Griffith 500 Oil Consumption

[MikeE]

Apologies I'm sure this has been covered a million times before but....

1998 Griff 500 with 40K miles from new, I've only covered 800 miles in 3 months since buying it from a well known dealer. Went out on Sunday and at a steady 4K rpm following a car around the M3 slip road once clear I floor it onto the motorway and I think I see a white smoke cloud following me!

Go to check the oil when I get home and its gone from registering full on the dipstick (3 months ago) to the empty mark (now, after 800 miles). Now I don't know what that equates to in litres but I'm sure that's not a healthy consumption rate. Asked the dealer and they said that was acceptable but I wanted the gassing stations opinion too.

Oh and they filled it with 10W 40 grade fully synthetic apparently.

Thanks in advance!

[900T-R]

800 miles on a litre (assuming you mean the 'MIN' mark on the dipstick rather than empty) sounds right on to me for a 500.

Keep checking that oil level regularly - we're talking an old-school design that subsequently was hand built to performance/race engine (i.e. large) tolerances...

[MikeE]

Yes I meant the Min mark on the dipstick. Does that equate to one litre consumed?

[pwd95]

Some consume more than others. I've had 6 or 7 Rover engined TVR's now & they all consume at a different rate. The consumption you describe sounds about avarage.

[TVR Beaver]

not thrashing it mine would go from top to middle of the marks in 3K miles (one season on my insurance).. obviously that does not happen... but it only goes from max to min in 3k miles

[MikeE]

Ok so a couple of confirmations that this is within 'tolerance' which is a relief.

So whats the concensus on the oil and grade to use for my engine (currently 10w 40 fully synth I believe)

[citizen smith]

Hi,

Way back in my day, clouds of white smoke usually meant that one of the Head Gaskets has gone (or worst case still, a warped head through overheating), check for oil contamination in the header tank!

I hope that its O.K.

[MikeE]

Ah the other thing I forgot to mention was under acceleration, at the point I notice a white haze behind me I could also here what sounded like heavy pinking but more from the transmission tunnel than the engine. It cleared after a few seconds. Could this be a symptom of a blown head gasket?

[Torquemada]

1,350miles per litre for me - obviously not trying hard enough.

[lazyitus]

Mine uses alot, similar to the OP. Always has done. I just keep an eye on it and top it up when needed. I don't worry about it 9 years on..

[anonymous-user]

Re oil - http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

Generally, you want something a 'around' 10-15w50, bit lighter for < 50K miles, bit heavier for >, with some zinc (protect cam), but not too much (protect cat), in either full synth or semi synth. Easy