Oil consumption, rings or valve seals?

[scott37300]

If you have a car with oil consumption is there a way to tell if it’s the rings or the valve seals?

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[Bryan Carter]

Sure. If you get a big puff of smoke during start up in the morning, that only happens if the vehicle has been sitting for a while, then you’re looking at worn valve guides/seals. If you see smoke when under load, then it could be the rings. If you’re not seeing any smoke, it could be a head gasket.

[EricTheCarGuy]

I’ve actually written extensively about this issue in this article.

http://www.ericthecarguy.com/faq/finding-and-fixing-leaks

[Author]

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