was freaking out on no oil showing up on the dipstick. I allways use a quart of lucas syn. oil stabilizer, four quarts from the 5 quart jug, and have a quart left over.
well with my last oil change, walmart was out of mobil 1, so i went to autozone and got my jug. i put in the lucas, pour the mobil 1 down to the point that i have a quart left, check my dipstick, and nothing is there......
i freaked out for about a half hour thinking a seal from the jug fell in there and pluged something up, i just didnt know what, and not wanting to add TOO much oil.
after all this, i finally looked at the jug, and saw the 4 quarts. so actually, i only had 4 qts in there. i poured the rest of the jug in there, and i was right on the full line, like it should be.

Walmarts shelf is about empty of any mobil 1 oil, of any grade, except for the "green" friendly oil, or something.... there is a little sign under all the empty shelves from exon mobil saying that due to hurricane Ike, production had slowed, and to be looking for mobil 1 oil back on the shelves very soon.
I hope! and i hope the price goes back to 21 bucks for FIVE quarts, instead of this 26 for 4qts.

I do think its odd that we only have a 1 quart tollerance on our dipstick. i check my oil regularly, but i admit, i have pulled the dipstick out, and seen no oil on it and about had a cow, and add a quart, and im back to the full mark. My heart would appreciate a dipstick that would give me about another quarts worth of information.....lol when i see no oil on the dipstick, i automaticlly think i have NO OIL!!!! not just a quart low.

Hey Bart, Is this the first oil change/pcv change since your little excursion into the mud hell you got stuck in? sometimes the difference in engine usage (and I think being stuck is different... might have caused the spooge)..might cause a little blow-by

just a thought from left field.

Peace
Jeff

I get my mobil1 at Cosco...6 quarts $26...and every once in a while they throw a $4 off coupon out there!:cool: